Modern Bubsy, low-res pixel style!

Modern Bubsy is a project that started with the indie game Space Funeral 4. SqrlyJack imagined what classic gaming failure Bubsy would be up to years later and the concept (also inspired by other Bubsy speculation) grew into an enthralling history including the games’ traumatic meta-textual making-of process, a gender transition, and contact with other 90s game mascots. It’s more than the shock humour you might expect by seeing it; Modern Bubsy is a deep and fascinating revitalisation of the character that may sort of kind of have the implicit approval of the original creator. What could possibly go wrong?

This pixel art is based on this post showing the “main characters” of Bubsy’s “current” life. Some explanation is required though…

Good Guys: Wild Woody is another failed 90s mascot, with a single Sega CD game to his name. Conker the Squirrel is one of Rare’s well-known mascots but in hard times, and now Bubsy’s boyfriend. Bubsy herself is down on her luck but is getting by. Bubsy/Bubster is another alternate take on the character from another Tumblr, and who is actually the son of “our” Bubsy. Oblivia is a character created for the animated series pilot, loosely based on the plot of the second game.

Bad Guys: Old School T represents Retroism/Tommo, the company that currently owns the Bubsy IP and who recently half-arsedly released the first two games on Steam. Sanic is a nightmarish version of Sonic from Space Funeral 4 based on Bubsy’s recollections of him tormenting her? I think? The Woolies are the alien antagonists of the first game and Bubsy 3D, who SqrlyJack also redesigned for SF4. Dr. Virgil Reality is the dweeb who invented the MacGuffin in Bubsy II/the animated pilot, and is now a rich Steve Jobs ripoff. Grubsy is Bubsy’s nasty brother, based on the P2 colouration in the first game; he is accompanied by the spirits of his dead children, Terri and Terry.