Bubsy 4D

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Bubsy 4D
Bubsy4D.jpg
Developer(s) Fabraz
Publisher(s) Atari
Composer(s) Fat Bard [1]
Series Bubsy
Engine Unity [2]
Platform(s)
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Bubsy 4D is an upcoming platform game in the Bubsy video game series. It is the series' first 3D entry in almost 30 years, following Bubsy 3D (1996), and first to be developed by Fabraz and published by Atari. It is scheduled for release on the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S platforms.

Contents

Gameplay

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. [3] 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] [4] [ 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. [3] Players will be able to submit their best level completion times to an online leaderboard and race against other players' ghosts. [1]

Story

The game's story follow's Bubsy and his struggles against series antagonists the Woolies. Similar to the first Bubsy game, where they were stealing Earth's yarnballs, the game sees the Woolies attempting to steal sheep to obtain the golden fleece. However, when the planet's sheep revolt and fight back, creating weapons called "Baabots" to steal the golden fleece for themselves, Bubsy has to obtain it from them. [5] [6]

Development

In 2023, Atari SA re-acquired various assets formerly belonging to publisher Tommo, including the Bubsy franchise. [7] 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." [8] 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 One Xbox Series X/S, and Windows platforms. [9] The game will be the first 3D platformer Bubsy game in almost 30 years, following Bubsy 3D (1996), and the first to be developed by New York City-based [10] indie developer Fabraz, developers of the well-received Demon Turf games. [5] [6] 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 will be promoted with the September 2025 release of Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection , a collection of the first four Bubsy games on modern platforms. [6]

Reception

Pre-release

A number of publications observed positive reactions to the game's reveal. [6] [11] Nintendo Life expressed surprise that the game's reveal "actually looks pretty good". [6] 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 . [11] [12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fabraz (August 19, 2025). "Who'd be mad enough to make a sequel to Bubsy 3D..? WE ARE!" (Press release). Archived from the original on August 25, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  2. @Fabrazz (August 29, 2025). "You asked for it, here's everything turned up to 100..." (Tweet). Retrieved August 31, 2025 via Twitter.
  3. 1 2 McWhertor, Michael (August 19, 2025). "We're getting GTA 6 and Bubsy 4D in the same year". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  4. @Fabraz. "And yes, we're adding optional tank controls because it's funny" . Retrieved August 21, 2025 via Bluesky.
  5. 1 2 Valentine, Rebekah (August 19, 2025). "Bubsy 3D Is Getting a Sequel, Almost 30 Years Later". IGN. Archived from the original on August 19, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Reynolds, Ollie (August 19, 2025). "Atari Announces Bubsy 4D From 'Demon Turf' Developer Fabraz". Nintendo Life. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  7. Wales, Matt (April 20, 2023). "Atari acquires the rights to 100+ retro game IP including Bubsy and Hardball". Eurogamer . Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  8. Carter, Justin (October 12, 2023). "Atari calls on indie devs to pitch a new Bubsy game". Game Developer. Archived from the original on August 29, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  9. Romano, Sal (2025-08-19). "Bubsy 4D announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2025-08-21. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
  10. "Press Kit". Demon Turf. Archived from the original on 2025-08-28. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  11. 1 2 Robertson, Joshua (August 20, 2025). "Banjo Kazooie And Crash Bandicoot Fans Are Baffled And Seething Over Bubsy's Revival". TheGamer. Archived from the original on August 21, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  12. Bardhan, Ashley (August 19, 2025). "You know and hated Bubsy 3D, now get ready for Bubsy 4D from Atari: a bit of '90s "platforming purrfection" that might signal the End Times". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2025.