Skip to main content

Bubsy will claw his way onto modern consoles next year

Bubsy, an orange cat, standing in a tuxedo like he's James Bond in GoldenEye 007 holding a remote control.
Limited Run Games
Summer Gaming Marathon Feature Image
This story is part of our Summer Gaming Marathon series.

We got a lot of retro announcements during Thursday’s Limited Run Games showcase, and the last one is set to bring back a retro gaming icon in Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection.

In the short teaser for Limited Run Games’ “one more thing” announcement, we get a glimpse of James Bond in the GoldenEye 007 intro before the silhouette transforms into Bubsy. “Were you expecting someone else?” Then he messes with the volume and contrast controls on your CRT TV before hopping over to the title card.

Recommended Videos

The digital and physical versions of Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection are expected out in 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch. You can watch the teaser trailer below.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

*sigh* Were you expecting someone else?

That's right, Bubsy is back in a Carbon Engine collection of classic capers! Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection releases digitally and physically in 2025. pic.twitter.com/mbD51pTkVG

— Limited Run Games (@LimitedRunGames) June 20, 2024

We also learned that the games in the collection are being rendered in the Carbon Engine, Limited Run’s tool that helps developers port retro games over to newer platforms using emulation. As Limited Run states, it’s a way to “create a more intuitive version” of a game without “compromising… their original vision.”

Atari is publishing the collection, and according to the Steam store page, it will include “artifacts and interviews” about the game’s bizarre history.

We didn’t get any other information about the launch, including the full list of games that will be playable. There are six games in the series, the first being Bubsy in: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind in 1993 for the SNES. The store page shows screenshots from that first Bubsy, along with Bubsy 2 and Bubsy 3D. Since the Carbon Engine supports consoles from the NES up to the PlayStation 1, we guess that the first four games in the series will be included in the collection.

There was an almost 20-year break in the Bubsy franchise between Bubsy 3D –– the first 3D game in the series — and the next one, Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back. The last game was Bubsy: Paws on Fire!, which was released in 2019. It’s unlikely these two games will makes their way to the collection since they were released for the PlayStation 4, but you never know.

The other big announcement during the showcase, which was one of many gaming presentations we’ve seen this summer, was the Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Editionwhich is set for release next week.

Carli Velocci
Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…
I played Monster Hunter Wilds, and it’s already a thrill
A hunter runs through a lightning storm in Monster Hunter Wilds.

I've always seen Monster Hunter as a cinematic game, though perhaps not in the way that many gamers picture when they hear the word. I'm not talking about big-budget cutscenes. Rather, spectacle is baked into its world. There's no greater thrill than watching on as the titanic beast I'm tracking suddenly gets attacked by another creature. It's like watching a kaiju battle unfold organically.

With Monster Hunter Wilds, though, Capcom is upping the ante. In a 90-minute demo, I played through the upcoming action RPG's first two missions. They were standard hunts against towering beasts, but something was different this time. A larger emphasis on thrilling cutscenes and cinematic set pieces took center stage between my normal hacking and slashing. That makes for a sequel that takes Monster Hunter to the next level, unlocking its blockbuster potential.
More cinematic
When my demo begins, I'm sailing on an ocean of sand with a crew of ragtag characters. After getting briefed on a monster in the area, the dreaded White Wraithe, I'm treated to an action-packed sequence. I see sandworms chasing a character in the distance, as if I'm watching a scene out of Dune. My hero leaps from the side of the ship and lands on a Seikret and gives chase. As I gain control of my character, I'm suddenly in a chase sequence. Worms leap around me, and I have to knock them off my trail with my slingshot. It's positively dazzling.

Read more
Nintendo Direct August 2024: How to watch and what to expect
Lego Aloy talking to Lego hotdog guy with a machine behind her ready to attack.

It seems like only yesterday when we last got a Nintendo Direct. OK, it was in June, but it was packed with announcements like a new Zelda game and confirmation that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond  is not only happening, but is set for next year. Apparently there's more to show as Nintendo is holding yet another Nintendo Direct, coupled with an Indie World Showcase, on Tuesday, August 27.

The last Direct filled out the rest of Nintendo's 2024 release schedule, so what else could it have in store from its partners? Will we finally get news about Hollow Knight: Silksong? Here's what you need to know to tune in.
When is the August 2024 Nintendo Direct?
The Indie World Showcase/Nintendo Partner Showcase double feature will begin at 7 a.m. PT on August 27 and last "roughly 40 minutes in total."

Read more
Towerborne is a live-service beat ’em up — and that wild idea actually works
towerborne preview live service beat em up key art

Whenever I'm in a gaming rut and not sure what to play, I know I can always boot up a beat 'em up like Street of Rage 4, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, or Castle Crashers and have a good time. If I'm just in the mood for some mindless action, I can button-mash my way through levels as a superpowered fighter. If I want something more involved, I'll take the time to learn and execute powerful combos, as well as find ways to engage with the game's systems on a deeper level. Developer Stoic smartly recognized that this is a kind of game loop common in many live service games, so it's working with Xbox Game Studios to make a live service beat 'em up called Towerborne.

Towerborne will enter early access on Steam next month, but I had the chance to play it early at an Xbox event in Los Angeles. While I wasn't able to go hands-on with most of the social-focused systems that will make Towerborne stand out from the crowd, I can attest to its solid fantasy beat 'em up core that I can see myself sinking countless hours into when I'm back in one of those gaming ruts.

Read more