New Zealand is a lush green country that once put The Hobbit on its national currency. It’s a nation that allows every school to hold a pound of uranium and one that recognises sheep shearing as a sport. It also has the kiwi bird as its national symbol – a flightless species plastered on the side of its military jets. Yet none of that is as bizarre as The NewZealand Story, a violent, mazey run-and-gun platformer that just happens to be stuffed to the brim with cutesy characters.
Released in the arcades by Taito in 1988, the game formed part of the developer’s second golden age alongside the likes of Bubble Bobble and Arkanoid. The main character was a kiwi called Tiki whose pals and girlfriend Phee-Phee happened to have been kidnapped by an evil leopard seal who was hellbent on selling them. As you may have guessed, it was up to Tiki to save the day, releasing the chicks from captivity while avoiding all manner of obstacles and nasties.
KAZUTOMO ISHIDA
If that sounds simple enough, let’s get one thing straight from the off. It wasn’t. was hair-tearingly difficult and frustrating to the point that
