~ BONK 3 ~
Hudson Soft / Red
HuCard
1993
Well, I know I defy consensus with my views on the series, but here are what I consider to be the strongest points of each Turbo Bonk episode:
Adventure - The original brilliant tunes, the most memorable and charismatic band of bosses, the tightest controls (which allow for smooth spin attacks), and the most nostalgic value.
Revenge - Superior graphics and stage designs.
And then there's Bonk III. It has... giant and tiny Bonk forms, which are amusing for about thirty seconds before seeming silly and gimmicky, if not utterly pointless.
B3 keeps the crappy controls from Revenge but serves up inferior graphics and stage designs, with only a few zones that qualify as nice looking or fun to explore.
And it's pretty boring. The levels are large, but I'm not the type who can delight in stumbling around vast, mostly empty spaces with little to come across but fruit, meat, candy, and the occasional bonus area.
I like to have some action to keep me occupied while I do my item hunting, and Bonk III provides very little of that.
The music doesn't help things. The first Bonk isn't difficult at all, but it feels fun and exciting thanks in large part to a very lively soundtrack. Bonk III's music is very laid back and "contributes" to the somniferous atmosphere. And while Adventure stars some unforgettable bosses, the bums here are stupid looking and stupidly easy to beat.
Playing Bonk III is like watching a television show that has stuck around a season too long: it looks, sounds, and feels like its day has passed. My brother Duomitri had warned me before I played it that "the magic was almost gone" in this episode. I'd say it's nowhere to be found.
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