New Zealand Story
Encyclopedia
is a arcade game
developed and published by Taito
. The player controls , a sneaker
-wearing kiwi
who must save his lover and several of his other kiwi chick friends who have been kiwi-napped by Wally, a large blue leopard seal
. The player has to navigate a scrolling maze-like level, at the end of which they release one of Tiki's kiwi chick friends trapped in a cage. The game shares several elements with previous Taito games (such as collecting letters to spell out "EXTEND", from Bubble Bobble
).
The goal of each level is to safely get Tiki through the level, avoiding enemy fire and spikes, and rescue one of his kiwi friends at the end. The weaponry starts out as arrows, but pickups can change these into bombs, lasers, or bouncing fireballs. These act a little differently, and what is useful depends upon the player's location. A distinctive feature of this game is the ability to ride a variety of flying vehicles, including balloons, blimps, and UFOs. Vehicles can be found ready for use or can be stolen from an enemy.
The game features four main zones, each with four rounds, the fourth round featuring a boss fight at the end. Other features include the many secret areas and shortcuts hidden throughout the game, accessed using special hidden "warp" portals. On certain later levels, if the player loses their last life due to being killed by a projectile weapon, they will be sent up to a special "Heaven" round. Here they can either receive a special ending, or find the secret route out of Heaven and continue playing the game.
After the release of the original arcade game in 1988, the game was converted to most of the game consoles and home computers of the time. Most home releases came in 1989, with some arriving later through 1990-1992. The home computer versions were published by Ocean Software
, and their home computer versions refer to Wally as a walrus
on the packaging; however the original arcade version specifically mentions him as being a leopard seal
during the closing credits
. The NES
version was developed by Software Creations
and published in the PAL region
s by Ocean. In North America
however, the NES version was published by Taito as Kiwi Kraze, instead of The New Zealand Story. The game received even more publicity due to being included in the Amiga 500
Batman Pack, which was launched in September 1989 and sold over 2 million units. Home conversions generally received good reviews in computer game magazines. The game was also converted for the Japanese FM Towns
and Sharp X68000
systems, providing arcade-perfect conversions, but released exclusively in Japan since both computers were only available there.
The Sega Mega Drive
version (again, only released in Japan) has entirely remixed levels (though still containing the same graphics, music and bosses). The remixed levels were later ported back to arcades as The New Zealand Story Plus. Remixing levels to arcade ports was commonplace in Mega Drive titles and also happened in titles such as Toki
.
The Taito Legends
pack includes an emulated version of the original arcade version of The New Zealand Story, allowing it to be played on the Xbox
, PlayStation 2
, PlayStation Portable
and any PC
. On October 14, 2008, the PC-Engine
version was released for the Wii
Virtual Console
exclusively in Japan.
Tiki the Kiwi also made some cameo appearances in other Taito games such as Liquid Kids
, Bubble Symphony
, and (along with his lover Phee Phee) Pop'n Pop
.
published the Taito
-developed Nintendo DS
remake titled New Zealand Story Revolution first in Australia
and in Europe
on February 2, 2007. In North America, it was published by Ignition Entertainment
on February 13, 2007. On May 31, 2007, it was published in Japan by CyberFront as . This version combines the use of both screens for action on the top screen and a map on the bottom screen. During certain instances, the game utilizes the touchscreen, such as opening a door, finding a secret button or flicking Tiki to safety. It also introduces a four-player wireless mode, Normal and Expert game modes and improved graphics and BGM
over the original arcade version. Also, unlike in the original, Tiki can receive multiple hits before losing a life, and can shoot at an angle.
conversion of The New Zealand Story, published by Ocean in 1989, achieved critical success. CRASH
awarded 91%, Your Sinclair
93%, and Sinclair User
82%. On the conversion from arcade to an 8-bit platform, Your Sinclair accepted the "disappointing" monochrome display for the sake of smoother play. CRASH commented on the accuracy of the character graphics and animation describing it as "an arcade conversion masterpiece", but found the multi-load cassette version to be awkward. The gameplay was deemed "addictive", with the variety of weapons and modes of transport being particular highlights. By November, The New Zealand Story was number 2 in the Spectrum full-price games chart.
The Nintendo DS remake Revolution received average critical reception. IGN
awarded Revolution a "mediocre" score of 5.9, and Eurogamer
gave 6/10. While reviews highlighted the challenging and fun retro gameplay, they criticized the touch-stylus and spot-the-difference events as poorly implemented, and the level design sometimes seen as spiteful.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
developed and published by Taito
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
. The player controls , a sneaker
Athletic shoe
Athletic shoe is a generic name for the footwear primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but in recent years has come to be used for casual everyday activities....
-wearing kiwi
Kiwi
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
who must save his lover and several of his other kiwi chick friends who have been kiwi-napped by Wally, a large blue leopard seal
Leopard Seal
The leopard seal , also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic...
. The player has to navigate a scrolling maze-like level, at the end of which they release one of Tiki's kiwi chick friends trapped in a cage. The game shares several elements with previous Taito games (such as collecting letters to spell out "EXTEND", from Bubble Bobble
Bubble Bobble
is an arcade game by Taito, first released in 1986 and later ported to numerous home computers and game consoles. The game, starring the twin Bubble Dragons and , is an action-platform game in which players travel through one hundred different stages, blowing and bursting bubbles, avoiding...
).
Gameplay
The game features four main zones, each with four rounds, the fourth round featuring a boss fight at the end. Other features include the many secret areas and shortcuts hidden throughout the game, accessed using special hidden "warp" portals. On certain later levels, if the player loses their last life due to being killed by a projectile weapon, they will be sent up to a special "Heaven" round. Here they can either receive a special ending, or find the secret route out of Heaven and continue playing the game.
