Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back Review

By Kevin Mitchell  |  Posted: November 7, 2017

The 16-bit era birthed some of gaming's most iconic mascots. Fan-favorite Nintendo characters like Mario, Link, and Zelda maintain their popularity today. Others, such as Sonic and Crash Bandicoot, have struggled to remain relevant, though both have experienced recent revivals. Then there was Accolade's obscure bobcat Bubsy, who platformed across multiple systems in the '90s. The fourth game, Bubsy 3D, brought the series to PlayStation with inadequate controls, terrible visuals, and atrocious level design. After 21 years, Bubsy returns to his 2D side-scrolling roots in an all-new retro adventure, leaving everyone wondering: why?

Even if you're too young to have experienced the original games, Bubsy proves neither intriguing nor enjoyable to control. While many revived franchises flourish through nostalgia or timeless design, Bubsy - an orange bobcat wearing a plain t-shirt with an exclamation point - can't stop repeating the same tired one-liners (mercifully, you can disable his voice in the options). Without the black shirt power-up that grants an additional hit, you die from a single touch. While one-hit deaths aren't inherently problematic, the combination of poor level design, uncomfortable platforming mechanics, and frustrating enemy placement creates a consistently aggravating experience.

The game's 11 platforming levels progressively increase in difficulty and frustration. Each presents three goals: collect all yarn balls, complete the level without dying, and collect all power-up t-shirts. With unchanging enemy designs and gameplay mechanics, levels feel identical despite different visual treatments. Bubsy's new pounce ability proves useless except for breaking occasional crumbling walls. The arc of his jump often causes you to miss targets, particularly the slowly walking enemies. Boss fights repeatedly pit you against the same UFO with minor pattern variations. Though intended to provide variety, these encounters drag on interminably before allowing damage opportunities. One hit still means death, forcing you to restart the entire attack pattern.

Simply Put

Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back is an uninspired entry in one of gaming's most forgettable franchises. The 21-year gap between releases should have remained permanent. The game offers nothing redeemable - it's a dull traditional platformer with limited moves and uninspiring level design. Its brevity serves as the only mercy for those unfortunate enough to play it.