Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back Review – Many Average Returns

Super Mario Odyssey isn’t just one of the Nintendo Switch’s best games; it’s a superb lesson for those that are looking for how to bring a gaming mascot back right. Granted, we’ve seen these examples before – Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy stands out, high difficulty level and all – but Odyssey brings a heavy amount of innovation to the Mario brand. In fact, we’re still trying all the new stuff as we finalize our review.

And that’s where something like Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back comes up short. It’s understood that Accolade wanted to bring back their hero to a respectable level, especially after the heaping pile of garbage that Bubsy 3D was back on the original PlayStation. And it’s an acceptable platformer, way better than his last couple of adventures. But, it just doesn’t do enough to stand out, unlike its heavily stacked competition.

The game focuses on Bubsy as he makes his way through a series of side-scrolling levels, taking on the annoying (and mostly defenseless) Woolies that are roaming around everywhere and collecting a few yarn balls along the way. It’s the same formula that worked so well in the original Bubsy game for SNES and Genesis, but just because something was fun back then doesn’t necessarily mean lightning will strike twice. (Not that we despise retro games, mind you – they just have to be done right.)

The Gameplay Is a Little Too Old-School

Now, Bubsy plays decently. There’s no denying that. You actually feel like you’re in full control of the character here, instead of a flimsy version like the one that was in Bubsy 3D. In fact, there’s a neat touch to bouncing off enemies and then using his glide technique to get some extra air and reach hidden goodies, like collectible keys and t-shirts that provide an additional hit point.

But there are also faults. The pounce attack isn’t exactly useful, as Bubsy goes a little too far for his own good. With it, he can barely hit an opponent that’s in front of him, instead leaping over his head. This can be bad if you’re trying to judge an attack the proper way and miss it, or, worse yet, stop just short and then have him walk into you to kill you.

And that’s another thing – Bubsy is incredibly vulnerable. He falls in water, dead. He touches an enemy (touches – like even a brush), dead. And even if you miscalculate a jump, you could land right onto a bee’s stinger and buy the farm. You’d think he would be working more on his workouts and less on his comedy routines.

Decent, But Not Quite Enough

Had the developers loosened up on this, given Bubsy better maneuverability with his pouncing, and maybe offered some side missions to go along with the bopping and yarn collecting, we’d really be getting somewhere. But it doesn’t, and by simply playing it safe and failing to innovate enough – save for some unique if somewhat tiresome boss battles – it just can’t keep up with the superior competition.

Again, Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back is a competent platformer, and the graphics actually look pretty good for 2.5-D style design. And, true to form, Bubsy has all sorts of quips similar to his old self, though some of them become quite repetitive in a matter of minutes. But there’s so much more that could’ve been done with Bubsy instead of something that simply goes, “Well, he’s back. Here.”

The $30 price is asking a bit much, too. When it drops down to $20, though, you’ll have a pretty decent platformer for kids and those feeling nostalgic for the earlier Bubsy adventures. For now, though, we highly suggest getting your nostalgia on with another platformer, like Crash or Odyssey. Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back seems to exist more out of curiosity instead of general love for its platforming hero. And that’s bizarre reasoning for its release.

RATING: 2.5 out of five stars.