Bonk's Adventure (TurboGrafx-16) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
468A playthrough of NEC's 1990 action-platformer for the TurboGrafx-16, Bonk's Adventure.
The TurboGrafx-16 was the first major console of the 16-bit era to hit store shelves in America, just beating the Sega Genesis to the punch in late 1989, and it was also the first system to tap out of the now legendary "console wars" of the early 90s.
Many reasons, ranging from poor marketing to misguided localization choices, have been cited for the machine's commercial failure in the US, but anyone familiar with the system is well aware of just how good some of its software truly was.
Bonk's Adventure was a shining example of the machine's ability to compete, regardless of how untapped its potential went in the west. The game arrived in the year following the system's launch, and thanks to a heavy holiday marketing push and excellent reviews from gaming magazines, sales were solid and managed to keep the Turbo brand afloat for awhile.
Arguably, the most important thing that Bonk did for NEC was to give the TurboGrafx-16 a marketable identity. The system's original pack-in game, Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, left a lot of people less than impressed, and though the machine was known for its excellent arcade ports, it had no true anchor title.
Bonk's quirky design and personality quickly changed that, however, and our deformed caveman quickly became the console's official mascot. NEC finally had their Mario.
Bonk's Adventure was a fairly typical platformer for its time, but Bonk's weapon of choice threw a unique wrinkle into the otherwise traditional gameplay. Bonk smashed enemies with his head, and this attack's novel, nicely nuanced mechanics made the game feel quirky and fresh, and it matched the weird little hero well - his attitude could rival even that of Sonic's.
Bonk (or PC Genjin in Japan: "genjin" means caveman, making his name a play on "PC Engine," the name of the Japanese console), has to save Princess Za (a hot pink dinosaur) from King Drool, and he does this by wandering about prehistory smashing his enemies with his skull. He can flip in the air and land full force on an enemy's head, and by using the controller's turbo switches, you can make him "float" by spinning quickly as he flies through the air, similar to how you can slow Mario's descent using his cape and tail.
There are several bonus stages and a few warp zones littered throughout the stages, doing a good job of encouraging you to fully explore the areas, and the areas are capped with boss battles against some odd creatures that have been brainwashed by King Drool.
Bonk's Adventure has a ton of personality. The background graphics are vibrant and cheery throughout and nicely showcase the Turbo's color palette, and the character designs are hilarious. Dinosaurs bop around wearing sunglasses, a mother pterodactyl goes postal on you as you murder the babies in her nest, uvulas with evil smiles swing about trying to smack you: the sprites make it feel like a Saturday morning cartoon turned into an old-school platformer.
The real star, as you might expect, is Bonk himself. His face is quite expressive, and he's always got something to show, whether it be the psychotic strain of scaling a cliff with his teeth or the focused bracing for impact as he lands head first on some unsuspecting passerby. The real fun, however, comes when Bonk finds meat. The first piece will amp up his strength and give him a creepy, hulking walk, while a second piece makes him go absolutely berserk - as a second mushroom cloud blows out of the top of his head, he takes off like a bolt for a short period of invincibility. It's all a bit absurd, but it's always good natured and charming.
And that's the best way to sum up Bonk's Adventure. It's simple, charming, and fun, and it is overall a well put-together game. There were several subpar "mascot games" that came out of the 16-bit era, but Bonk's Adventure wasn't one of them. He was certainly worthy of taking on Sonic and Mario, and it's a shame that so many people didn't really seem to care.
It has been reissued many times over the years, and it is slated to be included with next month's release of the TurboGrafx Mini, so there's no good excuse to miss this underdog platforming classic.
I've done several games related to this one over the years, too - if you're interested, I've linked them below!
NES port: https://youtu.be/DEpeEInxVBI
GameCube remake: https://youtu.be/oONZyiTp8s4
Super Bonk (SNES): https://youtu.be/wvBHYuuuToA
Air Zonk (TG16): https://youtu.be/Q8bm3-bxVDQ
Super Air Zonk (Turbo CD): https://youtu.be/srcRvZFlJjs
(A friendly heads up: the original Air Zonk is absolutely brilliant and sooo bizarre. You really ought to check that one out!)
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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