Hráč 1998 July & August/Hrac_23_1998-07-08_cd2.bin/Info/WalkthruFAQ/New_Zealand.txt

Text File | 1998-02-17 | 139.5 KB | 2,711 lines

          The New Zealand Story Guide (c) 1997

         "THIS GAME WILL BE DEDICATED TO ALL MAZE GAME FANS"

                        TAITO,1988

         (Not the story of New Zealand the country,
          but The New Zealand Story,the TAITO's videogame!)

                 Version 3.3
             Started Writing it on 7/5/1997
             Lastly updated: 18/9/1997
             Written by Victor Epitropou
             Copyright Victor Epitropou 1997
             e-mail: [e-mail]

                Avaiable from:

       http://www.speedy.gr/users/victor/nzs/newzeal.txt

       and also from my home page (check it out,it sucks!),

       http://www.speedy.gr/users/victor

           AND,from the NZS home page! (This is cool!)

       http://www.speedy.gr/users/victor/nzs/nzs.html

   This Guide is freeware (you can use as you want, but I keep the
  copyright). I would greatly appreciate it if you asked my permission,
  before using it in commercial stuff, whatever it could be.
  I just wanna know,that's all.
   Free distribution of this Guide through ANY medium is encouraged,as soon
  as the original contents are not altered in ANY WAY.
  You may however transfer the Guide to HTML,create hyperlinks etc.,
  but never alter,delete or add anything from/to the Guide without my
  permission.

NOTICE: TIKI is looking for a second home. If you have about 5 megs of Web
    space avaiable,please contact me at [e-mail]
    to create a Mirror Site.
     The reason I'm asking is that the NZS page gets too few visits,not
    because it is poorly advertised (God,it's advertised in 3 big sites!)
    or badly designed,but because the Server it is actually in
    (www.speedy.gr) is slow and unaccesible at times,making people who
    would like to visit it angry and disappointed,often aborting the
    connection process,and surely not very willing to retry.
    The few luckies that finally made it to the page had only positive
    comments about the page.Isn't it a pity that not everyone can enjoy
    this great page?

 Chapters:

 *: Completely New. (not on previous versions)
 +: Additions were made (since last version)
 -: corrections were made (since last version)
 X: Not any more! (never more from current version and above)

               NEW ZEALAND STORY SECTION

 [1.1] Introduction / about myself
 [1.2] Why did you write this guide anyway?
 [1.3] How good is it? -
 [1.4] What is New Zealand Story?
 [1.5] What about it?
 [1.6] How good are YOU at the game,that so much you love it?
 [1.7] Credits -
 [1.8] History of the guide so far: +

 [2.1] Game basics
 [2.2] Game weapons/powerups
 [2.3] Game enemies
 [2.4] Game vehicles
 [2.5] Game bosses
 [2.6] The ending messages

 [3.1] Game Secrets
 [3.2] What are the "Heaven" rounds?
 [3.3] Conversions of NZS +
 [3.4] Emulations of NZS +
 [3.5] Emulating NZS on a non-PC system *
 [3.6] Does NZS have a sequel?
 [3.7] The NZS ARCADE(!) emulation project!

 [4.1] MY way of finishing the game.
 [4.2] How to EASILY finish the game.
 [4.3] Tricks to make some round easier.
 [4.4] Stories about the game/fans' section (This is up to YOU! The more you
                       send me,the larger this section
                       will be!So c'mon!E-mail me!
                       Some stories from me are already
                       avaiable,to get a taste of what
                       I want from you!)

 [5.1] Future plans
 [5.2] I have...and I need! -
 [5.3] NZS fans!

[1.1] Introduction/about myself.

 I am Victor Epitropou,experienced video gamer and programmer.
I live in Greece where I was born,in the small (60000 population.) town
of Xanthi.I love very much videogames,and especially good ones.
When I was a little boy,I used to play very much those cute games only TAITO
knows how to make,like Rainbow Islands,Bubble Bobble (a lot!),New Zealand
Story...
 I never really had a computer of my own until I was 14,and I used to
us(ur)e other people's computers: My cousin's CPC 464,my friend's CPC 6128,
my neighbour's XT,my other cousin's AMIGA 500,etc. and I learned how to
program fairly well,and use a variety of different kinds of computers...
 When I was 14 (in 1994) my daddy got me a 486 DX/40 with VLB,330 MB HD,SVGA
etc. and it was the best computer in my town (have you got an idea of how much
a 486 costed in Greece,at that time?)
What fun,watching the other guys torturing themselves with their old,el cheapo
XT's and AT's.And,it was only very recently that I lost that title (of having
the best computer in town)!Pentium prices went way down (way down for
everyone else except for poor old me :-) and even the last dork got a better
computer than me (but that doesn't change tha fact that he is a dork,and I'm
a POWER USER!!!
 My first thought when I got the 486 was "OK,now let's find all the good classic
games I love so much,for my new baby...".
But,my idea of the PC's game scene until that time was very vague.
I wasn't able to find Newzealand Story for the PC,
 Also,no really decent guide was avaiable for the game,so I said
"At least,let this great game have a guide,dammit!"
So I accumulated all of my experience and knowledge and here is the result:
Un example de noble art,modestement...

[1.2] Why did you(I) write this guide anyway?

 Well,I love this game very much,I know how to play it very well (explained
below) ,I know a lot of secrets (if not all of them...),hints,tips etc.,
that I would like to share with others and help new gamers to become as good
as I am at the game.Also,I would like to show the world what an example of a
good game is.

[1.3] How good is it?

 The Guide? Objectively,it's the best.

- Contains info on all enemies and vehicles.
- Has ACCURATE descriptions with CHARTS of the secret places.
- Is frequently updated (OK,OK,while I still have the time for that...)
- It has detailed reviews of the various ports of the game.
- It has tips for a couple of TOUGH rounds.
- Has info you never-ever hoped to find.
- it's now 120K...this means a lot!

[1.4] What is New Zealand Story?

 New Zealand Story is an arcade/platform game released from TAITO in 1988.
The central character is Tiki,a Kiwi bird (see below to find out what this is).
 He is yellow like a canary,wears blue & white sport shoes,and has a
depressed/sad look throughout the game.Maybe that's what makes him so adorable...
 His mission is to rescue his Kiwi friends,kidnapped from their Zoo by a big
Walrus,and also to beat the Walrus to rescue his girlfriend called Phee Phee
(which the Walrus of course kept for himself!).
 In the intro before the game,the screen shows the Kiwis playing around,then
comes the big bad walrus,chases them,puts them into a sack,and as he runs
away,our hero slips out of the sack,and goes on to a long journey to rescue
his friends one by one and finally to kick the Walrus' ass and rescue his
girlfriend Phee Phee. (gee,I love games with such plots!)
That's where you come in.
 The game is omnidirectional(scrolls any direction),single-scrolling
(no parallax),seems to use something like 32 colors on screen (looks much
better than other 16-color games,but not as good as other 64-color games of
that era,like Shinobi),and quite a lot of sprites on the screen.

Zoological Note:
 A Kiwi in reality is a brown,non-flying bird, about the size of a chicken,
that looks like it's got hair instead of feathers,and doesn't look much like
the one(s) in this game.It's also very rare,lives only in New Zealand,and is
a protected species.
Well,none,I say,none could find out what kind of bird was the hero of the game,
most said it was a canary (looks kinda like Tweety...) but I looked down in
an encyclopedia,and found it.Later,when I finished the game for the first time,
the ending messages said it was a kiwi,indeed.

[1.5] What about it?

 Well,for starters,NZS wasn't just another platform game.
It had many unique features,that almost none of today's games have.
Not in facts of sound,video,speed,but in gameplay:
 Most enemies didn't kill you by collision,only those who hadn't got a
long-distance weapon,only four in the entire game,many of them rode on
flying vehicles ranging from simple teddy-bear shaped baloons,inflatable
ducks,multicolor baloons,zeppelins,to iron baloons and weapon-wielding
UFO's with laser or homing missiles!
 You could kill an enemy and take his vehicle,or just jump on him and he would
fall out DEAD,and you would be on his vehicle!
 The game had got a lot of stages with water,where you could dive for a limited
amount of time,until you ran out of oxygen,in which case you drowned.
 You could renew it by finding rooms with air or going back to surface,and you
could also stay semi-immersed and spit water at your enemies,while renewing
your oxygen.Cool,eh?
 Even in water there were enemies,not really as deadly as the ones over the
surface,but they depended on the fact that you couldn't shoot in water.
 Another cool thing was,that if you died in any round after 3-1,you would
not end the game,but taken to a special stage called "Heaven",in which you
had a chance to escape it (heaven?!) and continue the game on the earth.
If you could,because even in heaven there were enemies (with Halo's on their
heads!) and deadly spikes,and even if you survived that,there was a Virgin Mary
at the end of the stage,that if you met you would simply end the game...
 And of course,there were SECRETS!A lot of SECRETS!
 Almost every round of the game had secret teleportes,sometimes more than one,
that would take you to other rounds or to secret levels!
 The game was also very cute,all enemies too,and very,very playable!
And there are so many other features...but,you've got to play it to feel it
real!

[1.6] How good are YOU at the game,that so much you love it?

 Well,I am the Master of this game.And I don't brag without a good reason!
I know almost all of the secrets of the game,all tricks,and can finish it
with ease and mucho lives & points everytime.
Once,I counted how many times I had finished it(!),but I lost count after
thirty-five (35) times or so...
 I scored incredibly high scores (if you saw a score with about 300K-400K
difference from the others,you could tell that I had played before you,and
surely had finished the game.

[1.7] Credits

 Credits go to myself for writing this guide all alone from scratch.
TAITO obviously for making the game,Cesar Negrete (the ambitious
Bubble Bobble emulator author) for being referred to in this guide,the
"Flash Back" arcade shopkeeper for having NZS in his arcade room back in
1990 altough it's not here any more (the machine,not the man!),all
emulator authors,all those people mantaining emulator/ROM pages,
all those people mantaining Bubble Bobble/TAITO related Web pages,and
of course to all NZS,Bubble Bobble,RI etc. players on planet Earth.
 VERY Special thanks to the "Kiwilator" NZS arcade emulator author,
Alan Pope,who also contributed to the NZS home page,as he pointed or provided
the Amiga and Atari ST version.Thank you Al!
 SOME thanks go to Nestis Koutsoudis for pointing me out some
details about the Spectrum,and being willing to contribute for the
Spectrum version (no matter what a dickwheed he has been until he finally
handed to me!).He was the first person on the Web to see my Guide!
(The page didn't exist yet)
 And,VERY special thanks go of course to Carl Chavez,for linking my to page
from his Bubble Bobble page (which is considered the TEMPLE of Bubble Bobble
and other TAITO games) and pointing me out the existence of the awesome NES
version of NZS.
 Olivier Houdes is another mentionable,for mantaining the Portal To The Past
Page. Now my page is there too! Check his page from the link in the NZS page!
 A lot of thanks go to Richard Bush and Dominic Holmes,for contributing the
Megadrive version and the C64 soundtrack,accordingly.
 Also,special thanks go to Mighty Red (whoever he is...) for showing such
a warm interest in New Zealand Story and of course all related stuff in
my page...That's what I call a FAN!


