For former TG-16 owners or Bonk fans, a must have...for everyone else, not so much.
That being said, this is the most disappointing of the three Bonk games. I got my original copy of Bonk III for Christmas sometime in the early nineties, and then stupidly loaned to a neighbor that moved suddenly. I did have a chance to play through it once, and I remember thinking two things: this is a lame version of Bonk's Revenge, and, damn, I gotta get a Super Nintendo.
Well, I was feeling nostalgic yesterday and I decided to spend some of my Wii points on a Bonk game. I have played and completed Bonk's Adventure and Bonk's Revenge easily 20 times a piece, so I decided on Bonk III. I remember you could play co-op, and I didn't remember it being completely horrible.
I played through it yesterday, all the while my girlfriend saying "this game looks so gay" and feeling the familiar shame that came with being a Turbo Graphix 16 owner as a kid. Some things never change...
But, it only cost $6 andI had a good time with it. Hell, I would have spent $30 bucks sitting in the bar watching Peyton Manning and my Colts take a nose dive.
The graphics are OK, better than Bonk I and slightly more sloppy than Bonk II. Bonk controls a little funkier, mostly because, for some odd reason, he spins a HELL of a lot slower. The music is borderline as well and feels rushed as compared to Bonk II. The two player mode is where this version shines, although, you'll have a tough time convincing anybody who didn't own a TG-16 to play with you, freakin' snobs.
Overall, if you never owned a Turbo Graphix 16 and want to see what it had to offer, buy Bonk's Revenge or wait for Parasol Stars aka Bubble Bobble III (please, please, please Nintendo) because Bonk III WILL disappoint you and your mockery of TG-16 owners will seem warranted. However, if you are a Bonk fan, this version is almost as good as Bonk's Adventure, and will give you and a friend (if you can find one) some good co-op play and a pleasant stroll down nerd lane.
-Volzandr (aka Drewski)