Bubsy has always been well regarded as quite possibly the best platforming series ever to be made, as well as one of the most inspirational. The Bubsy franchise served as the inspiration for several video game series that we know and love today, such as the Red Dead series, the Metal Gear Solid series, and even the Citizen Kane of gaming itself, BioShock Infinite/The Last of Us/Grand Theft Auto V.
Perhaps the most well known and well regarded entry in the series was none other than Bubsy 3D, which was the first actual 3D platformer to ever be made. You all are probably well aware of this game’s magnificence but just in case you aren’t, allow me to introduce you to Bubsy 3D.
Bubsy 3D isn’t just a platformer, it’s THE platformer. The platforming in Bubsy 3D is nothing short of magnificent. Each jump is not one small jump for man, but one giant leap for man kind.
This is due to the amazing FPS that Bubsy 3D runs at. For a game that was released in 1996 on the Playstation, Bubsy 3D actually has better FPS than most 2015 PC games.
“So You wanna be a video game star?”
The first, and most important words we hear Bubsy say.
The controls for Bubsy 3D are absolutely purrfect. Not only can you make Bubsy run and walk, but you can also make Bubsy jump backwards simply by tapping the down button on the D-Pad. Legends said that this technique actually served as the inspiration for the parkour moves that you can do in the Assassin’s Creed series.
One of the first things you’ll notice after starting the first level of Bubsy 3D is that it has a wonderfully composed soundtrack. At several points during the game, I found myself hitting the “paws” button, just to listen to it’s beauty. I personally have listened to the soundtrack for Bubsy 3D approximately 12 times, and each time feels like a chorus singing the most loveliest of sounds.
The enemies that you face in Bubsy 3D are nothing short of mentally challenging, but in a good way. These enemies will challenge your brain until it hurts from thinking about how
hard these enemies are.
My purrsonal favorite is the lightning enemy, whose difficulty served
as the main inspiration for Dark Souls II.
“What Could PAWsibly Go Wrong?”
Absolutely Nothing with Bubsy 3D.
Bubsy 3D also has a story mode, which is a good thing to have. In fact, the story is considered by many to be the greatest space opera epic since Star Wars (the prequels). Bubsy 3D tells the story of a charming anthropomorphic bob cat who finds himself whiskered away to a world far different than his own, a dystopian society ruled by two equally cruel queens where one’s most subconscious, abstract thoughts become reality.
It’s the player’s goal to guide Bubsy through this strange, nightmarish world looking for rockets to help him build a rocket to escape this prison planet and return to his home. Along the way, you’ll encounter a delightful cast of characters and face menacing bosses in “Mortal Bobcat” such as the “Wooly Bully”.
So if you haven’t purchased Bubsy 3D, then do yourself a favor and do so, otherwise you will never reach your fur potential.
(Of course, this is what I’d be saying if Accolade hadn’t accidentally published the alpha version of this game.)
