BC Kid / Bonk's Adventure (Amiga)

GOOD RETRO GAME WEEK, day 2.

BC Kid, also known as PC Genjin, FC Genjin, Bonk's Adventure... the game's got a lot of names.

The Amiga version of the game is actually available as a free download from the developer's website here: Factor 5 downloads.

Okay, this is just as I remember it being so far. I have to flip over and slam onto enemies head-first to kill them, and then they drop a little grinning face. Which does something.

I don't remember the grinning faces having red fangs though. That's kind of weird.

Bonk's Adventure (TurboGrafx-16)

Just for the hell of it, I thought I'd see how it compares to the TurboGrafx original. Surprisingly the Amiga version has redrawn art and redone music, and sounds a lot better. Plus it uses the hero sprite from the sequel instead.

Headslamming into these poor orange plants gets me free stuff, like fruit (for health) or hearts (for also health).

Or sometimes I get THIS out of them instead, springing out at me from nowhere and pogoing around the level malevolently. I have no idea what it is, an evil plant spirit maybe, but it creeps me out.

Eating meat powers BC Kid up, giving him the power to stun enemies by headslamming the ground, or if he get gets two meat pick ups (or a giant one, like this) it turns him invulnerable.

Like this! Haha, fear my touch of death, you hatchet wielding dome headed dinosaur things.

To be honest the best part of invulnerability power for me is the music. Lots of games have catchy invulnerability music now that I think about.

Bonk's Adventure (TurboGrafx-16)

Another difference in the Amiga port. It doesn't have this creepy giant moon looming over me from the top of the screen.

Oh that's great, thanks for dropping the piece of ground I was standing on into the lava with no warning. That was a real help.

And now I'm back down to 1 meat power. Then two steps later a volcano in the background showers me with rocks and I lose that too. Thanks game.

Bonk's Aventure (TurboGrafx-16)

One other weird difference between the versions, in the original game the hero gets ribbons on his head when he eats meat.

Hey, why does this enemy get to walk... uh, slither right through the dinosaur's spikes, but if I try it I take damage? That's a total double standard.

The guy was asleep the whole time? Whatever, I'm still going to headslam him for causing me all that trouble.

Besides, this is a dead end, it's not like I've got anything else to do.

Crap, my scheme backfired! I'm stuck on his tongue, and he's reeling me in.

Yay, stomach acid!

He doesn't care one bit, he even swims through it with his eyes open.

These things are more of a threat however, especially as I only have one tiny piece of health left. One hit and I've lost a life.

Oh damn. I didn't fully consider the consequences of my digestive tract adventure.

I'm out of the dinosaur! Though now I'm taking a ride in a skull-lift which is a little ominous.

Boss fight! This isn't too difficult as long as I can keep track of which way up I am. The kid can spin in the air to glide a little, but I have to make sure I'm facing down before I land on the boss's head or I'll take damage.

Aww, it was a nice dinosaur all along. He was just suffering from a bit of mind control.

But my mission is not yet over, I must journey onwards and do... something. I'm sure I'll figure out what when I get there.

Caveland! Also known as level 2.1 in the original game. These blue things aren't much of a threat, a headslam or two takes care of them easily.

These cacti can't be jumped on though, so I'm going to stay well away from them. Not that it's much of a challlenge seeing as they're plants. They just stand there.

Hmm, I wonder where this cave goes.

Caves take me to bonus stages! And there are a ton of them on this level.

On this one I have to climb to the top of a wall with my mouth. Seems easy enough.

Annoying, all caves look the same, but not all caves lead anywhere. If I try to get inside this cave I jump up instead and hit the cactus. Which is pretty crappy design in my opinion.

These enemies like to roll around the outside of platforms in green... bubbles? Eggs? I dunno. And if I release them, well they like that too. They're just very upbeat about everything really.

I'll only be happy if I can avoid hitting the grinning little bastards. I've only got one life left now.

Crap, crap, sinking, quicksand, spikes, crap!

Ah, I can take a ride on this miserable walking tree. He's slow, but he's a lot safer than trying to cross the quicksand on foot.

This rope's a bit rubbish looking, it just looks like a stick. But I shouldn't complain, it gets me where I need to be, and it's nice to swing above all the enemies and hazards and drama.

I'm just going to chill out in the trees for a bit.

That dinosaur looks like he's up to something.

I miss the trees, It was much nicer up there, away from the swamp water, evil dragonflies, and flying frogs. And these other little flying things that may or may not actually harm me, but I've been dodging anyway.

On this level I have to climb the trees, but he won't jump through branches so I can't find a way up past here. There must be something obvious I'm missing here.

Oh! He won't jump through branches, but he will swing around them! Now I can finally make some progress.

Not that I'm going to be making much progress on just one heart and no lives.

I should have known it would be a flying enemy that got me in the end.

Oh, but wait... I have continues!

Caveland?? But that's... all the way back at level 2.1! That's like 6 levels of progress lost, and there's no way I'm replaying all of that. I think I may have just remembered why I haven't played this in years.


Is BC Kid as good as I remember? Well the music is great, and the gameplay is solid, but overall it seems pretty average. I do like the game, I just don't find it that interesting any more.