The BONK Series - Game Sack

Episode
283 - I've always been fascinated with Bonk since Bonk's Adventure popped up on the TurboGrafx-16. It was so peculiar since we now had three really good consoles fighting for a share of the marketplace and that meant Bonk was extremely important for NEC. But as fate would have it, Bonk didn't stay on that console for very long.
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[@martinrc80]

Dave is back!!! Oh that’s just Bonk 😱😱

[@foojae]

Lmao

[@kutulukutu]

Dammit, I was so excited!😂😂😂

[@BugsyFoga]

Oh come on man , you got me there

[@WilsonKingOfPrussia6]

Oof

[@senordisco1324]

Hah. Good one.

[@Ninten70]

Bonk needs a Re-release as a collection on all platforms.

[@BolofromAvlis]

I would love to see this pop up on the Switch. They could do a Bonk or Hudson Soft collection. One of my faves on the ol' TG 16.

[@Mimi.1001]

Unfortunately Konami now owns the rights for the series since they have bought Hudson Soft and I think they don't care very much. I doubt they care to bring any good game experiences with any of their franchises right now...

[@mattjindrak]

Definitely

[@GrimmShadowsII]

@@Mimi.1001 Yeah they seem to have all but given up releasing new stuff, the last new thing was last year or the year before Contra Rogue Corps and while it had a couple moments that showed it could have been a decent game it just wasn't, they also released a couple classics collections.

[@CaptAwesumNo1Zone]

A Bonk Collection for the Nintendo Switch would be nice and would sell well if they advertised it right.

[@jkajmo]

I hope this channel NEVER stops.

[@CanadianPenny]

Joe is going to have to produce shows that appear long after he dies. He should aim to stop not when he dies, but when his youngest viewer dies.

[@aliencatcrew3336]

It will stop when joe loses all his hair and starts to look like dave. Lmao

[@jkajmo]

@@CanadianPenny that's actually a fair suggestion

[@jkajmo]

@@aliencatcrew3336 hahahhahahahha 👌

[@aliencatcrew3336]

@@jkajmo i watch gamesack ATLEAST once a day. A day doesnt feel complete withOUT A GAMESACK episode

[@BladeBlur]

Bonk deserves a revival more than Bubsy does.

[@janmanuel4273]

At least bubsy needs better games more than returning...sorta...

[@maximoperez4750]

what could possibly go wrong

[@nickstadler1906]

The 90s was a banner decade for cavemen video games; Joe & Mac, Bonk, Big Nose the Caveman, Chuck Rock, Trog!, Prehistorik, Congo's Caper, BC's Quest for Tires, Tail of the Sun, etc. The Jurassic Park effect was real and profound.

[@xmaverickhunterkx]

The hobo is actually a burglar. That's the traditional Japanese image of what a burglar looks like :p

[@TrevRockOne]

Bonk needs more love. I say he has the funniest animations this side of Wario.

[@TheAlanWilcox]

maybe somebody needs to buy the rights to him and revive his game company I mean how much would it cost to buyout Hudson Soft games assets from Konami?

[@BRAINFOXINFINITE]

@@TheAlanWilcox At this rate, they'll probably just license the IP for cheap. I'm surprised they haven't made him a guest character in Brawlhalla or something.

[@yashy2x]

I love how bonks face is animated His expressions are spot on

[@ewgross7010]

I've been lobbying for Bonk to appear in Smash Bros for so long at this point... He deserves a comeback.

[@KonaKonaKaabisteru]

Bomberman being an Assist in Ultimate isn't exactly making me hopeful on seeing Bonk in Smash in ever imo.

[@z3r0slugfm]

The moment you realize 30 years later that the flowers with enemies don’t animate. Oh dear.

