Several platforming mascots and icons have struggled to adapt to the modern gaming landscape. Characters like Jak & Daxter, Spyro the Dragon, Sly Cooper, Gex, and even the witty lynx, Bubsy, have faced an uncertain future. However, Bubsy is making a comeback, starring in a brand-new platformer developed by Fabraz. Titled Bubsy 4D, this revival of the infamous character is set to launch in just over a month for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch on May 22nd. With the release imminent, we had the opportunity to interview Fabraz to gain insights into Bubsy 4D, including the reasoning behind its timely return, the developer’s perspective on AI, typical gameplay duration, and more.
Below is the full interview featuring Fabian Rastorfer, the founder of Fabraz and one of the lead developers on Bubsy 4D.
Gamereactor: Why is now the right time for Bubsy to make a comeback?
Rastorfer: I’m not sure if it’s the *right* time, but I think the stars aligned in a way that makes it feel opportune! Atari approached us in the right way and the project fell into our laps at the right moment for inspiration to strike. The old lynx has been around for a while, and he even tried to make a comeback twice before with varying degrees of success, so we’re excited to pick up the torch and continue the legacy of this incredibly fascinating series!
Gamereactor: In what ways are you paying homage to Bubsy’s retro roots in Bubsy 4D?
Rastorfer: In many ways! The whole team went through Bubsy’s extensive history before we started development, and we drew inspiration from everywhere! We have the angry cars from Bubsy 1, we have checkerboard patterns on the floor from Bubsy 3D, heck, we even reintroduced a character named Oblivia who only existed in a failed animated pilot episode of a Bubsy cartoon! On the flip side, we’ve also brought in a host of new ideas. Bubsy’s design and personality have been updated, the BaaBots are all-new villains, and the ‘ball of fur’ move has never been part of Bubsy’s repertoire before.
Gamereactor: How do you balance Bubsy 4D’s focus on appealing and accessible platforming with intense speedrunning, and what is your stance on difficulty in Bubsy 4D?
Rastorfer: In the same way that we approached Demon Turf and Demon Tides: Create a moveset that’s easy to learn but hard to master! As well as creating secondary and optional objectives that allow us to push the difficulty further for anyone willing to take the plunge! Everyone should be able to beat the game, most should be able to complete it, but not everyone will beat it in Nine Lives mode or be in the top 10 of the online leaderboards.
Gamereactor: How do you think online leaderboards will influence how players approach Bubsy 4D, and will there be rewards for the fastest players?
Rastorfer: One of our shared goals at Fabraz is to get players hooked on getting a better time. As soon as you beat a level, you’ll see the time it took you, the target time, and a prompt to check the online leaderboards. So we encourage players to retry if they didn’t hit their target, but if we’ve done our job right, the gameplay will be expressive enough that you’ll feel compelled to try and do better, simply because it’s fun! Or maybe because you’ve found a new route or a neat new move! And if you haven’t? You can always watch a ghost run from the leaderboards for inspiration.
Gamereactor: How are collectibles integrated into the game, and what can they be used for?
Rastorfer: To 100% complete the game, which may even reward you with something special, you’ll need to play each level twice. The first time, you’ll take your time to explore it. You’ll be able to talk to NPCs, find fun secrets, and most importantly collect two things: 150 balls of yarn scattered throughout the level; and a hidden blueprint. The second time, you’ll race through the level as fast as possible to earn the target time medal. As for the collectibles, they unlock things: The balls of yarn can be spent on new outfits, and the blueprints for new abilities like the spin-jump.
Gamereactor: What makes the ball of fur form unique, and how often is it used in the game?
Rastorfer: The ball of fur is fun because it’s a moment where you transition from precision-based platforming to momentum- and physics-based platforming! It’s Bubsy’s take on speed! There are segments within levels that encourage you to roll, but the ball of fur really becomes fun when you realize that you can enter and exit the ball of fur in the blink of an eye at any moment.
Gamereactor: How long do you anticipate it will take to complete Bubsy 4D?
Rastorfer: Between three and six hours, depending on skill level, speed-running ability, and how many times you stop to ‘smell the roses.’ Of course, this extends if you engage with the leaderboards or hunt down all of the achievements. One of them even challenges you to beat the game without getting hit more than nine times, good luck!
Gamereactor: What is Fabraz’s stance on the use of artificial intelligence in development?
Rastorfer: That’s a question with no shortage of spice! We don’t use any LLMs or GenAI in development and are generally quite opposed to GenAI. We love the creation process and are pretty sure our players want to see what WE create, not what a diffusion model can spit out.
Gamereactor: What do you feel is the most overlooked aspect of Bubsy 4D?
Rastorfer: The voice acting! We have such a talented ensemble of people doing the voices. Sean Chiplock absolutely nailed our take on Bubsy and even ad-libbed a bunch of lines that made it into the game. But everyone else also nailed it: Marissa Lenti, Aimee Smith, Phillip Sacramento, and Dooper. I hope everyone appreciates what they’ve added to all the scenes. We’ve fallen in love with these characters, and we hope you will too!
A big thank you to Fabraz and Rastorfer for taking the time to answer our questions. You’ll be able to play Bubsy 4D soon, as the charismatic platformer launches for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch on May 22nd.