Air Zonk
Reviewed by Michael LoCascio
Shooters have always had a tendency to take themselves way
too seriously. Just look at some of the premier shoot 'em up
games for the Turbo: while titles like Psychosis and Gate of
Thunder were extremely well done, I don't think anyone would
ever accuse those games of having a sense of humor. This is
not to say that these games should have been littered with
cute enemies and bright colors, but there are certainly many
gamers out there who aren't attracted to such serious-minded
titles. For those gamers there is a brilliant little shooter
that NEC developed in the Turbo's later days entitled Air Zonk.
Zonk, of course, is the descendant of NEC's trademark
caveman Bonk. Just picture Bonk with sunglasses and a
lightning bolt attached to the center of his forehead and
you'll have his great, great, great grandson Zonk. While not
quite as lovable as the old caveman, Zonk is a spunky
character whose cool look and attitude give him an
immediate appeal.
Zonk is out to defeat the Evil King Drool in this cute,
colorful shooter, and he isn't alone. Each time Zonk grabs a
'Big Smiley Face', one of his many friends will jump into
play and fight alongside him. Should Zonk happen to stumble
upon another Big Smiley, he and his friend will combine to
form a formidable - and silly looking - fighting machine.
The ability to combine with friends is probably the best
thing about this game. Each friend is best suited for
certain situations, so experimentation is the only way to
find out which friends can perform optimally in which stages.
The game is only five stages long, and none of them are too
terribly difficult. All of them, however, are incredibly
colorful - this title is full of charisma, which is
something that can't be said about most games in the genre.
The music is also surprisingly good; Air Zonk definitely
provides an aesthetically pleasing experience.
When all is said and done, however, the fact remains that
Air Zonk is a shooter, and as far as shooters go, the game
comes up short in some very crucial areas. The action isn't
all that intense, and the game is way too short and easy.
Nonetheless, the title character and the audio/visual
aspects of the title are appealing enough to make the game a
worthwhile purchase. It's an enjoyable game, and it
certainly has personality, but don't expect the kind of
action that a title like Gate of Thunder has to offer.
Overall: 7 out of 10
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