Bubsy 4D's gameplay builds upon Bubsy 3D's (1996) core gameplay, the only other 3D game in the series. The player is still able to maneuver Bubsy through levels through jumping and gliding, but new moves have been added as well. Going into "Hairball Mode" turns Bubsy into a fast spinning orange ball with movement similar to the Super Monkey Ball series of games.[4] The player will be able to unlock new outfits and abilities at an in-game shop, including optional tank controls similar to Bubsy 3D.[1][5][non-primary source needed] The game will take place across three different planets with five levels each.[1] Similar to previous games in the series, Bubsy provides fourth wall breaking commentary, alluding to his own out-of-universe reputation, publisher Atari, and memes about orange cats not being very smart.[4] Players will be able to submit their best level completion times to an online leaderboard and race against other players' ghosts.[1]
Story
While attempting to reinvent himself, Bubsy learns from Virgil Reality that the alien Woolies have returned, but instead of stealing Bubsy's golden fleece as before, they have decided to abduct Earth's sheep population to create their own. Bubsy dismisses the kidnappings as not his concern. Later, Virgil informs Bubsy that the sheep have freed themselves and taken control of the Woolies' technology to form their own "Baabot" faction, stealing the golden fleece and creating their own fabric-based planets for themselves. Despite his reluctance, Bubsy and his friends hijack a Baabot spacecraft and venture towards the Baabot planets to retrieve the stolen fleece.[6][7]
Development
In 2023, Atari SA re-acquired various assets formerly belonging to publisher Tommo, including the Bubsy franchise.[8] Later in the year, Atari announced that they were encouraging and accepting new Bubsy game pitches from indie video game developers. Atari CEO Wade Rosen encouraged pitches to be "interesting, innovative, and tongue-in-cheek" because "the last thing anyone wants is a really generic platformer" and that Bubsy's mixed legacy presented "an interesting challenge, and someone's going to crack it."[9]Bubsy 4D was later announced on August 19, 2025, at the Gamescom video game expo. It is scheduled for release on the Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox OneXbox Series X/S, and Windows platforms.[10] The game will be the first 3D platformerBubsy game in 30 years, following Bubsy 3D (1996), and the first to be developed by New York City-based[11] indie developer Fabraz, developers of the well-received Demon Turf games.[6][7] The game will feature fully-voiced cutscenes, with Bubsy voiced by actor Sean Chiplock.[1] The game's soundtrack will be composed by independent duo Fat Bard, who previously composed for the Demon Turf series.[1] The game's release was promoted with the September 2025 release of Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection, a collection of the first four Bubsy games on modern platforms.[7]
Reception
Pre-release
A number of publications observed positive reactions to the game's reveal.[7][12] Nintendo Life expressed surprise that the game's reveal "actually looks pretty good".[7]Inverse declared that "Bubsy’s got the stuff to be one of the year’s must-play platformers," praising the gameplay and self-deprecating humor.[13] Some publications noted that fans expressed surprise or frustration that Bubsy received a new game before other dormant franchises such as Banjo-Kazooie, Mega Man, Spyro the Dragon, or Crash Bandicoot.[12][14]
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