New Zealand Story Revolution

"Swords, wheels, lasers and UFOs... wait, this isn't Kirby!"

Well, it's time I gave an old-school non-biased review on one of the gaming scene's greatest classics latest return.

Story: It's a cute story, although quite cliched. Tiki and his kiwi friends are playing at the zoo, when a Leopard Seal comes chasing after them. He gathers all of Tiki's friends (and girlfriend) in a sack, leaving Tiki as the lone survivor. With all of his friends locked up in cages all over New Zealand, it's up to Tiki to rescue them!

Gameplay: This is the real heart of the game. Those of us familiar with the previous games will be pleased to see our little yellow feathered friend brought his trusty bow and arrows, along with a few surprises. For instance, the sword and shield; although a short range weapon, they offer limitless protection from projectiles as you hold down the B button. You're also provided three hearts (occasionally four) as opposed to a single hit to survive on, which is good because you actually might need them. The levels themselves range from new, to familiar combinations of both Sega Master System and Arcade version stages. The levels are extended by keys and warp points, which are oftentimes unlocked by playing "minigames". Minigames are played often with the stylus, this includes opening doors, flinging Tiki from the bottom screen to save him from certain doom, balancing Tiki on a tightrope and a few others. There are some new ground vehicles included, which are fun to toy around with, but they really aren't necessary. The bosses have all returned with their own twists as well, with the inclusion of a new baddie and dual-screen gameplay. Again, if you're familiar with the first renditions of this game, you'll be familiar with the hidden warp system. You can use hidden warps to skip past levels you don't really like. The developers were especially kind this time around as this is the first New Zealand Story game to include a save feature, which is complete with a level select screen. This means that you can go back to any level you have ever played, which is helpful incase you accidentally skipped a level or you want to find a hidden warp somewhere so that you may skip a level. I found every level to be enjoyable in its own right, so unless you just want to rush through the game, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Control: Old fans of the New Zealand Story games will be both welcomed and baffled by the controls at first. In addition to standard walking, shooting, jumping and hovering, the game introduces double jumping, flying, dashing, dropping through platforms and aiming. Flying is a blessing, however it can be tricky. A particular section of the game requires you to double jump to your highest extent before you can fly and leave the room; this is slightly tricky because it's actually easier to fly from a drop than it is from a double jump. It's not that bad though, and it will actually serve to convenience you later on. As I've begun to mention, the minigames are usually fun, but occasionally they too are downright tricky. For example, Tiki has to open doors using the stylus. Occasionally, these doors have no footing next to them, so you have to find some way to keep Tiki afloat nearby. This sometimes requires some fancy handwork, as you'll either open the door (using the stylus) with your weak hand and hold the A button to keep afloat with your dominant hand, or keep afloat with your weak hand and open the door with your writing hand. One instance even has enemies which constantly spawn nearby, requiring Tiki to somehow fire his arrows, aim his bow, keep his balloon afloat, and open the door at the same time. I'm aware that not everyone is exceptional at multitasking, but this didn't ruin the experience for me; it's only a minor flaw.

Sound: The soundtrack is just as cute as it were before, if not moreso thanks to the Kirby-esque remixes added in, occasionally with a touch of flair. While it's not quite an orchestrated soundtrack, it does provide a handful of memorable remixes, along with a few additional tunes. The sound effects are not only faithful to the originals, but sound better than before.

Graphics: The graphics are beautiful on the DS and not only do they retain, but they improve on the original look and feel. The only quirk rests in the laziness of Tiki's balancing baton, as it looks rather jagged and unnatural while it teeters on Tiki's wings. This is only a minor flaw.

Summary: This is a well-rounded package of loving nostalgia which will provide fans and newcomers plenty of fun for several hours, and includes decent replayability. If you enjoy old-school gaming, if you liked the original, then you will love this game!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/22/08

Game Release: New Zealand Story Revolution (EU, 02/02/07)