| Bubba 'n' Stix | |
| Developer: | Core Design |
| Publisher: | Tengen |
| Designer: | Simon Phipps |
| Composer: | Nathan McCree |
| Released: | 1994 |
| Genre: | Platform |
| Modes: | Single-player |
| Platforms: | Genesis, Amiga, CD32 |
Bubba 'n' Stix is a side-scrolling platform game for the Sega Genesis, Amiga and 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.
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.
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".[3] Flux magazine gave the genesis version a 7 out of 10 and saying the game's humor makes Bubba 'n' Stix stand out from other games and they also praised the graphics describing it as "bright, cartoonish and cute".[4] In 1995, MegaZone included the game on their "Top 50 Games In History".[5]