What makes Bonk good?

[crazydean]

I don't think Bonk is a good game. Many of you love this game, so I hope to find out why!

I have played the first and third installments, and don't care for either. They both feel like slow, average platformers. I'm a huge lover of platformers on the NES and SNES, but this one doesn't hold my interested. Of course, it's better than Keith Courage, Darkwing Duck, JJ and Jeff, and many others on the system. Is it good compared to other platformers of the era or just those on the Turbo?

[MisterCrash]

I think it was good for the TurboGrafx at the time it came out. There weren't a ton of decent platformers on the Turbo in the early days, and Bonk was halfway decent. The controls can be a little frustrating, though.

That said, you should give Bonk's Revenge a try. Most people think it's the best of the series.

[esteban]

I don't think Bonk is a good game. Many of you love this game, so I hope to find out why!

I have played the first and third installments, and don't care for either. They both feel like slow, average platformers. I'm a huge lover of platformers on the NES and SNES, but this one doesn't hold my interested. Of course, it's better than Keith Courage, Darkwing Duck, JJ and Jeff, and many others on the system. Is it good compared to other platformers of the era or just those on the Turbo?

Well, although I personally think the first game holds up well, many folks feel that the sequel (Bonk's Revenge) is the apex of the series.

I used to feel the same way, but then I rekindled my interest in the first installment.

I also used to completely dismiss the third installment as mediocre, at best, but after years of fellow pcefxers saying that the the third game deserved another chance, I have slowly evolved...the third game is a decent game...

(0) The "headbonk" and "spin" mechanics are nicely implemented and really fun to use (I love freezing the ground and causing earthquakes...so much fun)...similarly, I love chaining "midair headplants" on enemies, especially bosses...it's just fun to see how many times I can keep it going). Now, some other mechanics are a bit trickier to get ahold of (chewing up vertical obstacles, jumping while chewing, spinning on trees, bonking off walls to ricochet up vertical obstacles).... but when you do figure out the controls, it's a lot of fun to exploit these moves, too (many levels are designed with bonus items tucked away in places that require some creative use of aforementioned maneuvers). 

(B) Level design, at times, is basic, but still fun. Many levels, even the basic ones, encourage exploring for flower (bonus stage), in addition to the usual heart containers... this is not to say that some levels aren't pretty darn creative with level design. I am looking at the totality.

(C) The games are pretty easy, but still fun, so the series is very accessible to a wide range of skills.

(4) Endearing character design/aesthetics throughout game/series.

(5) Superb music complements gameplay

(6) The themes/motifs/humor are consistent and enjoyable...

(7) The atmosphere and "world" of the series is a place I want to explore and spend time in.

( I find the game addicting....at first, I just wanted to find all the hidden stuff...then I wanted to beat it as fast as possible...then I wanted to have fun exploiting the mechanics (chaining hits)...

[esteban]

(9) Princess Za is totally under-appreciated.

She is a minor (somewhat enigmatic) character, but perfectly used.

Her character design is perfect—elegant, endearing, tormented.

Tormented! She suffers in silence. Frozen. Numb. A zombie.

A somber, icy fog has descended upon her once vibrant existence.

I want to help her. Cliche? Yes, this is the same hackneyed "rescue the princess" trope...but it is so nicely executed that it is charming. Very few games can pull off "charming"...

You may laugh, but I think the somber atmosphere/mood of the (basic) story is particularly well executed...thanks in large part to music and the "frozen" motif...which makes freeing your comrades/Princess Za very nice (cold hearts turn warm, zombie trance is broken...)

Clearly, I have thought about this way too much.

[Gypsy]

Bonk isn't that bad. It's not SMB3, but I would prefer Bonk 1/2 over Sanic.

[majors]

I don't think Bonk is a good game. ...
... it's better than Keith Courage, Darkwing Duck, JJ and Jeff, and many others on the system.

So you don't like the game is what your saying. Would you say does nothing game breaking wrong that you would toss it like the other lesser games you mention, namely DD on that list.

I enjoy playing Bonk...when I start a new game, sometime I feel the delay from standing still to walking (or turning around) gets on my nerves but it sets a pace for the rest of the game and by level 3, I no longer notice it. Getting lot's of "laughing man" smileys for the level end bonus always brings me warm fuzzys. To me it's a must have for any TG/PCE owner.

P.S. OP does go by "Crazy"...

