The articlegameplay, story, development, reception
Gameplay
Bonanza Bros. is a side-scrolling stealth action game, with shooter and platform game elements. The players take the roles of one or both of the brothers Robo (1P, red) and Mobo (2P, blue) (Mike and Spike in some PAL versions), who may have been modeled on The Blues Brothers. The object of the game is to travel stealthily around each building while avoiding guards, retrieve several objects within a time limit, and move to the roof where a blimp is expecting the player with the loot.
In this fashion the plot and gameplay resemble the Atari 2600 game Keystone Kapers, but with additional features similar to ones in Lock 'n' Chase. Two players can play cooperatively at the same time, as the screen is always split in two.
Development
According to Sega, they used "top-flight computer graphics" to "create super-vivid characters and scenes" for the game.
Reception
Game Machine listed Bonanza Bros. on their July 15, 1990 issue as being the third most popular arcade game in Japan at that point.
Julian Rignall of Computer and Video Games praised the arcade game's originality and "stunning" graphics, calling it a "rather nerve-wracking game of hide and seek" and "a very different sort of game that taxes your brains rather than your reflexes." Sinclair User recommended the arcade game to those who like the use of planning and timing rather than sheer speed of reaction.
Legacy
It was included in the Japanese version of Sonic Gems Collection (it was removed in the Western release). It has also seen a Sega Ages release on the PlayStation 2, and that version was included in the English compilation Sega Classics Collection. The game appeared as part of the Sega Genesis Collection for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. The game next appeared in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game is also playable in Sega Genesis Classics for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
There are also three spin-offs to the game. The first is called Puzzle & Action: Tant-R which was released in the year 1992, the second called Puzzle & Action: Ichidant-R, which was released in the year 1994. These two arcade games were ported to the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Saturn, and later packaged with the Sega Ages release of Bonanza Bros. on the PlayStation 2.
