Punky Skunk (also known as Cooly Skunk in Japan) is a PlayStation game originally developed and planned to be released on the SNES, but it was decided that it would released on the PlayStation instead because at the time, the PlayStation had been out for a while and the SNES era was on its last legs. However, the prototype for the SNES version was eventually dumped in 2020. The PlayStation version was released in Japan in November of 1996. The game was eventually released in the United States, but it wasn't released until February of 1998, a year and a few months after its original release. Since it was released when most games were coming out in 3D, many people didn't think much of this game since Side View games were becoming far less common. Because of that, it's seen as a Cult Classic by a handful of people.
As the title says, you play as Punky, a skunk that wants to stop Badler, a wolf and his crew, the BB Brigade, from destroying his island home. Kelly, a rabbit, and Nash, who is also a skunk, ensure Punky that they will help in any way they can. After you clear the first island, Commander Chew, The Dragon to Badler, kidnaps Nash because he's been making gadgets to aid Punky in his quest. After he is kidnapped, Kelly informs Punky, who was looking for Nash, that he was captured and that he's been taken to one of the many islands. So it's up to him to find Nash and rescue him from Badler and Commander Chew.
Punky Skunk provides examples of:
- Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: Kelly is a pink rabbit.
- Armies Are Evil: The BB Brigade, which is helping Badler tear apart the islands and extend his empire.
- Batman Can Breathe in Space: Punky, the Chews, and Badler spend the last stages of the game in outer space.
- Big Bad: Badler who is the leader of the BB Brigade. But although he is mentioned at the beginning of the game, you do not encounter him until the end as the Final Boss.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: On the last island, Punky learns that Nash has been controlled by a machine made by Badler and Nash uses his latest invention to try to defeat Punky. Once Nash has been defeated, the machine will be destroyed and Nash will go back to his old self.
- CharacterCatchphrase: Whenever Punky gets an extra life, either by collecting 100 stars or finding one, or when he switches his gear, he'll always say I've got it!.
- Clothes Make the Superman: The enemies are all the standard Chews, who simply wear different costumes to gain different abilities.
- The Dragon: Commander Chew is this to Badler. At the end of every island he will challenge Punky in some way to stop him.
- Eyepatch of Power: Badler wears one over his right eye to signify that he's a bad guy.
- Fair-Play Villain: Commander Chew engages you in competitions in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th boss fights with him.
- Fighting Your Friend: Punky has to fight a mind controlled Nash.
- Final Boss: Badler.
- Fireballs: The jetpack allows you to shoot fireballs.
- Fixed Scrolling Level: Rollar skate levels have this as their thing.
- Flight: Punky can fly with the jetpack he gets in the last stages of the game. Badler also turns out to be capable of natural flight.
- General Ripper: Commander Chew.
- Glass Cannon: The chews, the enemies you encounter on every stage, can be taken out with one attack by Punky. But as you progress through the game, they will be harder to kill as they will be different versions to stop you that are more difficult to defeat than their normal form.
- Goomba Stomp: Subverted in Punky's normal form, as he takes damage from jumping on enemies. He can only defeat enemies by jumping with power ups.
- Inexplicably Awesome: No explanation is given for why Badler can fly and shoot lightning.
- Invincibility Power-Up: The Snowboard makes Punky invincible when going at full speed.
- Kid Hero: Punky and his friends are said by Badler to be kids.
- Mini-Boss: Commander Chew acts as this in his final fight, being much easier to defeat than in his other encounters and coming immediately before the level's true boss, Badler.
- Never Say "Die": When a brainwashed Nash fights Punky, Nash says he will "destroy" Punky. Averted toward the end of the game.
- Psycho Electro: Badler can attack with lightning.
- Rank Scales with Asskicking: Commander Chew is a heck of a lot tougher than the rank and file Chews.
- Red Is Heroic: Punky wears a red jumpsuit and is the hero.
- Savage Wolves: Badler is an evil wolf.
- Side View: The game is a 2D platformer that was released on the original PlayStation. Since most games that came out around its time in 1998 in the United States were in 3D, it was criticized for being this and it's overlooked by many.
- Smelly Skunk: One of the very few, if not the only video game that not only plays this trope straight, but has a skunk as the protagonist as well. This trope is played straight as whenever Punky is in his normal mode, he will use his spray to attack enemies.
- Spin Attack: Badler does this during the Final Boss.
- The Heavy: While Badler is the Big Bad, Commander Chew is the one Punky contends with most often with Badler never showing up until the Final Boss battle.
- Totally Radical: This is what the game was trying to pass itself as, while doing things with Punky that would be seen as this like roller skating, snowboard and paragliding. Even the boss fights against Commander Chew count as they all revolve around sports instead of actual fighting like most games. Downplayed somewhat, as despite that and his name, Punky's personality is fairly normal compared to a lot of characters from this idea.
- Turns Red: During the Final Boss, Badler, after seemingly being defeated, inflates himself like a balloon and becomes much more dangerous.
- Vent Physics: The game has visible air currents which Punky can ride by using the Paraglider.
- Verbal Tic: Every time Punky jumps, he will always make a yea sound. Considering the amount of platforming, you will hear it a lot.
- You Meddling Kids: Badler invokes this near the end.
