Bonk's Revenge (TurboGrafx-16) Playthrough - NintendoComplete - NintendoComplete

A playthrough of NEC's 1991 mascot platformer for the TurboGrafx-16, Bonk's Revenge.

The 1990 game Bonk's Adventure (   • Bonk's Adventure (TurboGrafx-16) Play...   ) was the game that gave the TurboGrafx-16 its identity in the days of the 16-bit console wars. It wasn't quite a Mario or Sonic-killer, but it was a well-made platformer with a quirky and memorable personality.

The follow-up came a year later, and Bonk's Revenge was everything that fans of the original could've hoped for.

The stages are much larger and more open-ended than they were last time, and there are several bonus stages to be found tucked away in out-of-the-way corners. You can power-up by eating random chunks of meat, fly around and explore if you find flower to mount on your head, wall jump a la Ninja Gaiden by whacking your head on stone walls, climb up sheer surfaces with your teeth, and swim up waterfalls. It's also much more difficult a game than Bonk's Adventure was, which will be a relief to anyone that thought the first game was way too easy to blow through. The gameplay is similar, but the added complexity helped to bring the game rather nicely in-line with Nintendo and Sega's 1991 headliners.

The same can be said for the presentation. The world of Bonk's Revenge is a far more colorful and better realized one than that of its predecessor's, and the enemy design is top-notch. I love how the opening stages feature enemies just hanging out and doing their thing: they chase after bugs, take naps, and go fishing, and many of them will leave you alone if you don't bother them. What a cool touch! This attention to detail and the huge diversity in the environments lend the game the feel of a Saturday morning cartoon, and it's a real joy to play through each of the seven worlds because of it. The fantastic soundtrack doesn't hurt, either.

The TurboGrafx-16 brand never enjoyed the recognition and praise that was heaped on its competitors in the west, and the Bonk name has never carried the prestige and the popularity of Mario and Sonic, but there's no sense of corporate cynicism to be found in Bonk's Revenge. It's a firm reminder that a game doesn't have to be popular to be good, and it's a beautiful example of just how special a game can be when a team pours such care and heart into their work.

Red, Hudson, you did some amazing work here. Thank you!
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.

NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!