Bonk's Revenge
Reviewed by Michael LoCascio
If there's anything that the video game industry has proven,
it's that sequels can, in fact, improve upon the original.
For instance, take a look at what Nintendo and Sega have
done with their most successful franchises. With the
possible exception of the second installment, Nintendo
essentially took the basic premise of Super Mario Bros. and
added to and improved upon it in every subsequent episode.
The difference between the first and third chapters in the
series is not only obvious, it's astounding. Similarly, Sega
took the basic formula that worked so well in Sonic the
Hedgehog, and added a number of new elements in the sequel,
the least of which were not a new, playable character and a
two-player competitive mode. That's why it annoys me to no
end to pick up a game like Bonk's Revenge, a sequel that
displays very little (if any) innovation or creativity. As a
matter of fact, NEC managed to screw up a few things in this
follow-up, even though it's a virtual carbon copy of the original game.
The first title in the series, Bonk's Adventure, was a
delightful little run-and-jump game that attracted more than
a few gamers to the struggling Turbografx-16 system. Bonk
the caveman was an adorable, charismatic character, and
served quite well as the TG-16's mascot. He wasn't just
about charm and good looks, of course; Bonk's Adventure was
a colorful, enjoyable game that required the gamer to
traverse a number of horizontally and vertically-scrolling
levels while bashing enemy dinos with Bonk's big, bald head.
Everything about the game worked.. so rather than taking a
chance by tinkering with anything, NEC chose to keep almost
every aspect of the game intact, and thus released a clone
rather than a true sequel.
One of this game's biggest problems is that it simply
doesn't have anything new to offer. If you've played Bonk's
Adventure, than you won't be surprised by anything you find
in Bonk's Revenge. The game usually progresses from left to
right (although a few levels require Bonk to do some
climbing), and you're responsible for bashing bad guys with
your head while grabbing as many goodies as you can. Food
and other assorted power-ups can once again be found in
flowers. There are a few bonus rounds along the way, and the
requisite big boss at the end of every level. It's your
typical Mario-style, run-and-jump action game.
Differences between Bonk's first and second quests are
minimal. In Bonk's Revenge, Bonk can actually breathe fire
at his enemies should he grab the appropriate power-up.
Also, Bonk will have to contend with a few mini-bosses this
time around - not a very big deal. The only noteworthy
addition in this game is a new jumping technique that allows
Bonk to bounce off walls in order to reach platforms that
are high off the ground. This move works quite well, and it
is one of the very few worthwhile additions that NEC made to
the formula from the original game.
The biggest difference between the two games is also the one
element in game play that plagues Bonk's Revenge the most.
When Bonk does his trademark spinning head butt in this
game, there is a very small delay that takes place between
each spin. This allows enemies to get in shots at Bonk while
he's in the midst of spinning. In Bonk's Adventure, the
jumping head butt was so fast and continuous that it was
extremely easy to simply spin through entire levels. Try
that technique in Bonk's Revenge and the enemy characters
will waste no time in swatting you out of the air and back
to the ground. I realize that this was an attempt on NEC's
part to make the game a bit tougher to get through (you
can't just jump and spin your way through the game), but
altering the layout of the levels could have worked just as
well as messing around with the feel of the game.
Since the spinning head butt isn't as effective as it once
was, you'll be forced to take your time in Bonk's Revenge.
Unfortunately, the alteration in control makes this game a
slow and tedious affair. The fact is that while Bonk is
certainly an appealing character, the games which feature
him are no where near as deep, as expansive, or as
long-lasting as Nintendo's Mario titles. The superb controls
and the charm of the main character covered up for this fact
in Bonk's Adventure, but the point becomes painfully obvious
in this clunky sequel.
The graphics in Bonk's Revenge are, not surprisingly, very
similar to those in Bonk's Adventure. The visuals may even
be brighter and less serious-looking this time out (if you
can imagine that). Looking at a Bonk game is like looking at
a coloring book: every object in the game is outlined in
black, and it looks like someone just colored them in. I
prefer the look of the first title, but the graphics in
Bonk's Revenge are more than adequate. As a matter of fact,
the same goes for the music. Many of the tracks from the
first game are present in this one, so Bonk fans will
undoubtedly feel right at home.
I was obviously quite disappointed with this title, but
there is some fun to be had in it. If you typically enjoy
these types of run-and-jump games, then this one should
provide you with some short-lived amusement. But I truly
enjoyed Bonk's Adventure, and I was expecting a lot more
from NEC in this follow-up. Bonk's Revenge displays a
minimal amount of effort and originality, and even takes a
step backwards in many areas when compared to its mighty
predecessor. This is one instance where the sequel comes no
where close to matching the overall quality of the original.
Overall: 6 out of 10
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