Introduction
Bubsy 4D gives the orange bobcat his first genuinely good 3D platformer, and the achievement list reflects the game's structure almost perfectly: short, planet-by-planet, and capped off by one mode that will test everything you've learned. There are 17 achievements in total (18 with the PlayStation Platinum), worth 1,000 Gamerscore on Xbox. Most come naturally through full completion, but a handful require deliberate effort. Here's everything you need to know.
What do you need to do to 100% Bubsy 4D?
Every level across all three planets asks you to do three things: collect all 150 yarn balls, grab the golden yarn ball at the end, and find the hidden Blueprint. On top of that, you need to beat each level's goal time to earn the trophy time. Do all of that across every planet, beat every boss, and clear the post-game gauntlet, and you'll have 16 of the 17 achievements locked in. The seventeenth requires a full run of Nine Lives Mode.
Bubsy 4D achievements tracker
The Item Sniffer is the most useful tool for completion runs. Purchase it with one Blueprint and Bubsy will physically point toward any collectibles you're still missing in a level. Use it on any replay and you'll cut your cleanup time significantly.
All 17 achievements and how to unlock them
The table below covers every achievement, its Gamerscore value, and what you need to do. Boss achievements are listed as secret on Xbox but are included here for completeness.
How to beat each boss
Baarbee (Planet 1)
Baarbee is the first boss and the most forgiving. Avoid her attacks until a pipe rises from the floor, then use it to launch yourself at her. That triggers a chase sequence in Hairball mode. Repeat the process three times and the Buh-bye Baarbee achievement is yours. She telegraphs everything clearly, so this is a good place to get comfortable with Bubsy's moveset.
Baarbee boss pipe launch
Baartholomeo (Planet 2)
Baartholomeo is the toughest boss in the game. His attack set includes a fist slam, lightning rain, and a sword swipe that requires a precisely timed jump to clear. To deal damage, hit the needle on his fist when it gets stuck in the ground, then strike him again when his mech descends. The sword swipe is the attack that catches most players off guard, so practice the timing before committing to a serious run.
Baaptiste (Planet 3 final boss)
Baaptiste combines the threat of the previous two bosses. He fires lasers, launches missiles, drops floor sections, and also brings back Baarbee and Baartholomeo as support attackers. When he teleports down to attack you directly, jump over him and pounce to deal damage. Three successful hits ends the fight and triggers three achievements in quick succession: Beat the Baaptiste, Hero of Metal, and BaaBots No More.
How to get all trophy times
The Champion achievements for each planet require hitting the goal time in every level. Hairball mode is your main tool here: whenever a stretch of level opens up, go full speed in Hairball and don't stop. The only level that genuinely demands attention is Tall Order on Planet 3, where the vertical layout punishes slow movement. Commit to Hairball through every open section and you'll clear the time without needing to replay it repeatedly.
Trophy time completion screen
For a deeper breakdown of goal times across all levels, the Bubsy 4D guides collection has dedicated speedrunning tips worth checking before you start timing runs.
What is the secret gauntlet and how do you unlock it?
The gauntlet challenge unlocks automatically once you hit 100% completion. It's the reward for finishing every level, collecting everything, and clearing all trophy times. After everything else you've done to reach that point, the gauntlet itself shouldn't be a serious obstacle. Gauntlet Gladiator is worth 75 Gamerscore and, practically speaking, arrives as a bonus for doing the work rather than a separate grind.
How hard is Nine Lives Mode?
This is the one achievement that earns its name. Nine Lives Mode runs you through the entire game with only 9 points of health and no way to recover them. Invincibility is disabled, so the options menu trick that helps with bosses is off the table entirely.
The practical approach: practice boss fights in a separate save file before attempting them in Nine Lives. Take every section slower than you normally would, avoid unnecessary risks, and treat each piece of health as something you can't afford to lose. There's no shortcut here. The Masochist Award is worth 200 Gamerscore, the single highest-value achievement in the game, and it requires genuine mastery of Bubsy's controls.
Nine Lives Mode health display
Bubsy 4D sits comfortably among the better recent entries in the adventure games genre, and the achievement list, while short, does a decent job of pushing you to see everything the game has to offer. The 1,000 Gamerscore is within reach for most players willing to put in the time. Nine Lives Mode is the only real wall, and even that falls with enough practice.
For the full collection of guides covering every part of the game, including Blueprint locations and speedrunning tips, head to the Bubsy 4D strategy guides hub.