Bonk's Adventure was developed by Red Company and Atlus and released on the TurboGrafx-16 in 1989 before being ported to the NES, Game Boy and Amiga. It is a 2D platform game that became quite popular, with subsequent remakes and sequels spawning from the game. It was later included in Nintendo's Virtual Console service as well as the PlayStation Store.
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I was actually impressed with this game it is actually a decent platformer far from great but it's not bad.
If there is one video game console out there that I have very little experience with as a whole, in terms of both the system and the games, would be with the TurboGrafx-16, or the PC Engine for those of you who care about that kind of shit. It’s a shame though, because it seems like there are so many great titles for the system that have been lost over time, and while I myself have played one or two of these titles throughout my life, most of the library is an absolute mystery to me. So, I figured I would go ahead and try to check out more TurboGrafx-16 games (key word being “try”) so that I can see if there are any hidden gems out there that are permanently stapled to this console. Before I get there though, I may as well start off with the character who is said to be the mascot of the system, Bonk, and his first game, Bonk’s Adventure.
I have zero experience with Bonk as a whole, as I have never played any game in the series before, but I have known of him for quite some time. It didn’t look like anything too grand or special, but it had some kind of odd charm to it, not just in terms of its presentation, but also due to some of its… odd qualities. But hey, again, maybe there is something to Bonk that makes his games some of the best that you could have for the TG-16, so I decided to play through the first game to see if that was the case………… it wasn’t the case. From what we got here, it’s a good game, and I’m sure owners of the system would have a pretty good time with it, but it isn’t anything too unique or original compared to other platformers out there.
The story is straight out of “How to Make a Platformer from the 80’s and 90’s for Dummies”, where the fair maiden Princess Za is kidnapped by the evil King Drool and taken away from her home on Moonland, so it is up to Bonk to set out on a mission to rescue her, which is the most stereotypical plot you could ask for, but hey, Mario did it, and he sold millions of copies, so why can’t Bonk do that too? The graphics are good, looking like a much more detailed version of an NES game, and having plenty of good sprites for the enemies, bosses, and Bonk himself, but it is nothing too exciting, the music is pretty good, with some catchy 8-bit tunes to listen to while you are going around and bonking all over the place, even if none of them stand out as anything to listen to, and the gameplay/controls are pretty basic for a game like this, but it is all put together in a way that works and is fun to play, with the exception of a few snags in the road I did encounter.
The game is your typical 2D platformer, where you take control of Bonk the caveman, go through a set of five worlds, each filled with a set of different stages to conquer, defeat many different enemies using your giant noggin to bonk the shit out of someone, whether by jumping or just hitting them regularly, gather plenty of different food items to heal yourself, as well as some power ups and upgrades to make your journey a little easier, and take on plenty of prehistoric foes that will give you a good challenge if you aren’t using your head like you should. It is a simple set up with a simple execution, but it manages to be fun enough, and bonking all these losers in the head does feel satisfying when you get it right.
A lot of the charm and uniqueness from this game, from what I experienced, is not just seen from all the different enemies and bosses that you fight, but also Bonk himself, who is one of the most expressive protagonists I have seen from this era of video games. He has so many faces for anything that he does, such as when he is climbing up a wall with his big-ass teeth, whenever he gets hit and his eyes bulge out like a cartoon character, and even when he gets a power up, where he bugs the fuck out, with his head exploding and him floating up in the air for a few seconds. It is weird as hell, but I am a big fan of weird, and again, it adds a lot of charm and fun to whatever it is you are doing and facing in this game. The same can also be said for the upgrades and abilities you can get, such as with the powerups where you can headbutt the ground and stun all of the enemies, extra hearts that will give you more health for whatever lies ahead, and temporary invincibility so that you can blaze through a lot of your problems lickety-split of you know what you are doing. Granted some of these power ups are temporary, which kinda sucks, but they do help out a lot when you have them, and you have them for enough time to where you can make good use out of them before they run out.
The temporary power ups aren’t the only issue that I have with this game though, as there are some that I did have, with the biggest issues being with Bonk himself, or more so how he controls. I don’t know how to describe it, but something about Bonk’s momentum feels very… off, and you can feel it whenever you try to run and jump a specific distance, whenever you fall off of a ledge and onto another platform, and whenever you are in a tight space and need to bonk somethings. Again, I don’t exactly know how to describe it, but for those of you who have played the game before, you’d know what I am talking about. You can especially feel it whenever you try to climb up a wall or swim up a water stream, which doesn’t feel great to do at all, and I hate having to do that whenever it pops up, such as in stages that require you to go upwards in order to complete them. Aside from that, there is also a unnecessary boss rush here, which I love about as much as a trip to the doctor, and how it is just yet another prehistoric platformer at the end of the day. It is one of the earliest ones that were made, to my knowledge, but given how many there were back in the day, they all tend to blend together after a while.
Overall, despite some control issues and some common platforming tropes that I wish weren’t there, for his first title, Bonk’s Adventure managed to still be a good time, providing plenty of fun platforming challenges to take on, fun bosses to fight, and the zany charm that I would expect from a character with as big a head as that one. I would recommend it for those who are fans of old-school 2D platformers, as well as those who also want to see just what kind of games the TG-16 has, because despite how there are plenty of other games out there that are better than this, Bonk is literally the perfect place to start for those of you who want to go down that route. Oh yeah, and by the way, there is also an arcade version of this game that’s apparently much more different then this version, and I would play it, but… I don’t want to. I am just one man, and there are too many other games calling my name at the moment, so I apologize to all you bonking fanatics out there.
