Bubsy the Bobcat’s second attempt at a modern video game, Bubsy: Paws on Fire!, is going to Kickstarter, but not because the game needs funding. The Kickstarter campaign is going towards funding various bits of DLC and extra features.
Bubsy the Bobcat, created by Accolade, is one of many mascots created by studios in an attempt to rival Sonic’s ‘anthropomorphic animal with 90’s attitude’ shtick. He managed to outlast a good amount of them, with his last game (at the time) being the PS1 Bubsy 3D, which was highly panned for its ugly environments and clunky tank controls in a 3D platformer. However, because memes never truly die, Bubsy made a return in 2017 with the help of Black Forest Games to make Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back, which received a resounding consensus of mediocrity from reviewers.
Now, Accolade (now just a brand owned by Chinese company Billionsoft) is taking another swing at bringing the Bubster back with Bubsy: Paws on Fire!, announced back in October. This time they’ve teamed up with Choice Provisions, who worked on the Bit.Trip platformers to make an endless runner. The game will be reaching pretty deep into the Bubsy lore, even bringing in some characters from the failed Bubsy cartoon pilot.
The Kickstarter campaign, which started yesterday and can be found here, isn’t meant to fund the game, as it’s already near completion. Instead, it’s going towards downloadable content and other extras. If they reach their goal of $25,000, Bubsy will have two extra costumes, as well as “more Bubsy in-game chatter,” which sounds more like a threat. Stretch goals include a new boss, new levels, more costumes, and a new character, whose silhouette looks suspiciously like Bit.Trip protagonist Commander Video. Those who back the game can also get a variety of rewards, including the game itself, the soundtrack, more Bubsy games, and some of the Bit.Trip Runner games.
Bubsy: Paws on Fire! is due out in April for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam. Those who back the Kickstarter can expect the DLC and their rewards sometime in the summer.