[@RemoWilliams1227]

Thought the exact same 😂

[@kevinc9537]

Great to see someone covering the series in this level of detail! I just wanted to say that for that ice skater boss in bonk's revenge, you'll notice that when she poses she sticks out one of her legs. You can safely jump off of that leg and gain some extra height for your attack that can allow you to avoid getting hit. It took me a while to figure out and is pretty tricky to do though. Also, the candies in bonk 3 move you up or down one size, they arent fixed transformations like in super bonk, so it is possible to go back to normal size with them. But bonk's revenge on the turbografx16 was definitely my favourite too! Some interesting features of that game that you may have missed is that if your smiley tally after a world is 50 or more, not only do you get the bonus train but you also get to skip the next world entirely, and you get 10,000 points for each smiley over 50 you collected so your score doesnt suffer from that. Also hitting the ground can sometimes uncover valuable bonus items and even hidden bonus stage flowers. It's also the game where the ability to wall jump by bonking was introduced, since that wasnt in bonks adventure.

[@tuffasgong]

An underappreciated series with underappreciated music.

[@CaspisSinclair27]

Music *AND* sound effects on the Amiga?!? It truly is the most advanced system in history!

[@NotaPizzaGRL]

Shame more Japanese devs didn't make games on the Amiga. Hudson Soft made two games - both were pretty good.

[@KillThad]

@@NotaPizzaGRL Well, the Amiga port was developed by Factor 5 of Turrican fame.

[@10minGameplay1]

Would love to see a alternative universe where TurboGrafx-16 was properly marketed worldwide.

[@ajsingh4545]

And Sega Saturn!!!!

[@grungyperry7530]

Same here! After playing the mini it's just sad that it didn't do to well in the states.

[@bland9876]

The turbo Graphics 16 is to the NES and Master System as Pokemon Crystal is to Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver

[@CircsC]

Joe, you put in way more work than creators with 10 times the subs. I appreciate the hell out of you.

[@reagandow850]

Amen to that!

[@MSorge13]

Honestly, I had no idea there were this many Bonk games. I learned a lot from this episode!

[@xnamkcor]

The sky gradient scrolls horizontally. You just can't tell because the gradient doesn't have any horizontal details.

[@KonaSquid]

you again o.O

[@oscarnarvaez3534]

One of the things I like the most about game sack, is that no matter how many times they have talked about a game, Joe always makes it interesting

[@Level1Sword]

Bonk has always had a nice clean look during a time when games looked way too busy at times. I remember playing Bonk on Gameboy in a Jamesway... good times.

[@domb2NY]

Jamesway...my small town had one. Remember when they folded in the 90s

[@visionsofbeyond9095]

Thanks for making this episode, Bonk was a huge part of my childhood, as was the Turbo Grafx 16 in general. I won a candy selling contest in elementary school and got $200 in Toy R Us money and bought my own Turbo Grafx 16 console. It came with Keith Courage In Alpha Zones, but I had to have Bonk, so I bought Bonk's Adventure and Revenge and later got Air Zonk. The Turbo was just a big a part of my early gaming as Nintendo and Sega Systems were. Videos like this really take me back and also make me realize how much I need to get my PC Engine repaired.

[@hemangchauhan2864]

Yes! Finally someone did this series justice!

[@tylermills79]

Bonk seems perfect for a return on the switch first with a collection then maybe a new 2D platform er.

[@robintst]

Super Bonk isn't a game, it's an experience in existential dread. You don't play it, you endure it. This is Bonk's messed up world, we just live in it.

[@strain42]

It's really great to see a good solid look at the Bonk series. I'm still bummed out that Brink of Extinction got canceled. It looked pretty fun.

[@bigdeagle1331]

Time for you to make a “MEGA POWER” episode! Biggest on the systems from early 90’s

[@marscaleb]

8:30 Oh I'm excited! I love looking at maps!

[@jeremybowers3181]

The world definitely needs more bonk! It's a classic for Gods sake.👊💥🤘

[@nicandknacksandseans]

The girl bonk from the arcade version will haunt my nightmares for eternity. Those eyes...those lifeless staring eyes...

[@triiistone]

Haha, Gamesack ending skits are always the best. Great episode per usual!

