That’s right, it’s your old pal, Bubsy! After over 30 years, the infamous, wise-cracking bobcat is back in a new intergalactic adventure, Bubsy 4D, available on XBOX platforms today.
When setting out to make a new Bubsy game, the goal was always to make a modern 3D platformer that served as a redemption for the troubled bobcat. We knew there should be a focus on Bubsy’s nature as a cartoon character while taking cues from modern 3D platformers.
Enter: Fabraz, the developers behind Bubsy 4D. They are trailblazers in the platforming genre, pushing the premise of “expressive platforming”. Their approach to platformers has revolved around having a series of fun movement mechanics and letting players use them to tackle each platforming problem as the player sees fit. Combining that with the idea of turning Bubsy into a giant hairball, and we knew it would be the start of something glorious…and chaotic.
“Bringing Bubsy back feels great!” said Fabian Rastorfer, Fabraz’ Founder. “We had a lot of fun working with this old bobcat and we’ve been delighted to see everyone’s reactions so far! It was always our goal to revitalize Bubsy in a way that feels both fresh for new fans, while remaining authentic to the OGs out there. Bubsy’s been kicking around for longer than most and we love that about him!”
Expressive platforming in Bubsy 4D goes as far as the movement options at your disposal. Therefore, we give you a lot of options that you have from the jump. Play around to find the combo of movements as you see fit. Double jump, glide, and pounce for the last-ditch dive to that hard-to-reach platform.
Bubsy’s moveset includes:
- Double Jump – classic!
- Glide – Bubsy’s signature move to remain airborne for a bit
- Pounce – Lunge to long jump or tackle enemies/targets
- Hairball – Transform into a zippy ball
Some actions have additional effects to help you run through levels, sometimes literally:
- Pounce to get into an animal run on surfaces
- Pounce into walls to clamor up a limited distance
- Hold the jump button in ball form to rapidly wall jump (bounce?)
- Hold jump when landing from a pounce to roll into an additional jump
- There are TON of options in settings. Remap the controls to your liking, make hairball mode a hold instead of toggle, and more! Turn on tank controls if you’re feeling nostalgic.
“Just like his redesign, we tried to incorporate some of his original moves while also injecting some of that ‘Fabraz DNA’,” Rastorfer added. “Bubsy’s move set is more expressive than ever and your options for ‘schmoovement’ are nearly endless! ”Our extensive controls menu also offers lots of customization options for those that wish to tweak their gameplay experience too.”
Bubsy’s newest adventure is available today, May 22, on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC and XBOX Cloud as an XBOX Play Anywhere title.
Bubsy 4D
Atari
Bubsy’s longstanding enemies, the fleece-obsessed Woolies, have stolen all of the Earth’s sheep. Oh well, that ain’t Bubsy’s problem. Until the sheep overthrow their captors and return as deadly BaaBots, empowered by Woolie technology, determined to steal Bubsy’s most prized possession, The Golden Fleece.
With the help of his motley crew of acquaintances, Bubsy must journey through space to defeat the BaaBots and take back the Golden Fleece. Luckily, he’s acquired some new skills to navigate the expansive, craft-themed levels. Bubsy can leap, glide, claw his way up walls, and pounce off enemies. He can also puff up into a new hairball form to roll at blistering speeds.
The team at Fabraz crafted this expressive new moveset to cater to beginners and speedrun enthusiasts alike. Once you’ve mastered Bubsy’s clawsome new moves, show off your skills by uploading your best level times to the online leaderboards for other players to race against!
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