[NecroPhile]

They may not be the best platformers ever made, but there's plenty to like:  good tunes, cute cartoony graphics, level design, chasing down smileys, etc.

But why should I justify a series that existed on several systems?  It obviously has fans and isn't shit, but it's okay if you don't like it.

[GoldenWheels]

I was always hooked more by the art/character design and sprite size more than the gameplay, but the gameplay is no slouch either. The graphics just always "did it" for me.

[crazydean]

But why should I justify a series that existed on several systems?  It obviously has fans and isn't shit, but it's okay if you don't like it.

Ha, I know it isn't shit. I made this thread because there is so much love for the series. I'm just trying to find out why because it feels mediocre to me.

I'll be giving it another shot soon, keeping in mind what people in this thread say about it. I may even change my mind about it.

[MisterCrash]

I will also say that my kids love to watch Bonk. If I turn on my Duo, they get excited and ask to watch "the Bonk game". At that point, it doesn't matter that I wanted to play Gate of Thunder or Dungeon Explorer or Devil's Crush...it's now Bonk time. They like the art style and the big sprites, and they love the animation when Bonk eats meat. They just start cracking up when they see that.

[Dicer]

I don't think Bonk is a good game. Many of you love this game, so I hope to find out why!

it's better than Keith Courage, Darkwing Duck, JJ and Jeff

Hold the fucking phone...HOLD IT!

JJ and Jeff is the BEST platformer on the system. What are you on?

Bonk is a step above average at least for the first two installments then it just goes idk the fuck where, until Super Bonk 2 and well that's not on our platform.

[jlued686]

I often cite Bonk's Adventure as my favorite game of all time, but I'm the first to admit that it's almost completely out of nostalgia. But that doesn't mean it's not a good game in its own right, and it definitely stands above most of the other me-too games that were part of the platform/mascot craze of the era. I loved the setting, but I mostly loved the cartoon enemy designs and the music. I loved the little bits of dialog from the freed bosses at the end of every round, and that during the end credits, they listed all the enemies and their names. It really helped it seem like a cast of characters in a cohesive world.

So, no, it doesn't have the depth or length of games like Mario 3 or Super Mario Land, but it's still a really fun game with gorgeous graphics and great sound.

[NoSexGex]

love Bonk talk, I'll have to give my thoughts later

I often cite Bonk's Adventure as my favorite game of all time, but I'm the first to admit that it's almost completely out of nostalgia.

But yeah, pretty much^

[LostFlunky]

So, no, it doesn't have the depth or length of games like Mario 3 or Super Mario Land, but it's still a really fun game with gorgeous graphics and great sound.

What games honestly do?  In terms of 1989-91, there are not many games that can rival the Mario games in terms of depth, play mechanics etc... Bonk's Adventure in the context of 1989 games was REALLY good.

[Michirin9801]

When it comes to platformers on the Turbo I'm much more of a fan of the likes of New Adventure Island, Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu, Ninja Spirit, Dragon's Curse and Legendary Axe 2, to me Bonk is more on an A- tier (I'd say B tier if we were to compare it with platformers on the Nintendo systems), but once I got the hang of the controls, and it took a while to get the hang of them, but still, when I did I started to appreciate the games a lot more...
Esteban describes it well enough in his post, but if I may add my own two cents, Bonk is a game that the more you play, the more you're acquainted with how it works and feels, the more you'll probably like it, I mean, when I first played Bonk I thought it was just okay-ish at best, but I'm at a point right now where if I start playing either Bonk's Adventure or Bonk's revenge, I'll only stop either when I beat the game or get a game over, I just don't want to stop playing for as long as I don't run out of lives!
Oh yeah, that's another thing that Bonk does that I love, is how it handles lives, like, when you die you don't go back to the beginning of the stage, (or god forbid, the beginning of the game) you don't have to re-do anything, you just lie there for a couple of seconds and then re-start from where you stopped!

Also, my dad doesn't have a lot of knowledge or interest in games, but he has watched me playing games on lots of systems a few times, Super Nintendo, Mega Drive, Playstation, Wii, NES, but when he saw me playing Bonk's Adventure, that was the first time ever where he actually praised the game's graphics... I don't know if that means anything, but I thought it was worth noting...

[NecroPhile]

Sounds like your dad has good taste. 

