As 3D games were becoming the norm in the mid-1990s, a number of well-known characters were making the transition, and Bubsy is one of those characters. While Bubsy creator Mike Berlyn had no experience in making 3d games, I could tell he certainly put up a great effort. However, the game was so not well received by game reviewers. Because of this, Berlyn and his team were probably demoralized from making more games in the Bubsy series. Since then, Bubsy 3D (and in some cases the character) have been severely put down and meanly ridiculed by net users.
If there's a problem I see in game reviewers sometimes, that is they tend to give their reviews after playing the game for only five minutes. A game can be difficult at first, but If you get a little familiar with it, then it will be easy or less troubling.
When I was about to play this game on my PS3 (which is compatible with PS1 games), I was having low expectations because of the excessive negativity surrounding the game. But when I played it, the game didn't turn out to be as bad as they say. Bubsy moves smoothly, and grabs on floating platforms really good.
When it comes to jumping on enemies, I used to get unwanted results like overshooting or undershooting the target, and therefore taking damage in the process. However, it didn't take me very long to become adept and accurate with my jumps.
Perhaps the main concern is the way Bubsy needs to be rotated before going in another direction because this might leave him vulnerable to being attacked. Well, with sufficiently quick reaction and proper planning, this should be almost not a problem. And contrary to what some gamers say, it is actually possible to steer Bubsy while he's running.
As for the graphics, the ones in the first round may look unappealing. However, they start to look a little better as you go into the later rounds. True, the graphics maybe a total departure to the naturalistic designs used in the previous Bubsy games. But if anyone wants to know with regards to the game's appearance, these are called polygons. Polygons are a technique used in vintage 3D games. Polygons may not display curves on shapes very well but at least the character moves smoother and faster. Bubsy may look a little weird because of this but it's not that bad. In fact, I think they give him what I like to call a surreal look. Also I don't think the graphics of other polygon games like Virtua Racing and the first Virtua Fighter game are any better than this one. And considering that the game is set on an alien planet, weird stuff like the trees and checkered terrain shouldn't surprise anyone.
Despite what some may say about the controls, I didn't find the game too difficult. In fact, I managed to finished it in only a month. So what I would say is this. Bubsy 3D is not a perfect 3D platformer but not worthy of being labeled one of the worst. Also, I enjoyed playing it. The feel of this game is sorta similar to that of Blinx, a highly regarded 3D game.
