Punky Skunk
North American cover art
Developer(s)Ukiyotei
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Kaori Naruse
Producer(s)Kazunobu Morimoto
Designer(s)Kenshi Naruse
Programmer(s)Norihiro Tokeshi
Satoshi Kuroda
Tadakatsu Makiuchi
Artist(s)Midori Nasu
Michiyo Komura
Rika Ueno
Composer(s)Harumi Fujita
Yasuaki Fujita
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • JP: 1 November 1996
  • NA: February 1998
Genre(s)Action, platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Punky Skunk[lower-alpha 1] is a side-scrolling action-platform video game developed by Ukiyotei and published by Visit in Japan on 1 November 1996 and by Jaleco in North America in 1998 for the PlayStation.[1][2] It takes place on a set of island archipiélagos where the wolf Badler and his legion of mouse-like Chews are threatening to pollute the locations through industries and machinery. Players assume the role of the titular skunk in an attempt to overthrow Badler and his BB Brigade army with the help of his companions Nash and Kelly. Its gameplay mainly consists of platforming using a main three-button configuration.

Punky Skunk was conceived by Ukiyotei founder Kenshi Naruse during his time working at Ukiyotei, which began creating a mascot action game intended for younger audiences reminiscent of Sony's Skyblazer on the Super Famicom as a commission by Bullet-Proof Software; the company later settled on doing a new title directed towards western audiences with Visit using the same game engine after Bullet-Proof Software changed their direction. The arrival of the PlayStation in both eastern and western markets led Ukiyotei to suspend development of the project on the Super Famicom before deciding on making a different version for the PlayStation, while integrating some of their previously established ideas from the original version into the final release.

Upon its release, Punky Skunk was met with mostly negative reception, with critics panning its visual presentation, audio and gameplay.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot

Punky Skunk is a side-scrolling action-platform game similar to Skyblazer where the player takes the role of an anthropomorphic skunk named Punky, who settles on saving the world with the aid of his friends Nash and Kelly from the evil BB Brigade army led by Badler as the main objective.[3][4][5][6][7]

Throughout the stages, players may find a set of special tools for Punky via a "gear" icon, including a skunk spray, a parasail, a pogo stick, inline skates, digging claws and a snowboard.[3][4][6] Besides the main stages in the game, minigames are also featured which can benefit Punky in his journey with items like extra lives.[3][4][6]

Similar to Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog, there are collectible stars scattered on almost every stage and obtaining 100 of them grants Punky with an extra life.[3] Punky loses a life if he sustains a number of hits or falls of the stage and once all lives are lost, the game is over.[3] Progress in the game is saved via the PlayStation's memory card.[3]

Development and release

Punky Skunk was initially conceived as a mascot game commissioned by Bullet-Proof Software on Super Famicom, before development on the project restarted and was ultimately shifted by Ukiyotei and Visit towards the PlayStation.

Punky Skunk was the creation of Ukiyotei founder Kenshi Naruse, whose previous works at the company included Hook, Skyblazer and Todd McFarlane's Spawn: The Video Game. Kenshi recounted about the game's development process and history in a 2012 online interview.[8][9][10] Kenshi stated that the title went through various circumstances before its eventual release to market, initially starring a different main protagonist on a mascot action game titled Metamoru Kid Gūmin for the Super Famicom as a commission by Bullet-Proof Software,[11][12][13] who wanted a game intended for younger audiences while Ukiyotei settled on creating a concept reminiscent of Skyblazer but aimed at kids.[8][9][10] Despite work on Metamoru Kid Gūmin being nearly complete, development was later halted due to Bullet-Proof Software changing their direction.[8][9][10]

Afterwards, Ukiyotei started negotiations with Japanese publisher Visit, who proposed to the team with reusing the same game engine written for Metamoru Kid Gūmin on a new project but the arrival of PlayStation in Japanese markets led Ukiyotei focusing towards the western market of the Super Famicom instead.[8][9] Kenshi claimed that Punky's design and main method of attack were a product of Visit, who told the team that "this incorporated the opinions of North American buyers".[8][9] Although work on the Super Famicom version of Punky Skunk was nearly completed, the launch of the PlayStation in North America and the subsequent decrease in the 16-bit market for Super Famicom titles resulted in suspending its development.[8][9]

