Bonk's Revenge

When a mascot scores a hit, a sequel follows, and Bonk's Revenge was exactly what PC Engine fans had hoped for. The second adventure of the caveman kid with the mighty head took everything that worked in the original and honed it into an even more colorful, refined and entertaining form. For many players it is the peak of the entire series.

The foundation remained faithful: Bonk attacks by headbutting, climbs by biting into walls and stuns enemies with a slam from above. But the sequel added new abilities, more varied levels and smarter boss-fight design. Pieces of meat once again triggered Bonk's furious transformations and the game brimmed with witty details, hidden rooms and minigames that extended the fun far beyond simply clearing the levels.

The visual side again showed what the PC Engine could do: vivid colors, fluid animation and a playful prehistoric world full of personality. The team around the studios Red and Hudson Soft bet on what carried the first game and fine-tuned the pace and difficulty so that the title was accessible yet still offered a challenge for more experienced players.

Culturally Bonk's Revenge cemented its hero's standing as the platform's flagship. At a time when mascots became a tool of the marketing wars between console makers, Bonk represented NEC and Hudson in a league dominated by Mario and Sonic. That he held his own in it testifies to the quality and distinctiveness of the series.

Today Bonk's Revenge is prized as one of the best platformers on the PC Engine and proof that a sequel can not only match the original but even surpass it. For anyone discovering this console's library, it is a mandatory stop right after the first installment.

Why play: Because it takes a great original and improves it in every respect, thus offering the peak of one of the most distinctive platformer series of the sixteen-bit era.