Bubsy 4D was one of the standout announcements from this year’s Opening Night Live back in August (even if that isn’t saying much). Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a small demo of the game ahead of its release during Steam Next Fest, and I can tell you, Destructoid, this game boasts some seriously tight platforming.
I was genuinely surprised by how well the controls worked when I first picked up the game. It takes some getting used to, but the amount of platforming options available to you feels like a speedrunner’s dream. It’s challenging to summarize through text fully; it’s something you have to experience firsthand to truly understand.
Bubsy 4D is the fourth installment in the Bubsy series. This retro series has not been known for producing amazing games (seriously, Bubsy 3D alone is meme-worthy content), so there isn’t much for me to go on here about its pedigree. If anything, Bubsy 4D is taking its meme status and doing something no one could have predicted—making a good Bubsy game.
It’s a 3D platformer where you enter multiple worlds and need to reach the end to advance to the next one. Each world is divided into individual levels, each with a series of secrets and collectibles to discover. You can skip them all if you want and go straight to the end, but some of these items are used to unlock new movement tech in the small hub area, and even unlock new cosmetics for you to equip to Bubsy, and some of them are pretty fantastic.
My only gripe so far is that the individual levels can feel a bit cluttered at times and are unusually constructed. I think I would have personally preferred to see one massive world that you can explore and find collectibles, akin to Super Mario Odyssey. However, the individual levels still have a distinct charm. If anything. It’s just a personal preference.
I also find that collecting literally everything is hard to do on a first sit-down. There have been times when I have missed individual collectibles and gone back, only to have still trouble finding them all. However, I’m sure completionists will have a field day with all the tasks to complete.
All in all, though, the small amount of time I was able to play has me keen to see more about the game in the future. The charm of the story and its characters, coupled with pretty great gameplay and movement mechanics, offers a glimpse into what could be a good retro revival of one of gaming’s most memed icons. While I have only sampled a small selection of what is on offer, I am cautiously optimistic that we could be in for a treat here.
The content I played will be available in the upcoming Steam Next Fest, and there is even a speedrunning leaderboard for those who want to race to the finish and end up on top, should you feel so inclined.
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