There are few other video games that have been as globally praised or had as much of an impact on the industry asBubsy 3D. The 1996 platformer broke new ground by elevating gaming to the third dimension while also being a thoroughly engaging experience in its own right. Released exclusively for theoriginal PlayStation console, making it one of the platform’s best exclusives, the game was an instant classic and hit the top of the charts for sales and awards.
The top tier quality ofBubsy 3Dis already pretty well known, but it is truly amazing to consider that it managed to stand out in a crowded pack in 1996, with other titles likeSuper Mario 64andCrash Bandicootalso releasing. For this reason, it is worth revisiting what elements madeBubsy 3Dwork and helped to make it one of the greatest achievements in the history of video games.
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Bubsy 3D’s Voice Acting
Prior toBubsy 3D, hearing an actual human voiceover in a video game was a rare occurrence. If it did happen, these voiceover bits were usually quite brief or extremely pixilated in audio clarity. The early 90sMortal Kombatarcade gamesas well as the opening line ofSuper Metroidare good examples of this. However,Bubsy 3Dtook what was a novelty and made it a core element of the game.
The developers were so proud of this achievement that the creative decision was made to haveBubsyrepeat his lines of dialogue constantly throughout the game. Whenever the player fell, grabbed a key item, took damage or did anything else, Bubsy would shout out one of his comedic one-liners. The studio even took one extra step, realizing that comedy is subjective, and allowed players to turn off Bubsy’s commentary in the settings menu. While a nice option, it is a mystery why any player would want to mute Bubsy’s nonstop talking.
Bubsy 3D’s Innovative Controls
Another aspect ofBubsy 3D’s design that made it stand out was its intriguing control setup.Super Mario 64had already been released and was designed around showing off theN64’s analog stick, resulting in seamless three-dimensional movement. This grabbed the attention of many, andBubsy3Dalso made waves for its own take on how to control a character in a 3D environment.
Not wanting to copy Nintendo or mimic what the mainstream were doing, the developers opted for a more left field approach. Unexpectedly borrowing fromsurvival horror gameslikeResident Evil,Bubsy 3Duses a tank control setup, something which has never been utilized in a platforming game since.
This is a shame, as this control layout brought a whole new level of immersion to the experience. It actually made the game even more challenging, encouraging players to really come to grips with the bizarre physics and logic of Bubsy’s movement. This pre-dated the punishing and intentionaldifficulty of theDark Soulsfranchiseyears in advance, makingBubsy 3Da revolution from this perspective as well.
Bubsy’s Unique Graphical Style
Last but not least wasBubsy 3D’s avant garde graphical style. Moving from 2D to 3D was an exciting time for gaming, as hardware was becoming more powerful, allowing for even more detailed textures and environments. On the PlayStation alone, games likePaRappa the RapperandTomb Raiderhad already pushed polygons and infused their games with tons of color and style.
Once again, in a genius effort to stand out on its own,Bubsy 3Dwent for in a completely different direction. Rather than going for visual realism or focusing on a unique art style,Bubsy 3Dis a game world made up of nothing but polygons, squares and basic color schemes. This is the beauty of it, however, whereby crafting a world of abstract surrealism, the player is encouraged to interpret these surroundings and fill in the blanks with their imaginations. For all these reasons and more, it is important to rememberBubsy 3Dis an undisputed masterpiece for the ages.
It’s also important to remember to have a Happy April Fools Day!
Bubsy 3Dis available on PlayStation.
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