Game: The New Zealand Story: Untold Adventure
Genre: Action, Adventure.
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer|Publisher: bitobit
Controller Support: Yes
Steam Deck: Verified
Price: US $19.99 | UK £16.75 | EU € 19,99
Release Date: February 26th, 2026
Review code provided with many thanks to PR Hound.
The New Zealand Story: Untold Adventure – A Retro Classic Returns
For many retro fans, The New Zealand Story holds a special place in gaming history. Originally released in arcades back in 1988, it later appeared on several home systems and became a memorable platformer thanks to its unusual premise and colourful design. I, for one, had a blast playing this on the Amstrad computer.
In this new release, The New Zealand Story: Untold Adventure, developer Bitobit revisits that classic with a modern remake built on a 3D engine, while keeping the gameplay in 2D. The goal appears to be to introduce Tiki the kiwi to a new generation while giving longtime fans another chance to revisit the adventure.
It’s a nice idea in theory. The original game is fondly remembered by many players, myself included, and seeing it return in a new form is certainly interesting. At the same time, revisiting a classic always comes with a challenge: capturing what made the original special in the first place, and sadly, I just don’t feel this game achieves that.
Save the Kiwi
The premise of the game remains delightfully straightforward. You play as Tiki, a small kiwi bird whose friends have been kidnapped by a rather large and unfriendly walrus. Escaping the initial capture, Tiki sets out across New Zealand in a variety of levels to rescue the other kiwis.
Each stage hides a trapped kiwi somewhere in the level, and your main objective is to find and free them before moving on. A small minimap gives you a rough idea of their location, but the path to reach them is often less obvious, which encourages a bit of exploration.
The structure feels very much like a classic arcade experience. There are no lengthy cutscenes or long story segments slowing things down. You jump in, start moving through the level and focus on the gameplay. Ideal for pick-up and play fun.
Getting Equipped
At its core, the gameplay revolves around platforming and shooting. Tiki begins with a simple bow, but before long, you’ll find other weapons scattered throughout the levels.
These include bombs, lasers and even magical attacks fired from a wizard’s staff. It’s a slightly unusual mix of weapons, but that playful creativity has always been part of the series’ identity. Plus, Tiki wears a neat new hat.
Another memorable feature is the ability to ride various floating objects. Balloons and other flying vehicles allow you to move through the air and reach higher areas, which becomes especially useful in later stages where navigating vertical spaces is important.
Of course, this also adds a layer of risk. Many enemies can pop your floating transport, sending you tumbling back toward the ground if you’re not careful.
Boss battles appear at the end of certain levels as well. One early encounter that returning fans may remember involves a whale swallowing Tiki whole, forcing you to defeat it from the inside. It was a creative moment back in the arcade era and still stands out today.
Arcade Challenge
Like many arcade-inspired platformers, The New Zealand Story can be surprisingly tough.
Later stages introduce tighter jumps, narrow passages filled with spikes and enemies that constantly respawn. Navigating these sections requires careful movement and good timing.
The remake introduces a small change to the classic formula by giving Tiki a few hearts instead of losing a life from a single hit. On paper, this sounds helpful, but the trade-off is that if you lose all your hearts you restart the entire level rather than respawning close to where you fell. Which makes tough levels feel more like a slog fest.
Now in 3D
The most noticeable change in this remake is the visual presentation.
The characters and environments are now rendered in a 3D style using the Unity engine. The intention is clearly to modernise the look while keeping the spirit of the original intact.
Some players may appreciate this updated approach. The rescued kiwis now have small variations in appearance, giving them a bit more personality. Environments are bright and colourful, and the overall tone still aims for that cheerful arcade feeling.
Personally, I found myself missing the pixel art of the original game. The older style had a distinctive identity that doesn’t fully translate into the newer visuals. This may simply come down to personal preference, but the remake doesn’t quite capture the same visual character that the classic version had.
One thing the remake does keep is a mild remix of the familiar score that plays on every level. Cheerful, upbeat and repetitive to the point you’ll want to listen to something different.
Rough Edges
During my time with the game, I also ran into a handful of technical issues.
Occasionally, characters or enemies behaved oddly, such as lingering on screen when they should have disappeared on defeat. Sometimes, Tiki would just randomly teleport around the level. These moments weren’t constant, but they were noticeable enough to stand out.
A Difficult Balance Between Old And New
Remaking a beloved classic is never easy. Developers have to balance nostalgia with modern expectations, and sometimes that balance is difficult to achieve.
The New Zealand Story: Untold Adventure clearly aims to recreate the structure of the original game while updating its visuals and mechanics slightly. In many ways, it succeeds in bringing the core gameplay back.
At the same time, players who remember the original arcade version may find themselves comparing the two experiences. The classic still carries a certain energy and heart that this game just doesn’t match.
Conclusion – Nostalgia
The New Zealand Story: Untold Adventure is an interesting attempt to bring a retro platformer back to modern audiences. It retains the core idea of rescuing kiwis across challenging stages, complete with quirky weapons, flying vehicles and unusual boss fights.
For players unfamiliar with the original, this remake may simply feel like a tricky but colourful platformer with an unusual premise.
Longtime fans, however, may find themselves feeling a bit nostalgic for the original arcade version. While the remake captures the basic structure, it doesn’t always recreate the same spark that made the classic so memorable.
That said, it’s clear the developers approached the project with genuine appreciation for the source material. With some additional polish, it could become a more enjoyable way to revisit Tiki’s adventure.
For now, it’s a remake that may appeal to curious newcomers or dedicated retro fans, though the original game still remains a very special experience in its own right.
Final Verdict: I’m Not Sure
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