[1.8] History of the Guide so far

v3.3  18/9/1997
       Slight changes,and corrections.Nothing big,really.

v3.2  9/9/1997
       Although I considered the MegaDrive version a very good one,I never
      considered seriously playing it on my 486...until one day I discovered
      that by changing some emulation timing parameters (with genecyst...)
      I could get more than 20 smooth fps (that's more than I get from the
      PC-ENGINE version!).So I sat down,finished it and found a lot of
      strange things...but you better read the special review!

v3.0   Tue 9/9/1997
    Probably none got version 2.5 of the Guide coz I didn't want to
       release it yet...I made such a "jump" from 2.5 to 3.0 coz I got
       the INSANELY GOOD C64 version,(and,most important,in .D64 format!)
       and wanted to review it...and I think this really is a good development.
    I want to confess you something however...the Spectrum and Amstrad CPC
       version that I supply are not complete.The Spectrum one stops loading
       at level 4-4 and the Amstrad CPC one at level 4-2...after all,don't
       forget that they come from probably now decayed tapes and dead 3" disks...
       Nestis Koutsoudis had got his Spectrum version before me and in another
       place,but it didn't work anyway.So probably there isn't a good dump of it...
       And for the Amstrad one,the hardest one to find so far,it really won't
       be possible to find it somewhere else (even the 3" disk I have is kind
       of decayed...).Sorry if you had to find this out by yourself...I did!
       To compensate,grab the working C64 version,which is better than the
       previous two anyway ;-)

v2.5   Sat 6/9/1997
    Wow! ftp.nvg.unit.no DID reply (at last!) and hey presto,here is it:
       NZS for Amstrad CPC.Now even lowly 386/486 users have a much better
       alternative to the Spectrum version.16 colors.Stereo sound.So fast that
       you'll probably try to SLOW IT DOWN to play it correctly :-).
       Go and get it.


v2.3   Fri 29/8/1997
    Thanks to Richard Bush we have the unbelievable Megadrive version of
       the game,of course fully reviewed (it offers more than you would
       bargain for!).Also,more NZS fans contacted me: Richard Bush,Dominic
       Holmes,and Mighty Red...
       I rewrote (or more appropriately I cut down...) the intro section.
       So maybe now it's not so scaringly big & boring to read :-)

v2.2   Thu 31/7/1997
    Added the AMIGA version (many people will like this...) thanks to
       Alan Pope.Some minor corrections here and there...

v2.1   Wed 23/7/1997
    Some more corrections...

v2.0   Fri 18/7/1997
    Yet another update.Corrected some dates and names (Alan POPE is the
       real name of the Kiwilator author.Alan Richard is a wrong name entry
       which came with the emails...sorry Alan!)
    Now my page has got a link to the Bub and Bob page,and to Alan Popes'
       page about his own project.Check it out!
    Now I have found the NZS original ROMS,and ripped off the original
       texts,as well as the original programmers' names! See new section [2.6]
       for that!

v1.8:  Wed 16/7/1997
    Ahh,at last,an update.I think that 1.7 has been hanging around for too
      long.Version 1.8 corrects a lot of its mistakes,too.
       Alan Pope (the author of the NZS arcade emulator) has been contacted
      and is now part of this Guide.Read more about his project on the
      new section [3.6]! The ATARI ST version is in my hands now,thanks to him.
      This might be the last update of the Guide,until his project is finished
      (or I figure out how to use the ATARI ST version...).
      The Guide is now 100K,from the barely 50K of the legendary 0.21 !

v1.7: Sun 7/7/1997
       Carl Chavez had told me about "Kiwi Kraze",a NZS for the NES.
      I really found it,played it,and now review it...the results? You won't
      believe what you read!

v1.6: Sat 6/7/1997
       After receiving an answer from Carl Chavez,I've decided to put him in
      my NZS FAN section.My Guide will also be avaiable at HIS page,and will
      hopefully spread out.

v1.5: NZS for PCE finally playable (with Magic Engine Registered,complete
      review in the "Conversion" section [3.3].Home page issued...
      Also,check out [3.5],about the game that most of all cames close
      to the GOD (and is,perhaps,a better game after all!)

v1.4:  Great News! I have got the Spectrum Version (and NOT thanks to
      Nestis Koutsoudis).So therefore,I will have to revise many of mine
      (and his) opinions about it.But,at last,I have a playable version
      of the game.But,this will not stop me looking for the CPC version
      (which is sooo much better!).

v1.3:  Thanks to Nestis Koutsoudis,we now have a detailed description of
      the Spectrum version,with no prejudices and absolutely objective (Hhh..).
      Anyway,he is credited above,and he is the first person in the fan section.
      Also,GREAT NEWS: I got NZS for PCE,which really existed! Now I can start
      making that NZS page...

v1.2: Added Bosses!,some corrections,plans for a NZS Web page!

v1.01: Corrected some stupid typo mistakes,that's all.

v1.0: All sections complete,all rounds added.Gonna release it NOW!

v0.21: Heaven rounds complete,powerups complete,Slight changes to intro,
       conversion and emulation sections added,some sample NZS stories and
       some sections still to come...First released into the Net in 31/5/1997
       and avaiable from:  http://www.speedy.gr/users/victor/newzeal.txt
       (not anymore...)

v0.2: Enemies and vehicles complete,some more rounds added some Heaven rounds
      just started,some sections to come.Some grammar & spelling mistakes
      corrected.Unreleased.

v0.1: First attempt,no yet released.Had got intro,some levels,some vehicles,
      come powerups and some enemies.

v0.0: Just the idea of making a NZS guide!

[2.1] Game basics

 You simply move around with the joystick,fire with a button,jump with another.
Depending on how much did you press the jump button,you could control your jump
height,very important in some points of the game.
 Also,when you are falling down,even from a small cliff,if you press the jump
button rapidly enough,Tiki will flap his tiny wings,and will slow down,or
stand in mid-air,or even gain height! That's one of the best features of the
game!
 Your goal is to reach the end of the round,where you will find a cage with one
of your kiwi companions,touch it,free him and end the round.
 Your score shows on the top-left angle of the screen,the high score resides
in the middle top of the screen.
 Your life counter is at the bottom-left corner,above it appears the O2 meter
(when you're underwater) and above that the map of the level,which only shows
the shape of the round and your position relative to the exit.
 Your time isn't unlimited. If you are too late on a level,first a "hurry up!"
warning appears,then a flying devil angrily holding a clock (to show you that
you're late!) starts to chase you.You can walk/fly faster than him sometimes
(with a powerup or special vehicle),but he can pass through walls,water,spikes
and will never stop until level ends or he gets you.
 If you avoid him for a lot of time,another "hurry up!" will appear and
another angry devil will start to chase you along with the first one,and this
can happen again,and again...
 Soon,you will find out that your feet won't take you anywhere.
Many places will be too high for you to reach,or impossible to walk on.
 What to do then? Simple!
Wait for an enemy to appear (one that rides on something) and steal his vehicle
by a) shooting him down (but you must be careful not to shoot the vehicle,too!)
or b) jumping on him.This is riskier,as the enemy might be ready to shoot you,
and also there is one kind of enemy you can't jump on,because he kills you
by collision (you can tell from his spikes...).
 To fly a vehicle,you must ride on it,and keep the jump button pressed,letting
it go from time to time to control height.If you don't keep it pressed,you will
go down.You can steer the vehicle anytime as usual.
To get off a vehicle,just ground it and press down.
 Most vehicles are light,and will accelerate fast,so be careful if there is
a spikey ceiling.Some are heavy,and will fly around soooo slowly...
 Also,some vehicles fly by themselves (no jump button required).
Some are fast,some are slow,some are easily destroyed,some can take a few hits,
some are indestructible by some weapons or traps.
 I mentioned destruction,because you can damage the vehicles but the enemies
can too,and so will do spikes,lava,etc.
 In the right side of the screen,you can see the LETTERS that you collect
in the game,in order to form the word "EXTEND".When you do that,you get 1 free
player.Also,the letters have a number at their base.
When you collect 10 letters of the same kind,you also "extend" and get an extra
life.There is another method called "double extend" that gives you two lives
with one extend,and is a combination of the above methods.I'll describe this
later.

[2.2]

 The game has got a lot of powerups,some are weapons,some help you in your
mission,some give you points.
When you kill an enemy,he turns into a fruit,and after a sequence of different
fruits,the next item will be a power-up,and then the sequence starts all over
again.So,some items that appear after this sequence,are called powerups,even
if some don't "powerup" you at all.
The sequence of the fruits is:
Berry,Orange,Papaya,Grapes,Carrot,Watermelon,(Powerup),again berry,orange,etc..
Also,the powerups themselves seem to have an order:
Bombs,Spring,Staff,Laser,Joystick,Turbo,Random **
** the random powerup can be a Potion,Mirror,Letter,Green Apple (2000 pts)
   or Cake Slice (8000 pts)

Bow (weapon): it's your primary weapon,but appears also as a bonus,in case
          you would like to use it instead of some other weapon.
          It shoots arrows that travel straight(slowly),can be shot many at
          a time,don't do any through-wall damage and are ineffective against
          some "armoured" vehicles.It's also the weakest weapon.

Bombs (weapon): it's the first new weapon you'll get in the game.
        You shoot black bombs with fuses that explode when they hit
        the ground or an enemy.They don't go very far,and are affected
        by gravity.The explosions do extended damage,and can hit things
        through sufficiently thin walls.

Fire Staff (weapon): it looks just like a small staff,but fires big,bouncing
             balls.Those balls bounce when they touch a wall,or the
             surface of water.They are fast enough.
             They can be only shot two at a time,and a new one can't be
             shot if two balls already are on the screen.
             Can take several enemies in a row with one hit,and can also
             do some through wall damage,or get trapped in a wall,killing
             anyone passing by.

Laser Gun (weapon): It shoots a long,blue laser ray,that goes through ANY
            wall and enemy.It is very,very fast and is probably the
            best weapon in the game.The ray appears almost instantly,
            like a thick blue line drawn on the screen.Is also a very
            powerful weapon,maybe the most powerful.

Spring : Looks like a spring,but I have never figured out what it actually
     does,if it does.(Any info,anyone?)

Joystick: A yellow & black joystick,that allows flying all vehicles only
      with joystick (no jump button required).
      Seems to work only for one ride (if you get off the vehicle and get
      on it again,it won't work.
      Also,it removes all acceleration,making the faster vehicles slow,
      and the slower ones faster.

