The undisputed arcade classic, The New Zealand Story, comes to life on the Amstrad PCW range thanks to this extraordinary preservation and conversion work signed by Enrique Gálvez in November 2025. The original title, designed by Kazutomo Ishida and released by Taito Corporation in 1988, quickly became a platforming icon due to its vibrant aesthetics, tight difficulty, and the charisma of its protagonist: a little kiwi named Tiki.

The narrative takes us to the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand, where a giant blue walrus named Wally has kidnapped Phee Phee (Tiki's partner) and all his kiwi siblings to sell them to different captors across the country. Assuming the role of Tiki, the player must navigate labyrinthine levels set in real and iconic locations such as the Franz Josef ice caves, the Canterbury plains, the temples of One Tree Hill, or the narrow water canals of the coastal city itself.

Gameplay-wise, this conversion meticulously respects the arcade's essence. Tiki starts armed with a bow and infinite arrows, but throughout his perilous journey, he can collect hand bombs, high-tech laser guns, and crossfire shots to defeat the mutated local fauna. The level design stands out for its verticality and non-linear exploration. Players will frequently need to hijack aerial vehicles from enemies—such as helium balloons, flying boats pushed by ducks, or mechanical ships with shooting capabilities—which are essential for navigating the upper sections of the stages.

The Amstrad PCW port is a technical marvel that pushes the machine's architecture to its absolute limits. Aware of the system's traditional limitations, the developer integrated native support for the special color modes of the PCW Plus range. For classic monochrome models, the conversion implements an optimized graphic system that combines advanced interlacing techniques with an ultra-fast screen refresh feature ("faster scanline mode"), ensuring smooth scrolling of dynamic elements on green or white phosphor monitors. Furthermore, the game features exceptional sound support if a DK'Sound music hardware card is available, faithfully reproducing the catchy and joyful melodies originally composed by Yasuko Yamada.