[@ShogunKilledChuck]

I’ve loved every single one of your videos. Whether it’s you guys together or now you on your own, every video is simple and charming without trying too hard to act out a character. Great stuff. Great nostalgia.

[@caliconnected_]

Not only do we need another BONK , we need another ZONK!! Hell, we need another NEC CONSOLE !!!!!

[@Scott-fj9uf]

Seeing a new Game Sack episode hits me like a diamond tip arrow of joy. Thank you as always J.R!

[@Jesse__H]

I was just relaxing, watching some 'sack before bed, when this episode dropped! Now I'm watching this _instead_ of bed... Love me some 'sack but dang, I gotta sleep sometime too, Joe! 💛😴

[@reinforcedpenisstem]

Hit the sack.

[@tartrazine5]

In the early 90s every Radio Shack in Canada had a Bonk demo station at the front of the store.

[@beezle1976]

The Amiga version, and many Amiga games in general aren't quite full screen because of the resolution. Full screen on Amiga in its low res mode is 360x283, which is higher than most machines from the era. That's full screen, full overscan, but thats what is required to fill a screen entirely on the Amiga.

[@ItsAWonderfulKnife]

I love that you thumbed your own video down. Pure gold as always, Joe!

[@overweightactor]

What a weird series of games. The sprites are pretty and colorful, and appear to scale very well.

[@scottwarren6719]

"Its always nice to bonk an enemy" Funny stuff Joe. Its weird i alway thought bonk did come out on the genesis.

[@Followthelemming]

A new Bonk would do well on the Switch. Would like to see a complete and translated compilation on the Switch as well. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@JohnSmith-nj4zq]

There was a Bonk on the PS2 but it was only released in Japan. It's called Hudson Selection Vol. 3 PC Genjin. Two Sacks is always better than one. Get Dave back for a special episode.

[@bland9876]

You only have one fact but there's usually two nuts in it. Having two sacks would be kind of funny though. That's not something you see in p***

[@callak_9974]

You could infinitely juggle the enemies in the original Bonk, with each hit working like how it does in Mario games after enough hits you get a 1-up. There's a limit on how many you can get per enemy, but its plenty if you do it to a few.

[@seamusboucher383]

I beat the 3 Bonk games for the T16 yesterday. I think they were pretty good, but it's clear that the first was the weakest and the controls are occasionally wonky in all three.

[@DaRotWilder]

GameSack Still RULES!!!

[@Mightyguybrush2]

Bonk being a caveman means he is much closer to our time than dinosaur time. It's about 60 million years between cave men and dinosaurs. Where as it's about 40 thousand years between us and the cavemen.

[@TheFreakRocker]

Back in the day we had saturday morning cartoons... now I have Sunday morning Game Sack! The perfect way to enjoy a good relaxed breakfast!

[@Postpost90s]

Honestly the best channel on KZbin. Always the best for the fans 10/10

[@HeyImBax]

I used to play this on the NEC it had a CD player and the games were cartridge

[@opaljk4835]

Always looking forward to these every other Sunday. Thanks for putting in so much work to keep the people entertained

[@victorthomas6571]

You forgot a few games especially the one for Sega Saturn that he was star featured in Bomberman and he was the best character in the game

[@rodrigomolinsky]

I loved the skit!! That reality shock face, lol

[@velosiped135]

I just bought Bonk's Revenge in 2020! Thanks for the recommendation Joe!

[@chaosrainn773]

Bonks Revenge is still the best Bonk ! Great vid as always !

[@bananachild1936]

I see quarantine has been making Ron Perlman show us his side of gaming life.

[@nicksrandomreviews]

Hey, whatever keeps him off Twitter.

[@Hellwyck]

@@nicksrandomreviews Yeah, whatever stops him speaking out against a corrupt US government eh?

[@MarvinMonroe]

Christmas 1990, sixth grade. I got a TurboGrafx and best friend got a Genesis. Then for the next Christmas I got an SNES and Summer 92 I sold my TG16 and all the games so I could buy Street Fighter 2

[@dangwoot]

Great job Joe! Been wanting to play this series for a while now, this made me take the jump!