Turbo: Looks like the turbo symbol on cars,and will speed Tiki very much.
       Not only walking,but also flying vehicles (has no effect on UFO's,
       which are the fastest vehicles in the game).It also speeds up swimming.
       It makes you also be able to walk over pits you would normally fall in
       immediately.It may turn out deadly,if got in a place where you've got to
       do delicate manouvers to pass mazes of spikes or jump on thin blocks
       without falling.Has no effect when walking on icy ground (only the last
       two stages of the game have such pavements)

Clock: Temporalily freezes all enemies and projectyles on the screen for
       about 15 sec.This can give you trouble in some places of the game.

Holy Book: Shakes the screen and all enemies die,all vehicles receive one
       hit (some won't pop).

Green Apple: Simply gives you 2000 pts.No powerup,but appears instead of a
         powerup after the fruit sequence.

Cake Slice: Looks like a slice of Green (yuck!) cake and gives you 8000 pts!
        Not a powerup,but 8000 points ain't bad...

Mirror: Takes you right near the cage at the end of the level,with your time
    renewed.You can finish the stage right away,or stay and collect some
    points.Rare(only if you have killed a lot of enemies will this item
    appear in the sequence of bonuses)

Potion: Music changes,Tiki starts to flicker and becomes invulnerable for
    some time (about 45 sec.) against any enemy or trap,except water
    (you can still drown!).
    Even rarer than the mirror.

Letter: Appears more often than the mirror and the potion,and is very useful:
    supplies you with a letter,so you can "extend",or complete ten same
    letters for extra life (or maybe double extend,who knows...).

[2.3] Game enemies

 You'll find all of these cute guys in the game!

Crab: A crab with a brown,conic shell that shoots some slow rolling mines,that can be
      destroyed by a player's fire or level traps (spikes,lava,etc.)

Missile crap: A crab with a dark grey conic shell and whicked eyes,that
          shoots a fast,indestructible missile.

Blue Soldier:     A soldier (that looks like a wooden toy) with a boomerang.
         He shoots it,and it then returns to him,even when he is dead,
         so be careful,if he has already shot his weapon before you
         kill him.

Bob: Some worried-looking Bears with glasses,that ride on inflatable yellow
     teddy bear heads and shoot arrows at you with their bows.

Bomber: A guy in a hot-air ballon who drops bombs vertically on the ground
    from above.Can be very difficult to pull off if you are...grounded,
    in which case he is simply at a much better position than yours.
    Unlike other enemies,that have to come very close to you or even to the
    ground to shoot you,making them easy targets,this guy can keep a safe
    height from you and bombard you,being out of the range of most weapons.

Duck : A purple duck that rides an inflatable duck,and throws stones at you.

Exploding Frog : a purple frog that jumps around,and when it's ready to shoot
         it becomes red and shoots spikes in all directions.

Red Soldier: An soldier with a spear,riding on a red teddy head,throws his spear
        vertically and upwards,making him dangerous to keep below you.

Axe Cat : A blue and white cat riding on a heavy,metal vehicle invulnerable
      to spikes,arrows,etc. (the vehicle,not the rider!) and throwing
      heavy axes at you.

Flying Cat: A flying cat that will "scratch" in mid air,killing you if you
        just jumped on it.

Franky : An orange guy with yellow spikes,one of the few enemies that can
     kill you with collision,as he has no weapons at all.
      He can spit a guy like himself out of his mouth,and so those guys
     can dangerously multiply if you don't keep an eye on them.
     There is also a Franky that rides on a red teddy head like the Red
     Soldier,doesn't shoot too,and it can't multiply.
     YOU CAN'T JUMP ON HIM TO GET HIS VEHICLE!You'll die.

Microbs: A bunch of seven microbs that moves slowly towards you,and if you
     don't kill the "leader" (the one that moves first) then they will
     multiply to reach seven again.If you kill the "leader",they stop
     moving and die off quickly.They can only kill you by collision.
     You can exploit them by going behind them someway,and shoot the
     last ones: the "leader" will always produce new ones,so you can
     take many points and powerups out of theese guys.

Turtle: Turtles that ride on slow,yellow ballons with strings and spit fire
    at you.Their fire can pass through several enemies,so be careful!

Cool Bob: Like the bobs,but bigger,with bigger bows,black glasses (hence: cool!)
      and ride on a special baloon that can take four hits and changes colors.

Laser UFO pilot: A guy that pilots a fast UFO with built-in laser cannon
         that shoots instantly through walls.Very deadly,if you're
         not quicker or without the proper weapons,since the UFO is
         indestructible by arrows,spikes,spears,etc.

Black Bat: An ugly bat that flies high,like the Bomber but can't change it's
       altitude,flies through walls and carries a spike to drop on you.
       After it drops this spike,it simply leaves the screen,uncapable
       of doing you any more harm.This makes it less dangerous than the
       Bomber,which has unlimited bombs,but it aims much more accurately.
       It can't kill you by contact,but if you bump it while it's
       still carrying it's spike,you will die from the spike,which is
       effective even when still carried.
       Also,leaves no bonus when killed,to complete it's ugly image.

Magician: A guy fooling around in a silly joker costume,trowing a magic star
      in the air every little bit.The star turns into a new enemy.
      He seems to be able to create any enemy,from a crab to a Laser UFO
      pilot.He can't make other Magicians,and I've never seen him create
      a Missile UFO Pilot.Sometimes,this guy rides a zeppelin,which makes
      him difficult to reach.

Missile UFO pilot: An ugly looking guy that pilots a fast UFO,shooting homing
           missiles at you.

Cannon Lamb: A big lamb (?!) carring a big cannon,shoots a big black ball that
         explodes and from zero to eight pellets come from it.

Curser: An ugly-looking black guy that seems to be cursing you all the time,
    (actually,he looks pissed-off!) rides a fast metal vehicle,invulnerable
    to spikes,arrows,etc. which carries four spike balls,that kill anything
    they touch.

Pumpkin: A Halloween pumpkin with arms,that simply jump and grabs you if you
     fly on a vehicle,and pulls you down.That's all.It doesn't kill you,and you
     can touch him.Appears only in levels 4-2,4-3 and 4-4.

Mine: Only underwater,can't shoot but you can't too.Moves excessively fast for
      your swimming speed,kills by collision,but can be shot by laser (outside
      and aside water) or a bomb on the surface,maybe even with a bouncin'ball.
      It also has the ability to climb and descend waterfalls easily,covering
      a vaste water territory,

Spike Sponge: A spikey mass that moves left-right underwater around the same
          spot.Kills you if you touch it.

Anemon: Starts to move when you get near it,and eats you if you come too close.
    You can swim UNDER it's mouth and it won't catch you.

Bomb Trap: Looks like a Spike Sponge with a tentacle: only the tentacle moves,
       and if it touches you,it starts to burn off (underwater?!) and when
       the fire reaches the trap,BOOM!,it shoots like the Frog,but also
       explodes and disappears forever.I've never tried it,but I think it
       should kill you even if you touch the spikes without having touched
       the tentacle.

Red Porcupine: It's a strange looking enemy,not appearing really often in
          the arcade.He looks like what the name says: a Red guy with
          spikes on his back.He is the only enemy that HANGS from a green,
          one-shot baloon,and he produces the same (painful) effect of a
          Flying Franky.
           On the arcade I only saw him once,spawned by a Magician,and
          caused the machine to crash after a while.
           That made me always think that was a momentary bug,some sprite
          mistake,but then I saw the same figure on various versions of the
          game,especially on the Spectrum (in which he replaced the Flying
          Franky),the Amstrad CPC and the Sega Megadrive,which featured
          both of them (Frankie AND Porcupine).
          Apart from the mystery cloud that surrounds him,and his weird
          appearance...nothing interesting.

[2.4] Game Vehicles

 As you have probably understood,I mean every flying device in this game with
the word "vehicle".Those vehicles can range from a simple baloon to a high-tech
UFO,and add so much to the gameplay,that the game wouldn't be the same without
them.
 The fun and joy of riding the weirdest vehicles,like,say,a big zeppelin or a
powerful UFO and blast your enemies from above,is one of the game's best
features.
 You mostly grab your vehicle from an enemy,by shooting him or jumping
on him (be careful...) or,sometimes,it's there already,waiting for you.
 You can kill an enemy by just shooting his vehicle,but the enemies can
do that to you to,making you fall on spikes or lava,or you can accidentally
misplace your vehicle on spikes,causing it to pop and you to fall on them.


 Teddy bear head: It looks b a r e l y like a bear's head,only it's got
          too thin ears.It comes in a yellow/brown and red version,
          which are exactly the same thing.It's speed is average,and
          it can squeeze through a few narrow spots with some effort,
          although it adds a bit to your total height (it's half as
          tall as Tiki,TIki rides on it by just STANDING,and so he
          becomes 50% taller).It's as large as Tiki.
          To destroy it,it only takes one hit by any weapon,including
          spikes,lava,etc.

Duck: It's probably the vehicle you will ride the most.It looks just like
      an ordinary duck,but it's speed is above average.Although it's about
      75% Tiki's height,Tiki rides it while sitting down,so it only adds
      about 15-20% to your total height.Although it looks a bit larger than
      Tiki,that's simply an illusion: it can squeeze EASILY through many,
      many narrow spots precisely and with safety,altough it also takes only
      one shot to be destroyed.

Hot air baloon: This baloon has got a blue chest,where Tiki stands,and above
        it there is a pink baloon,that can protect Tiki from a dropping
        weapon,such as a spike,but then the baloon is gone,and Tiki falls
        down.It's about 30% taller than Tiki,and adds the same to his
        height,because Tiki stands on the bottom line of the basket,and
        the baloon just above him.That's why it can't pass through many
        spots,and it's not such a good vehicle after all.
        It's as large as Tiki,and takes only one shot to destroy.

Metal Baloon :  This massive and heavy vehicle can be very useful sometimes:
        It's indestructible by spikes,arrows,spears,turtle fires,stones,
        etc. and also by lava.However,it only takes one hit from
        a bomb,bouncing flame,laser or homing missile to destroy it.
        You can either stand on it,or hang from below it,so it protects
        your head from dangers such as bombs,spikes,etc.,but it's also
        about 150% the height of Tiki,making it unsuitable for tunnels,
        etc. Also,if you ride it by hanging from below,the result stands
        even taller,and even more unsuitable for narrow places.
        And last,but not least,its terribly S-L-O-W when going up,
        and too FAST when going down.

String baloon: It's just a yellow baloon with a string,that you can either
           stand on it or hang from it,in which case it becomes unsuitable
           for many tunnels.It's a little taller than a teddy bear baloon.
           Nothing interesting here...