[SignOfZeta]

Bonk is a good example of the sort of the game the PCE had a lot of, a sort of "Famicom game with better graphics and sound."  What makes it better than that though is that satisfying "Bonk" mechanic, the turbo spin/fly thing, and the game's crazy visuals and humor. I had more fun with it then than I do now, but it's still enjoyable for me which is more than I can say for a LOT of other platform games from that time. I really pretty much just like Sonic 2 and Yoshi's Island, most of the time, but Bonk, probably Bonk 2, still does it for me occasionally.

[esteban]

I will also say that my kids love to watch Bonk. If I turn on my Duo, they get excited and ask to watch "the Bonk game". At that point, it doesn't matter that I wanted to play Gate of Thunder or Dungeon Explorer or Devil's Crush...it's now Bonk time. They like the art style and the big sprites, and they love the animation when Bonk eats meat. They just start cracking up when they see that.

Yes! My kids (twins, five years old) love playing the TG-16 Bonk bonk games.

Everything is appealing to them.

So, I am as easily amused as a 5 year old.

I'm OK with that.

They also love Ordyne, Pac Land and Double Dragon II on PCE.

[Winniez]

The core gameplay mechanic is strong and its just fun to bonk enemies. I also think its kind of funny how it works in an opposite way to Mario/most platformers where you jump on enemies. I also like how there isn't much of that early '90s 'tude present, just fun humour. Music is also excellent and the game still has that 8-bit era charm that most of the Super Famicom games lack.

The gameplay is little slow but the flying adds nice momentum. The powerup system doesn't add much imo. I'm only talking about Bonk 1, I don't like most of the new features in Bonk 3, they just added stuff that end up deviating from the fun basic gameplay. I haven't really played much Bonk 2 since me Hucard doesn't work.

Edit:just to add, I have heard the same question you asked many times, maybe there is something about Bonk that just doesn't click with everyone, whereas something like Mario platformer seems to be very universally appealing

[seieienbu]

A lot of what I like about Bonk is the personality and art direction in the game.  He has a slightly pained expression as he bites his way up the walls.  He looks happy as he flips through the air.  He gets angry, he gets sad, and when you lose a life he has a hilarious death animation. 

This is likely more important when viewed it in the context of when the games came out.  In an era before Sonic's 'tude had spawned garbage like Bubsy, Bonk seemed to actually have things he liked.  Mario was a boring character on the NES.  He is completely emotionless and just does his job.  The first instance of him having any feelings at all is when Princess kisses him in the ending of Mario World and he slightly blushes.  He remained a boring character until, what, Mario 64 or Sunshine perhaps? 

Other successful platforming icons of the age were no better.  Megaman opens his mouth when he takes damage and he blinks.  That's the closest to any form of expression we see until the playstation iirc.  The Belmonts in the 8 bit Castlevanias don't even really have faces to begin with so we can't really comment there.  Ryu from Ninja Gaiden has a lot of cinematic sequences but in game he's bland and just goes on with his job.

Also, my favorite thing from the whole series is in Bonk's Adventure; the foreshadowing of the last level when you see the moon overhead in the first level is brilliant.

[PukeSter]

I always really enjoyed the first two games and Super Bonk 2 on the snes.

Bonk 1 is a bit rough but still a lot of fun to go through. The soundtrack is also amazing. Honestly, I'd recommend the PS2/Gamecube remake if you hate it, it makes the controls less clunky and Bonk moves a bit speedier.

Bonk 2 is definitely one of my favorite 16-bit games, has a lot of replay-ability and tight level design, along with great personality and above average aesthetics for the console. I also LOVE collecting all of the flying and hidden collectables.

Unfortunately, Bonk 3 and Super Bonk 1 were made by completely different people. Level design went to shit, the candy mechanic slowed things down, and the graphics were dull. To Necro's credit, Bonk 3 definitely has the largest levels, but in my opinion it's more empty space than anything cool.

Super Bonk 2 was a return to form in my opinion, though it's also a bit more in line with Mario. You might like this one the best out of them all. I'd say it's slightly below Bonk's Revenge but still a really fantastic game, though others may disagree.

The gameboy games are very hit and miss. GB Bonk is a clone of Bonk 1 and GB Bonk 2 is kinda poor except it's very goofy.

But we all got our opinions. To be frank, I'm not really a Sonic fan except for Sonic CD.

[Joe Redifer]

Bonk is great because it's the story of a caveman who falls in love with a moon seal. Promotes bestiality. What more do you need? I think they broke the flipping mechanic in the 2nd and 3rd games though. I like the second game because it has good music.

