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CHOU GENJIN 2 (Super Bonk 2) Company: Hudson Released: December 1995 Genre: Side-Scroller Graphics: 9.0 Control: 8.5 Sound/Music: 7.5 Storyline: 7.5 Review by: Corbie Dillard ©2008 SUPER-NES.COM

If you've ever owned a TurboGrafx-16 or PC Engine system, chances are you're quite familiar with our little caveman friend here. Bonk's first three outings were found on these two systems and proved to be three of the system's most popular game releases. Once the TurboGrafx-16 system began to lose ground to Nintendo's Super NES and Sega's Genesis systems, Hudson decided to bring their prehistoric hero to some of the more popular consoles of the time period, including Nintendo's Gameboy and Super NES systems. The first game, Super Bonk, was released on the Super Nintendo system in the US, but didn't exactly light up the sales charts. That's probably the main reason that the sequel, Chou Genjin 2, never saw a release outside of Japan. It's a shame too, as this title is leaps and bounds ahead of the first Super Bonk release in just about every facet of the game. Thankfully, you can import this wonderful platformer and given that the game generally sells for less than $20, you're getting quite a bargain. The core game play remains very similar to previous Bonk titles. Bonk still moves around at a slightly sluggish pace, and he still uses his noggin to bonk enemies that get in his way, but there are a few new gameplay wrinkles in this sequel. In this title, he can also pick up power-up items that will transform him and enable him to use special abilities that will be needed in order to complete the various levels in the game. These range from Frog Goggles, that allow Bonk's tongue to stretch out and stick to objects and platforms, to a Drill Hat, that allows Bonk to tunnel through rocks. Each of these special power-ups also have their own mini-game that revolves around their specific abilities. If Bonk can locate one of the special flowers growing in the level, he can spin the wheel and then play the mini-game that the wheel pointer stops on. Bonk will play through a couple of levels and then face off with the boss of that area. The bosses in this game are among the best ever seen in any of the Bonk titles and prove to be a lot of fun to take on. The control in this game is top notch. It will take gamers not familiar with the Bonk series a little time to adjust to the sluggish movements of Bonk, but once you get a handle on it, the game is really a joy to play. The special abilities Bonk can locate in each level really add a whole new level of playability to the game and give the gameplay a huge amount of variety. It's safe to say that Chou Genjin 2 is easily the most playable Bonk title of them all and it's also the most enjoyable as well. The visuals in the game are incredible. They blow the visuals found in all previous Bonk titles away in terms of not only detail but also animation and scrolling. The game features multiple layers of background scrolling and it adds a lot of depth to the scenery in each level. The enemies in the game look great, but it's the bosses that really shine. They're not only huge in size, but their outlandish look and style really make them standout. If your a fan of the TurboGrafx-16 Bonk titles, you're in for a real treat with this Super Famicom release, as it offers an enormous step up in graphics quality from any of the other Bonk releases. The soundtrack is very similar in style to the previous Bonk titles. The main difference is that there's quite a bit more variety in these tunes. Each level has its own unique musical track and it generally closely mimics the theme of the level it's found on. Some tracks are better than others, but overall it's a fairly strong musical effort. The sound effects are a bit of a different story. Some are really good and some are absolutely annoying. Whenever Bonk is walking around, his footsteps make a very annoying sound. And you'd better get used to it since you're going to be hearing a lot of it. The good thing is that after you've played the game for a good amount of time, you'll eventually tune it out and you won't find yourself noticing it as much. Other than this one gripe, the music and sound effects are all quite good. If you're a fan of Bonk, this game is an absolute must-own. It's easily the best Bonk title of the entire series and easily on par with some of the best platformers the Super Nintendo console has to offer. The odd feel of the play control takes a bit of getting used to, but if you're willing to take the time to give this game a chance, you're likely to find a game that you'll come back to time and time again.