Color baloon : That's another important vehicle in this game.
           You can either stand or hang,like the Metal Baloon,but's it's
           shorter and faster than that.It's not indestructible,but takes
           4 shots from - ANY - weapon to be destroyed.You can tell how
           many shots it takes from it's color:  when it's brand new,it's
           bright red.When it's hit one time,it becomes bright green.
           The second time,it becomes yellow,the third time dark red,and
           the next time it disappears.It can squeeze trough a few places,
           and is a good choice in some parts of the game.It's as tall as
           Tiki,but still has good mobility.

Zeppelin : Whoa! A big zeppelin,twice the height of Tiki and four times as
       large,with a little basket hanging from below.
       You will not have many chances to ride this thing in the game,
       because the enemy who rides it likes to remain high above you,and
       it's difficult to jump on it (you must center the basket,not just
       the big baloon!).
       It's easiest to get it on round 5-1 and maybe on round 3-4.
       Even if you get it,you will not be very impressed: it's too slow,
       and can't pass through many places,due to it's size,so you'll maybe
       ride it for a few seconds,just for curiosity.It takes about 4 to 5
       hits to destroy,but gives no indication of how many has it taken so
       far.It's worth however 1000 points if shot,so shoot it down if you can!

SpikeBalls: It's a metal vehicle with the same properties of the Metal Baloon,
        only that it is a little shorter,much lighter and carries four
        deadly spikey metal balls hanging from below,kinda like the tail of
        a kite (so you can't hang from below ;-) . Those balls destroy and
        kill anything they touch,except the rider of the vehicle,because
        when you go down,the balls don't follow immediately,but are affected
        by inertia and react slowly when changing direction.
         Getting on the vehicle is not such a hard task.But getting down is
        far more dangerous,because then you will be vulnerable to the balls.
        When you land,all the balls touch the ground,and one or more will be
        down the vehicle,and not aside.So,if you press "down" on the joystick,
        you will fall on the balls,and since you will not be on the vehicle
        anymore,guess...you will die!
         If you've only got arrows,try to move it so that the balls are as
        far as possible from the body of the vehicle before getting down,
        and give it a try...
         If you've got bombs,staff or laser,no problemo:
        Just shoot as you press down,the vehicle will be destroyed and you
        will be safe!

Laser UFO: it looks like a small cabrio spaceship (no roof) and has got a
       round cannon in front of it (only when you ride it).
       It is very fast,and needs no jump button to fly,you just move
       it around with the joystick.It can also stay completely still in
       mid air,without falling down,if you don't move it at all.
       It's also,as usual,indestructible by arrows,spikes,etc.
       It also replaces your weapon with a powerful laser blast,five times
       more powerful than the laser gun.
        If you want to destroy it,land it,shoot with its laser,press "down"
       and quickly flick the joystick left-right.
       It adds nothing to your height,but it's twice as large as you,so you
       can't take it with you everywhere...

Missile UFO: This special version of the UFO appears only in levels 5-1 and
         5-3,so you really gotta be very good at the game to have a chance
         to see it and ride it.It looks like the Laser UFO,and has the same
         properties,only that it's cannon is kind of trapezoidal,and shoots
         small homing missiles that auto-lock on any enemy and destroy it.
         The missiles die-off after some time if they don't find any target,
         after flying circles around the same spot.
         They aren't very fast,but it's very funny standing high,with YOUR
         BACK TURNED on your enemies,and seeing the missiles going down
         and steering on them,to kill them.
          There are some things you've got to be careful about:
         The missiles YOU shoot,don't harm you or the UFO that fired them,
         (if the rider that fired them is still on the UFO) but if an enemy
         pilot has already fired some missiles against you,and you kill him
         and take his vehicle,the missiles he fired will still be looking for
         you,so you can either shoot them (since the missiles will lock on and
         destroy enemy HOMING missiles ONLY),or beat it,since the UFO flies
         much faster than the missiles.
          If you want to destroy it with it's own weapon,go as close to
         the ground as possible,without getting out of it,shoot one missile,
         making sure that there is no enemy around,so the missile will fly
         straight forward,fly it ahead of the missile,and get down (quickly!).
         The missile will then destroy the UFO (since you are not on it anymore)
         As you can understand,that can also be a method of killing yourself ;-)
         if you shoot more than one missile...

[2.5] Game Bosses

 What,did you think a game like that didn't have any bosses?
On the opposite,there are plenty of them!
Bosses appear at the end of every episode (Oakland,Rotorua,Waitomo Caves,
Strait Cook,Mt Cook) except Strait Cook,which has got no Boss.
So,totally,there are 4 big meanies in the whole game.Let's see them:

Oakland: The Frozen Whale

 The Boss here is the Frozen Whale,a pink whale with an ice armor that floats
in mid-air,shoots some snow flakes(!) at you,and from time to time it tries to
swallow you.The whale isn't vulnerable from outside,so you must let it
swallow you.
 If you do so,you will be INSIDE the whale,and shoot its internal walls,until
it's destroyed.
But,beware,because gastric liquigs slowly drip from the whale's ceiling,and
kill you if touched!You must move around inside the whale,so to constantly
avoid gastric liquids.
The best weapon against it is the Laser Gun,or the Fire Staff.Best because they
kill it more rapidly.

Rotorua: The Stone Octopus

 The boss here is a big stone octopus with a "headlight" that shoots some
black objects of indefinisable form against you.Floats in mid air,and it's
only weak point is the "headlight",from which it shoots you.
The projectyles can be destroyed,and MUST be to reach the headlight.
So,the best weapon against it is,once again,the Laser Gun,and the Fire Staff.
With arrows,it should be kind of difficult,and with bombs almost impossible,
since you are on one side of the screen,and the Octopus on the other,and you
have to be on the same height with the boss to hit him.

Waitomo Caves: Amida Meiro

 The boss here is a strange totem-looking robot,which some wall inscriptions
in the game call "Amida Meiro".Anyway,Amida Meiro is a big robot with an
egg-shaped body,with a built-in missile launcher.
On Amida's chest,there is a door,which opens and she shoots 5 black missiles
at you.Those missiles are slow,but tend to lock on your last position,so they
are quite dangerous.
 To easily pull out,you must have a strong vehicle,the Metal Baloon.
After you take the vehicle (NOT from the head!),fly in the boss room and stand
on the highest platform on the right WITHOUT abandoning the vehicle.
 When Amida comes at your height,shoot her like crazy until her missiles come
close to you.
Then go up so Tiki is "inside" the ceiling blocks.
Missiles will pass through the vehicle,and you will be unharmed.
Go down and repeat until she's dead...
The best weapon is the laser.Arrows are blocked by missiles,and bombs require
you find a special position to do any good.Fire Staff as arrows,and only gives
two shots!

Strait Cook: (none)

 Strangely,there is no boss here.Only a very dangerous round,crammed with spikes.
See section [4.3] for more info.

Mt.Cook: (Walrus)

 The boss here is also the final one.He is the bad Walrus,hanging from a big
red baloon,and holding a small cannon.which shoots 5 black balls with a
parabolic trajectory.
You DEFINITIVELY should enter the boss room with a flying vehicle,or else
you'll have to stand on a microscopic block of ice,and sooner or later either
the cannon will get you,because you can't move,or you'll slip and fall down on
spikes...OUCH!
 Also,be sure to have the Laser Gun with you,since arrows hurt him very little.
You can do these two things together,if you get the Laser UFO,which destroys
him if 3-5 shots.If you do that,you're ok.The Laser Gun takes 10-15 shots.
 Also,only the baloon is vulnerable,and not the body,so shoot the baloon.

[2.6] The ending scenes.

 Ahh,if you ever finished the game in the arcades,you must be familiar with
these messages and scenes.If you never did,but wish to find out...read on!
After you defeat the final boss,a slideshow of Tiki's adventures appears,and
several text messages read (grammar and spelling as they appear in the game):

               "STORY
Here is nature zoological gardens in North island.
Two kiwis called Tiki and Phee-phee live together
with many fellows.
One day, Phee-phee and other fellows are carried
off by a leopard seal who came from the antarctic
ocean.
The leopard seal is selling kiwis in various places.
Tiki goes on a journey to help Phee-phee and other
fellows out of the dangerous places...."

Then follows a looping cinematic sequence with a giant Tiki and a giant Phee-Phee
walking down the road with shops scrolling in the background,and text scrolling
upwards:

"You should know well
 the story after this
 because you would
 make the story after
 this by yourself....

 MAIN STAFF

 KAZUTOMO ISHIDA
 HISAYA YABUSAKI
 AKIRA OOTSUKI
 MAKOTO FUJITA
 KOICHI OOYAMA

 SOUND EFFECTS
 HISAYOSHI OGURA
 YASUKO YAMADA
 YASUHISA WATANABE

 ONE-TIME STAFF

 MITSUKOU KIMURA
 NAOKO TOSHIMITSU"

 Then a picture of Tiki and Phee-Phee appears,and the final message is:

 "Thank you for playing.See you again"

                  GAME OVER

[3.1] Game Secrets

 Ah,the section you all have been waiting for.
Now that the Guide is almost complete,this section was by far the toughest
for me to complete,since I don't simply tell you things like "Going right
from place x of level y you will find a warp to z" but I make an accurate
description of the place where the warp resides,and I include a diagram
where possible,so even somebody who has never seen the level or place can
identify it right away,and find the warp.
Please also note,that some levels have no known warps,or I didn't notice them.
In that case,if you feel like it,send me and e-mail to notify me and send me
some info on that,OK?
Expect the Guide to be updated every week.Back to the point:

 Warps in this game are doors with a fire vortex in them,that if you enter
them they will take you to other places of the current or some next level,
to secret,unaccesible areas and stages,where you can usually find letters or
bonuses,or simply help you skip up to 4 stages!Also,there is a warp in the
game that takes you a level BACK,making playing forever possible!

 Every round has got at least one warp,except maybe rounds 3-1,3-3,3-4,4-3,5-2,5-3,5-4.
Where possible or required,I've included a rough diagram in ASCII so you
can have an idea of the place I'm talking about.
Warps require to be shot 5 times to appear.If you shoot arrows,bombs or
bouncing balls,you can tell there is a warp if the projectyles stop in
mid air without a reason.The reason is that probably there is a warp!

Round 1-1:

In the last room of this stage,there are 3 platforms one in top of another.

      |-----------------------------------|
      | * Warp                            |
      |    =====================      Cage|
      |                              -----|
      |    =====================     --- #|
      |                              --- #|
      |    =====================     --- #|
                     #|
      ------------------------------------|
Go to the highest one,to the left edge,jump about half-height,and shoot
5 times.A warp should appear.

