Bubsy: Paws on Fire!

56%
Game Brain Score Based on 43 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Bubsy: Paws on Fire! Game Cover
It took a little over 25 years, but Bubsy: Paws on Fire is the bobcat’s first truly great outing. With a fun, cheeky cast of characters and entertaining core gameplay, you won’t have to ask yourself, “What could possibly go wrong?”
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"Bubsy: Paws on Fire!" is a new bobcat-starring game featuring four playable characters and over 100 levels. Join Bubsy and his rivals, The Woolies, in their mission to stop Oinker P. Hamm from collecting animals for his zoo. Each character has unique mechanics, and the game includes three boss battles, a combo system, and a shop for costumes.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

56%
Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews
humor3 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a modern Bubsy experience that is playable from start to finish without crashes or bugs.
  • Each character has a unique moveset, providing variety and keeping gameplay fresh.
  • The graphics are bright and colorful, and the music is catchy, enhancing the overall presentation.
  • The level design is repetitive, with only three worlds and a lack of memorable gimmicks, making the gameplay feel monotonous.
  • The humor and character personality are lacking, with many jokes falling flat and not capturing the charm of previous Bubsy games.
  • The game feels overly simplistic and easy, which may disappoint players looking for a challenge or depth in gameplay.
  • gameplay16 mentions

    The gameplay is a simplified version of rhythm-based mechanics seen in Runner3, featuring four distinct characters with unique abilities that add some variety but ultimately feel repetitive. While the controls are generally good, the gameplay lacks depth and challenge, leading to a less engaging experience overall. Despite some fun character interactions, many players feel the gameplay does not justify the price, as it relies heavily on basic mechanics without significant innovation.

    • “This takes the rhythm gameplay of Runner3, but puts it into 4 separate characters, tones down the rhythm element, and makes things far easier.”
    • “Most of the character designs transitioned smoothly to 3D, and the gameplay is simple enough that the character skills aren't overwhelming.”
    • “Bubsy can pounce/dash and glide, Virgil can double jump and slide, Woolie is a shmup (with a lot of emphasis on mainly dodging and gathering collectibles rather than shooting), and Arnold has 360 tube runner gameplay.”
    • “This takes the rhythm gameplay of Runner3, but puts it into four separate characters, tones down the rhythm element, and makes things far easier.”
    • “With the writing and the jokes put in the background of the auto-runner, the gameplay is supposed to hold up the game by itself, and it doesn't do that well.”
    • “Even the character differences don't do that much to feel like you're just hitting a jump button at the right time, and there's no thought needed in terms of the gameplay.”
  • graphics8 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by bright and colorful visuals, with a charming art style reminiscent of previous titles. However, players have reported significant performance issues, including stuttering and lack of smoothness, despite attempts to adjust settings. While some enemy designs show improvement with unique animations, overall optimization remains a concern.

    • “You get cat and yarn puns, the woolies (alien critters) make a return, graphics are bright and colorful.”
    • “Doesn't help that several of the enemies are functionally the same as others, but at least they had unique animations and graphics, another improvement over the last game.”
    • “Smoothly optimized, the graphics are appealing - 3D Bubsy hasn't looked this good, probably ever.”
    • “The graphics are not smooth and have massive stuttering throughout the game. I tried at least a dozen iterations of graphic levels and settings to fix it, to no avail.”
    • “The game's art style is definitely reminiscent of Runner3, especially in the enemies, of which I have only seen frogs so far.”
    • “Doesn't help that several of the enemies are functionally the same as others, but at least they had unique animations and graphics, which is an improvement over the last game.”
  • story8 mentions

    The story is perceived as rushed and lacking coherence, with a short and straightforward narrative that some players find enjoyable for its lightheartedness. While the character one-liners are decent, the absence of series staples like wit and unique death animations detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the story serves more as a fun backdrop rather than a serious element of the game.

    • “The story is short and to the point; the character one-liners are pretty decent (and aren’t trying to be too annoying), and the stages aren’t too long.”
    • “I imagine the devs had a B-team crew working on this while making Runner 3, but I think I actually prefer this game just because it has no dumb quest missions or extreme difficulty spikes.”
    • “I have yet to see much of the story, but it's just for fun, not really serious, which is a nice laugh.”
    • “The story feels like it was made at the last minute.”
    • “The story doesn't make sense.”
    • “It doesn't help that the series staples such as his wit and the unique death animations aren't here, and the Bit Trip Runner type effects can really not work well for the presentation of the story elements.”
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with players noting its catchiness and the enjoyable integration of sound with gameplay elements, such as the placement of TNT boxes to the beat. While some users found the music satisfactory, others did not engage deeply enough to form a strong opinion. Overall, the sound design and character-specific tracks contribute positively to the gaming experience.

    • “His stages are really fun and I like that the TNT boxes are placed to the beat of the music, definitely a highlight of the game.”
    • “The music is very catchy, and a joy to listen to.”
    • “The music is alright and each character has its own styled tracks.”
    • “Trip tune, the music in this game is still very well done (maybe Bubsy fans will be happy? I just really like the Bit.Trip music).”
  • optimization5 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game is criticized for long load times, poor performance, and significant micro stuttering, particularly in cluttered stages. While some users appreciate the appealing graphics, many report that the game is not well-optimized, leading to frame-rate drops and a less smooth experience.

    • “Smoothly optimized, the graphics are appealing - 3D Bubsy hasn't looked this good, probably ever.”
    • “Not only because his stages have the longest load times, but also because his stages are the most poorly optimized ones.”
    • “The graphics are not smooth and have massive stuttering throughout the game. I tried at least a dozen iterations of graphic levels and settings to fix it, to no avail.”
    • “My only technical issue is that this game is plagued by micro stuttering.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is polarizing, featuring a mix of self-aware jokes and references to its own reputation, which some players appreciate. However, others find the attempts at humor to be off-putting and reliant on gross-out gags, typical of the Bubsy series. Overall, the humor may resonate with fans of the franchise while alienating others.

    • “I love the humor in this game; the characters are self-aware and know they're in a game. Not only that, but they are also aware of the reputation the Bubsy series has.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization in this game is considered less aggressive compared to "The Woolies Strike Back," indicating a more balanced approach that doesn't heavily prioritize profit over player experience.

    • “Not as blatant a cash grab as 'The Woolies Strike Back', thankfully.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game experiences notable stability issues, including frequent bugs and non-functional leaderboards, which detract from the overall user experience.

    • “The game is also buggy at times, and the leaderboards don't even work right now.”
    • “I frequently encounter crashes that disrupt my gameplay experience.”
    • “There are constant server issues that make it difficult to connect and play.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to the repetitive nature of replaying levels multiple times, which can quickly lead to boredom despite the presence of different characters.

    • “The repetitiveness of 'Paws on Fire' forces you to replay levels several times, even though the characters are different, which ends up grinding your gears rather quickly.”
    • “Grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged with the overall experience.”
    • “The constant need to grind for resources takes away from the enjoyment of the game, turning it into a chore rather than a fun experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

55% average critic score

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