[crazydean]

Hold the fucking phone...HOLD IT!

JJ and Jeff is the BEST platformer on the system. What are you on?

JJ and Jeff sucks and if you like it, then by extension, you suck! j/k

Seriously though, there's nothing that can be said to convince me that's a good game. I'd rather play Impossamole. It's better than Darkwing Duck and Bravoman, so that's a win, right?

[Psycho Punch]

Hold the fucking phone...HOLD IT!

JJ and Jeff is the BEST platformer on the system. What are you on?

JJ and Jeff sucks and if you like it, then by extension, you suck! j/k

Seriously though, there's nothing that can be said to convince me that's a good game. I'd rather play Impossamole. It's better than Darkwing Duck and Bravoman, so that's a win, right?

JJ & Jeff is the best Adventure Island game that's not Adventure Island.

[Dicer]

Hold the fucking phone...HOLD IT!

JJ and Jeff is the BEST platformer on the system. What are you on?

JJ and Jeff sucks and if you like it, then by extension, you suck! j/k

Seriously though, there's nothing that can be said to convince me that's a good game. I'd rather play Impossamole. It's better than Darkwing Duck and Bravoman, so that's a win, right?

JJ & Jeff is the best Adventure Island game that's not Adventure Island.

Truthfact

[LowRes]

The music, boss battles, and Nostalgia is what does it for me.

It's one of the few games I had back in the day so it got a lot of play.  I still like playing every now and then and I really like the boss battles.  To keep headbutting the boss' while staying in the air is somehow so satisfying.  I can listen to Bonk's Adventure chiptune music all day long.  Love it

[Michirin9801]

Hold the fucking phone...HOLD IT!

JJ and Jeff is the BEST platformer on the system. What are you on?

JJ and Jeff sucks and if you like it, then by extension, you suck! j/k

Seriously though, there's nothing that can be said to convince me that's a good game. I'd rather play Impossamole. It's better than Darkwing Duck and Bravoman, so that's a win, right?

I actually kinda like Bravoman though >w>
More than JJ and Jeff actually, and Pac Land too...
I mean, it's very much an acquired taste (much like the majority of Namco's other games) but you know, it has a kinda quirky charm that I can appreciate, the controls are alright, I don't mind the "BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO!" and DAT PARALLAX SCROLLING~
I can't help it, parallax on the Turbo makes me wet >~<';

[esteban]

Hold the fucking phone...HOLD IT!

JJ and Jeff is the BEST platformer on the system. What are you on?

JJ and Jeff sucks and if you like it, then by extension, you suck! j/k

Seriously though, there's nothing that can be said to convince me that's a good game. I'd rather play Impossamole. It's better than Darkwing Duck and Bravoman, so that's a win, right?

I actually kinda like Bravoman though >w>
More than JJ and Jeff actually, and Pac Land too...
I mean, it's very much an acquired taste (much like the majority of Namco's other games) but you know, it has a kinda quirky charm that I can appreciate, the controls are alright, I don't mind the "BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO!" and DAT PARALLAX SCROLLING~
I can't help it, parallax on the Turbo makes me wet >~<';

The title screen for Yo, Bro is good for some cheap thrills, then.

Enjoy!

But Bravoman? Damn, I am still annoyed I bought that game... and it's been 20 damn years.

You'd think I would have
Let
It
Go
Already.

But I haven't.

It's a grudge.

[PukeSter]

Bravoman is cheap fun, I like the boss variety and the credits music. Turbo switches make it less painful

Bravo!!

[ParanoiaDragon]

Bonk, the wackiness thrills me.  The character design, charm, the music & sound effects in the first 2 games.  Spinning, bonking, the giant bosses.....& the music, did I mention the music?

As for Bravoman, I'm happy I bought that game all those years ago, love that game.  True, I use the cheats, but, always loved that game.  Impossamole is an acquired taste, to be sure.  Hated that damn game the night we rode our bikes back from Toys R Us when it came out.  Then, after soaking in the pool for awhile, my buddy & I cooled off, & decided to give it another chance.  That game has cool characters & flipping awesome music.  It's a seriously flawed game, but, I enjoy it.  And quite frankly, it's probably the best of the entire Monty Mole series, though, I can't say for sure.  I've only really played the Amiga version of Impossamole....

