Bonk's Revenge

Last updated
Bonk's Revenge / PC Kid 2
Bonk's Revenge cover.jpg
North American TurboGrafx-16 cover
Developer(s) Red Company/Mutech
Publisher(s) Hudson Soft
NEC Technologies
Composer(s) Hirohiko Takayama
Series Bonk
Platform(s) PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16, Game Boy, Virtual Console, PlayStation Network, Windows Store [1]
Release 1991
Genre(s) Side-scrolling platformer
Mode(s) Single-player

Bonk's Revenge, known as PC-Genjin 2 [lower-alpha 1] in Japan and PC Kid 2 in Europe, is a 2D platformer set in prehistory, originally for the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 console, created in 1991 by the Red Company for Hudson Soft, and licensed by NEC. This is the second title in the Bonk series, and was re-released for the TurboGrafx-16 in 1992 on the Gate of Thunder 4-in-1 game CD-ROM. A completely different game with the same name appeared on the Game Boy, whereas the original version was re-released for Wii Virtual Console and on the Japanese PlayStation Store. [2] [3] It was also released in Japan on Windows Store [1] on December 13, 2013, and on Wii U Virtual Console on March 12, 2014. [4] The title is also playable on the Turbografx-16/PC Engine Mini Console.

Contents

Gameplay

This time, the titular large-headed caveman is on a quest to recover half of the Moon, which was stolen by the evil King Drool III. Its multiple stages each contain several specific areas, which range from outdoors to trains to space to underwater. As in most platformers, Bonk has several crucial abilities: the I button causes him to jump; the II button causes him to "bonk", an action in which Bonk slams his head forward, inflicting a killing blow on most enemies; I jump-II combo causes Bonk to headbutt the Earth, killing enemies he lands on and creating a damaging shock wave; Holding down the II button in midair causes Bonk to spin and hover, allowing for long, controlled jumps. Bonk can also use his large mouth to grip onto allowed surfaces for climbing.

Bonk's health is reflected in heart containers, similar to games in the Zelda series. Taking damage will cause Bonk to lose a certain amount of hearts, and hearts can be refilled through items, such as fruit, collected throughout the game. Bonk can also attain blue hearts that increase his amount of hearts, allowing him to effectively gain more health as the game progresses. The game also features Smileys, similar to coins in the Mario series, which are helpful when the player gets to the bonus round after each boss because they can get extra lives. Bonk can also turn invincible when he collects a large meat or two small meats, and can gain an extra life when he collects a small model of himself.

Power-up forms

Bonk is able to power-up and change into various forms by eating meat. With one small piece of meat, when he Bonks, a cloud floats towards enemies, freezing them when they come in contact. When he spins in the air, he has a cloud surrounding him. When he lands on his head, it freezes all enemies on-screen. With an additional small piece or one large piece, he becomes fully powered up and becomes temporarily invincible. In this form, he breathes fire, which destroys any enemies that come into contact with it. When spinning, he is surrounded by fire, & when he lands, it causes damage to all enemies, and instantly destroys most, but not all of them on-screen.

Variations in gameplay

In the Game Boy version of this title, Bonk can turn into one of three unique heroes: Master Bonk, Hungry Bonk, or Stealth Bonk. Becoming Master Bonk dresses Bonk in a cape, provides him with Vulcan-esque ears, and gives him the ability to move faster and jump higher. Becoming Hungry Bonk gives Bonk an animalistic appearance with evil eyes and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, and gives Bonk the ability to chew enemies to death, as well as providing him with a much stronger headbutt that can kill nearby foes. Becoming Stealth Bonk dresses Bonk in a striped jail outfit, and gives him the ability to enter special locked doors that lead to areas such as the bank, where Bonk can collect Smileys, the butcher's, where Bonk can eat more slabs of meat in hope for a different power-up, and jail, where Bonk loses a portion of his Smileys.

Grabbing one of many tulips scattered throughout the game carries Bonk to a special bonus stage where he can face off against Mechabonk -- a RoboCop-esque version of Bonk—in a best-of-three battle to "bonk" one another off the edge of a small stage. Winning two rounds provides Bonk with an extra life, while a loss transforms Bonk into Wounded Bonk, where Bonk resembles a mummy and takes twice as much damage as usual.

The game overall is very similar to games in the Mario series, providing linear, side-scrolling action, multiple power-ups, and several small boss confrontations leading up to a final boss. Its treatment of power-ups is similar as well: taking a hit while powered-up causes Bonk to take no damage, but instead lose his power. For those who struggle with the game, the game offers passwords after game overs, so the player does not need to start over from the beginning.

