Bubsy 4D is a 100% legit platformer for genre sickos like me thanks to the dev's surprisingly stacked portfolio of bangers

Count me among those who never really gave Bubsy the time of day. Growing up a Sonic fan, I've always had a chip on my shoulder about the best platforming games of the 16-bit era. Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of other mascots of the era, but my yapper of choice was Gex. Which means I'm surprised to find the upcoming classic pack Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection is wonderfully fully featured, and flabbergasted that the much reviled Bubsy 3D is getting a brand new sequel in Bubsy 4D. Even more, I'm having an out of body experience, shocked that I'm really into it. I want Bubsy 4D. And I want it now.

Yet, what's really caught my interest about Bubsy 4D is about as far removed from nostalgia as you can get. It's actually because developer Fabraz is behind the new venture, after "everyone bullied us into making [it]". I really loved the studio's 2D platformer Slime-san, and the excellent move into 3D with Demon Turf was simply sublime – an expressive ride through a colorful Hell where mixing and matching demon forms allowed for truly wild movement. Not to mention sequel Demon Tides already seems like an early GOTY contender for me after going hands-on. Which is all to say Bubsy 4D's developers certainly have the goods.

Bob strikes back

Bubsy 4D is more than just roping Fabraz into a project for the heck of it, but a revival project that leans wholeheartedly into the platforming studio's expertise. In some ways Bubsy 4D is just as much a spiritual followup to the jumping challenges of Demon Turf as it is the monologuing bobcat's own series. But make no mistake, Bubsy 4D is still packed with love and reverence for what came before, even if those games are maligned by some.

In fact, Bubsy 4D's tone is self-aware, fully in on the joke that it's a bit weird that the series is making a comeback, the trailer itself littered with horror-like stings when the furry hero remembers Bubsy 3D. Released early in the 3D era, it struggled – like many did – to translate the genre into three-dimensions. Even so, that doesn't stop Bubsy 4D having unlockables directly nodding to that game. Years have passed in-universe, and Bubsy has traded in his white tee adorned with a red-exclamation mark for something more grown up – a proper white shirt (though unbuttoned) with a red tie.

The reason the mouthy mammal is coming out of retirement? To retrieve the Golden Fleece, which has been stolen by BaaBots, souped up sheep created by Bubsy's long-standing enemies The Woolies. The problem? They've taken it to the one place that hasn't been corrupted by capitalism: space. As Bubsy scoops up all of the precious yarn he can get his claws on, he'll have to leap all across the galaxy mastering the challenges that await in each zany, colorful world – all scored by jazzy tracks that bring the vibes of classic Bubsy back to life.

Unlike dogs, Fabraz has been able to teach this bobcat new tricks. Bubsy's suite of fresh platforming moves are what really have me excited. His abilities are described by the developers as 'schmoovement', a term used for the style of modern platformer where characters are able to chain together a variety of moves to achieve incredible feats of agility. Highly expressive, this type of movement design often has a high skill ceiling, allowing speedrunners to break apart levels with death-defying leaps of faith. Think Super Mario Odyssey, with how Mario can chain together all sorts of cap throws to bounce his way up, over, and around almost any obstacle without paying much mind to gravity.

It's exactly the ethos that empowers platformers like Demon Turf and its peers. Penny's Big Breakaway, from Sonic Mania's devs, is also all about using momentum to swing about stages. Less conventionally, Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom has you crank up a little clockwork car to bash into geometry at high speeds to hurl yourself across levels. It's what makes the prospect of Demon Tides going fully open world with a huge sea of platforming islands so exciting.

The years have been kind to ol' Bubs. Now able to do a pouncing long jump to mantle ledges, which he can combine with returning glides and rolls, he's in better shape than ever – a regular spring chicken, erm, bobcat. His new hairball form, on the other hand, turns him completely spherical so he can charge up spin dashes like a certain blue hedgehog, and even bounce to launch himself further.

Combining all those moves together is what already has speedrunning and time trial fans itching to get their paws on Bubsy's new moves – I certainly can't wait to see how fast I can clear some of the vibrant stages.

Have another gameplay clip of me running through the first level of Bubsy 4D.

— @fabraz.bsky.social (@fabraz.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-08-27T15:00:19.314Z

Fabraz, naturally, is ready to embrace speedsters, with Bubsy 4D coming with time challenges and leaderboards for swapping movesets. Importantly, though, Fabraz is targeting both platforming newcomers, who just want to have a good time hanging out with Bubsy and his one-liners, as well as appealing to "advanced levels of play".

But beyond the return of the Bub' himself, speaking as a fan of the platformer genre, this is tremendously exciting. Fabraz is in a great place to continue to push the medium forward with fluid jumping and smart level design that empowers player creativity, which is exactly where the space needs to go to avoid falling into the same trap of clunky shovelware that diminished the genre's standing in the past. I'm holding out for a hero… Bubsy, we need you now more than ever.

Bubsy 4D is releasing on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, and Nintendo Switch soon.

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