Bubba 'n' Stix
| Bubba 'n' Stix | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Core Design |
| Publisher(s) | Tengen |
| Designer(s) | Simon Phipps |
| Platform(s) | Mega Drive/Genesis, Amiga, Amiga CD32 |
| Release date(s) | 1994 |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Bubba 'n' Stix is a 2-D side-scrolling platform game for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Amiga and Amiga CD32 developed and released by Core Design. The Genesis version was released by Tengen in the United States and featured a promotional tie-in with the Bubblicious bubble gum brand.
The player controls Bubba, a redneck character, who is accompanied by a sentient stick named Stix. Stix can be used in various ways to help Bubba defeat enemies and get past obstacles: for instance, Stix can be thrust into a hole in the side of a platform so that Bubba can climb higher.
Development
According to designer Simon Phipps, originally Core Design had wanted a "moody, dark and atmospheric" game featuring an adventurer wielding a multipurpose stick. It became apparent to him that a realistic approach to the design was not feasible. As a result, Phipps, along with collaborator Billy Allison sketched out a large number of mostly outlandish uses for the game's central tool. After reviewing the drawings, Core subsequently gave the go ahead to develop the game.[1]
The game's protagonist started out as a green long-necked alien and went through several iterations until the developers settled on Bubba.[1]
Reception
The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Genesis version a 6.75 out of 10, particularly praising the originality of the gameplay concept and the highly challenging puzzles.[2] GamePro likewise praised the game's originality and "thought-provoking challenges", and commented that "The seemingly unlimited possibilities for Stix and the easy controls that send him winging into action give this brain-twisting game an enchanting dimension other puzzlers lack."[3]
References
- 1 2 "Bubba 'n' Stix Videogame Design". simonphipps.com. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Review Crew: Bubba 'N' Stix". Electronic Gaming Monthly (59) (EGM Media, LLC). June 1994. p. 34.
- ↑ "ProReview: Bubba 'N' Stix". GamePro (60) (IDG). July 1994. p. 58.