The New Zealand Story

The New Zealand Story is a colorful arcade platformer in which the player, as the kiwi bird Tiki, moves through a series of vibrant levels rescuing friends imprisoned in cages by the hostile seal Wally, who is behind the whole kidnapping. On the Atari ST, the game preserves the playful, cartoonish tone of the Taito arcade original and offers fast movement, jumping, and balloon shooting, with which the player stuns and then blows enemies off the screen, or sends them flying into a pit as a projectile.

Besides classic platform jumping, the game offers collectible weapons such as boomerangs or fire breath, and in some levels even flying with an inflated balloon, which gives the gameplay a pleasant variety compared to the purely linear platformers of the time. The levels are full of hidden bonuses, secret rooms, and alternative paths, so the game rewards thorough exploration just as much as a quick rush forward to rescue the next friend trapped in a cage. The Atari ST port retains the vivid colors and clear, legible design of both backgrounds and characters, which made it one of the successful home conversions of the arcade classic, although the animation speed and scrolling smoothness lag slightly behind the original arcade cabinet the game was based on.

The New Zealand Story enjoyed contemporary popularity thanks to its accessibility, humor, and friendly difficulty, which appealed even to less experienced players without diminishing the challenge for more experienced ones seeking a perfect playthrough of all levels and the discovery of every hidden bonus. Sequels were later made to the game, proving its lasting popularity among fans of arcade platformers. Today it is viewed as a pleasant, nostalgic showcase of late-1980s arcade platformers with a distinctive and characterful visual style that sets it apart from the darker, more seriously toned action titles of the same era.

Why play it: For the friendly difficulty, humor, and distinctive visual style that make this platformer a pleasant choice even for less experienced retro players.