BONK’S REVENGE

DEVELOPER: Red Company YEAR RELEASED: 1991 GENRE: Platformer

Every console had to have a mascot in the Nineties, and the PC Engine had Bonk, though you may know him as his Japanese name PC Genjin (a pun-derful title meaning ‘PC Primitive Man’) or from his early PAL outings on the Amiga and Game Boy as BC Kid. Though Hudson’s caveman mascot might not have reached the same level of superstardom as the likes of Mario and Sonic, that’s not through any lack of quality, as Bonk’s Revenge is a wonderful platformer that represents the pinnacle of the series. You’ve probably noticed Bonk’s oversized cranium by now, and far from being simply another example of the cute ‘chibi’ character design style, it’s his key character trait. As Bonk wanders through the fields and caves collecting fruit, his primary means of getting rid of enemies is to give each of them a massive headbutt, either from the ground or in spectacular diving fashion. Being a caveman, he’s quite the carnivore and powers up by eating meat – the first helping gives him rays that freeze enemies, and the second makes him invincible and gives him the ability to breathe fire. Bonk’s Revenge is packed with cool secrets to find, as well as cartoonish touches that really help it to stand out from the crowd. It’s funny to see our hero climbing walls with his teeth and chomping his way up the fishing lines of certain enemies, and he looks pretty cute when he sleeps after losing a life. The scenery is top-notch, too, and the only slightly weak element of the package is the music. Still, this is one of the defining PC Engine games and one that really shouldn’t be missed.