Developer: A.I. Co, Ltd. Publisher: Hudson Soft Released: June 1994 Genre: Platformer
For as much as we associate Bonk with the Turbo Grafx-16 as its mascot in reality the series was always the property of Hudson. The possibility was always there for it to appear on other platforms. I say that of course but back then a mascot appearing on a rival platform might as well have been sacrilege. So when Super Bonk hit stores in 1994 factoring all of this in it was still a bit of a surprise. What should have been an easy slam dunk on stronger hardware doesn’t turn out the way you would expect. Due to a few flaws Super Bonk, while interesting in a few areas still ranks behind Bonk’s Revenge, the series high point.
Most of Bonk’s abilities and items return with a few new additions. The big and small candy return, for better or worse although they have been uses. As small Bonk you can shout the word RAGE!, creating a makeshift platform which is used to great effect. As big Bonk eating a piece of meat will transform him into a weird caveman/ostrich hybrid. Two pieces or one large chunk will turn him into an invincible Godzilla that you have to see in action.
The controls are not as tight as they should be and it leads to many frustrating moments. There is a delay when switching from one action to the next and the jumping is incredibly stiff. The lack of turbo buttons is noticeable and makes spinning while airborne a little rough on the thumb although it isn’t mandatory during the game. Certain levels like Lunar Towers and the Anti-Gravity Room are made all the more frustrating due to the controls. They aren’t completely bad but are a step back from the previous adventures.
Bonk is obviously a caveman however the world the games take place in has always had better technology than the time period would suggest. There were trains, cars, and even “primitive” spaceships. Taking all of that account it’s still weird to see the character in a modern day setting. No explanation is given and it gets even stranger from there as you explore a comet in space, the inside of a dinosaur’s stomach, and even tool around on the moon. The series’ goofy tone remains despite the present day setting although it isn’t as overt.
Where Super Bonk stumbles is in its level design. The big and small Bonk power-ups were not well received in the third installment and unfortunately Hudson doubled down on them here. There are very few interesting uses for them; segments like Rage Cage where they are mandatory are rare and for the most part they still feel tacked on. Even worse the levels that introduce new mechanics like low gravity on the moon end up more frustrating than captivating. The one silver lining is that most of these annoying individual segments are incredibly short. You will not have to deal with them long, thank god. I can appreciate the game’s attempt at variety but that does not mean it is good.
The game’s length and challenge are also an issue. At 6 levels with ten or twelve sections each this should be Bonk’s longest outing. However each is incredibly short to the point Bonk’s Adventure from 1989 might be longer. There are alternate paths in many levels to give some replay value. At best you’ll breeze through the game even quicker than before. That’s because this might be the easiest in the series. Life restoring hearts are everywhere and heart containers are so readily available 6 hearts may as well be the default. Prior games were stingy, forcing you to be wary, especially during boss fights. However here you’ll earn so many extra lives from the abundance of bonus rounds (seriously its overkill) you can brute force your way through even its worst bits, not that there are many.
The one area that should have been a notable improvement is a mixed bag. On a technical level Super Bonk has far more detail in its environments and layers of scrolling that add depth. However the entire game simply looks bland. On the TG-16 the simple visuals worked with the color palette to create a primitive look that was still impressive. Here the modern setting has led to a game that is dull gray overall and doesn’t pop like it should. If you replaced Bonk with another hero like Mega Man it wouldn’t make much difference, that’s how generic it looks. At least the soundtrack is fantastic.
In Closing
Super Bonk is far from a bad game but had the potential to be so much better. I don’t regret playing it but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting more. There is still fun to be had however it is an all too brief experience.