[@tskraj3190]

Bonk is actually my favorite series of games. I wish they would rerelease and remaster all of the Bonk titles and translate the Japanese Exclusives to English. They should be available to all consoles including PC.

[@retrocraftchannelprodutor]

I like the bonk series a lot. It's very underrated, it deserves more attention. Thanks Game Sack for showing it.

[@90sGasPrices]

Joe, you’ve gotta understand that we’re always talking about how much we love game sack because we’re secretly worried about how long the channel will continue since Dave left. If there’s one channel I just need to know is healthy and planning to continuing FOREVER, it’s this one. 🙏 Fellow GS fans please please please consider donating to the Patreon if you can. 💙🤍

[@jamesburchill7522]

This was my first 16 bit system and oddly, my friends with the Genesis were jealous. Bonk, while minimal had such a pleasing, satisfying look to it. Plus I had Splatterhouse. That trumped everything at the time. Still. For me, I was into the Legendary Axe series (The second one was way easier) and Cadash. I still have my TG-16 to this day.

[@tolust]

Joe like you, I've always been fascinated with Bonk since getting it free with Keith when NEC was running a promo selling everything for $99 using Jerry O Conner in their commercials .. Thank you , this is the BEST episode you made in a looooooooooooooooong time. Thank you

[@Schadenfreudesaves]

Just wanted to say thanks for putting out some of the best quality retro videos on KZbin.

[@joshcopeland]

Nice shirt Joe! Hell yes they should revive the Bonk series in 4K!!!

[@jasonhubbard6775]

Bonk: Brink of Extinction ... what an appropriate name.

[@zzzzzz-rn3oh]

I would buy the hell out of a collection of these games on switch and steam. Also I wouldnt mind bonk on smash with a bonk amiibo either lol.

[@NirnBootMod]

That GameCube BONK is also on PlayStation 2. That is where I first played it. There were 4 Hudson Soft 3D arranged remakes like that for both systems, like Adventure Island and Star Soldier.

[@GameSack]

Yeah I seem to remember playing it on PS2 also.

[@ZBR_ProXP]

Awesome vid on a classic series, Joe

[@dnachistatrax1029]

There's a bonus right at the beginning, just drop down head first...all the way, to the left and you'll get, a 1up after jumping on one of those plant thingy's! 👍🏻👍🏻 (prt 1)

[@midlightreverie138]

Honestly, I never really heard much about the bonk series of games outside of your videos. Thank you so much for this video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Great to see fun videos showcasing some of the Turbo greats. I'd never actually seen that Gamecube version before looks completely ridiculous and funny at the same time. Air Zonk is a fantastic shooter and the tunes are great... still one of my favorites of that time.

[@doomstasche5768]

21:49 Is that freakin' RoboCop, that is Awesome!

[@RobotacularRoBob]

It's not Robocop.... It's ROBONKOP

[@JolliAllGenGamer]

The Bonk Remake was also released for PS2 Japan only as well I played it on my Japanese PS2.

[@skins4thewin]

A Bonk RPG would have been awesome! The screenshots look pretty damn interesting.

[@NotaPizzaGRL]

Come on Kaneko also made B. Rap Boys and those Jackie Chan fighting games. They can't be all that bad.

[@Lordkazekage1987]

First time in years a episode dedicated to a series.

[@willh1829]

You guys hit a home run again. Excellent video

[@aliwhite1130]

The bonk remake was also released on ps2 not only game cube

[@ABlackFalcon]

Great episode! On the cancelled N64 game, there's an old story out there that Bomberman Hero for the N64 is what the N64 Bonk game became... which explains something about why that game is a regular 3d platformer much more than it is a Bomberman game. It's a good enough game, but I kind of wish it had stayed a Bonk game. Oh well.

[@vivisect53]

That makes a lot of sense.

