Bubsy 4D

Bubsy 4D easily stands as the best Bubsy game ever made – of course, that’s not a particularly high bar to clear for the series. Still, while it does succeed at boosting Bubsy as a lovable character in a loveable vehicle, it did leave me wanting for a more developed platformer. The skill-testing movement makes for a fast and sharp platformer with a ton of energy, but it’s also one that ends up feeling a bit safe in the end. Even still, it’s undoubtedly a charming throwback with satisfying 3D platformer action that really nails where it counts, and I couldn't help but be pleased to see a video game mascot from a bygone era given another shot in the spotlight.

When all is said and done, Bubsy 4D is a great return to form for the series. The tight 3D platforming in great level design is mixed with the humor to create something extremely fun in the moment. However, the length of the game is much shorter than I would have liked, and I didn’t find much motivation to replay, even after I finished. Still, it is without a doubt the best Bubsy game since Bubsy 3D.

Nine lives later, Bubsy 4D does the best it can to revive a nearly forgotten franchise. The game may not be purrfect, but it's a big first step in reviving this snarky feline's 3D platforming adventures.

While a bit short and unpolished, I did enjoy my time with Bubsy 4D, going back to pick up every collectible in the game and even doing half the time trials, which aren't normally my thing. Once you know Bubsy's move-set, it's easy to want to put them through their paces, and after cleaning out the levels it feels nice to tear through them at top speed. It also helps that if you've only got a few yarn balls left, once you pick them up you can just quit the level rather than have to commit to completing the whole thing, making the scavenger hunt feel much more approachable. A few months more polish and a little extra content would have helped Bubsy 4D properly reintroduce the bobcat as a prime platforming mascot, but even so it's a solid adventure for a character that nobody's really quite sure why they're happy to see return.

So yeah, Bubsy 4D is a good game – of course it is, Fabraz made it! The bobcat couldn’t have gotten luckier with these developers. And if they make another one, or add on to this one, I’ll happily check it out. With that said, people should play Demon Tides first, and then Demon Turf, and then, even then, wait for a steep sale — there’s just not enough content here.

It could have been a remarkable platformer, but its lack of variety, its ugly character design and some unpredictability with the jumps make Bubsy 4D a kitty with tiny claws.

A solid platformer with a clear focus on speedrunning, Bubsy 4D is an enjoyable enough experience. Sure, the levels might be bland and repetitive, but it is hard to dislike a game that is as genuinely funny as this. Also, it must be noted that Bubsy 4D doesn’t outstay its welcome, landing distinctly in “short, but sweet”. Although it knows its audience and they will come away pleased, this isn’t going to sell many new folks to the bobcat. Bubsy is back, but their return is a mixed bag.

Bubsy 4D embraces the bobcat’s reputation as a relic of the mascot era, reinventing him as an aging lead struggling to make it in a modern platformer. While the game’s momentum-driven navigation and a bit of experimentation make for an enjoyable adventure, some uneven precision keep this comeback from being a faultless redemption story.

Depth alone doesn’t completely save the experience, which clocks out after a good five or six hours of story-driven gameplay. Why? Because ultimately, Bubsy 4D remains trapped between reinvention and nostalgia. It wants to modernize Bubsy while simultaneously preserving everything people remember about him, including many of the frustrating parts. The game constantly brushes against greatness without ever fully committing to it. You can see glimpses of an incredible platformer buried underneath the noise, but those glimpses never fully stabilize into something consistently excellent. And maybe that’s the most fitting outcome possible for Bubsy. Because, against all odds, Bubsy 4D actually succeeds in making Bubsy relevant again. Not purely as a meme, but as a legitimately entertaining, occasionally brilliant platformer revival with genuine mechanical ambition behind it. That alone feels borderline impossible. Unfortunately, even breathing new life into the franchise couldn’t fully save Bubsy from the same issues that have haunted him for decades. The uneven pacing, the frustrating design decisions, the technical roughness, and the overreliance on repetitive collect-a-thon structure keep dragging the experience back down whenever it threatens to truly evolve. Bubsy 4D is fascinating. It’s weird, it’s ambitious, and it’s messy. Sometimes it’s even genuinely great. But in the end, it still feels like Bubsy, and maybe that’s exactly the problem.

One of the ‘90s least adored platformer protagonists returns with an admirably executed new moveset, some inventive levels and much-needed self-awareness. That doesn’t offset the rough and ready visuals or the camera behaviour, but this is a much better game than the name suggests.

I’m coming away from Bubsy 4D feeling like this is an excellent way to revive a character like this. The ironic love for Bubsy is one of those things that always felt like it could tip over into an earnest appreciation, and this game stands ready to catch that affection. It excels and even fails in the right places. Fabraz prioritized making it fun to move Bubsy over filling the world with interesting visuals, and I’m happy to take that deal. And Bubsy should as well because he’s never had it so good. And despite my desire to shed the undeserved reputation that I am “the Bubsy guy,” I would love to see more games in this style. What could pawsibly go wrong?

Bubsy has always been hit or miss, well, mostly miss, but Bubsy 4D is the only title in the series to be both. It’s either another stinker or a perfectly decent platformer, depending on who you are.