Ukiyotei would later propose Visit in resuming Punky and continue development of Punky Skunk on PlayStation, to which the latter agreed at the request of elements such as the visuals matched the system's capabilities.[8][9] The programming team used Punky as research in order to code previous techniques they were able to perform with Super Famicom on PlayStation such as character animation and parallax scrolling, as software development kits for the latter console were deemed to be not suitable for 2D titles, converting several elements from the former version while finishing level design and other aspects during the process.[8][9]

Screenshot from the unreleased Super Famicom version

Punky Skunk was created by most of the same team that previously worked on Skyblazer for the Super Famicom at Ukiyotei.[3] Development was helmed by Kaori and Kenshi Naruse acting as directors, with Kenshi also being its sole game designer.[3][8][9] Artists Midori Nasu, Michiyo Komura, Rika Ueno, Sadaki Matsumoto, Tadashi Aoyama and Teruo Nagato were responsible for the character designs and pixel art respectively.[3] Norihiro Tokeshi, Satoshi Kuroda, Tadakatsu Makiuchi, Takeru Yamada and Yasushi Kamiya acted as programmers.[3] Former Capcom composers Harumi and Yasuaki Fujita co-wrote the soundtrack.[3] Visit also collaborated on the project's making as well.[3]

Punky Skunk was first showcased in a playable state on Super Famicom under its Japanese title, Cooly Skunk, at Shoshinkai 1995 and the 1995 Famimaga Earth World show.[14][15][16] The game was later previewed in gaming magazine such as Famitsu, touting its launch with a 23 February 1996 release date.[14][17][18] The original Super Famicom version of Punky Skunk was never released, due to an alleged decline of the 16-bit format and the launch of PlayStation in North America.[19] Prior to its cancellation on Super Famicom, a playable demo was broadcast via Satellaview.[9][10][20] In 2019, the demo was discovered on a 8M Memory Pak at the Japanese video game store Super Potato and a ROM image of said demo was later leaked online in January 2020.[9][10] Punky Skunk was later moved and eventually published on PlayStation by Visit in Japan on 1 November 1996 under the name Cooly Skunk, and later in North America by Jaleco in February 1998.[1][2][21] On 2 December 1999, the game was later re-released as budget title exclusively in Japan.[22]

Reception

Punky Skunk was met with mostly negative reviews from critics since its release. It earned a 21 out of 40 total score from Japanese magazine Famitsu based on individual scores of 6, 5, 5, and 5.[25] Electronic Gaming Monthly's four reviewers remarked that the game is fun enough and colorful enough to appeal to young children, but the extremely short and easy levels, derivative and simplistic gameplay, excessively happy music, and dated graphics would utterly bore older gamers.[24] Next Generation rated it one star out of five, stating "Nuts to this - you might as well hook up your SNES and play Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel." They cited the complete lack of PlayStation-specific effects and the dull, derivative gameplay.[27] PSM similarly panned the game's graphics, stating that they did not take full advantage of the PlayStation's hardware. The editors felt its rudimentary design resembled something from the previous console generation and compared it unfavorably to 2D platformers such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, remarking "it's like the game was programmed on the Yaroze." Although the magazine declared that its levels and bonus minigames did have enough variety to "squeeze a small iota of fun" from the title, they concluded that its simple gameplay meant it was targeted to a much younger audience than the average PlayStation user.[29]

In 2006 Electronic Gaming Monthly criticized the game's marketing for claiming the titular character had attitude, stating Punky was "...a Generation X skunk with an attitude!".[31] The titular character is ranked eighth on Game Informer's list of "the top 10 worst character names".[32] Ryan Geddes of IGN considered the game and its English title to be equally bad.[33] Screen Rant's Evan Hopkins stated that "by the time the game released in 1996, gamers were over colorful 2D platformers, and Punky Skunk landed with a resounding thud. Compound this failure with gameplay that stunk as bad as its protagonist, and you've got a mascot platformer that never stood a chance."[34]

Legacy

Licensed merchandise such as a shirt, sweater, mug, mask, and sticker were released in 2021.[35]

Notes

  1. ↑ Also known as Cooly Skunk (Japanese: クーリースカンク, Hepburn: Kūrī Sukanku) in Japan.
  2. ↑ Four critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 4.5/10, 5.5/10, 6/10, and 5/10.