Reception

In the United Kingdom, PC Kid 2 was the top-selling PC Engine game in September 1991. [5]

Reviewing the Game Boy game, GamePro commented that the game is fun but too short and easy. [6] Entertainment Weekly gave the game a B. [7] French gaming magazine Joypad gave PC Kid II a 97% score. [8]

Notes

  1. Japanese: PC-原人 2, Hepburn: PC-Genjin Tsū, lit. "PC-Caveman 2"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TurboGrafx-16</span> Fourth-generation home video game console

The TurboGrafx-16, known as the PC Engine outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, though the console has an 8-bit central processing unit (CPU) coupled with a 16-bit graphics processor. It was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1989. In Europe the Japanese model was unofficially imported and distributed in the United Kingdom and France from 1988. In Japan, the system was launched as a competitor to the Famicom, but the delayed United States release meant that it ended up competing with the Sega Genesis and later the Super NES.

<i>Salamander</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Salamander, retitled Life Force in North America and in the Japanese arcade re-release, is a scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Konami. Released in 1986 as a spin-off of Gradius, Salamander introduced a simplified power-up system, two-player cooperative gameplay and both horizontally and vertically scrolling stages. Some of these later became normal for future Gradius games. In Japanese, the title is written using ateji, which are kanji used for spelling foreign words that has been supplanted in everyday use by katakana. Contra, another game by Konami was also given this treatment, with its title written in Japanese as 魂斗羅.

<i>Air Zonk</i> 1992 video game

Air Zonk, known in Japan as PC Denjin, is a horizontally scrolling shooter released for TurboGrafx-16 in 1992. Air Zonk was an attempt to update the company's image via a modern, punkish character called Zonk, who bears a purposeful resemblance to the TurboGrafx-16's caveman mascot, Bonk.

Bonk, known as PC-Genjin in Japan and as PC Kid or B.C. Kid in PAL territories, is a video game character and former mascot for NEC's PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 video game console. Three platform games featuring the character appeared on the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16, as well as two spin-offs featuring Air Zonk. The protagonist is a bald caveman named Bonk who attacks using his comically large head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TurboDuo</span> Fourth-generation video game console

The TurboDuo is a fourth-generation video game console developed by NEC Home Electronics and Hudson Soft for the North American market. The TurboDuo was test-marketed in Los Angeles in October 1992, before a nationwide rollout in May 1993. It is the North American version of the Japanese PC Engine Duo game console which was released in September 1991.

<i>Wonder Boy III: The Dragons Trap</i> 1989 action-adventure video game

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, known as Monster World II in Japan, is a platforming action-adventure video game developed by Westone as part of Sega's Wonder Boy series. It was published by Sega and released for the Master System in 1989 and for the Game Gear in 1992 as Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap. It was ported by Hudson Soft and released in 1991 for the TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine under the name Dragon's Curse. It was also ported in 1993 by Brazilian company Tec Toy under the title Turma da Mônica em o Resgate, with the game retooled to include characters from Brazilian comic book series Monica's Gang. A remake developed by Lizardcube and published by DotEmu, titled Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, was released in April 2017.

<i>Neutopia</i> 1989 video game

Neutopia is an overhead action-adventure video game developed by Hudson Soft. It was released by Hudson for the PC Engine in Japan on November 17, 1989. It was then released by NEC for the TurboGrafx-16 in North America in 1990. It was re-released for the Virtual Console service worldwide for the Wii in 2007; it was re-released for the PlayStation Network in Japan in 2010 and in North America in 2011. It was re-released for the Wii U on April 16, 2014 in Japan, and in USA and Europe in 2017. The game takes place in the land of Neutopia, where the evil demon Dirth has captured Princess Aurora and has stolen the eight ancient medallions which contain the wisdom and power necessary to maintain peace and prosperity throughout the land. It is up to the protagonist Jazeta to retrieve the eight medallions, defeat Dirth, rescue Princess Aurora, and save the land and its people.

<i>Splatterhouse</i> 1988 video game

Splatterhouse is a beat 'em up arcade game developed and published by Namco in 1988. It was the first in a series of games released in home console and personal computer formats. This game would later spawn the parody Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti, the sequels Splatterhouse 2, Splatterhouse 3, and the 2010 remake Splatterhouse, with the classic games being added to Namco Museum since 2017.

The Virtual Console is a defunct line of downloadable video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

<i>Forgotten Worlds</i> 1988 video game

Forgotten Worlds, titled Lost Worlds in Japan, is a side-scrolling shooter video game by Capcom, originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in 1988. It is notable for being the first title released by Capcom for their CP System arcade game hardware.

<i>Bonks Adventure</i> 1989 video game

Bonk's Adventure, known as PC Genjin in Japan, PC Kid and B.C. Kid in Europe, is a scrolling platform game developed by Red Company and Atlus and released in 1989 in Japan and 1990 in North America for the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16. The Japanese title PC Genjin is a play on the system's original name, PC Engine, with the European title PC Kid similarly referencing the system's name. The first game in the Bonk series, it was followed by two more games for the TurboGrafx-16 before branching out to other platforms.

