About this game
PC Genjin — Bonk's Adventure in North America — is the platformer that Hudson Soft built to be the PC Engine's answer to Super Mario Bros. Released in Japan in December 1989, it stars a large-headed prehistoric child named PC-Genjin who attacks enemies by headbutting them. The name is a double pun: PC stands for both "PC Engine" and "Pithecanthropus Computerus." Designed from the ground up as a mascot game for the console, it was vibrant, fast, and technically impressive — demonstrating what the PC Engine's graphics hardware could achieve at the beginning of the platform's library.
Key Features
A headbutt attack system in which the protagonist's large cranium is the primary weapon — used to stun enemies, bounce off walls, and interact with the environment. Smooth multi-directional scrolling that showed the PC Engine's technical advantage over the Famicom. Seven stages set in prehistoric environments, each concluding with a boss encounter. Three difficulty levels — Beginner, Normal, and Hard. A lives system with continues. The game was specifically designed to serve as a technology showcase for the PC Engine hardware at point-of-sale demonstrations.
The Story Behind
By 1989, the PC Engine was two years old and had established itself as a genuine competitor to the Famicom in Japan. Hudson Soft had invested heavily in the platform — they had co-designed the hardware — and needed a mascot title that could anchor the console's identity the way Super Mario Bros. anchored Nintendo's. PC Genjin was the answer. The character had appeared in Gekkan PC-Engine magazine in comic form before the game launched, building brand awareness among the platform's audience. The game sold approximately 350,000 copies, establishing Bonk / PC Genjin as one of the defining characters of the PC Engine era. It was one of the first TurboGrafx-16 titles in North America, where NEC used it as a key launch window title for the console.
Tricks & Tales
The character's Japanese name — PC-Genjin — contains a pun that does not translate into English. "Genjin" (原人) means "prehistoric human / caveman," but it also sounds like "PC Engine" with the name restructured. The North American name "Bonk" refers to the headbutt attack. The European name "BC Kid" makes a different joke: "BC" means "Before Christ" — a prehistoric era joke. Red Company provided the original character design; the game development was led by Atlus with A.I. handling background art, all under Hudson Soft's supervision — a remarkably distributed development team for 1989.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Japan: PC Genjin (PCエンジン). North America: Bonk's Adventure (TurboGrafx-16). Europe: BC Kid. All regional versions play on their respective hardware. The Japanese version is titled and described in Japanese. The TurboGrafx-16 version has minor regional differences but equivalent gameplay.
Maintenance Tips
PC Genjin is delivered on HuCard — a credit-card-sized ROM module with no moving parts and no internal battery. HuCards are among the most durable game media ever produced; the contacts may oxidise with age but respond well to gentle cleaning with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab. Do not flex the card. The contact strip is along the bottom edge. Avoid storing HuCards loose in drawers — use a case or the original box to prevent contact scratching.
Available in our shop
Hand-cleaned and tested units shipped worldwide from Toyohashi, Japan. HP direct purchase exclusive: we include a printed shop owner's note card with every order.
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