Bubsy in: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind, also known as just Bubsy, is a platform game released by Accolade for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive in 1992.
There were so many games trying to capture the Mario/Sonic style and feel to cash in on the video games boom of the 1990s and this was one of them.
The Story
Bubsy the Bobcat is trying to save the Earth from the Woolies. The Woolies are aliens from outer space in flying saucers that are out to steal the earth's supply of yarn balls. Well, that is pretty darn original (sarcasm)!
The Graphics and Sound
The graphics are very good, but some slowdowns can be noticeable. There are colorful stages, catchy-looking titles, and interesting collectibles and power-ups that make this a pretty colorful game.
The sound is just somewhat repetitive and a bit annoying. There really is no catchy music to remember it by like what Sonic or Mario got, and it gets pretty old fast. The only interesting part really were the enemies' animation sounds.
The Gameplay
Bubsy feels like Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario in gameplay. Bubsy can run fast when building up some speed and defeats his enemies by jumping on them. He can also glide in the air. The goal on each stage is at the very end on the right side of the stage. There are many ways for Bubsy to reach the goal in each stage.
The controls are far from ideal. Trying to land where you want is less than satisfying.
Everything kills Bubsy with just one hit. He cannot even swim. Bubsy does not have anything besides several shirts that make him invisible or invincible for a short time, but these shirts are hard to find.
There are also many bonus lives on each stage, so it is common sense if you remember where they are on each stage.
The difficulty is a bit high but not unfair. So the replay value is good.
My Verdict
Bubsy is a fun alternative to Mario and Sonic and is a challenging game too and I can recommend it. Although it does have a lot to be desired. If you like platformers, Bubsy is still nicely playable by today's standards.
Play it on the ever memorable Sega Genesis/Mega Drive or play it on any easy to set up emulator.
Let's keep on gaming in the free world!
