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Giant Bomb News

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Return of Bonk

The face of the TurboGrafx-16 is coming back next year with an all-new adventure.

Hudson has announced plans to produce Bonk: Brink of Extinction for Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare, and the PlayStation Network. It'll be an all new game featuring Bonk, the big-headed caveman who was the closest thing the TurboGrafx-16 has to a mascot back in the early 1990s.

While it'll be an all-new game, Brink of Extinction appears to be duplicating the side-scrolling platformer style of the original games. It'll also contain some sort of online play when it hits in early 2010. The game is being developed by Pi Studios. I reallyreallyreally liked the first couple of Bonk games, such that they almost tricked me into thinking that the TG-16 had a chance against the more-powerful Genesis. Looking back on them today, those games haven't aged especially well and they seem sort of dull when compared to other platformers from that era. It'll be interesting to see how a new game fares today.

Here's the full fact sheet, which has a bit of story info, and some screenshots.
 


About Bonk:
It is the start of a new age and Bonk has returned at the turn of the tide as the world faces extinction.  Our loveable caveman is back and has brought his huge head with him.  A doomsday comet, surrounded by smaller chunks of debris, is on a collision course with Earth.  A strange magnetic field around the comet seems to be driving most of the planet’s weak-willed creatures crazy, and smaller bits of debris are smashing into the jungle near Bonk's home.  Bonk must undertake a perilous journey that will take him to the very center of the planet to save the world.

The Return Of The Most Widely Requested Classic Platformer 
Story Mode with Co-Op play.  Play alone or have a friend join you any time.
An entire new adventure with Bonk as he swims, bites, climbs, jumps, runs, and head-butts his way through jungles, deserts and volcanic caverns
Search for help along the way: power ups, check points, and extra health are the staple for every adventuring caveman.  
Transformations are back and weirder than ever!  Now Bonk can transform himself into eight different forms by eating meat or encountering Primordial Ooze.  No enemy is safe from the boy with the super noggin!
Multiple other modes and adventures are available as add on packs

New Features:
Online play for the first time in the series.  
New enemies with wide variations in personality/abilities.  Beware the Raptor Unicycle Tank!
Next generation gameplay meets retro brand: Classic 2D platforming in a 3D world.
Collectibles will have you searching the entire prehistoric world 
Download Content to keep the experience going

Jeff Gerstmann on Google+

69 Comments

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Media_Master

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Edited By Media_Master

sounds neat!

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MeatSim

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Edited By MeatSim

Never heard of Bonk but I have never had or played a TurboGrafx-16, so you get why.

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rjaylee

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Edited By rjaylee

Bonk? Kinda cool I guess... I'm not 100% positive, but I think I'd rather have Hudson bring back the Adventure Island series instead.
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ladnar

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Edited By ladnar

YESSSSSSSSSS im still in love and regularly play Bonk still on my Turbo Grafx!!
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DukeTogo

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Edited By DukeTogo
@Dryker said:
" Bonk is why I got a Turbo Grafx 16 when I graduated grade-school (6th grade) instead of a Genesis. Never regretted it. I loved that machine. I'll wait to see what Dave Halverson has to say about this installment before I buy it though. Where"s that damn next-gen Splatterhouse game!? "
Dave will probably print a 7 page spread in Play with his ejaculate all over it, touting it as the greatest side scroller since Wonderdog.
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Al3xand3r

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Edited By Al3xand3r

Yup, looks as bad as Rainbow Island. They should go back to the Bubble Bobble Plus style of remakes.

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Linkyshinks

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Edited By Linkyshinks

I don't liike what they did with Rainbow Island on Wii and fear for this also.

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angularbanjo

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Edited By angularbanjo

Sidescrolling platformers FTW

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Anarchist4Eva

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Edited By Anarchist4Eva

Fuck this up @ your own peril Hudson!

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Cerza

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Edited By Cerza

Bonk is coming back... I don't know what to say...

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Kohe321

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Edited By Kohe321

Cool!

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Metiphis

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Edited By Metiphis

I hate to say it, but it was the visual style and cartoony graphics that made Bonk good, and this re-make is lacking those things.  It was never a particularly engaging or special platformer.

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BlazeHedgehog

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Edited By BlazeHedgehog

If this game isn't as crazy insane as Super Bonk, count me out.

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Sunjammer

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Edited By Sunjammer

The first Bonk was pure monotony, but the games really got pretty cool as they went on and embraced their surrealism. Looking forward to seeing how the world copes with a mutant hydrocephalic caveman headbutting baby

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MattyFTM

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Edited By MattyFTM  Moderator

I loved the first bonk, and am extremely looking forward to this. Now if only they would make a new Zool game, my life would be complete.

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Death_Burnout

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Edited By Death_Burnout

"Look out for the Moooon!"

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Dryker

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Edited By Dryker

Bonk is why I got a Turbo Grafx 16 when I graduated grade-school (6th grade) instead of a Genesis. Never regretted it. I loved that machine. I'll wait to see what Dave Halverson has to say about this installment before I buy it though. Where"s that damn next-gen Splatterhouse game!?
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Linkyshinks

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Edited By Linkyshinks

 I knew this was going to happen. :P  I'm really happy because I love Bonk , I have all the originals HuCards and discs on PC Engine, including the Zonks, as well as the VC games too lol. 
 
I'm not happy about the wall munching animation, by the looks of things, that doesn't looks as cute as it did before.

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eroticfishcake

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Edited By eroticfishcake

He's back! Halle-fucking-lujah!

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agentboolen

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Edited By agentboolen

Glad to hear Bonk has come back from the dead...  If a soulless Sonic the Hedgehog can keep making games I don't see why Bonk can't give it a try.  YAY BONK!!!!

