Bonk: Brink of Extinction - Gameplay Footage and Soundtrack Download

[jlued686]

Looks like someone has a copy of Brink of Extinction:
http://tinycartridge.com/post/85266972617/somebody-has-the-cancelled-bonk-game-youtube

YouTube user ?Bonk Brink? (via Dtoid) posted this offscreen video of Bonk: Brink of Extinction, the WiiWare/PS3/XBLA game that Hudson cancelled a few years back. Which means that somebody out there has it.

Which means that somebody out there can hook me up.

I heard this particular Bonk game wasn't perfect, but I was really looking forward to it! I love Bonk. I actually love Hudson in general, and I was on board with latter-day Hudson, before? the end?

God dammit...I wish Konami would just throw this on Xbox Live & PSN and be done with it. Based on this footage, it looks like a relatively faithful update to the series. I never understood all the negative comments about it.

Here's a direct link to the YouTube page.

Here's a bit more info:

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/05/video_check_out_this_footage_of_lost_wiiware_title_bonk_brink_of_extinction

Those of you with good enough memories to recall Bonk: Brink of Extinction will be aware that the game never saw the light of day; developed by Pi Studios in the US, the download-only release was scheduled to hit PSN, XBLA and WiiWare, but publisher Hudson Soft pulled the plug in 2011 ? just after the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The plot of the game involved a cataclysmic natural disaster, which is presumably why Hudson Soft decided against releasing it.

Pi Studios was sadly forced to close its doors following the cancellation of the game, which was thought to be practically complete.
We've now had confirmation from Nintendo Life reader and hardware collector Thomas Andrews that Brink of Extinction was indeed ready for release. He's sent us footage of the game running on a PS3 development kit which used to be the property of Pi Studios, as well as this short explanation:
"I have a PS3 developer unit FROM the owners of Pi Studios. The only game that was on it was Bonk: Brink of Extinction. Analyzing the dates and the name of the package, the game was READY to launch. The last edit date was over a year before the game was to be released. There was planned to be 3 DLCs, none of which added to the story; appear to be multiplayer games."

UPDATE:

The soundtrack composer made a free download available...

Bonk: Brink of Extinction is a cancelled platform-adventure game continuing the Bonk franchise. It was planned to be made available on WiiWare, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade. It was to have online and local cooperation modes. Following the 2011 Earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11, 2011 Hudson Soft announced the cancellation of the game.

Bonk's world is threatened by a doomsday comet on a collision course with Earth. Bonk has travel to the center of the Earth to steer the planet away from the comet. He has new transformations, including Fire Bonk, Ice Bonk, Mini Bonk, Rhino Bonk, and more, all of which do what their names imply. The transformations use up "primordial ooze", which can be restored throughout each level in the game. There is a Scrabble-like mini-game called Scribble played in between levels.[3]
credits
released 19 May 2010
UST stands for Unofficial Soundtrack. This is a collection of my contributions to the game's score.

Music Composed and Produced by Rich Vreeland
Additional Music for Game Produced by Filippo Beck Peccoz

http://disasterpeace.com/album/bonk-brink-of-extinction-ust

[esteban]

Well, I certainly want to play it.

However, based on what I saw back whenever—and this video—well, it breaks my heart that this was officially sanctioned.

To preserve the legacy of the series, I'm going to think of this Brink of Extinction as a glimpse into an alternate universe—a universe that is not nearly as good as the one we inhabit 

I still want to play this, though.

GRIPES: I think all the aesthetics are actually nice—except for ALL OF THE CHARACTER MODELS + ANIMATION.

• The foregrounds/backgrounds/platforms (parallax! Ha!) look nice. I'm fine with their presentation.

• The title screen/story cinema/transition screens (between stages)—all of the art is cute and really captures the essence of Bonk. I respect this stuff the most (i.e. "Encyclopedia of Prehistoric Beasts").

• I hate the models and how they animate. Bonk shouldn't "trudge" with hunched shoulders and leaning forward, it just doesn't capture his essence. He is overly bouncy, too. The same goes for the enemies, the cute charm from the 2-D has been lost here.

• I wll say that if this game incorporates a variety of puzzle-esque moments (I.e. using ice breath to create cube platform in order to progress), but is careful not to overuse them...and crafty enough to require clever solutions (brain-dead obstacles get tedious very quickly)....well, that is promising. Unfortunately, clever level design is one of the toughest tricks to pull off—skilled players want challenge, casual players are easily intimidated/frustrated). Striking the balance is important, IMHO.

[TheClash603]

Game doesn't look great, nor does it look terrible.  I assume almost everyone on these forums that had a way to play the game would've purchased it.

I am always confused when a game is 85%+ complete and it doesn't get released.  At that point so much money and time has already been spent, just ship the thing.  Even easier in 2014 when so many games are download, don't even need to go through the cost of making packaging, discs, etc.

[Psycho Punch]

I hope this particular person doesn't have a twin brother in his imagination. Who knows, maybe then it would be released? Of course you would need to mod the crap out of your PS3 to play...

[DragonmasterDan]

Game doesn't look great, nor does it look terrible.  I assume almost everyone on these forums that had a way to play the game would've purchased it.

I am always confused when a game is 85%+ complete and it doesn't get released.  At that point so much money and time has already been spent, just ship the thing.  Even easier in 2014 when so many games are download, don't even need to go through the cost of making packaging, discs, etc.

And this game was ESRB rated, which takes another cost out of the equation.

[Tatsujin]

ah damn, and I frist thought that this is about some obey bonk.

[jlued686]

Updated the OP with a link to the soundtrack download page:
http://disasterpeace.com/album/bonk-brink-of-extinction-ust

[HailingTheThings]

Updated the OP with a link to the soundtrack download page:
http://disasterpeace.com/album/bonk-brink-of-extinction-ust

Awesome, thanks!

[JoshTurboTrollX]

At first I was kind of meh on the 3d sprites in a 2d world and then I saw that classic gameplay and heard bits of Bonk 3 CD's 1st stage music in this games 1st stage background music.  Aw hell...

I would have purchased it!!! 

Sad/Happy day...