Bubsy the Bobcat has been a joke for almost as long as he's existed. One of countless mascot platformer characters from the mid '90s, he was ignominiously thrust into the spotlight when his first 3D outing, Bubsy 3D, had the misfortune of being the Goofus to Super Mario 64's Gallant. Since then, the character has been left as the butt of jokes, bolstered by some genuine and unironic love from time to time. Bubsy 4D bills itself as a sequel to the previous games, but in many ways, it's a new lease life for the bobcat hero. It's a chance to step out from the constant barrage of jokes and become something o f his own — at least in theory. His newest adventure, which tasks him with rescuing Golden Woolies from cyborg sheep, has the basis of a fine platforming adventure, but it never quite escapes its legacy.

In terms of atmosphere and presentation, Bubsy 4D's biggest problem is that it self-consciously dwells in the shadow of its previous games. Bubsy feels timid and awkward, constantly unwilling to be involved with anything and frequently referencing how old and unpopular he is. His supporting cast mostly serves to mock or be annoyed by him. I know Bubsy 3D is up there with Superman 64 in the pantheon of bad games, but constantly dwelling on previous mistakes doesn 't endear me to this newer version of the bobcat. Bubsy 4D is an attempt to reinvent the mascot as something besides a cruel joke, so it would help if the game didn 't think he was one.

It's a shame because in pure gameplay, Bubsy 4D feels amazing. The bobcat moves around with a grace and ease that puts some of his competitors to shame. He's graceful and moves around the stage with ease. You have access to both a long-distance glide and a forward pounce, and you can mix them with things like the ability to clamber up walls, Catsuit Mario style. Stringing together his moves feels perfect (or should that be "purrfect") and is easy to learn . The tutorial barely needs to instruct you because every mechanic is intuitive and exciting.

New to the game is Furball mode, where Bubsy borrows from Sonic and rolls up, transforming him from a platformer mascot into a bouncy speedy ball. While in Furball mode, you tend to be a lot faster and more capable of hopping long distances, but you have less precise control. You can swap between the two modes at the touch of a button, and it's fun to constantly swap between the two to gain tons of momentum and speed through stages . Furball is a weird addition to the mechanics but feels so well implemented that I never felt like it was anything but a natural part of the game.

I really can't praise Bubsy 4D's controls enough. The bobcat feels fantastic to control, with movement that's both smooth and intuitive. More than once, I caught myself wishing a future Sonic game would borrow some of these basic movement mechanics. Switching between Cat mode and Furball mode is effortless, and I can already tell the game is going to be a blast to speedrun. I almost worry that Bubsy's movement is too good, as even a relatively inexperienced player like myself found it easy to skip entire sections of levels. The stages flow naturally from one area to the next, and there's a delightful sense of freedom in how you can approach obstacles and navigate the world.

Bubsy 4D's biggest issue is that its level design never quite lives up to the quality of its movement and controls. The levels are competent and thoughtfully constructed, but they're missing a spark. There's very little personality to the environments, which often feel like interchangeable collections of platforms, hazards, and obstacles. The game aims for a wool-and-yarn aesthetic, but it's difficult not to compare it to other titles that have explored similar ideas with greater creativity and charm. As a result, few areas leave a lasting impression. I'm hard-pressed to think of any location that stands out on its own merits rather than simply serving as a fun backdrop for the game's excellent movement mechanics.

Bubsy 4D is a lot of fun to play, but even after finishing it, I struggle to recall any standout areas. The game excels as a playground for Bubsy's fantastic move set, but it lacks the personality and memorable level design of the best mascot platformers. At times, it feels more like a showcase for its excellent movement than a fully realized game. The controls are consistently enjoyable, but the environments rarely leave an impression. A little more flair and identity would've gone a long way.

It doesn't help that the combat feels so perfunctory it may as well not exist. Bubsy has a Sonic-style homing attack and that's mostly the extent of the system. Unlike Sonic's games, combat is rarely integrated into the platforming, making it feel less like a meaningful mechanic and more like an obligatory feature. This is most apparent in the boss fights, which are about as standard and repetitive as platformer bosses come. Like much of the game, they're perfectly competent, but they lack the creativity and personality needed to make them memorable.

Thankfully, the game does offer some incentive to explore. Collectibles such as blueprints unlock optional abilities, including Furball drifting and fast travel between checkpoints. None of these upgrades are essential, but anything that expands Bubsy's movement options is a welcome addition. While they don't add much to the game's length, they do help make the experience feel a little less linear.

For the most part, Bubsy 4D looks and plays well. The budget shows in a few places, but the characters ' models are cute and expressive, and it runs smooth as butter. The environments are garish, which can add to the feeling of things being repetitive and simplistic. The voice acting is quite good, and Bubsy's actor manages to make me like the doofy cat sometimes, despite the constant awkward humor. The soundtrack is perfectly fine, if unexceptional.

Bubsy 4D comes remarkably close to being a fantastic platformer. The foundation is excellent, and the game remains enjoyable from start to finish thanks to its outstanding movement and solid level design. Unfortunately, nearly everything beyond those fundamentals feels underdeveloped, while the constant self-deprecating humor often makes the game seem embarrassed by its own existence. If you're looking for great movement and satisfying platforming, Bubsy 4D delivers. I just wish it had a little more confidence and substance beyond that.

Score: 7.5/10