Round 1-2:

In the place where you start,jump on the second platform,and shoot on your
left 5 times.

      |         ------|
      |---------------|---------
      |     * Warp
      |         ================|
      |                         |
      |         ================|
      |Start                    |
      |-------------------------|------

A warp should appear.Enter it,and you will be taken to a room
of the secret round (the secret round is a place where almost all secret
rooms are found,like separate rooms in any level,and you can't visit more than
one at a time,since they are all separated by closed walls) which has two
large columns with water,where on top of them two other warps open as soon as
you come in.
            |========================|
            | Warp 1 |Start | Warp 2 |
            |--------|      |--------|
            |        |      |        |
            |        |      |        |
            | Water  |      | Water  |
            |        |      |        |
            |========|      |========|
            |                        |
            |========================|

The left warp will take you to an upper place in level 1-2,where you simply
collect some apples (for points) and then continue the level normally.
The right warp,which I recommend,takes you to a place under the level.
Going from left to right,you find a place with upwards tunnels you can jump in.
Go to the one full right,since there you will find the letters "red E" and "X".
Then,going all the way up,you are just near the cage at the end of the level.

Round 1-3:

This level has got two warps:
The first,is just after you fly down to the big open area in this round:


       =========|
       #########|
        |
        |
 ===        === |
        |            Large Area
 ===        === | *Warp
        |
 ===        === |
     Start      |
==========================================

It will take you to a closed place of round 1-4,where you collect some letters
and take a warp to a place in level 1-4,on your right.
 The second one,is in the last room,

        |========================T=========
        |         * Warp         |
        |        |========       |
        |                ==      |
        |    ==                  |
        |                  ==    |
        |  ==                    |
        |                   |----|----|
        |Cage |  =   =   =  |         |
        |     |#############| Water   |
        |=============================|
 and will take you to a secret round,which also has got a secret warp in it!

  |==================================|
  |                                  |
  |==================|--------||     |
  | <---Exit         |  Water ||     |
  |=========     |    |      | |*Warp|
  |           ||-|     |====|  | |=| |
  |           || |             | |=| |
  |     |===|-|| |             |     |
  |     |   |====|             |     |
  |=----|======================|-----|
  |  Water               Anemon  / \ |
  |                             /   \|
  |==================================|

Round 1-4:

 This round has a warp,but is accesible only by another warp,that is on a
later level (AFTER 1-4!).I'll explain this when time comes.
In the place under the boss room,there is a corner guarded by spikeys.
There you can take a warp to level 2-4,but you can get there only from level
2-1,that's one level AHEAD!

Round 2-1:
 That is a key round in the game,as it allows many tricks,and has two warps!

 The first one is in the right corner of the closed area with the letters,at
the end of the level.
You can open it from the outside with a laser (if you have a flying vehicle)
or from below the "box" with a Fire Staff (the fires will not get stuck in the
wall,but will be "consumed",which means that there is a warp!).
 If you've only got arrows,bombs,or a laser and no vehicle,take advantage of the
microbs that appear nearby.Keep killing them anytime they appear (if you move
away from the screen that they appear,they will appear more often) until the
Fire Staff appears.
Once opened,just jump in it from below.You will be taken to a secret place in
level 1-4.Yeah,that's right,one level BACK!
 This means that,you can pass level 1-4 again,go again to 2-1,take the warp
again,etc..YOU CAN PLAY FOREVER!That's what I do everytime,and stock up
extra lives and points.
I think that the warp should have been placed higher,and that TAITO's people
didn't know about that when they released the game (offering a chance to
play forever?) or maybe that's another good and unique feature of the game..
 Anyway,after having done that many times or,alternatively,if you have a
flying vehicle,you can fly over the box with the letters(there is a narrow tunnel
above it) and land on the right of the captive bird.On your right there is
a "ladder" that takes you someplace up.Go up,and you'll be in a small,closed
room.Shoot the lower-left edge of the room,and take the warp.
 This will take you to an indipendent secret level,which has got 3 possible
exits.
 The first one is that blocked by the hanging baloon obstacles.
I don't know where it takes you,but surely not very far...
 The second is at the end of the level,and will take you to level 2-2,I recall.
 The third one is a warp,right before the second exit.
Stand on the yellow rising block (the one that goes up) and jump from it so
you can stand on the wall to your right (you would do it anyway,to get to the
exit...).Shoot 5 times and -voila!,a warp.It will take you to another secret
level,with a bunch of enemies,and the letters "Green E" and "T".
Take them,kill the enemies,and go in the warp that should appear then.

Round 2-2

 The only warp here is in the corner that looks like that and a Cool Bob
appears.
           -----------------------
                Warp  X   |
                      |
                      |
                      |
                      |
             ------------     |
You have to fly to open it...anyway,it will take you to the end of the level.
Not too bad.

Round 2-3:

Also one warp here.It's the place left to the Red "E".

        ----------
            X Warp            |
     |------         ------|      |
     |                     |  E   |
---------------------------------------
It will take you to a place with a Red "E" and an "X",and the warp from there
to an advanced point on level 2-3.Not bad...

Round 2-4:

 This one must be a classic: Before the Boss Room (the one with the octopus)
shoot on your right,standing on the blocks over the spikes.A warp will appear
on the fifth block from the left,that will take you to a secret level with
enemies and the letters "T" and Green "E",and THEN to level 3-1,inside the "box".

Round 3-1:

No known warps (can you help?)

Round 3-2:

There is a warp on the wall between the two "pools" of water with "waterfalls",
near to the end of the level.It will take you to a room in the secret level,
with a church for background.Nothing to take,just a warp on the floor,that
will take you to level 3-3.

Round 3-3:

No known warps (can you help?)

Round 3-4:

No known warps (can you help?)

Round 4-1:
This round has got 3 warps (some say 4,but I never found 4 warps),the
maximum in this game.
The first (and the best...) is over the last diagonal row of spikes,in the
upper,"dry" part of the level (since most of the level is underwater).
Fly up there,shoot 5 times as usual and take the warp.It will take you to
a place in the secret round,and then to level 4-4.That's why it's the best.
The second and third are in the place of the level that looks like this,


 ---------------------------------------------------------------
|  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |  X   |  --  |  X   |  --  |  --  |
|  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |
|  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |  --  |
----------------------------------------------------------------

in the third and fifth "box" from the right.
The one in the third "box" will take you to a place in the secret level where
you simply swim to a warp to level 4-2 I think? and the one in the fifth takes
you to level 4-3,but BEFORE that you have to pass through a dangerous secret
level where you walk over a floor with holes,and spear-wielding soldiers
screw you from below...you'll lose at least 2-3 lives here...

Rounds 4-2 & 4-3:

No known warps (can you help?),or maybe no,there is a warp on one of those
two levels,but I don't recall Where and on Which level.I hope somebody has
got any info on that...

Round 4-4:

This level has got two sub-areas,divided by a barrel at the end of the areas.
In the area with the horizontal "barrel",there is an empty space below it.
Shoot it,there is a warp.It will take you to a room in level 2-4,with 2 letters,
an "E" and an "X",and then you take a warp in that room that takes you to
the second area of level 4-4.It's better than jumping in the barrel,huh?

Round 5-1:

This is the last level known to have a warp.
Walk on the floor with the small volcanos until the last platforms on the
left.Go up and then left.You fall in a place with some blocks and volcanos.

    ------------                  Shoot on you right,and take the warp.
           | \                It takes you to a room in the secret
           |   \              round with 2 red E's and then a warp
Here       Warp X  |__ /              from there to a another secret level
-   -   -          |   \              room with two X's,and from there to
           |   /              level 5-1 again,near the big room.
           | /
           |-----
           |
  /\ /\            /\ /\
-----------------------------------


[3.2] What are the "Heaven" rounds?

The "Heaven" rounds are a special kind of secret round,in which you can go
only by dying,after having lost all of your lives,and appear only after round
3-1.
Also,you can go to Heaven only one time in the game.It's like a second chance.
Notice that you'll go to heaven only if hit by a SOLID PROJECTYLE,such as
arrows,stones,bombs,boomerangs,spears,etc.
 If you drown,fall on spikes or lava,get burned by laser,flames or UFO missiles,
get hit by a Cannon pellet,collide with an enemy that kills you (Frankie,
microb,spikesponge,etc.),get eaten by the anemon and get scratched by a flying
cat (wow,quite a big list of bad things that can happen to this poor little
bird,huh?),YOU WON'T go to heaven. YOU'LL GO TO HELL! (Aka,you simply end
the game.)
Also,if killed by the "Hurry up" devil or a stage-ending boss fire,then
again you won't go to heaven.
 There are three different "Heavens" in the game,and,depending on which level
you died,you will go to the respective heaven.
Levels 3-x take you to Heaven One,Levels 4-x take you to Heaven Two,and
levels 5-x take you to Heaven Three.
 In Heaven,Tiki has got a Halo on his head,and so do the ENEMIES you will find
there! Heaven one and two have only got ugly bats carrying not one,but FIVE
spikes each,that they drop all togheter!
Heaven Three has "ordinary" enemies.Also,"Heavens" are full of deadly spikes.
Some Heavens...
Anyway,Heaven is there to give you a chance to return to earth ALIVE.
Each heaven,at its end,has got a big Virgin Mary,that if you go on Her,
the game will sadly end,saying :

 "Tiki has met the Goddess and now went into a long sleep in the warm
  sunlight.But the Heavens had got an exit to the underworld."

Sadly,because,yeah,Tiki may R.I.P.,but his friends down there are still
slaves of the evil Walrus.But what to do about it?
 Heaven(s) have really got a secret exit for the underworld,only that
it's well hidden.
You must know,that if you die in Heaven,you have lost everything,since you
normally will not have another life (since you were taken to Heaven...).
However,I once gained an extra life by points IN HEAVEN and once by a bonus
EXTEND letter from an enemy in Heaven Three,in which case you could even have
another try in Heaven,or extra lives for the underworld!
Enough with this shit,now let's see how to escape(!) Heaven (only in the game!).

Heaven One:
 Sorry,but I've never figured out how to escape from this Heaven.
All info I've got about it is cryptic and obscure.But,I will tell you:
Some say that when you are on the small blocks/platforms before Virgin Mary,
you must jump down,on ONE of the empty spots between the ELECTRICAL SPIKES
that lie below,you will pass through it (if it's the right one) and you will
go down,down,down to a secret opening in the lower part of the level.
But,I see a lot of problems:
    1) none has ever said or really knows on which one to jump
    2) the "empty spots" are barely as large as Tiki,with SPIKES around them,
    and so it's very difficult to jump so accurately and not to get killed.
    3) even if you pass through the right spot,you diagonal trajectory will
    take you far away the rendez-vous point that (supposedly) lies below.
and
    4) I've never really seen anyone escaping from THIS Heaven.
(Any info on that?)

Heaven Two:
 This is the easiest heaven to escape from.
Climb up all the first (right-going) platforms until you have reached the
right part of the level (the one BELOW Virgin Mary).You must be able to see
that there is a Vertical Tunnel after the wall,starting from somewhere above,
and ending somewhere below.Good.
Now climb all the way to Virgin Mary,as you normally would,avoid the bats
that will appear just before Her,and jump down to the base of Virgin Mary's
platform. (ATTENTION: not ON Virgin Mary!).

