Accolade returns with new Bubsy game

Two of gaming’s forgotten brands are making an unexpected return.

Publisher Accolade, which has not been seen since the 1990s, has announced that it will release a new Bubsy game.

Bubsy isn’t exactly a household name. It first arrived in 1993 with the SNES release Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind. The Accolade-published 2D platformer was a moderate success, and the art work may well ring bells with older gamers.

Bubsy 2 followed a year later along with Atari Jaguar outing Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales. As the name suggests, the fourth Bubsy game, Bubsy 3D, transitioned the series away from its two dimensional heritage.

The new title is called Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back and is due out on PS4 and PC this autumn. It is being made by Giana Sisters and Rogue Stormers studio Back Forest Games.

Founded in the ’80s, Accolade was founded by former Activision co-founders and was eventually acquired by Infogrames in 1999. Infogrames would go on to acquire Atari, and recently ditched its old branding. The Bubsy brand, meanwhile, eventually ended up with Tommo.

This new Accolade is entirely unconnected with the previous company and is based in Hong Kong. Owner Billionsoft owners a number of former GT Interactive IPs. Its catalogue includes the likes of Shadow Ops, Tycoon City and Sid Meier’s Colonization.

Bubsy the Woolies Strike Back! is an all new Bubsy adventure featuring Bubsy in a bevy of exotic locations as he travels the planet looking for the beloved Golden Fleece,” the game’s official blurb reads.

Bubsy must use all of his classic moves and a few new ones to dodge and out bobcat a battalion of Woolies, not mention the gnarliest UFO bosses to ever grace a Bubsy adventure. The wisecracking lynx also adds over a 100 new one liners to his lexicon to keep fans guessing what he’ll say next.”