Power Button Podcast
Tip JarWhat Could Possibly Go Wrong?
January 10, 2008
Back in the early 1990s there was a wave of Sonic the Hedgehog wannabes unleashed upon the 16-bit generation of gaming consoles. Sunsoft had Aero the Acrobat, Tradewest had Plok, and Accolade had Bubsy, a wisecracking bobcat equipped only with quips, a white t-shirt, and a floaty pounce attack. It wasn't enough just to star in a video game, however. Oh no, companies that wanted a successful platformer mascot had to leap into the fray with both feet in an attempt to force the new character into the national consciousness. Considering that animated shows starring major gaming heroes such as Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog had fared decently enough, it was only natural for new characters to attempt to break into animation as well.
Bubsy was one of the characters to try to land a Saturday morning cartoon series, and although a pilot episode was created by animation studio Calico Productions, it would seem that there were no networks or syndicators interested in acquiring the aspiring series. The single episode of Bubsy aired in syndication as a one-time special back in 1993.
Bubsy couldn't appear alone, of course, so a new sidekick and family
characters were introduced into the fray in the form of Arnold the
Armadillo and the bobcat's niece and nephew, Terrance and Teresa (the
Bubsy Twins), all of whom would go on to appear in Bubsy II for the
Super NES and Sega Genesis the following year. Plus, everybody knows
that all viable 1990s cartoon characters have to have a catch phrase
that is pounded into the ground over and over again (in Bubsy's case,
"What could possibly go wrong?") in addition to recurring gag gimmicks
and knowing nods to the audience. Bubsy also makes frequent use of old black and white public domain footage which acts as a punchline to rather lame setups.
The voice talent behind the characters may sound familiar to fans of better animation. Rob Paulson (Pinky of Pinky and the Brain fame) provided Bubsy's voice, while Jim Cummings (Darkwing Duck himself) played a villain, Sid the Vicious Shrew. Then there's Tress MacNeille of The Simpsons in the roles of both Oblivia and Terrance. The show may have been broadcast dead on arrival, but its spirit lives on in Internet form as a grim reminder that not every gaming character can achieve greatness. Prepare yourself for the animated adventures of Bubsy in "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?"