I've bought a bunch of games this month, some from some board members here even that I am still waiting for Mr. Mail to deliver. In the meantime, perhaps fittingly, the first game to arrive was Bonk's Adventure. Popped that in for a little jaunt last night and I wasn't disappointed. When I bought the system new in '92 or so, Bonk was the main reason. The game just looked great with its big sprites and all the background animation. Unfortunately, while I was getting the system and a bunch of games at liquidation prices, my Radio Shack still held firm on pricing for the one TG-16 game they still had in stock - Bonk's Adventure. The $50 ask was just too rich for my blood (a LOT of paper routes), so thus I was stuck with the likes of DEEP BLUE and PARASOL STARS (oh, the irony how Stars is worth over double that price today!). Playing Bonk yesterday though, fleeting as it was, felt like a missing link in my childhood was finally restored. Since I'm not close to finishing yet I will keep my impression brief, but the thing that impressed me most was how it wasn't Mario. Or Wonderboy. Hudson made a platformer with its own voice. Headbutting instead of jumping on enemies, climbing walls, those turbo spins to safety - the physics and gameplay are both just refreshingly unique. Plenty left to go, but it feels great finally playing (and loving) that Holy Grail that always eluded me as a kid.
