Page 5 - OSG Presents Video Game Trader Magazine #14

Coming soon to a kid's fast food meal near you.

never know it from how he was handled.
The star treatment included sending a birth-
day cake to Electronic Gaming Monthly on
Bubsy's ―1st birthday" (I don't know if other
"What could publishers got a cake, but I wouldn't doubt it.
possibly go wrong?" And I didn't even get a card). Bubsy was
primed, and even had his own cartoon,
Those were the voiced by acting legend Rob Paulsen. His
very first words I voice is distinct and you know it when you
ever heard uttered hear it -- he was, among other things, the
by Bubsy Bobcat. original voice of Raphael on Teenage Mutant
Being a huge Sega Ninja Turtles, Mighty Max, Didgeri Dingo on
Genesis fan, I was there when Tazmania, and Pinky and Wakko Warner on Animani-
a blue blur called Sonic The acs). I still have it in one of my many boxes of video under way. The Sony Playstation was a runaway hit
Hedgehog was unleashed on an unsuspecting video tapes, along with a Battletoads cartoon. An intro with developers, publishers, and (most importantly)
game world. Many had tried games with characters comic ran in video game magazines. Bubsy was sort the buying public. Everybody was trying to figure out
they could build series around. Sega had tried several of like Paris Hilton -- if you act like a big deal, people how to bring their games into the 3D realm and take
itself, with Alex Kidd and the underrated Psycho Fox. will assume you're a big deal, and eventually you will advantage of the new horizons this technology of-
But with Sonic suddenly getting fans talking, and de- become a big deal. fered. Accolade, naturally, put up its star and made
bating if he was cooler than Mario, everybody wanted Bubsy 3D, a direct sequel to the original game, taking
a mascot. Sunsoft tried Aero The Acrobat. Tengen Of course, he was a video game mascot, so he place on the home planet of the aliens.
got in on the act with Awesome Possum
(a particularly hard sell with me, as there At this point, I would like to remind you of
Bubsy's catchphrase, "What could possibly
are possums in my neighborhood, and go wrong?"
"cute" and "cuddly" are not adjectives that
I associate with them). Electronic Arts Everything.
came up with James Pond. And Acco-
lade, not content to be left out in the cold, There's no point in mincing words. Bubsy
came up with Bubsy. 3D is a horrible, horrible game. While it is
tempting to say people are just heaping
Accolade was in a strange position. Ini- abuse on a game that bombed like E.T. for
tially, they weren't authorized by Sega to the Atari 2600, there's a key difference.
make games for the Genesis. They came E.T. did everything it could in it's doomed
up with Ishido, a puzzle game, and Star mission, including multiple actions (I be-
Control, the first "heavy mem- lieve it is the first instance of the "context-
ory" (employed bankswitching to hold sensitive" button), a cube-like world to
more data than the 8 megs the system Bubsy tours the sewer, trying to find yarn balls amongst explore, and more. Bubsy 3D, however,
was designed for) cartridge on the sys- all the Bubsy 3D Playstation game discs didn't seem to do anything. The graphics
tem. It was this renegade group that are not just simplistic for the time, they are
caused Sega to redesign the Genesis with simplistic period. The models are horrible.
a lockout code (it wasn't a perfect plan -- it also kept needed a video game. Bubsy took his cartoon inspira- The landscape has no character or garish colors.
some legit licensed games, like EA's Zany Golf, from tions to heart. Not only did he do the standard Mario Bubsy's constant chatter make you reach for the
running on the new hardware). The result was Acco- "jump on enemies" shtick, but he could also stick out "mute" button faster than you could say "Bravoman".
lade and Sega suing each other. Sega sued Accolade his arms, like a kid playing airplane, and actually glide To borrow a phrase from Mystery Science Theater
for making games for the Genesis without permission. around. The plot was that fabric stealing aliens had 3000 (and a frequent and rare criticism of the original
And Accolade sued because new games, due to the shown up on Earth. Instead of coins or rings, Bubsy Turok: Dinosaur Hunter), this thing had more fog than
lockout, became "by or under license from Sega.", ran around gathering up balls of yarn. He had many the movie "The Fog". Gameplay and techniques
which misrepresented Accolade‘s unauthorized actions and even reacted to his surroundings. The were uninteresting. The game felt more like a demo,
games. They eventually settled. Accolade was also colors were bright and the music was whimsical. The or an early beta, than a finished product. It was diffi-
an official Nintendo licensee. game was a hit. cult to find anything about the game that was actually
likable, or well-done.
Accolade decided to create a mascot. And you can't By this time, the cartoon had come out. Bubsy II fol-
say they weren't ambitious about it. Accolade hyped lowed more in line with that set-up, including having The fans rebelled. Bubsy 3D wasn't ignored like Su-
Bubsy like there was no tomorrow. He may not have Rob Paulsen providing the voice of the title character per Pitfall on the NES was. He became a punch line.
been the biggest name in video games, but you'd instead of the original actor, John A.S. He was declared the most unlikable character in the
Skeel. Bubsy's sidekick was a timid arma- history of video games by Games Radar. The game
dillo, and he had a niece and nephew as was an unmitigated failure and killed the franchise.
Alien planet, or just another fine day in LA? You decide.
well. The plot was actually pretty interest- In many ways, Bubsy was the embodiment of hubris.
ing, taking place in a theme park gone With so many mediocre games scoring cash and
bonkers. The historical displays were steal- merchandising deals just for having a mascot, you
ing actual history, and Bubsy had to restore can't blame Accolade for trying their hand at it as well.
it. Bubsy II, likewise did well.
There are even mascots that can survive having the
At this time, Atari was working on its Jaguar game mechanics, that made them what they are,
game system, and Accolade did a special messed with, as Sonic The Hedgehog proves. But
Bubsy game for it. Fractured Furry Tales every once in a while, a mascot will fail despite the
had Bubsy running through children's sto- best effort and the train passes them by. With Bubsy,
ries in an attempt to set things right. the train just ran him over.
The next generation of games was well

www.VideoGameTrader.com • Winter 2009/2010 • Issue #14 • Video Game Trader Magazine • 5