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CommodoreGroovy

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Edited By CommodoreGroovy

Have to disagree with you there Jeff, I replayed this game just recently, finding the games still playable and fun. While the Bonk series might not be at the level that the Super Mario Bros series may be, but while I was playing the game, it reminded me of the good times I had with bonk. This might all be blind nostalgia speaking, but I am looking forward to hearing more about this game. Thanks for the news, Jeff!

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Druminator

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Edited By Druminator

Didn't expect to see Bonk ever again.

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ryanwho

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Edited By ryanwho

AGGG EGG ON MY FACE

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Xander

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Edited By Xander

James Pond to the rescue, I was just about to link to the same article. Cheers.

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Brackynews

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Edited By Brackynews
@ryanwho said:
" @Xander said:
" 2.5D platforming is really coming on strong.  Bionic Commando: Rearmed, Splosion Man, Trine, Shadow Complex, New Super Mario Bros. Wii... and now Bonk. "
None of those are 2.5D. You don't know what that term means. "
o rly?  I'm willing to believe that, but then you've got some work to do on the 2.5D page, because those games match the current description.
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ryanwho

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Edited By ryanwho
@Xander said:
" @ryanwho:  None of those are 2.5D. You don't know what that term means.    Every once in a while someone on the internet tries to prove they are smarter than someone else.  2.5D used to talk about Mode 7 and Wolfenstein -like games, but as a part of the common lexicon, it hasn't meant that for quite some time. "
Its never meant whatever you seem to think it means. 2d games with 3d assets are 2d games.
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berbenator

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Edited By berbenator

holy hell! bonk (along with TurboGrafx-16 ) was the first game i ever bought!

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Xander

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Edited By Xander
@ryanwho:  None of those are 2.5D. You don't know what that term means.  
 
Every once in a while someone on the internet tries to prove they are smarter than someone else.  2.5D used to talk about Mode 7 and Wolfenstein -like games, but as a part of the common lexicon, it hasn't meant that for quite some time.
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ryanwho

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Edited By ryanwho
@Xander said:
" 2.5D platforming is really coming on strong.  Bionic Commando: Rearmed, Splosion Man, Trine, Shadow Complex, New Super Mario Bros. Wii... and now Bonk. "
None of those are 2.5D. You don't know what that term means.
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RHCPfan24

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Edited By RHCPfan24

TurboGrafx game coming to XBLA? Not expected one bit by me. Still sounds awesome.

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harrisonave

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Edited By harrisonave

Why?  I've always hated Bonk...

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teptom

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Edited By teptom

Whoa, what the hell is up with this week...it's been so strange.

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LiquidPrince

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Edited By LiquidPrince

Sonic should be done in that style.

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Xander

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Edited By Xander

2.5D platforming is really coming on strong.
 
Bionic Commando: Rearmed, Splosion Man, Trine, Shadow Complex, New Super Mario Bros. Wii... and now Bonk.

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ArbitraryWater

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Edited By ArbitraryWater

I'm pretty sure that Bonk is about as well regarded as Spyro or Crash Bandicoot in terms of people who care.

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cyrax

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Edited By cyrax

Taking into consideration the game's not done and that it looks to be the first world I have to say the foreground art is very ugly to me. Whether it is objectively or subjectively ugly I cannot say.

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D_W

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Edited By D_W

Of all the games to revive. Hrmm. 
 
I remembering really enjoying Bonk on NES though.
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Earthborn

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Edited By Earthborn

No. F'in. Way.

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DocWattson

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Edited By DocWattson

 Mario or Sonic?

Neither. Bonk.



Dude is straight up headbutting dinos. Revenge for what? Who knows. Revenge for being bald by the age of five maybe. Revenge for mother buying his wardrobe from a flinestone yard sale. Who cares. DUDE IS HEADBUTTING DINOS!!!! If that isn't extream I don't know what is.

::Poors some 40 on my rug to remember the TG-16::

I really should of went outside to do that.

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mawryk

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Edited By mawryk

Hmm.  I used to be able to Bonk's Adventure in 1 life.   If you ignore Air Zonk, Bonk's games were great.  I miss my TG-16.  Will be interesting

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EnchantedEcho

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Edited By EnchantedEcho

R U SRS.

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Three0neFive

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Edited By Three0neFive

I thought this was about a second Scout update.
 
Damn you, misleading titles! D:

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MrKlorox

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Edited By MrKlorox

I remember praying super hard to Santa for this the winter the TG-16 hit the shelves. Instead I got my first real bike. It ended up being one of the best presents ever, but boy was I pissed at that fat red fuck Santa.
 
Now that I'll have access to a new one, I'll probably check it out. I know I could go emulate TG-16 for the games, but I decided to cut my TG-16 emulation days after I played Dracula X: Rondo of Blood some years back.
 
edit: Blegh... the graphics might pass in SD, but they look pretty lame in HD.

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buzz_clik

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Edited By buzz_clik

Not cartoony enough. One of the main Bonk (and Zonk) drawcards for me is the bold 2D art style. This just looks a bit... half-baked and generic.

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mekklesak

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Edited By mekklesak

God Loves Me! Bonk's Adventure may not hold up well today, but Bonk's Revenge is as tight as a modern GBA game.

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BjornTheUnicorn

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Edited By BjornTheUnicorn

I think this is one example of my theory that the 2010s will be like the 90s but with better technology.

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Urmean

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Edited By Urmean

THE GUY'S A FREAKIN' BAT MAGNET!

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King9999

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Edited By King9999

What the...this came out of nowhere!

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Dynamitekyle

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Edited By Dynamitekyle

Huh, that's unexpected.

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Video_Game_King

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Edited By Video_Game_King
@Emilio: 
 
Still, he looks too pissed. It wasn't a good idea to make him edgy in Bonk's Revenge, and this doesn't seem to be improving on that idea.