<i>Blazing Lazers</i> 1989 Japanese-American video game

Gunhed, known as Blazing Lazers in North America, is a vertically scrolling shooter game by Hudson Soft and Compile, based on the Japanese film Gunhed. The title was released in 1989, for the PC Engine in Japan and re-skinned for the TurboGrafx-16 in North America, with Gunhed unofficially imported for the PC Engine in Europe. In the game, a fictional galaxy is under attack by an enemy space armada called the Dark Squadron, and this galaxy's only chance for survival is the Gunhed Advanced Star Fighter, who must destroy the Dark Squadron and its Super Weapons. The gameplay features fast vertical scrolling and a wide array of weapons for the player to use.

<i>Bomberman 93</i> 1992 video game

Bomberman '93 is a video game in the Bomberman series. It was released on the PC Engine on December 11, 1992 in Japan, with western TurboGrafx-16 releases following in 1993. The game was also re-released for PCs in 2002 alongside the TurboGrafx-16 version of Bomberman and Bomberman World as part of a compilation disc titled Bomberman Collection. The game was re-released for the Virtual Console, with full multiplayer capability intact, for Wii on November 21, 2006 in North America, December 8, 2006 in Europe, and July 6, 2007 in Australia. The game was re-released for the Wii U on December 28, 2016 in Japan, November 30, 2017 in North America and December 14, 2017 in Europe. Bomberman '93 later spawned a sequel titled Bomberman '94.

<i>The Legendary Axe</i> 1988 video game

The Legendary Axe is a horizontal platform video game for the TurboGrafx-16. It was developed and published by Victor Musical Industries in Japan and by NEC in North America. It was released in Japan on September 23, 1988 and in North America as a TurboGrafx-16 launch title on August 29, 1989. In the game, the player controls Gogan, a barbarian whose girl, Flare, was kidnapped by the cult of Jagu. The player must navigate through six platforming levels, armed with a legendary axe named "Sting" to defeat Jagu and his minions and rescue Flare. The game features a rechargeable "strength meter" that determines how much damage is dealt from the axe to enemies.

<i>Chew Man Fu</i> 1990 video game

Chew Man Fu is a 1990 action video game developed by Now Production and published in Japan by Hudson Soft and in North America by NEC for the TurboGrafx-16.

<i>Bonk 3: Bonks Big Adventure</i> 1993 video game

Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure is an action video game released for the TurboGrafx-16 in 1993, the third game in the Bonk video game series.

<i>Psychosis</i> (video game) Sidescrolling shooter for the TurboGrafx-16 from 1990

Psychosis is a side scrolling shooter type game for the TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine. It was released in 1990 by NAXAT Soft, which also released the games Alien Crush and Devil's Crush When released it was praised for its colorful graphics and original backstory. It was released on the Wii Virtual Console in all nations in 2008.

<i>Devils Crush</i> 1990 video game

Devil's Crush is a pinball video game developed by Compile for the TurboGrafx-16 and released in 1990. The second installment in the Crush Pinball series after Alien Crush, the game has an eerie occult theme with skulls, skeletons, and demons. It was later followed by Jaki Crush and Alien Crush Returns.

<i>Gate of Thunder</i> 1992 video game

Gate of Thunder is a 1992 scrolling shooter video game developed by Red Company and published by Hudson Soft for the TurboGrafx-CD. It was the first game released in North America to support the Super CD-ROM² format and served as one of the pack-in games for the TurboDuo, a two-in-one system which runs both TurboGrafx-CD and TurboGrafx-16 titles, where it was bundled with Bonk's Adventure, Bonk's Revenge and Bomberman on the same disc. In the game, the player controls the Hunting Dog space fighter craft, piloted by space cop Hawk. Alongside his ally Esty, piloting the Wild Cat support ship, Hawk must stop General Don Jingi and his Obellon armada from obtaining the powerful "Starlight" energy source from planet Aries.

Super Air Zonk: Rockabilly-Paradise, released in Japan as CD Denjin: Rockabilly Tengoku, is a horizontally scrolling shooter developed by Dual and published by Hudson Soft. It was released for the TurboGrafx-CD/TurboDuo in 1993, and was released on the Wii's Virtual Console on November 19, 2007 in North America, and on January 29, 2008 in Japan.

References

  1. 1 2 Bonk's Revenge in Japanese Windows Store
  2. "Wii | Virtual Console バーチャルコンソール".
  3. "Nintendo - Official Site - Video Game Consoles, Games - Nintendo - Official Site".
  4. "PC原人2 | Wii U | 任天堂".
  5. "CVG Charts". Computer and Video Games . No. 120 (November 1991). 15 October 1991. pp. 107–10.
  6. "ProReview: Bonk's Revenge". GamePro . No. 67. IDG. February 1995. p. 124.
  7. "Bonk's Revenge". EW.com. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
  8. "Le site des anciennes revues informatiques - www.abandonware-magazines.org". www.abandonware-magazines.org. Retrieved 2021-01-12.