     ==   ==   ==   ==                       |  |
                Here!         Virgin |  |
                  |           Mary   |  |
                  |                  |  |
                  |     |------------|  |
                  |     |            |  |
        Spikes            v |---|            |  |
                  - - - - - - - - ->    |
    ####################----|Secret Passage  |  |

Now,walk right,and you will pass THROUGH the wall,and go to the tunnel you had
seen before,fall all the way down,escape heaven,and restart the round you died
on.

Heaven Three:

 It's a little complicated to escape from this heaven.
Fight your way to the end of the level (I said "fight" because this heaven is
jam-packed with enemies,not just bats,just like an ordinary round).
 Now,Virgin Mary's position is in a closed area,from which you can't escape
if you enter it,and there seems to be no way of escaping heaven,since you
can't even escape the area,right? *** Wrong! ***
 Under Virgin Mary there is a ceiling with spikes,and just below and right
of it,if you watch closely,you will see a side tunnel just like the one on
Heaven Two,and a small opening in the wall that leads to the escape tunnel,
but is too high to reach by jumping,and also is in a dangerous place.
 Also,no enemies normally appear in this area,so you can't fly up to the
hole and escape,right? *** Wrong! ***
 If you watch the background graphics closely,you'll see thay they are made
from a fluffy cloud pattern.Can you see it? Good!
Now,under the spikey ceiling,there is a cloud tile in the background that
doesn't look like the others.
The others are white/light blue,and the one in question is kinda green...
 Now,stand on a platform from which you can jump on this tile,and jump
carefully so you can touch it.
Beware not to hit the spikey ceiling (you can control the height of your
jump,can't you?).
 If you have done it right,then three enemies should appear,two Bobs and
a Duck.Take the Duck's vehicle,and fly to the opening!
If you don't succeed,or blow the duck accidentally,don't worry:
you can jump again on the tile,three enemies will appear again,etc.etc.


[3.3] Conversions of NZS

 In the past there have been some conversions of the game,that followed the
"anti-PC" rule.What does that mean?
That the game was converted for EVERY other system (Amiga,Atari,Amstrad,
Spectrum(!),C64,etc.) but no,NEVER the PC,even if some of the above systems
(Amstrad,Spectrum,C64) were quite inferior to the average PC of that time,at
least in facts of CPU power (XT's ran from 4.77 to 12 MHz),but somehow better
at graphics.
 For example,CPC graphics were "the same" with CGA (4 colors at 320*200 or
2 colors at 620*200) but also had a 16-color 160*200 mode (this can be done
on CGA,but is unofficial and undocumented,as I saw it on an old PC magazine),
and also a true 27-color palette!BTW,I think the CGA card and the CPC used
the same chip: a Motorola 6854 graphics processor.
On the CPC,it could be tweaked so to give a resolution of more than 700*300,
in all 27 colors! I guess that was too much for the crappy CGA monitors
of that time...(I invite anybody,however,to give it a try...)
 The Spectrum had 256*192 16-color graphics,but only 2 colors for every 8*8
screen piece,giving the impression that less than 16 colors were used.(Nestis knows...)
 The C64 was the same as the CPC (some parts of the screen could have
better resolutions,however) except for the (weaker) CPU,but also for the
legendary VID and SID chips....
 Also,all of these "inferior" systems had much better sound than any PC
(and I mean WITHOUT a sound card),especially the CPC and C64.
I think that the C64's SID chip is one of the most "exploited" chips so far:
from simple tunes,cool tunes,digital sound playback to speech synthesis,everything
has left its mark on the glorious SID chip...

Here is my opinion of the various conversions...

Common:  There is a simple way to tell how good a version is gonna be,by it's
    size: the original arcade ROMS are about 720K big,so a good conversion
    must keep close to this number,Assuming that it uses as much CPU data
    as the arcade required and that most graphics and sounds arre there...
    Most versions however are much smaller than that.
      First of all,most conversions (except the Megadrive and C64 ones)
    have not got the "EXTEND" feature,AKA NO LETTERS! Go SEGA or C64 if
    you really want them...
     That's bad,since this is one of your goals in the game.
    However,the NES version somehow makes for it,by using special bonuses that
    award you one life when picked up,but I think they make the game easier...
     Second,only the console (PCE,NES,megadrive etc.) versions have got full
    screen graphics. All home computer ones have got a black status window on
    the  bottom of the screen (or at the top,like the C64 one).
     Third,only the Amiga and Megadrive version has got the intro with the Walrus
    that kidnaps the poor Kiwis.
     Fourth,no version has got the Heaven rounds.
    The "small" 8-bit home computer versions (ZX,CPC,C64) have not got any warps at all.
    The "big" 16-bit home computer version (ATARI ST,AMIGA) have got SOME warps.
    The console versions have generally over 70% of the original warps,
    except the MegaDrive one which seems to be designed to include as few
    warps as possible...

     Also,here is the size of the various versions,and how good they
    are for their size:

    Spectrum: 170K tape data,but some data is missing,so it should be
          slightly bigger...(as good as it could get...)

    Amstrad CPC: Less than 178K. (same here)

    Commodore 64: Less than 160K. (incredibly good for it's size)

    ATARI ST: 800K custom disk size,probably about 400-500K. (Very Good)

    AMIGA: 880K disk size,400K PK-zipped,so probably it is about 600-650
          KBs,so it's the biggest avaiable. (The best)

    NES: 256K cart. (incredibly good for it's size)

    PC-ENGINE: 384K cart. (Tries to be very good,but the size is really
    a limitation,as the many omissions can prove.They should have used
    a 512K or 728K HuCard instead.The 512K one should be definitive.)
    MEGADRIVE: 512K cart. (Very good,but strange omissions...)
    MASTER SYSTEM: ? (probably 256K,said to be very good)

"BIG" (16-bit) HOME COMPUTERS:

Amiga: I've never played it,but it's said that it's probably the best
      conversion of the game,coming very close to the arcade.At least the
      graphics I saw on some magazines looked OK to me.
      I've also listened to the soundtrack,which is good enough,although
      not as good as the original's (it uses the cut-down,30 sec version).
      It could be better...
       The game has some of the warps of the arcade,and I think the gameplay
      should be very good,like everybody would expect from a machine like the
      Amiga.Now,by comparing player's opinions and having seen other versions,
      the Amiga version remains the most balanced,faithful and complete of all
      the others.

Atari ST:  Also never played it,but it's also said to come very close to the
      arcade,being just like the Amiga version (maybe with a little worse
      graphics,due to the machine's limitations(only 16 colors at 320*200
      pixels)).
       Now,Nestis claims that this is THE WORST version of the game.
      I can't confirm that because a) I haven't seen it and b) I don't
      want to make Atari ST users or ex-users angry.
       Sorry Nestis,but you don't explain what's the matter with the Atari
      version.Seems fine to me...

"SMALL" (8-bit) HOMECOMPUTERS:

Amstrad CPC : This I've played!It uses 16-color,160*200 graphics,has most of the
         game's vehicles and enemies,no warps at all,no background graphics
         (only plain color or some "brick" tiles),all weapons,all bosses,
         although many things look very different.Sound effets are OK (for a
         machine like the CPC) and music is quite OK.You can turn it off
         and leave the effects on,or else have both of them.
         Here too,the music is the 30 sec cut-down version...
          It has got some "extra" features,like some extra platforms on level
         1-1,some extra enemies,some secret (unaccesible) places...
          Scrolling,apart from jerky,is also stupid: The screen often
         scrolls more than it's needed,and then scrolls back (jerkily) where
         it should have.This makes you dizzy after a while!
          A minor annoyance is that if you "insist" on trying to penetrate a
         wall by an angle (on a vehicle) you will usually succeed,thus
         "saving time" or even avoid a great portion of the level,like on
         round 1-3,where you can try and go directly to the stage goal by
         the left room corner.Also,when on a vehicle,tiki seems to be
         completely immune to spikes.If the spikes touch Tiki,he won't die.
         He will only if they touch the vehicle.The UFO vehicle makes you
         totally immune to spikes (coz it can't be destroyed).You can
         fly THROUGH spikes!
          The game's speed on a real CPC is,well,bad.The game is too jerky,
         especially with more than 3 sprites on screen,but AS EXPECTED,on
         my 486 DX/40,CPCEMU actually ENHANCHED the game.It plays much better
         than the real machine.A comparison done with my PC near my CPC,
         and using CPCEMU made my good old PC the winner.
          Gameplay is (almost) perfect.It's worth a look,I CAN confirm that.If you
         try it,you won't be dissappointed.
         Many people will prefer it from the Spectrum version,but it is
         no match for the Amiga and Atari ST ones,let alone the PCE and
         Megadrive...
          This is a very good idea for PC users that would like to play
         the game on the PC (like me...),especially on low-spec ones.

Spectrum:  Now,(at last!),I've got the Spectrum version,and I will revise all
      I've written about it,objectively.
       First of all,it's not very different than the CPC version,
      It was made by the same programmer (G.Weatherup),the same group
      (CHOICE),was sold by the same company (OCEAN) licensed by TAITO,
      of course.
       It even has got the same 'mistakes' (misplaced enemies,mysterious
      unaccesible places,some extra platforms in round 1,etc.),and the
      scrolling routine is the same as on the CPC,the same stupid but a
      little faster.
       Sadly,graphics are much inferior to the CPC version.
      The game just has no colours (black & transparent sprites on a
      yellow backround,even sometimes there is a background idea,e.g.
      in Waitomo Caves.
       Sorry Nestis,but it is no match for the CPC version in facts
      of graphics.
       For your information,the Spectrum has got a 16-color palette and
      a 256*192 screen resolution,but the color resolution is only
      32*24.This means that the screen is divided into 32 horizontal
      and 24 vertical squares,and each square can hold a maximum of
      TWO colors.That is not too bad for static graphics,but it is
      a problem for scrolling ones,and a hell of a time for SPRITES,which
      have to move from one color square to another,thus creating strange
      "transparency" and "negative" effects,or seem to change colours
      when crossing the screen.
       It's a bit like the original Space Invaders machine,which had got
      5 "colour zones" across the screen (a white one for you,a green one
      for blocks,a white for the aliens,a red for the occasional UFO and
      another white for score),and each object becomes the color of the
      zone when in it.And,the zones were created by...stripes of
      transparent coloured adhesive tape,stuck on the screen's surface!
       That's why sprites are usually black and white (or black and
      transparent) on the Spectrum.Of course,the Spectrum has no adhesive
      tape on it's screen,but it is an internal hardware limitation,well
      hidden inside the Spectrum's circuit.
       Unofficially however,the graphics chip can be tweaked,resulting
      in more colours per square.Nestis had achieved a 64-colour mode
      for the Speccy.Now,how much practical use can these modes have...
      They are good for short demos and intros,for "impression" but not
      for a long,complex game.
       However,the screen resolution is better than the CPC,and most
      things look clearer and more detailed,(Cheer up,Nestis!) but
      that surely can't make up for all the missing colors.
      Of course,less colors result in faster gameplay,and Spectrum NZS is
      faster than CPC NZS,but in the emulators' world,this doesn't count much.
      E.g. CPCEMU and Z80 run 5 times faster than the original machines on my
      486/DX40.Here,we'll be looking for a way to DECREASE speed,not to increase
      it...
       The in-game animation is very good,taking the Speccy to the limits!
      Sound is just like the CPC.Not better,nor worse.Same old song...
       Note that this is true only if you run it on a 128K Speccy,which
      has effects AND music,while the 48K one has plain effects,and no
      music at all,in which case,well,Amstrad rulez.Also,the 128K has
      got better effects than the 48K (in which only the beeper is used).
       The gameplay is the same as on the CPC: great.
      It is VERY similar to the CPC one,even in trivial details.
      It's better in some spots however,like the spike collision detection,
      but you still can do the "penetrating" trick...
      NZS on the Spectrum is a real programming achievent,and congratulation
      go to G.Weathercup for the conversions,which take the two great 8-bit
      computers to their limits.
       I got the game in a 170K .TAP file.
      Believe me,it was a snap to get it.Just type "Spectrum" in YAHOO!
      and follow the links,which were damn good.You can literally find
      THOUSANDS of (great) Speccy games out there,including this one.