[@Drinkabeerandplayagameofficial]

Man do I love Air Zonk, it kicks my butt but it’s so gorgeous to look at and play

[@StormsparkPegasus]

One of the bosses shown looks like it belongs in the Simpsons.

[@Locomamonk]

What a great gallery of all the bonk games, really comprehensive and fun to watch, and I didn't even cared about this mascot until I watched this video. Now I want to try some of them. Great job as always!

[@DavidJoseVenturaMontero]

Que lindas animaciones de multimedia congratulatiun

[@furllan]

Super Bonk was one of mt favourite games back then, I don't even know why I used to like it so much but I played through it like a thousand times.

[@Zeffarian]

Princess Za isn't a seal, she's a plesiosaur. Don't you know your prehistoric reptiles Joe?

[@bryangarcia5599]

False. Princess Za, Dragon Princess of Moonland, is a _plesiosaur-like_ anthropomorphic dragon, of a species which is nowhere to be found within the clade _Plesiosauroidea_ (I checked).

[@mbe102]

My PC Engine is on the way from Japan now! So excited to finally give all these great games an authentic shot!

[@jkajmo]

Nice! Congrats man, there's a great library of games on this system. So many great shooters, however expensive!

[@123doomdoom]

How are you getting it? I bought a saturn game and was told that japan mail is not shipping international and was told to pay 40 bucks for fed ex. Ofc i asked for a refund.

[@samueleinhorn6713]

Am I the only one who thinks Bonk should be in Smash Bros.?

[@ganggreen1983]

New game starring his son, Knob. “Knob: Turn of the century” Bonk backwards. And a Knob turns, as in like a door knob. 🤦‍♂️

[@nokki25]

I wonder if Knob game was released in England

[@jkajmo]

Hee hee hee

[@dacypher22]

@@nokki25 I was just thinking the same thing. That could be problematic in the UK.

[@GoldenPickaxe]

Woah a GameSack / Hard4Games crossover? Dreams do come true!

[@videogameobsession]

Excellent video showcasing the Bonk series. I recently bought Super Bonk 1 & 2 (Super Famicom versions). They were both surprisingly cheap for cart only. I'm surprised people have been snatching those up.

[@jokerzwild00]

Hobo Bonk looks like the kinda guy I can relate to. A real man of the people. Hobo Bonk for Mayor!

[@acecarrera1]

24:44 Bonk's nemesis, Dong.

[@townlinetim876]

Bonk is still one of my favorite franchises. Hopefully they will resurrect it.

[@GhengisFreud]

Just wait till they find Bonk's fossil

[@MaxOakland]

I’ve played Bonk on the NES and it’s fun with good graphics They should definitely make more Bonk games. They’re awesome

[@ravagingwolverine]

Very nice to see this series covered. The first Bonk game was the first TG16/PCE game I ever played, and it was many years after it was new. It's a lot closer to the current year than the early '90s. I figured the first Bonk was a good way to try the system. I ended up really enjoying it and the unique style that it and the system had. And it's a series I have enjoyed a lot. The second game is also my favorite. The first one on the SNES is pretty good, but I agree it's got some weird, random ideas. But the PCE and SNES games are all very good in my opinion.

[@legomegaman101]

Most bonkers thing I ever will see today. Thanks for the great video!

[@BOOMDOOMz]

I dunno what's worse me being up or being as hyped as I am for this episode (we all miss dave but he is not here man)

[@victorhernandez5749]

What happened to him?

[@ethanlaborde]

@@victorhernandez5749 He left the show a while back.

[@oldenvye6432]

Can't say I've ever played a Bonk game but it certainly has this type of animated, cartoon quality to it.

[@25hztolife86]

For sure your best episode yet. Uga Booga.

[@foojae]

Time to get my sack ready.

[@gaoutlaw]

I remember trying a Bonk game at Electric Ave and More (remember them?)...I don't think I knew at the time what console I was using at the store, but I do recall later wondering why Bonk wasn't on Genesis or Super NES. After that, I forgot all about him. Sorry, Bonk :(