Air Zonk

Air Zonk
Also known as: PC Denjin: Punkic Cyborgs (JP) Developers: Hudson Soft, Red Company Publishers: Turbo Technologies (US), Hudson Soft (JP) Platform: TurboGrafx-16 Released in JP: November 20, 1990 Released in US: 1992 This game has a hidden sound test. This game has regional differences.

To do: Document the Prototype

What's Bonk doing in a shooter? Oh...Bonk...Zonk...Haw haw haw.

Sound Test

Hold I + II + Select when turning on the system for the Sound Test.

(Source: GameFAQs)

Regional Differences

To do: (Maybe) provide the lyrics for the karaoke segments and translations.

Intro

Japan	USA

To do: Possibly video of the two mentioned animations (60FPS would be appreciated)?

The title screen animations in both versions are different. In the Japanese version, it shows a stone version of the "PC Genjin" title, which then gets smashed by PC Denjin zooming across the screen, while in the American version, Bonk is standing on a building, where he puts on shades and becomes Air Zonk (this animation is borrowed from the very end of the karaoke sequence in the Japanese version; more on that below).

(Source: Hardcore Gaming 101)

Karaoke

In the vein of RoboWarrior, the Japanese version has a pretty extensive karaoke sequence during the title theme that shows both all of the Punkic Cyborgs and silhouettes of the bosses while lyrics are displayed below. This was completely removed in the US version, which just stays on the title screen.

Difficulty

The hardest difficulty ("Bitter Mode" in the US version) gives you two lives per credit in the Japanese version. In the US version, this was dropped down to one(!).

(Source: Original TCRF Research)

Level Intro

Japan	USA

In the Japanese version, Drool's base in the background of the level intro screen looks like a giant pink coil of poop (Japan tends to censor poop in toilet humor by making it pink). The US version makes it look a lot more... base-like. Hm.

(Source: Original TCRF Research)

Names

Japan	USA
AQUA BASE	TOXY LAND
BRAINS TOWN	CYBER CITY
POCKN STADIUM	ROCK'IN STADIUM
BUBBLE MARINE	DEEP BLUE
PSYCOXY PALACE	LAND OF DROOL

All five stages received name changes for the US version.

Japan	USA
DUMP	POWER DUMP
ROCKETON	SCUD
FORMALIN	BUBBLICAN
UNI	SPIKE REE
BALL	BOB
DOG	RIPP
ZEBLA	MUMBLES
MUMU	ASTRA
MAUMAU	MOO MOO
YAMASHIRO	TOJO

All ten of the Punkic Cyborgs also received name changes for the US version. The words "PUNKIC CYBORGS" are also displayed underneath them in the Japanese version when selecting one.

Score

Japan	USA

The score counter was made a little less ridiculous for English audiences. The 兆 (chou), meaning "trillion", in between the fourth and fifth digits was removed, and the 億てん (okuten) at the end, meaning "hundred million points", was also removed. A simple "SC:" was put in their place.

(Source: Original TCRF Research)

Bomb

Japan	USA

The Japanese release uses another cartoon piece of poop (this time with sunglasses!) as the bomb sprite. It was changed to a missile in the US version and the puff of air that comes from PC Denjin/Zonk's mouth when "releasing" it was removed, though his animation for charging it still looks like he's straining himself.

Moo Moo

Japan	USA

In the Japanese version of the game, Moo Moo's combination move has PC Denjin/Zonk wearing lipstick and shooting... peculiarly-shaped exploding milk bombs from his chest. To get around the obvious visual innuendo, his sprite was completely redrawn for the US version to make his body resemble a cow, and the bombs were redrawn to just look like milk containers.

(Source: Hardcore Gaming 101)

Game Over

Hudson Soft apparently thought the title screen having a karaoke sequence wasn't enough, so the game over screen has one, too! Again, this was removed in the US version.

Japan	USA

The Japanese version also has a visual gag during the song where Drool turns into a naughty geisha, kisses the minion to his right, and a little heart flies out. This was changed in the US version to just be a regular silly expression.

(Source: Original TCRF Research)