The first entry in the series was released in 1993, with multiple sequels released afterwards, but poor reception to Bubsy 3D (1996) caused the series to be put on hold. Beginning in 1999, ownership of Accolade and the Bubsy franchise changed hands several times, with later owners including Infogrames (now Atari SA), Tommo, and Billionsoft, the latter of which released two new Bubsy games in the late 2010s.[2][3] As of April 2023, Atari SA has re-acquired the Bubsy franchise and is currently publishing new games in the series through Atari, Inc.[4][5] In addition to the games, a television pilot was created for a potential Bubsyanimated series, but it was not picked up by any channel.
Characters and story
The protagonist of the series is Bubsy, an orange bobcat who typically wears a white shirt with a red exclamation point on it.[6] He is described as loud-mouthed[7] and wise-cracking,[8] and frequently employs a personal catchphrase, "What could possibly go wrong?"[9] Certain games have acknowledged Bubsy's perceived obnoxiousness with an in-game option to alter the frequency of his voice lines.[10] Bubsy has the ability to jump and glide for short distances, with later games allowing him to pounce at enemies and roll himself into a "hairball".[10][11]
Bubsy's supporting cast include twins Terri and Terry, his overeager young niece and nephew;[12] Arnold, his reluctant armadillo sidekick;[13] Virgil Reality, a vole inventor and mad scientist;[14] and Oblivia, Virgil's assistant and Bubsy's love interest who is hard of hearing.[15] These supporting characters first appeared in the Bubsy television pilot and were not designed by Bubsy creator Michael Berlyn, who was on hiatus from Accolade at the time.[16] Following the cartoon pilot, these characters were later introduced into the video games.[14][12] Certain games, including Bubsy II and Paws on Fire!, have featured playable appearances for these characters.[17][18]
In the series, Bubsy is the owner of the world's largest yarn collection, including the rare golden fleece. This makes him a frequent target of the Woolies, a race of wool-loving aliens from the planet Rayon, led by queens Poly and Ester.[19] Multiple games have featured Bubsy and the Woolies battling for control of Earth's yarn and the golden fleece as a central plot element.[20] Bubsy has also repeatedly contended with Oinker P. Hamm, a pig entrepreneur who steals rare objects and creatures to turn them into attractions.[21] The television pilot includes an original villain, Ally Cassandra, a feline aristocrat constantly seeking to expand her wealth and power; she is aided by her henchmen Boz the buzzard and Sid the shrew, who appear as enemies in Bubsy II.[22]
The first Bubsy game was released by Accolade in May 1993 for the Super NES, and in July for the Sega Genesis. The plot focuses on Bubsy retrieving the world's yarn supply from the invading Woolies. A special version, titled Super Bubsy, was later released in 1997 for Windows 95, featuring graphics redrawn for a higher resolution, new game elements and the entire Bubsy television pilot.
Bubsy II was released in October 1994, again for SNES and Genesis. In the game, Bubsy infiltrates Oinker's "Amazatorium", a theme park that saps information away from history and puts it on display for his personal profit. A Game Boy version was released the following year, and featured Super Game Boy support, while a Game Gear version was cancelled.[23]
Bubsy in: Fractured Furry Tales was released in December 1994, for the Atari Jaguar. This game sees Bubsy traversing across Fairytaleland to rescue the kidnapped Mother Goose, who absence has caused fairy tales such as Alice in Wonderland and Jack and the Beanstalk to become corrupted.
Bubsy 3D is the fourth Bubsy game, and was the series' first 3D entry. In the game, Bubsy is kidnapped by the Woolies and taken to their home planet, and must construct a rocket ship to escape. The game was released in 1996 for the PlayStation, while a planned release for the Sega Saturn was cancelled.[24]
In October 2017, Billionsoft released a fifth Bubsy title and the series' first new entry in over 20 years, Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back, developed by Black Forest Games for PlayStation 4 and Windows.[25] The game once again features Bubsy pursuing the Woolies, now attempting to retrieve his prized golden fleece.
A sixth Bubsy title, Bubsy: Paws on Fire!, was developed by Choice Provisions and released in May 2019, for PlayStation 4 and Windows.[26] Unlike other entries, Paws on Fire! is an auto-running game, in which Bubsy and his allies must free trapped animals from the Amazootorium, Oinker's personal zoo. A Nintendo Switch version was released the following August.[27]
A seventh Bubsy game, titled Bubsy 4D, is being developed by indie studio Fabraz, and is scheduled to be published by Atari in 2026 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.[12][28] The game will be a 3D platformer, and will feature Bubsy retrieving the golden fleece from an army of BaaBot sheep robots. Bubsy 4D
An emulated re-release of the first two SNES games, titled Bubsy Two-Fur, was released on Steam in December 2015 by Tommo division Retroism.[29]Two-Fur was later delisted in September 2025.[30]
In June 2024, Atari announced Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection, a compilation of the first four games in the series developed by Limited Run Games.[31]The Purrfect Collection was released digitally in September 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows, with physical releases set to follow at a later date.[32]
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