[Psycho Punch]

shows that everyone has a different taste... kinda surprised people hate Bravoman so much, it's a cool little side scroller with some small flaws, nothing on the level of Impossamole (which I hate but apparently some people like)

[pc_kwajalein]

I don't think Bonk is a good game.

So tell me, where do you live? More importantly, what time do you get home and when do you usually go to sleep? 

Anyway, for me, it's all about the presentation. The first time I played Bonk's Adventure was when friend of mine got a TG-16 for his birthday. Now, me and my brother got a SNES and a Genesis on Christmas about a month earlier, so I'd had my fill of Sonic and Mario by then.

Yeah, Adventure was new for me, but it had all the right ingredients. The titular character was a little primitive guy with a huge noggin, used for bashing his enemies into submission. He also climbed cliffs with his teeth, and got a kickass power-up after eating pieces of meat. Add to this, an amusing story, great characters, memorable enemies, simplistic controls, colorful/cartoony visuals, plus a soundtrack that I've always loved, and I'm a very happy camper.

Bonk's Revenge was even better. Granted, the controls took a bit of a downgrade from Adventure but it improved on everything else IMO. Revenge was even more colorful, with more definitive visuals and a much more diverse selection of stages, enemies, and health/point items. The soundtrack was expanded with newer selections while retaining ones from the previous game. That tune from the snowfields remains as one of my very favorites in all the gaming I've ever done. Revenge was damn near perfection AFAIWC.

Alrighty... Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure. (sighs uncomfortably) Very early in Big Adventure I noticed things were significantly less done than they were in Revenge. Yes, there were colors, new enemies and the like, but they all looked so flat. If I may, I'd like to re-use my beverage analogy from a prior thread. Adventure and Revenge are two tall glasses of a sweet, colorful, fruity, and refreshing beverage on ice. Big Adventure is the same but the ice has melted, causing the color and sweetness to dissipate among the oversaturation. Big Adventure was essentially watered-down. Now I did like the two-player coop, and the growth candy gimmick was neat for awhile, but all in all I claim Bonk 3 as the weakest in the series WRT console titles.

Super Bonk 1 and 2 were great rebounds on the SNES. They brought back everything I loved from the first two Bonk games, plus added some more transformations, power-ups, music tracks, and bonus stages. I wish Super Bonk 2 had an NA release in English; that game was great!

So, I get that Bonk might not be your cup of tea for some reason. It's okay, we all love/hate a game that the rest of the gaming community hates/loves.

Game I love that everyone hates: Shaq-Fu (I have SO much fun with this game! Kickass music too!)

Game I hate that everyone loves: Super Mario 64 (sorry, but I like my Mario games in 2D)

[Arkhan Asylum]

I don't think Bonk is a good game. Many of you love this game, so I hope to find out why!

There are a few key reasons.

1) The atmosphere of the game.  Look at level 1.  There's an ominous planet in the background, and interesting background stuff that makes the world seem pretty existing. 

2) The game provides a cartoony atmopshere similar to Mario, but with what I feel is a much cooler theme.  It's dinosaurs in space.

3) The music.  If you don't like this game's music, you are deaf.

4) The gameplay.  It's not jump-to-kil.  It's completely different, and more interactive.  The boss battles in Bonk are always fun because you have to aim and smash your head into shit.

You climb with your mouth.  There's boingy plants, meat, bonus stages, walking trees, swimming.

Candy to grow big. 

It's a very cartoony, perfectly executed platforming series.

Also, the graphics are great.   They're simple, but brilliant.  They made it look like a cartoon basically.  Sort of like Pac Land, but way better.

[Gredler]

The control and momentum have a unique and satisfying feel to them. Everything has a distinctive look of its own. Bonk kicks ass.

[esteban]

shows that everyone has a different taste... kinda surprised people hate Bravoman so much, it's a cool little side scroller with some small flaws, nothing on the level of Impossamole (which I hate but apparently some people like)

Most people don't like Impossamole.



However, I much prefer playing Impossamole to Bravoman.

Bravoman...what am I missing? I find it tedious...

[Michirin9801]

One of the things people in this thread are consistently commenting that they like about Bonk is the music, which I find funny because when I first played Bonk I didn't really like the music very much, I've grown fond of it over time but I don't think it's really great like the stuff you hear in Dragon's Curse or Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu for example...
But hey, taste in music is subjective and all, and it's not like the music doesn't fit the game, it totally does, and there are some tunes here and there that I like quite a bit, like the snow theme from Bonk's Revenge and the pre-boss music from Bonk's Adventure...

