Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus (1995). Play online

Summary

Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus is a quirky SNES platformer that doubles as an asthma‑aware training tool. Developed by WaveQuest and released under Raya Systems, it sits alongside other health‑focused titles like Captain Novolin and Rex Ronan. The player helps Bronkie and his companion Rexo collect missing machine parts while literally “blowing” dust away with deep lung‑inflated breaths, using dusters to zap foes. Staying out of cigarette smoke and gusty dust storms is vital—any exposure darkens the screen and makes navigation a choking hazard.

Stanford researchers even ran a study with 200 asthmatic kids from Oakland and Washington, observing how the game teaches inhaler use and daily coping tips. Engadget’s JC Fletcher later called the title hilariously overlooked and begged for a Wii Virtual Console release, proving that an educational gimmick can still be fun.

Storyline

In Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus, a meteor shower once shattered the prehistoric city of San Saurian, coating the world in choking dust that gave dinosaurs chronic asthma. To clear the air the dinosaurs built a massive wind machine, but the scheming Mr. Rexo stole it, scattering its parts across the ruined city and forcing the locals to guard the fragments. Bronkie and his buddy Trakie, joined by sidekicks Sam and Kyla, set out to recover every piece before the dust settles again and suffocates the planet. Players must guide the duo through hazardous ruins, using their lungs to blow away dust and striking foes with dusters while avoiding cigarette smoke, tar, furry critters, and looming dust storms that darken vision. Success means re‑assembling the wind machine and finally clearing the sky.