C64:  I now have it on my page AND in .D64 (usable) format.
     Even being an ex-Amstrad user,I must confess that it's much better than
     the Amstrad one...It has got better,crisper graphics and it has got
     background GFX too,like the "big" (Amiga,Atari,PCE,etc.) versions.
      Sound is typical of the C64: glorious (technically perfect,incredible
     for such an old machine,etc.).You can only have Music OR Sound effects
     only,however...that's too bad!
     Gameplay is very good,and it also features LETTERS,like the MEGADRIVE
     version,to feel the comparison.Also (and I think the C64 is the only
     version doing that) the game has a ROUND MAP,which no other version has.
     Letters however are given by the enemies and a bit too often,I might say.
     Also,no warps (Yuk,yuk,yuk!) and some missing enemies...
      Technically,the game offers many advantages: smooth scrolling,large
     action screen (3/4 of the screen),large screen coverage (what you see
     covers a relatively large level section),accurate (enough) colors,good
     sound,etc.
      Screen resolution isn't easy to describe...Tiki looks more high-res
     than the other sprites,and generally the screen seems to use multiple
     resolutions...really jumbled,but that's tipical of the C64,right?
      I think it is far superior to the other two 8-bit versions.
     The C64 one looks something like 10-12 bit,in comparison.Sometimes
     even 16-bit (it could stand as high as the NES one,and even challenge
     the PCE one...)

MSX: Hmm...this game WOULD look great on the MSX.I said it WOULD because the
    MSX was almost "dead" by 1988.Maybe there IS a version for it (1988 isn't
    at all improbable) but it will be a pain in the a$$ to find.
     Now,if an MSX user or ex-USER has a different opinion...prove it!
    Send me info about the MSX version (if it exists,of course...)
    If it exists,I bet that it cou
    For those who don't know,the MSX was a great 8-bit computer of the mid
    80's,made by a Philips-Sony cooperation and featuring Microsoft written
    BIOS/OS/BASIC...(See?Not all Microsoft software is evil ;-)
    MSX Basic looks exactly like GW-BASIC to me...
     It used a typical Z80,a typical 3-channel AY sound chip,but had great
    256*192 16-color graphics.It could use tape and a 3.5" 360 or 720 KB
    floppy drive (MSX disks are directly compatible with MS-DOS,by the way...).
     It has got one of the best 8-bit Bubble Bobble versions (many of its games
    look as good as they do on consoles like the NES and the MASTER SYSTEM,
    sometimes even better),has got multi-disk games (!),and it's still used
    in Spain and some other countries...
    It was really a revolutionary machine.Why didn't it gain popularity?
    Bad marketing,gentlemen,Bad marketing...Neither the names of Sony,Philips
    and -ok,let's say it- Microsoft could save it.A real pity!


GAME CONSOLES:

NEC PC-ENGINE: The PCE version I speculated about in older releases of the
          Guide,really exists!It's freely avaiable on my NZS Web page
          (http://www.speedy.gr/users/victor/nzs/nzs.html).
          It comes in a 384KB .PCE ROM dump.
           I was impressed by the Pc Engine,since other great TAITO games,
          like CADASH and LIQUID KIDS (!!!) exist for it,while they don't
          exist at all on any other computer or console,or only on the Pc
          Engine do they come really close to arcade quality.(Ok,Cadash
          exists on the Sega Genesis too,but it's NOT better!)
           It plays FULL-SCREEN,while all the home computer versions have
          an action window and a black status bar on the bottom of the
          screen,going from 1/3 to 1/4 of the screen,depending on the
          version.
           Other features are the ORIGINAL background graphics (not so original
          for the sprites),ORIGINAL soundtrack,MOST warps (Yay!),Correct boss
          behaviour,etc..
           But,Magic Engine Shareware (PCE emulator) won't run it because
          it is>256KB, and VPCE is still too slow.
           I suggest to register Magic Engine,and you won't regret it,
          believe me.I found the registered version in (not any more),
          and I am completely satisfied by graphics and sound.
           Now,if your netsurfing skills don't allow you to find something
          so hot...just wait for a good (and free...) emulator to appear,
          and then no more NZS deprivation.Haleluyah!
           However,I have some comments about the PC Engine version.
          Yeah,graphics are perfect.Yeah,sound is perfect (has the whole song!).
          Yeah,it seems to have most warps of the original game.
          Yeah,the Ice Whale on level 1-4 swallows you,at last!
          Yeah,walking/swimming/flying physics are correct,but:

           1. Some things have COMPLETELY wrong colors (YELLOW Laser Gun
          that fires PURPLE laser,PURPLE SpeedUp bonus,GREEN teddy bear
          baloons,some bonuses have too light colours.etc.).
          Also,Waitomo Caves has so wrong colours that tests to the eyes!
           Psychedelic WHITE sky background and AQUA stone/rock tiles...
          These color mistakes could also be Magic Engine's fault,but
          they can't go SO far!
           It's hard to believe that The PC Engine has got so stupid
          color mistakes.The machine has got a 1024 color palette,with
          32 colors on screen.Is it possible?
           All I can say is that a) the programmers used poorly the VAST
          palette offered by the machine or b) they liked to joke...

           2. Bombs suck! I mean,the explosions from the bombs seem not
           to do any damage to anything.That's probably a minor annoyance,
           but even on the Speccy version they behave correctly.Arghh!

           3. Some enemies (and among the best ones,like the UFO pilot,the
           Magician,etc.) aren't in the game at all,while they could be
           found where expected even on the Spectrum!
        There are no UFOs,no Zeppelins,no Spikeballs,no Anemons,no
           Tentacle creatures...I think this subtracts a lot from the
           game.

           4. Many warp paths seem to be,ehm,simplified.
           E.g. if  you take the warp from level 1-1,you will be taken
           straight to 1-4,and not first to 2-1 to take the letters and then
           to 2-1.I should also mention that this version too,sadly,has no extend
           letters.So,all secret places with letters become useless.This
           explains the "simplification",but it was a disappointment,though.

           5. Bonuses appear in the wrong order,and multiple times.
        So,you can see,say,two clocks on the same screen.Unacceptable.
        Some seem not to appear at all,or very hardly.

           6. The "hurry-up" devil arrives suddently and without a
           "hurry-up" warning.Unacceptable.

           This version of the game IS pretty good,but has got some
           stupid mistakes,that sometimes they place it even below the
           SPECTRUM version!I would accept most of the above if it was
           some old EGA PC game,but not on the PCE...
           It could have been a lot better.

NINTENDO NES: Carl Chavez told me that he has the box and manuals of a NZS
         version for the NES,called "Kiwi Kraze".
         He said it was one of the good ones.
          So,I went on looking for it,found it,played it and now I review it...
         It comes in a 256K .NES file.NES-LORD and NESA refused to run it,
         but NESTICLE did,and at 15-17 fps on my 486/40,WOW! (sounds interesting?)
          The intro screens show big,beautiful pictures of the baddies,the
         credits,etc. Notice that the NES version also plays FULL SCREEN.
          I started playing,and noticed that while the enemies looked alright
         (to say so),Tiki,the score and life counter and several other sprites
         were displayed as black shadows..
         Only the black shape of them could be seen.By tweaking some
         emulation parameters,the sprites looked OK but screen flickered
         and the "NES" went bongers after a while.
         This must be a NESTICLE bug,probably.I am using Nesticle v0.41
        and still nothing to do.Maybe next version will solve this?
          No sprite has more than 4 colors (NES limitation,I guess),but
         background graphics are very well done and look very,very close
         to the original ones!
          The enemies come out of those doors with the known shape from
         the arcade version.
          The game also shows you the MAP of New Zealand after every
         completed round,just like the arcade.It is fantastic,and it's
         only on the NES version of the game!
          The sound is very good,with accompanying sound effects,although the
         main music theme and various jingles sound a bit more Funky than they
         should,but this usually works positively.
         Listen to that killing bass in the boss rooms,then tell me...
         It also has the whole song,like the PCE version.
          But,what really takes the NES version apart,is the gameplay.
         It is very good,superior to "some"(many,actually) versions of the
         game,fast and smooth.
          And,the best thing is:
         the game has got ALL the warps (except ONE),and not only that: it also
         has got almost all the secret rounds,including the big secret round with
         multiple rooms!!! I was SHOCKED when I realized THAT!
         You can even do the "2-1 to 3-4" trick! That's unique to the NES version.
          From that aspect,it outbeats ALL other versions of the game,including
         the AMIGA and PCE ones! Who would ever expect that from...the NES?
          However,I've noticed that many areas in the various stages have
         been "shrinked",e.g. they are shorter (some are TOO short),smaller
         platforms,smaller rooms,etc.
         Some areas that were 1.5 - 2 screens wide,are now half a screen
         wide! It gives the impression that the cart is "crammed" with the
         game,so everything is more...compact ;-)
          The game has only got three weapons (arrows,laser,bombs).
         The enemies are somehow limited : only Bobs,Cool Bobs,Ducks,Axe Cats,
         Frankies,Microbs,Bats,Spike Sponges,Time Bombs,Crabs,Missile Crabs
         and Anemons...but I think that they are already a good part of the
         original ones. Very well animated,too.
          Vehicles are VERY limited: Teddy Bear baloons,Ducks,and Metal vehicles,
         that's all.
         That's very,very few but doesn't affect gameplay very much.
          Anyway,it is a VERY good version,and is a MUST for NZS fans.
         A lot of thanks go to Carl Chavez,who pointed me out the existence
         of this GREAT version of the game,which would be left unseen and
         deprive the poor NZS fans.God bless you,Carl,and thanks.
          Don't forget to grab Nesticle,first!