You climb with your mouth.  There's boingy plants, meat, bonus stages, walking trees, swimming.

Thanks for reminding me!
Swimming, yes, Bonk did it better than pretty much every other platformer at the time, the next best one at it was probably Mario, but even Mario's swimming wasn't perfect...
There's a reason why most people think water levels are frustrating and unfun, but I never found swimming to be either of those things in Bonk because not only do you just point in the direction you wanna swim towards, but you don't go any slower in water than you do on land, in fact, I think the controls are actually more responsive underwater than they are on land, and being able to ascend fast by tapping I and descend fast by pressing Down + II and then I to recover and then Down + II again, with the bonus of attacking anything that's below you while you do that, made swimming in bonk kind of a blast, so long as you weren't walking underwater, which you could easily stop doing by quickly tapping Up once while holding either left or right...

From my experience, Bonk remained the game/series with the best swimming until Densetsu no Stafy was released on the GBA, and that game is pretty much all about swimming so of course it had to get it right or else I wouldn't even be mentioning it here... (By the way, I can't talk about Stafy without mentioning its absolutely beautiful soundtrack! That OST is probably the biggest reason why I LOVE GBA audio so much~♥)

[ParanoiaDragon]

Yeah, & Bonk definitely swim's better than Sonic!  One of my pet peeve's along with him having to grab bubbles to breathe.  Almost got panic attacks BITD with that anxiety tune playing & him running out of air!

[Michirin9801]

Yeah, & Bonk definitely swim's better than Sonic!  One of my pet peeve's along with him having to grab bubbles to breathe.  Almost got panic attacks BITD with that anxiety tune playing & him running out of air!

Sanic is the absolute worst...

[OldRover]

The original Bonk is very primitive compared to the second but it's still pretty awesome. The one thing I never really liked about the first is that its level design is a bit too simplistic. 2 cranked it up a bit and 3 really cranked it up, though 3 overall felt very uninspired despite the much better level designs. The first Bonk also suffers from a common coding problem of the day, which is mishandled entity collision. You don't see it as much as in such games as The Legendary Axe or Splatterhouse, but it's there. That issue was clearly fixed by the time 2 came out.

One thing I really did like about the first compared to the sequels is that the first had an actual story to it in-game. It was very basic but it was there, and it made the experience much more interesting. Its absence in 2 and 3 made it feel less like you were on an important mission and more like you were just killing for sport with no real objective.

But anyway... everyone's pretty much said already why the series is so loved, so I don't think I have anything to add to that... just giving my own personal take on things. Ultimately, Bonk is loved because it's Bonk. While the "normal" kids were chasing hallucinogenic mushrooms and being distracted by shiny gold rings, we were headbanging dinosaurs and ripping into prehistoric steak.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Yeah, & Bonk definitely swim's better than Sonic!  One of my pet peeve's along with him having to grab bubbles to breathe.  Almost got panic attacks BITD with that anxiety tune playing & him running out of air!

Sanic is the absolute worst...

Ok, to be fair, Sonic doesn't actually swim.  He flails around underwater trying not to drown, lol.

I kind of always liked those levels because it was hard/fun to run around.   

and you still had loopdeloops down there.

[pc_kwajalein]

One thing I really did like about the first compared to the sequels is that the first had an actual story to it in-game. It was very basic but it was there, and it made the experience much more interesting. Its absence in 2 and 3 made it feel less like you were on an important mission and more like you were just killing for sport with no real objective.

As big a fan of Bonk as I am, I keep neglecting to make that same point. Adventure does do a much better job of conveying a storyline as the gameplay continues. Defeating Punchy Pedro, Gladdis, and the other bosses reveals that they were manipulated by King Drool via magical eggshell helmets. After beating T.Ractorhead, seeing Pseudo-Za revert back to Princess Za was a real treat, as was the ending where all the characters you freed from mind-control return to their home on Moonland. It all wrapped up so nicely. Nothing in Revenge comes close to providing that sense of completion.

Ultimately, Bonk is loved because it's Bonk. While the "normal" kids were chasing hallucinogenic mushrooms and being distracted by shiny gold rings, we were headbanging dinosaurs and ripping into prehistoric steak.

