Bubsy 4D Nails Mario Odyssey-Style Platforming

Nobody had "Bubsy redemption arc" on their 2026 bingo card, and yet here we are. Bubsy 4D, developed by Fabraz and published by Atari, launched yesterday on Nintendo Switch 2 and other platforms, and the early reception is something I never thought I'd see attached to this franchise: people are comparing its movement to Super Mario Odyssey.

The comparison isn't hyperbole. Bubsy's aerial moveset lets you chain a flutter jump, a horizontal pounce, a glide, and wall clambers in any order during a single leap, with abilities resetting when you hit certain targets mid-air. It's the same philosophy behind Odyssey's hat-flinging combos, where mastering the system lets you sequence-break levels and shave seconds off time trials. A running jump can kick off with massive distance, a spinning-top leap adds verticality, and low-gravity sections open up even wilder combinations. According to GamesRadar's hands-on coverage, Fabraz "leaves plenty of room for player creativity to move through and even sometimes around platforming gauntlets," which is exactly what made Odyssey's sandbox levels so replayable.

Three worlds with five levels each sounds slim, but at a digital price of £17.99, that's a budget release priced like one. A physical "Pawsome Edition" on Switch 2 runs $49.99 and includes a 34-page manual, an 83-page art book, and a double-sided poster, with the full game on the cartridge. Nintendo Life gave the game a 7/10, calling it "a long-overdue course correction for one of gaming's most persistently maligned characters." I think the more interesting thing is that Fabraz, the same studio behind Demon Tides, is now two-for-two on 3D platformers that punch well above their weight class. If a small indie team can make Bubsy the Bobcat feel this good to control, AAA studios charging four times the price for collectathon mascot games should be embarrassed. A free demo is available on the eShop now.