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.
