We are on the verge of getting a second new Bubsy video game this generation. Bubsy: Paws on Fire may even be good, as it’s in the capable hands that brought you the bit.trip Runner series. Many thought that the world was rid of this accursed bobcat for good. Maybe that’s why his ironic comeback started in the first place. Whatever the reason, if you weren’t around during Bubsy’s heyday, you missed a whole host of also-rans trying to steal buzz from Sonic and Mario. These 10 failed gaming mascots just couldn’t sneak their way into the ongoing mascot wars of the 1990s. Let’s dredge up their memory in the hopes of learning something.
With mega-successes like Fortnite and Minecraft around, the days of the mascot may seem quaint. Having an entire company put their fortunes behind a cartoon marsupial is a bizarre pattern, one that everyone grew out off as games evolved. Sure, we still get these types of platformers today, and gaming icons are still important to a company’s success. However, branding for all types of companies has evolved in the age of social media. Company heads want their customers married to the brand itself, not a specific franchise tied to a developer and possible IP insanity.
With the death of the age of failed gaming mascots, we also lost a small thrill. It is easy to remember when you first saw a Sega logo flash up on a PlayStation or the thrill of seeing Snake and Sonic join the battle in Smash Bros. It truly felt like worlds colliding, even if it made total sense in the long run. With Microsoft possibly turning Xbox into a console-agnostic name and Sony producing mature adventures that don’t clash well with other’s titles, those days are long over. It makes for a healthy industry, but it’s just a little less fun.
Bubsy Failed Mascots
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Bubsy: Paws on Fire and the Top 10 Failed Gaming Mascots
We are on the verge of getting a second new Bubsy video game this generation. Many had thought that the accursed bobcat was firmly laid to rest, and maybe that's why his ironic comeback started in the first place. These other failed mascots just weren't so lucky. -
Aero the Acro-Bat
Aero probably has the best games out of anyone on this list, but he's also one of the first to debut after Mario and Sonic took the world by storm. In a way, Aero's acrobatic fun led to the rest of these rejects, and that responsibility earns him his spot on this list. -
Awesome Possum
Awesome Possum cares about two things: recycling and kicking Dr. Machino's butt. He's a sad Sonic ripoff that feels like a character who would visit elementary schools and tell kids about the dangers of smoking weed and kissing on the lips. The game is as bad as the character, which you might expect considering that it was developed by Tengen. -
Croc
You might know Croc for the highly dubious rumor that his game inspired Super Mario 64 and that he was originally going to be Yoshi. Whether or not that's true, that's probably the most notable thing about his adventure, which is very hard to go back to in 2019. -
Lester the Unlikely
We all play video games to experience new things. We're sure someone somewhere thought that a video game starring a normal nerd who can't run or jump very well was a good idea, but we're not those people. It's Unlikely that Lester could ever be salvaged with a sequel, but he never got the chance to prove us right. -
Rascal
There are many characters that represent the 1990s, but few of them personify the worst parts more than Rascal. A character made by three companies that were all having a collective off day, this cap wearing kid stars in one of the worst games you ever rented from your local Blockbuster Video. -
Rocky Rodent
A lesser known but no less sad entry, Rocky is a Sonic clone in both look and gameplay. The story involves Rocky eating an envelope of protection money at an Italian restaurant, which leads to various conflicts with mobsters. The '90s were a weird time. -
Titus the Fox
What does Titus the Fox truly look like? Does he look like he does in his console game? Does he look like he does in the handheld port, which is completely different? Does he look like he does on the Titus logo, which is somehow different than the other two? And, the real question, does anyone actually care? -
Blasto
A sad entry, as Blasto might have lasted longer if actor Phil Hartman had lived to see the release of his sole PS1 game. Still, the characters biggest fans seemed to be Sony itself, and the company eventually went with fans and chose Crash as its representative instead. -
Gex
When you need a character to spout soon-to-be-dated movie references and bad puns, you get Gex. He probably doesn't charge much nowadays, especially considering that Square tried to get an indie team to do something with him and no one took the bait. Nice shades though.
