| paleface [sys=PCE; cat=Platformer; reg=JPN] |
| | | Aka "Bonk's Big Adventure"--but did this make it to the States?
The third installment complicates things with powerups that make Bonk grow to super size or shrink to shrimpy size. Shrimpy size doesn't do much for me but super size is impressive, unfortunately there isn't much you can do at super size that you can't do at normal size, aside from not fitting down holes and being a bigger target.
Level design seems a bit scattershot. Whereas in PC Genjin 2 (see entry 477) each new level brings new creative new environment, new surprises, and a killer theme, In 3 many of them just seem like jumbles of various level building blocks. I suppose that part of the reason for this could be that they felt the need to include big/small gameplay in each level, and these bits share the same type of design. The result is passable but not as interesting to play through as the previous game, and come to think of it some of the levels are just plain ugly. And the additions to gameplay (you can get a plant on your head like a helicopter, I don't think that was in 2), while sort of interesting, also complicate what you have to be thinking about as you play through, and maybe we've now reached the point of complication getting in the way of plain bonking fun.
If you hook in a multitap and select the second option on the first menu, you can play through the game in co-op mode with another player. That's pretty keen, and I'd like to try it for real some day. You can also play this mode with just one controller, controlling both Bonks at once. Hard! This also reveals the problem in keeping both Bonks onscreen at once: in certain vertical situations, for instance, one can get entirely offscreen without an obvious way to get back in. |
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| | | | Infinite lives cheat code from https://gamehacking.org/game/40520 (gotta go to Standard under Info to get the actual address to punch in Mednafen Alt+c cheat console, or save out .cht in Mednafen format and read it in there): address 1f0b8b, value 9. |
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| | | | Bonk's Adventure on PCE was by Red Company and Atlus (that's according to Hardcore Gaming 101 and MobyGames; I keep getting confused by GameFAQs, which just attributes development of Bonk 1 & 3 to Hudson ; P). Bonk 2 was by Mutech. Bonk 3 was by AI Co., Ltd.; they also did the totally different Bonk 2 for GB, which is pretty good, as well as the two Bonk Super Famicom games (only the first of which came to the SNES), and the Bonk's Adventure NES port. |
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In Mednafen.
Manhole. Logs. I was very confused and just sloshed around in the sewer below, back and forth, trapped by my own faulty perception. The pipes and constant repetitive transformation had already felt like a chore; now everything felt like a chore. And now you can still do the chore of teeth-climbing walls--but only certain walls? And on others you friggin' wall-jump?? Wall jumping has been a deal-breaker for me in this platforming renaissance of mine, so, I guess this fits. After the manhole cover, all I saw was level designs made to force you back and forth, back and forth--not for fun, but to consume play time. Take my infinite lives, please.
(Infinite lives cheat courtesy of https://gamehacking.org/game/40520 )
Bonk 3 was made by A.I Co. Ltd.; they also made Bonk's Revenge for GB--a totally different game than the TG16 one, and pretty good!--as well as the NES Bonk's Adventure port, and the two SFC Bonks. |
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