Super Bonk
Fourth Bonk game with time travel and new forms.
Super Bonk (known as Super B.C. Kid in Europe and Super Genjin in Japan) is a 1994 platform game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Developed by A.I. Co, Ltd. and published by Hudson Soft, it is the fourth installment in the Bonk series.
The gameplay closely follows that of Bonk 3, but adds a time-travel element. Bonk journeys through prehistoric areas, the inside of a dinosaur, a modern Chinatown, and the moon. Power-ups transform him into creatures like the shooting Bonk Crab, a dinosaur form called Big Kronk, and candies that shrink or enlarge him. He can also use transportation tubes, access bonus levels, smash enemies with his head, fly using propeller seeds, and—for the first time—carry flowers on his head in his ongoing conflict with King Drool.
Super Bonk launched on the Super Famicom in Japan on July 22, 1994. It later reappeared on the Wii Virtual Console: in Japan on November 16, 2010, in Europe on December 10, 2010, and in North America on April 4, 2011.
Critical reception was mixed. GameRankings gave it a 71.50% average from four reviews. Micom BASIC Magazine ranked it ninth in popularity in October 1994, and a Super Famicom Magazine readers' poll gave it 22.2 out of 30. GamePro's Tommy Glide praised the clever use of forms, crisp graphics, easy controls, and bonus rounds, but gave a negative overall assessment, noting little new content for fans. Total! placed it 44th on its 1995 list of the top 100 SNES games, calling it an amusing, well-crafted platformer despite slightly awkward controls.
- developer
- A.I. Co, Ltd.
- publisher
- Hudson Soft
- platform
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- release_year
- 1994
- series
- Bonk series
- genre
- Platform video game
Quick Facts
- Title
- Super Bonk
- Developer
- A.I Co, Ltd.
- Publisher
- Hudson Soft / Nintendo (AUS)
- Director
- Shoichi Yoshikawa
- Artist
- Kobuta Aoki
- Composer
- Kennosuke Suemura
- Series
- Bonk
- Platforms
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- Released
- JP · July 22, 1994 · NA · November 1994 · EU · February–March 1995 · AU · 1997
- Genre
- Platform
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Super Bonk allows the protagonist to travel through time from prehistoric levels to the inside of a dinosaur, a version of modern Chinatown, and the moon. Power-ups can change Bonk into creatures such as the shooting Bonk Crab, a dinosaur form called Big Kronk, and candies that alter his size from tiny to huge. Transportation tubes and multiple bonus levels are also featured. Bonk uses his head to smash enemies, propeller seeds enable flight, and for the first time he can carry flowers on his head in his battle against arch nemesis King Drool.
Reader's Guide
Super Bonk garnered an average reception from critics, holding a rating of 71.50% based on four reviews according to GameRankings. The Japanese publication Micom BASIC Magazine ranked the game ninth in popularity in its October 1994 issue, and it received a 22.2/30 score in a readers' poll by Super Famicom Magazine. GamePro's Tommy Glide praised the clever usage of Bonk's various forms, crisp graphics, easy controls, and numerous bonus rounds, but gave an overall negative assessment, concluding that platformer fans and Bonk fans would find very little new content. In 1995, Total! ranked the game as number 44 on its list of the top 100 SNES games, writing that despite slightly awkward controls it is an amusing, well crafted and gripping platformer. The game was later re-released for the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on November 16, 2010, in Europe on December 10, and in North America on April 4, 2011.
Did You Know?
- Super Bonk was released in Europe as Super B.C. Kid and in Japan as Super Genjin.
- The game allows Bonk to travel through time to levels including the inside of a dinosaur, modern Chinatown, and the moon.
- Power-ups can change Bonk into forms such as the shooting Bonk Crab and a dinosaur called Big Kronk.
- Super Bonk was re-released for the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on November 16, 2010, in Europe on December 10, and in North America on April 4, 2011.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Super Bonk?
Super Bonk is a 1994 side-scrolling platformer built for the Super Nintendo, created by A.I. Co. Ltd. and released by Hudson Soft. It is the fourth title in the Bonk franchise and carried the names Super B.C. Kid in Europe and Super Genjin in Japan.
What transformation forms and powers does Bonk have in Super Bonk?
In addition to his signature head-bashing, Bonk can shift into a projectile-firing crab and a hulking dinosaur called Big Kronk. He also picks up candies that let him shrink or grow, and he can ride various vehicles to cross levels.
What is the story and setting of Super Bonk?
The plot revolves around Bonk being flung through different eras and locations, including prehistoric zones, the belly of a giant dinosaur, a modern Chinatown, and the surface of the moon. This time-travel structure is the key narrative addition that distinguishes it from the earlier Bonk 3.
Why is Super Bonk important to fans of the Bonk series?
It expanded the series' toolkit by layering time-travel progression and a wider variety of creature forms on top of the brawling formula established in previous entries. As the fourth SNES-era installment, it helped cement the franchise's identity as a mix of combat and shape-shifting.
Who made Super Bonk and where can it be played?
A.I. Co. Ltd. developed the game and Hudson Soft published it. It was released in 1994 exclusively on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
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