Bubba 'n' Stix

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. 

The game's protagonist started out as a green long-necked alien and went through several iterations until the developers settled on Bubba. 

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.  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." 

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Category:1994 video games
Category:Amiga games
Category:CD32 games
Category:Core Design games
Category:Platform games
Category:Sega Genesis games
Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Category:Video games scored by Nathan McCree