Game #553
I have zero experience with Bonk as a whole, as I have never played any game in the series before, but I have known of him for quite some time. It didn’t look like anything too grand or special, but it had some kind of odd charm to it, not just in terms of its presentation, but also due to some of its… odd qualities. But hey, again, maybe there is something to Bonk that makes his games some of the best that you could have for the TG-16, so I decided to play through the first game to see if that was the case………… it wasn’t the case. From what we got here, it’s a good game, and I’m sure owners of the system would have a pretty good time with it, but it isn’t anything too unique or original compared to other platformers out there.
The story is straight out of “How to Make a Platformer from the 80’s and 90’s for Dummies”, where the fair maiden Princess Za is kidnapped by the evil King Drool and taken away from her home on Moonland, so it is up to Bonk to set out on a mission to rescue her, which is the most stereotypical plot you could ask for, but hey, Mario did it, and he sold millions of copies, so why can’t Bonk do that too? The graphics are good, looking like a much more detailed version of an NES game, and having plenty of good sprites for the enemies, bosses, and Bonk himself, but it is nothing too exciting, the music is pretty good, with some catchy 8-bit tunes to listen to while you are going around and bonking all over the place, even if none of them stand out as anything to listen to, and the gameplay/controls are pretty basic for a game like this, but it is all put together in a way that works and is fun to play, with the exception of a few snags in the road I did encounter.
The game is your typical 2D platformer, where you take control of Bonk the caveman, go through a set of five worlds, each filled with a set of different stages to conquer, defeat many different enemies using your giant noggin to bonk the shit out of someone, whether by jumping or just hitting them regularly, gather plenty of different food items to heal yourself, as well as some power ups and upgrades to make your journey a little easier, and take on plenty of prehistoric foes that will give you a good challenge if you aren’t using your head like you should. It is a simple set up with a simple execution, but it manages to be fun enough, and bonking all these losers in the head does feel satisfying when you get it right.
A lot of the charm and uniqueness from this game, from what I experienced, is not just seen from all the different enemies and bosses that you fight, but also Bonk himself, who is one of the most expressive protagonists I have seen from this era of video games. He has so many faces for anything that he does, such as when he is climbing up a wall with his big-ass teeth, whenever he gets hit and his eyes bulge out like a cartoon character, and even when he gets a power up, where he bugs the fuck out, with his head exploding and him floating up in the air for a few seconds. It is weird as hell, but I am a big fan of weird, and again, it adds a lot of charm and fun to whatever it is you are doing and facing in this game. The same can also be said for the upgrades and abilities you can get, such as with the powerups where you can headbutt the ground and stun all of the enemies, extra hearts that will give you more health for whatever lies ahead, and temporary invincibility so that you can blaze through a lot of your problems lickety-split of you know what you are doing. Granted some of these power ups are temporary, which kinda sucks, but they do help out a lot when you have them, and you have them for enough time to where you can make good use out of them before they run out.
The temporary power ups aren’t the only issue that I have with this game though, as there are some that I did have, with the biggest issues being with Bonk himself, or more so how he controls. I don’t know how to describe it, but something about Bonk’s momentum feels very… off, and you can feel it whenever you try to run and jump a specific distance, whenever you fall off of a ledge and onto another platform, and whenever you are in a tight space and need to bonk somethings. Again, I don’t exactly know how to describe it, but for those of you who have played the game before, you’d know what I am talking about. You can especially feel it whenever you try to climb up a wall or swim up a water stream, which doesn’t feel great to do at all, and I hate having to do that whenever it pops up, such as in stages that require you to go upwards in order to complete them. Aside from that, there is also a unnecessary boss rush here, which I love about as much as a trip to the doctor, and how it is just yet another prehistoric platformer at the end of the day. It is one of the earliest ones that were made, to my knowledge, but given how many there were back in the day, they all tend to blend together after a while.
Overall, despite some control issues and some common platforming tropes that I wish weren’t there, for his first title, Bonk’s Adventure managed to still be a good time, providing plenty of fun platforming challenges to take on, fun bosses to fight, and the zany charm that I would expect from a character with as big a head as that one. I would recommend it for those who are fans of old-school 2D platformers, as well as those who also want to see just what kind of games the TG-16 has, because despite how there are plenty of other games out there that are better than this, Bonk is literally the perfect place to start for those of you who want to go down that route. Oh yeah, and by the way, there is also an arcade version of this game that’s apparently much more different then this version, and I would play it, but… I don’t want to. I am just one man, and there are too many other games calling my name at the moment, so I apologize to all you bonking fanatics out there.
Game #553
Interesting game. I didn’t realize the PCE had a turbo button on every controller and the game expected me to use it, so I had a much harder time than I would’ve had otherwise.
Didn't finish - got bored.
For a platformer... it has very little platforming. The level design leaves much to be desired, often not progressing beyond entirely flat areas with very little to explore.
The music is "okay," although there's very little variety. The bosses are interesting but become a joke thanks to the 'turbo' button.
It's an entertaining game, but it has many issues that I hope they've fixed for the sequel.
The music is "okay," although there's very little variety. The bosses are interesting but become a joke thanks to the 'turbo' button.
It's an entertaining game, but it has many issues that I hope they've fixed for the sequel.
Exceptionally well designed and pleasing looking platformer. Caveman Bonk and his world are full of colourful sprites, both cute and fierce. Some nice variety between levels, with easy bosses to face.