BC Kid

Bonk attacks enemies by "bonking" them with his large, invincible forehead. Bonk starts the game with three hearts' worth of health, which are depleted to blue as Bonk takes damage, and three extra lives. Bonk's health can be restored in increments by collecting fruits and vegetables.

Bonk can also collect pieces of meat as power-ups; these lend him special abilities and make him stronger. There are three stages of a power-up: his normal self, a second stage during which he can stun enemies by pounding on the ground, and a third stage where he becomes temporarily invulnerable. Meat can be found in two varieties: big meat and small meat. The effects of meat are additive but wear off over time.

The game takes place in a fictional prehistoric era. Its protagonist is Bonk, a strong and bald caveboy who battles anthropomorphic dinosaurs and other prehistoric enemies. Bonk's mission is to rescue Princess Za (a small pink Plesiosaur-type reptile), who has been kidnapped by the evil King Drool (a large, green, Tyrannosaurus-type dinosaur). Drool kidnaps Princess Za after learning that her crown contains special powers, which he uses for taking over her kingdom by brainwashing Princess Za along with the inhabitants of her kingdom, while also transforming the princess into his servant. After several challenges, however, Bonk defeats King Drool on the moon (the home of Princess Za) and frees both the princess and her people from Drool’s control while restoring Princess Za to normal, who also regains her crown.

A 2003 remake of the game featured a cliffhanger ending in which Princess Za is captured in a magical cage that flies off. Bonk powers up before setting off to rescue her, and a ‘TO BE CONTINUED’ sign appears on the screen; foreshadowing the events of the sequel Bonk's Revenge.

Entertainment Weekly picked the game as the #3 greatest game available in 1991, saying that it is much fun to watch and play at the same time. In 1997 Electronic Gaming Monthly editors ranked the TurboGrafx-16 version as number 85 on their "100 Best Games of All Time", citing its imaginative level designs and hilarious player character.

Computer and Video Games reviewed BC Kid for the Amiga and scored it 93% in 1992. Tim Boone praised the original PC Kid for the PC Engine as being among his "all-time fave console games" and said the Amiga port was a faithful conversion, but with a different title. While praising the original PC Engine version, however, the review criticized the American TurboGrafx-16 version for being titled Bonk, which is an inappropriate slang in British English.

Bonk’s Adventure was followed by the sequels Bonk's Revenge and Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure that were released exclusively on the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16, together with two games based on the first two games that were released on the Game Boy. An arcade game inspired by the first game was also released, together with various spin-off games on the Game Boy and SNES.

In 2003, Hudson Soft included a 3D remake of Bonk's Adventure in their Hudson Selection series of games released exclusively in Japan for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube consoles.