Absolutely. Between all three 16-bit mascots, Bonk's consumption of a giant brontosaurus drumstick was by far my favorite invincibility power up. Starman Mario was good, and Super Sonic was pretty cool, but Bonk eating the flesh of giant Paleolithic beasts and having smoke erupt from the inside of his skull before leaving stiches on his scalp is a masterclass in gaming greatness.

[schadenfreude]

I was always hooked more by the art/character design and sprite size more than the gameplay, but the gameplay is no slouch either. The graphics just always "did it" for me.

Yep, I completely agree. The graphics are what initially drew me to the game and what made me keep returning. It plays like a Famicom game (and kinda sounds like one too!), but those bigger sprites and solid, "rich" colors make it feel more akin to an arcade game. Otherwise, I find the game average to above-average and wouldn't choose it over any of the classic Marios or Sonics.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Yeah, & Bonk definitely swim's better than Sonic!  One of my pet peeve's along with him having to grab bubbles to breathe.  Almost got panic attacks BITD with that anxiety tune playing & him running out of air!

Sanic is the absolute worst...

Ok, to be fair, Sonic doesn't actually swim.  He flails around underwater trying not to drown, lol.

I kind of always liked those levels because it was hard/fun to run around.   

and you still had loopdeloops down there.

Yeah, I was just joking, since Sonic can't swim at all.  But more then that, just plain hate needing to breathe, always got frustrated with that BITD.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I loved that stuff because it was spastic.   

Sonic is basically what hyper kids played because Mario and shit was too slow.

I'm one of those people that plays mario with the run button held in the whole time.   

Sonic is just like that by default, lol.

[Michirin9801]

I loved that stuff because it was spastic.   

Sonic is basically what hyper kids played because Mario and shit was too slow.

I'm one of those people that plays mario with the run button held in the whole time.   

Sonic is just like that by default, lol.

Then why does he take forever to accelerate to top speed? Except for when you do that spin-dash bulls*** which pretty much makes the game play itself for you...

[Arkhan Asylum]

I loved that stuff because it was spastic.   

Sonic is basically what hyper kids played because Mario and shit was too slow.

I'm one of those people that plays mario with the run button held in the whole time.   

Sonic is just like that by default, lol.

Then why does he take forever to accelerate to top speed? Except for when you do that spin-dash bulls*** which pretty much makes the game play itself for you...

because the game would be unplayable if pressing right or left makes you go top speed immediately.   There are in fact portions of the game where you need to carefully walk/aim at stuff...

A lot of people parrot that "spin dash plays the game for you" thing, but what they then fail to mention is you essentially fly through the level, miss out on all of the powerups/rings/etc.  and then you ultimately do not unlock the extrastages which are actually required to get all of the chaos emeralds/etc. to actually get the right ending. 

The spindash is generally required to fling yourself into hard to reach areas/secrets though.   The fact that it lets you fling yourself through the level and skip most of it isn't it's real intent.

[crazydean]

I loved that stuff because it was spastic.   

Sonic is basically what hyper kids played because Mario and shit was too slow.

I'm one of those people that plays mario with the run button held in the whole time.   

Sonic is just like that by default, lol.

As for Mario, do you actually do well holding the run button the whole time? I've beaten SMB, but it wasn't until I stopped holding the run button that I was able to do so. Obviously with practice, you can beat it with the run button down, but I suck.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I loved that stuff because it was spastic.   

Sonic is basically what hyper kids played because Mario and shit was too slow.

I'm one of those people that plays mario with the run button held in the whole time.   

Sonic is just like that by default, lol.

As for Mario, do you actually do well holding the run button the whole time? I've beaten SMB, but it wasn't until I stopped holding the run button that I was able to do so. Obviously with practice, you can beat it with the run button down, but I suck.

I almost never walk in those games.

I only stop if there's like, a hammer brother being a dick, or something where you have to wait for a platform to come back.

People watch me play Mario 2 and go "jesus christ are you on cocaine"

[NoSexGex]

People watch me play Mario 2 and go "jesus christ are you on cocaine"

What a compliment

[Arkhan Asylum]

People watch me play Mario 2 and go "jesus christ are you on cocaine"

What a compliment

lol, in the ice-part (I'm talking about SMB 2 USA), I just run the whole time while sliding and ducking under stuff.   Most of the time, I get to the end without stopping.

Everyone else was yelling and screaming while I did it. 

lots of "OH OH OH!" "oooooooooooooo! OOOOOOOOOOOO!" and crap as they squirmed around thinking I was going to die.

lol