Ports and related releases
Ocean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
, and their home computer versions refer to Wally as a walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
on the packaging; however the original arcade version specifically mentions him as being a leopard seal
Leopard Seal
The leopard seal , also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic...
during the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
. The NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
version was developed by Software Creations
Software Creations (UK)
Software Creations was a video game developer based in Manchester, England, first established in 1987. They are primarily known for their video games based on movie and comic licenses like Marvel Comics, Cutthroat Island, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and original titles Solstice and the sequel...
and published in the PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
s by Ocean. In North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
however, the NES version was published by Taito as Kiwi Kraze, instead of The New Zealand Story. The game received even more publicity due to being included in the Amiga 500
Amiga 500
The Amiga 500 - also known as the A500 - was the first “low-end” Commodore Amiga 16/32-bit multimedia home/personal computer. It was announced at the winter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1987 - at the same time as the high-end Amiga 2000 - and competed directly against the Atari 520ST...
Batman Pack, which was launched in September 1989 and sold over 2 million units. Home conversions generally received good reviews in computer game magazines. The game was also converted for the Japanese FM Towns
FM Towns
The FM Towns system is a Japanese PC variant, built by Fujitsu from February 1989 to the summer of 1997. It started as a proprietary PC variant intended for multimedia applications and PC games, but later became more compatible with regular PCs...
and Sharp X68000
Sharp X68000
The Sharp X68000, often referred to as the X68k, is a home computer released only in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The first model was released in 1987, with a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM and no hard drive; the last model was released in 1993 with a 25 MHz Motorola 68030...
systems, providing arcade-perfect conversions, but released exclusively in Japan since both computers were only available there.
The Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
version (again, only released in Japan) has entirely remixed levels (though still containing the same graphics, music and bosses). The remixed levels were later ported back to arcades as The New Zealand Story Plus. Remixing levels to arcade ports was commonplace in Mega Drive titles and also happened in titles such as Toki
Toki
Toki can refer to:People* The Toki clan, a Japanese samurai clan* Tōki Susumu, Japanese sumo wrestlerFictional characters* Toki, the second of the four brothers of Hokuto Shinken in Fist of the North Star...
.
The Taito Legends
Taito Legends
Taito Legends is a compilation of 29 arcade games released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC in October 2005. The games were originally developed by Taito Corporation. The European release was published by Empire Interactive, who had licensed the games from Taito and developed the compilation...
pack includes an emulated version of the original arcade version of The New Zealand Story, allowing it to be played on the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and any PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. On October 14, 2008, the PC-Engine
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
version was released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
exclusively in Japan.
Tiki the Kiwi also made some cameo appearances in other Taito games such as Liquid Kids
Liquid Kids
is an arcade video game released by Taito in 1990.-Gameplay:Liquid Kids is a single player platform game that features Hipopo, a platypus who must fight his way through a large number of enemy-packed levels in search of his missing girlfriend - rescuing other hippopotamus-like creatures along the way...
, Bubble Symphony
Bubble Symphony
Bubble Symphony is an arcade video game in the Bubble Bobble series. While being a new Bubble Bobble for a new generation, in actuality it takes place after Parasol Stars....
, and (along with his lover Phee Phee) Pop'n Pop
Pop'n Pop
Pop'n Pop is an arcade and console puzzle game by Taito Corporation. It has been ported to the PlayStation and Game Boy Color formats.-Gameplay:...
.
Remake
On January 25, 2007, Rising Star GamesRising Star Games
Rising Star Games is a video games publisher formed as a joint business venture between Scandinavian distributor Bergsala and Japanese video game publisher and content developer Intergrow....
published the Taito
Taito
Taito may mean:*Taito Corporation, a Japanese developer of video game software and arcade hardware*Taito, Tokyo, a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan*Taito, also known as matai, paramount chiefs according to Fa'a Samoa...
-developed Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
remake titled New Zealand Story Revolution first in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on February 2, 2007. In North America, it was published by Ignition Entertainment
Ignition Entertainment
Ignition Entertainment Ltd. is a British video game publisher formed in April 2002. It was created from a selection of smaller developers and publishers, such as Archer MacLean's Awesome Studios.-History:...
on February 13, 2007. On May 31, 2007, it was published in Japan by CyberFront as . This version combines the use of both screens for action on the top screen and a map on the bottom screen. During certain instances, the game utilizes the touchscreen, such as opening a door, finding a secret button or flicking Tiki to safety. It also introduces a four-player wireless mode, Normal and Expert game modes and improved graphics and BGM
Background music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
over the original arcade version. Also, unlike in the original, Tiki can receive multiple hits before losing a life, and can shoot at an angle.
Reception
The ZX SpectrumZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
conversion of The New Zealand Story, published by Ocean in 1989, achieved critical success. CRASH
CRASH (magazine)
Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
awarded 91%, Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
93%, and Sinclair User
Sinclair User
Sinclair User, often abbreviated SU, was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum...
82%. On the conversion from arcade to an 8-bit platform, Your Sinclair accepted the "disappointing" monochrome display for the sake of smoother play. CRASH commented on the accuracy of the character graphics and animation describing it as "an arcade conversion masterpiece", but found the multi-load cassette version to be awkward. The gameplay was deemed "addictive", with the variety of weapons and modes of transport being particular highlights. By November, The New Zealand Story was number 2 in the Spectrum full-price games chart.
The Nintendo DS remake Revolution received average critical reception. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
awarded Revolution a "mediocre" score of 5.9, and Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
gave 6/10. While reviews highlighted the challenging and fun retro gameplay, they criticized the touch-stylus and spot-the-difference events as poorly implemented, and the level design sometimes seen as spiteful.