References

  1. 1 2 "PlayStation Soft > 1996". GAME Data Room (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  2. 1 2 IGN staff (23 October 1997). "The World's First Stinky Mascot". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Punky Skunk manual (PlayStation, US)
  4. 1 2 3 "Previews: Punky Skunk - Can a skunk smell the sweet scent of success?". PSM. No. 8. Imagine Media. April 1998. p. 48. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "Action/Platform Games - Punky Skunk". PSM. No. 16. Imagine Media. December 1998.
  6. 1 2 3 Taborda, Zillion (4 May 2017). "Punky Skunk". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  7. ↑ "EndGame: Punky Skunk". Retro Gamer. No. 182. Future Publishing. June 2018. p. 114.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Billscat-socks (2012). "Kenshi Naruse (interview)". Hidden Palace. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 togemet2 (19 January 2020). "Cooly Skunk (SNES, Unreleased)". Gaming Alexandria. Archived from the original on 20 January 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Linneman, John (26 January 2020). "Cooly Skunk: how a lost Super NES game was miraculously recovered via satellite download". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  11. ↑ Auletta, Marco (March 1994). "Made In Japan - Ah-Ah! E Adesso?". Consolemania (in Italian). No. 28. Xenia Edizioni. p. 15.
  12. ↑ "International News: Metamol Kid Goomin (BPS/Super Famicom)". Super Power (in French). No. 19. SUMO Éditions. March 1994. p. 20. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  13. ↑ "International Outlook - CSG (Consumer Soft Group) Show: Metamor Kid Goomin". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 59. Ziff Davis. June 1994. p. 86. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  14. 1 2 "ファミコン スペースワールド'95 - クーリースカンク (SF)". Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 363. ASCII. 1 December 1995. p. 104. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  15. ↑ "The World Of Nintendo: Se celebró en Tokio el FEW 95 - Los nipones se fueron de feria". Nintendo Acción (in Spanish). Vol. 4, no. 36. HobbyPress. November 1995. p. 14. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  16. ↑ Sekai-yusu, Nihon (November 1995). "Super Express - Live From Hell City". Super Play. No. 37. Future Publishing. pp. 24–26.
  17. ↑ "NEW SOFT". Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 351. ASCII. 8 September 1995. p. 217. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  18. ↑ "News Previews International - Cooly Skunk". Super Power (in French). No. 41. SUMO Éditions. March 1996. p. 9. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  19. ↑ monokoma (8 February 2010). "Cooly Skunk [SNES – Cancelled]". Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  20. ↑ "サテラビューで配信された体験版・配信版ゲームの一覧 - 新作の体験版". GOD BIRDゲーム史研究所 (in Japanese). 8 February 2010. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  21. ↑ EGM staff (January 1998). "PlayStation Previews - Punky Skunk". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 102. Ziff Davis. p. 88. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  22. ↑ "PlayStation Soft > 1999". GAME Data Room (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  23. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Punky Skunk - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  24. 1 2 Rickards, Kelly; Williams, Ken; Ricciardi, John; Smith, Shawn (April 1998). "Punky Skunk". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 105. Ziff Davis. p. 100. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  25. 1 2 "プレイステーション クラッシュバンデクー オーバーブラッド パラッパラッパー". Retro Game Fan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  26. ↑ "Punky Skunk". Game Informer. No. 62. FuncoLand. June 1998. Archived from the original on 30 September 1999. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  27. 1 2 "Punky Skunk". Next Generation. No. 42. Imagine Media. June 1998. p. 142. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  28. ↑ Mollohan, Gary (March 1998). "Punky Skunk". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 6. Ziff Davis. p. 93. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  29. 1 2 "Punky Skunk". PSM. No. 9. Imagine Media. May 1998. p. 35. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  30. ↑ Tafu (1998). "XFlash - Punky Skunk". Game-X (in Portuguese). Vol. 2, no. 22. Trama Editorial. p. 16. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  31. ↑ EGM staff (March 2006). "Mascot Hell". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 201. Ziff Davis.
  32. ↑ "The Top 10 Worst Character Names". Game Informer. No. 188. GameStop. December 2008. p. 22.
  33. ↑ Geddes, Ryan (8 February 2010). "Great Games With Silly Names". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  34. ↑ Hopkins, Evan (7 February 2019). "20 Video Game Mascots From The 90s That Tried (And Failed) To Dethrone Mario". Screen Rant. Valnet, Inc. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  35. ↑ "Punky Skunk by mitexcel". TeePublic.
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