Earlier this year, when a new collection reprinting the existing Bubsy games was announced for modern consoles, we warned you it could happen. And indeed it did: Limited Run picked up the physical rights and planned out one of their elaborate Extra Super Collectors Edition releases. If you think their shrine to Gex was over the top, you haven’t seen anything yet.
The standard release of the Bubsy Purrfect Collection, seen above, is for people who just want their Bubsy served plain. This time, LRG wanted to make sure the game was absolutely unavoidable and covered every system in existence, so they produced a physical PC version. Don’t have a CD drive in your current PC? Figure it out; Bubsy’s counting on you.
The physical has six games, including the one that was exclusive to the Atari Jaguar:
You might be saying, though, “That’s not enough! It’s not enough Bubsy!” Then the Deluxe Edition is for you…it’s got the games plus a selected soundtrack CD, a two-sided poster featuring classic and new art (your preference), and a keychain of Bubsy’s head, all served in a deluxe edition case. This is more or less what LRG told us, just with a lot more cat puns. “It will look oh-so-kitty on any shelf” is a direct quote.
But no! That still isn’t enough! The entire Earth needs to be covered in orange fur and the digitized wisecracks need to be heard from space! This is a job for THE IM-PAW-SIBLE EDITION which includes everything from the previous box and throws in:
And if you have some cash left over, donate it to charity — just kidding! Get more Bubsy stuff! Optional accessories include a plushie and a replica of the cat’s exclamation point T-shirt.
The main problem with a Bubsy collection is that it depends on who you talk to, but most agree the Bubsy library ranges from mid to stinker, with Bubsy 3D ranking among the worst games ever sold in the open market. There’s a “fix” of sorts for that borderline-unplayable game in the form of Bubsy 3D ReFurBished, which adds modern conveniences like a better camera and much improved controls. ReFurBished is in the collection, along with the original if you’re curious.
The Bubsy Purrfect Collection goes up for preorder three days from now, August 15, and remains open until October 12 — that’s nearly two months of Bubsy promotion. Also, I’m calling this now: Limited Run will eventually reprint Superman 64, with a collectors edition even more elaborate than the Bubsy one.
