Super Bonk

Super Bonk The most epic Bonk game ever. Genre(s): Platformer Platform(s): Super Nintendo Entertainment System Release: JP: July 22, 1994 NA: November 1994 PAL: 1995 Developer(s): A.I. Company Ltd. Publisher(s): Hudson Soft Predecessor: Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure Successor: Super Genjin 2

Super Bonk, known in Europe as Super B.C. Kid and in Japan as Chō Genjin (超原人), is a 1994 2D platform video game, developed by Red Company and published by Hudson Soft for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth game in the Bonk series.

Plot

Introducing the strongest caveman in history, the Super Caveman! Equip yourself with new power-ups and go wild! From the micro world inside the dinosaur body to the space romance that runs through the galaxy and the endless battle between the cavemen, there is no ending!!

Good Qualities

1. Bonk can have a power-up that can make him smaller or bigger.
   • When powering up the first time, Bonk transforms into "Fester Bonk/Golgo Bonk," where he gains comically large eyebrows while his clothes become yellow. On his base form, he can shoot projectiles to paralyze enemies, while when shrunk down, he can shoot letters, which can be used as a platform. When turning giant, he becomes a huge bird, being able to lay explosive eggs by consuming smileys. This form parodies Duke Togo, the protagonist of the Golgo 13 manga.
   • When powering up the second time, Bonk transforms into "Kronk Bonk/Nyohe Bonk", assuming a more deranged appearance. In his base form, he can perform a tongue attack, hitting enemies from a distance and grabbing items. When turning giant he becomes a huge dinosaur, being able to become semi-invisible and intangible by consuming smileys.
2. Unlike most entries in the series, this game is not so linear since there are some different paths that players can use, which can give the game a bit of replay value.
3. While the controls are clunky, the game is designed with them just like the other games of the franchise on PC-Engine, so it's not a problem. It's like Hudson Soft wanted to make the same thing like Strider, where that game was also designed with clunky controls, although that might not be too comparable here.
4. While they aren't as colorful as Bonk's Revenge, the graphics are decent, with some nice sprite work and great stage design. The sequel would improve them much more with better colors.
5. Great soundtrack that sounds epic for most of them; Blue Sky, for example, is very catchy and one of the best, if not the best, music of the game, and it's only the first level where this music plays for the first time, which makes you know that the soundtrack will be very catchy. Some of them even make you want to dance, such as the already-mentioned Blue Sky theme, the boss fight theme, the title screen theme, Engine Room, and much more.
6. The game is much longer than the other Bonk games out there, as this game can take at least 1h30m to 2 hours of gameplay.
7. The boss fights are fun, despite some of them being passable at best and atrocious at worst.
8. The final boss fight is very epic, especially the fact that Bonk got a power-up where he got bigger and bigger and you were bigger than most of the world.
9. Awesome presentation; even for a 1994 game on SNES, this counts for the title screen and the lives counter.
10. The mini cutscenes that you get when you beat a level can be very funny and explain the setting of the game well.
11. Due to the plot and the epicness of this game, it could be considered to be the darkest Bonk game.

Bad Qualities

1. Despite the game being designed with clunky controls, the clunky controls still count as a bad quality since they can make you easy on the enemies that will target you and they can cause some cheap deaths.
2. Despite the game being good, unfortunately, it is a bit slow at times, and it's a major problem if you have played its sequel, which improves everything, including this flaw. It's also painful to replay the first one after you play the sequel when you are used to a faster game.
3. Despite the game being longer than the other games in the franchise, this game is still pretty short, and if you're skilled enough, you can beat it in only 1 hour.
4. The controls in space are terrible and are so bad that they're almost unplayable.
5. Most of the bonus stages are terrible and barely fun, especially the one where you have to mash the buttons to make the earth roll.
6. The final boss is really annoying, despite being epic.
7. Despite being decent, as said in GQ #4, the graphics are not that colorful, and due to that, it can look ugly after a while. Thankfully, the sequel improves them with much more vibrant colors than this game.

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