The 16-bit console era was defined by the platforming, bottom-bouncing, power-up scoffing cartoon mascot – and which comedic character had more of an impact on gaming than, um, Bubsy the Bobcat? In this very special ‘not-at-all inspired by April 1st’ Digital Foundry Retro, we go back to the heady days of the Mega Drive and Super NES – the era of ‘attitude’ – and revisit the awesome might of Bubsy, discovering his bizarre legacy and his direct connection to upcoming PS4 first-party exclusive, Days Gone.
Looking back to the original game’s launch in 1993, we have to wonder – how did Bubsy become one of gaming’s most maligned mascots? After all, Accolade’s original release actually garnered a range of decent reviews at launch and it’s one of the few successful multi-platform console projects of the time. Not only that, but the origins of the character are fascinating to say the least: the original creator of Bubsy – Michael Berlyn – actually has a celebrated history of development hailing back to the earliest days of mainstream gaming, cutting his teeth on Infocom text adventures before moving to Electronic Arts and then to Accolade.
Berlyn was fascinated by the extreme popularity of Sonic and Mario, and spent a long time analysing each title, drawn to the exploration and puzzling of the Nintendo title and the sheer speed of Sega’s mascot. Thinking he’d cracked the formula, Berlyn approached his producer with his concept – and the rest is history. What followed is a promising enough debut release, let down by a truly awful sequel (Berlyn has left Accolade by this point), with Bubsy’s reputation reaching the lowest of lows with the PS1’s Bubsy 3D.
Source: Eurogamer DF Retro: What links Bubsy the Bobcat with Days Gone?