SEGA MEGADRIVE :  Thanks to Richard Bush,we now also have the Megadrive version
         of NZS.I was anxious to see it,coz the Megadrive is on the
         par with and many times better than the Amiga in terms of
         graphics and sound. So I wondered if it would be better than
         the versions that are considered the best: the Amiga and PCE
         versions.
          First of all,it HAS got the intro with the Walrus that
         kidnapps the poor little kiwis.Yeah,that's right.
          The graphics of the Megadrive version are closer than ever
         to the original game,and definitevely much better than the
         PCE ones.I think that they are even better than the Amiga
         ones,especially if we are talking about color accuracy!
         The programmers used very well the 512 colors of the MD palette
         (wish I could say the same for the PCE,which has the same palette)
         Of course,they are full screen,and at 256*224 resolution,please.
          Sound is average,I think.It's nothing exceptional,like it isn't
         on most "big" versions (Amiga,PCE,etc.).The 8-bit ones tend to
         have more brilliant soundtracks,to make up for the rest (GFX etc.).
          Gameplay and control are very good on the Megadrive.
         Gameplay however seems to have been speeded up,and everything
         mover around a bit faster (some vehicles fly a bit TOO fast).
          The vehicle control however is better than the PCE version,which
         according to Carl Chavez has better control than the Amiga version.
         So,does that make the Megadrive version the one with the best control?
          I would say it's on the par with the PCE version.
         There you can flap your wings,but here you can fly better ;-)
          Also some particular aspects,such as the appearance of the
         various sprites,bonuses etc. are so good only on the Megadrive.
         Damn surely they are! Practically arcade perfect.Not modified nor
         redesigned.They really look ripoffs of the arcade ones!
          A VERY pleasant surprise is that the Megadrive version HAS
         GOT THE EXTEND LETTERS.Yeah,that's right.
         However,it doesn't support multiple letters...
         This puts it higher than all the other versions,however.
          There is a strange thing about it however...
          The first 6 levels are completely redesigned (completely new)
         and the rest of them are a mixture of the 3-1 to 3-4 and 5-1
         to 5-4 levels!
          First of all,the game ends at level 4-1.
          Here is how the levels were changed:

         1-1,1-2,1-3,1-4,2-1,2-2: completely new.
         (1-1 to 1-3 and 2-1 use "Auckland" graphics,while 1-4 and
         2-2 use new graphics)
         2-3: in reality it is level 3-1 of the original game.
         2-4: in reality it is level 3-4 of the original game,and you
              also fight Amida Meiro at the end!.
         3-1: in reality it is level 3-3 of the original game.
         3-2: in reality it is level 5-1 of the original game.
         3-3: in reality it is level 5-2 of the original game.
         3-4: in reality it is level 5-3 of the original game,no boss.
         4-1: It is the final round,5-4 in reality.This is where the
             game ends.

         There are no "Rotorua" and no "Strait Cook" rounds.
          I really don't know what to tell about that.From a purist's
         point of view,this is unacceptable.This makes the MegaDrive
         version the only one that has CUT-DOWN some levels,and I
         should flame it for that...
          But on the other hand,many times I thought I was playing
         the arcade game itself,and the rounds I knew of were
         perfectly identical to the arcade (3-2 which in reality was
         5-1 had got it's only warp,only that it took me to level 3-3
         which in reality is level 5-2...) and almost made tears come
         in my eyes from nostalgia...(Ok,Ok,I'm sooo dramatic at times!)
          The completeness of the enemy list was very good:
         It only lacked the Magician,the Zeppelin Magician,the
         Lamb,the Curser,the Pumpkin,the tentacle creature and the
         Water Anemon.I know that the Amiga version has got the Tentacle
         Creature in the water,and probably the walking Magician (even the
         Spectrum version has got the magician!),so it probably doesn't get
         much better than that...
         Since there were no "Rotorua" rounds,there was no
         Stone Octopus,of course...But it had BOTH UFOs,haha!
          The enemies themselves,using speeded up vehicles now react
         MUCH faster when they see you,and shoot much more accurately
         and MULTIPLE times too.They have really become merciless
         persecutors,I'm not joking!
          About warps...in the "new" rounds I only found a warp at round
         2-1,which took me to a point of the same round...
          Ironically,the "normal" rounds were of those which normally had
         got no warps (3-1,3-3,3-4,5-2,5-3 and 5-4 have no warps).
         It seems they really tried to avoid the Warp feature in this game,
         didn't they?
         Apart from that,3-2 (normally 5-1) had got one,which took you to
         3-3 (5-2 in reality...).
          All of this means that the game is now more difficult,
          at least at the beginning.I think that the "new" rounds are a
          bit too tough to be placed at the beginning,and surely can't
          be called "balanced"...
           So,I take back all that "sequel" stuff I said about the
          MegaDrive version last time...it's simply heavily "remixed",
          or more appropriately "rearranged"...
          They must have randomly put the levels,I guess...
           Anyway,the Megadrive version still is one of the BEST and
          more HARD CORE versions of the game.
          But,once more,I think the Amiga version remains the more
          faithful,balanced and complete version of the game...

MASTER SYSTEM:  Confirmed existence (classified as one of the best SMS games
           ever) but never seen it.Can you help?

NINTENDO SNES,SEGA GAME GEAR,NINTENDO GAMEBOY: It doesn't exist AFAIK.(but,who knows..)

PERSONAL COMPUTERS: (Uh-Oh!)

MAC: Huh!?...read the section 3.5!

 And,for the PC,the good old PC we all (#$%@#!&?!!) use?
Well,there is no official conversion of the game on the PC. (sigh!)
At the time of the game,1988,many software houses ignored the PC (and had
plenty of good reasons to do that).
 So,many-many (great) games of that time were never even CONSIDERED to be
converted to the PC.
 Games such as the Shadow Of The Beast series (famous from the Amiga),The
Killing Game Show,R-TYPE,Wonderboy,Rainbow Islands,NZS (of course,we all know
that!),Navy Seals,Ghosts'n'Ghouls,etc.
 Some games that WERE (finally) converted,simply sucked compared to the
original,and especially compared with other computers systems.
 The Test Drive series (at least TD1 and TD2) were much better on the
Amiga than on the PC.
 XENON 2's sound on the PC was a wimpy piece of crap compared to the Amiga
version's rockin'techno masterpiece with VOCALS and mindblowing SFX,which
became LEGENDARY (and was also released as a HIT SINGLE,with the name
"Megablast",by Bomb the Bass.I don't know if you can still find it today,
but it's worth a look,and is better than most of today's pseudo-eurobeat
crappy dance songs...(Blue Boy and some others aren't really as good as the
1994-1995 dance groups,like Corona,2 Unlimited,Datura,etc.)
 I would leave my cousins Amiga On and Volume at MAX to enjoy XENON 2's music...
"Take it away!","It's the Megablast!","Gonna scratch me and make me itch!",
"Yeh,yeh,yeh,Yeh,yeh,yeh,Yeh...","Ah,yeah!",all of theese were SOME of the
fantastic VOCAL SAMPLES that accompanied the song,not to mention the
fantastic (Good) Eurodance style Synths,bass,etc...and on the PC we bothered
with FM synthesis for all those years,while the Amiga was capable of such
quality already from 1986? My,my,my...are we dorks or not?
 If you see the official PC conversions of classic games (like Shinobi,Altered
Beast,etc.) of that time,you'll see by yourself that they simply suck,and in
most cases they completely screw up the original games...
 Some other games,finally,were decently converted,but after many,MANY years.
TURRICAN 2,while almost better than on the Amiga version,and able to run on
very low-spec machines,appeared on the PC only in 1995 or 1996,while even the
C64 had got it 4 years ago...That is not a reason not to enjoy it (I do...)
but it's a matter of HOW MUCH you had to wait to enjoy it on your PC,while
even the last C64 user could laugh out loud at you...
 Bubble Bobble was converted a second time and "modernized",but quite buggy.
Rainbow Islands was a masterpiece,on the other hand,the best version avaiable,
but only PC-converted after 9 long years,while all the other systems had got
their version (again,the AMIGA had got the best one 6-7 years before the the
PC one arrived,and is still considered the best by some people).
 So,the PC was (and is...) considered the WORST system to develop and convert
games on and even the most powerful today's PCs lack some basic things
(no sprite hardware,no scrolling hardware,no standard and functional sound
sections,etc.),making them unsuitable for certain game categories,especially
2D ones.It might be actually easier to program a complex 3D game on the PC
than an ordinary smooth-parallax-scrolling and sprite intensive 2D-arcade
shooter or platformer,even today!
 Only by the exponential CPU power increase can the PCs make up for those
limitations,but that's the wrong way to do it.
(Why use a 200 MHz CPU when a few inexpensive chips can do the same job all
alone and INDIPENDENTLY from the CPU?)
 So,unluckily,no NZS conversion is avaiable. That was one of the biggest
disappointments I got from the PC world.

[3.4] Emulations of NZS

 Massive Emulation on the PC is one of the few good things that ever happened
to the PC world,after DOOM and EPIC MEGAGAMES!
 You can find good emulators for most things,ranging from the early arcade
machines,to home computers and most game consoles.
 Emulation literally RESSURECTED my old 486! While for 2 years software support
from PC companies stopped (no more "games" being able to run on my "poor" 486,
and mostly no "game" insteresting enough),emulation made me discover those old
diamonds by Sega,Nintendo,Taito,that IBM,Bill Gates and his buddies have always
forbidden us,by trapping us between 640K and MSDOS,CGA cards and PC speakers.
 Emulation provided me with HUNDREDS of QUALITY games (that are also small in
disk size! E.g. Shinobi for PC sucks,and is 1 MB,while for Master System it
kicks ass,and is only 256KB!) that I will play very happilly,and run DAMN FAST
on my 'humble' 486!
 These emulators,written by clever and patient people,really kick butt.
Who could ever tell that you could one day play the original Sega's Sonic or
Nintendo's Super Mario Land on your PC,or have a true multi-arcade machine
residing into a few hundreds Kbytes of your HD,or having a "Gameboy" that you
can play on a 14" screen along with a lot of games that on the market they
would cost a small fortune?It seems that the PC is only good at emulating like
hell,but that's the companies' fault,generally,since nobody seriously develops
games for the PC.Thanks God that there is emulation...
 Forget what I said about "no NZS arcade emulation project is cooking".
There is one cooking,indeed: an arcade NZS emulator,called "Kiwilator".
The author (Alan Pope at [e-mail]) has about 90% of the
info he needs to get started.
 Check the NZS emulation project on my Web Page for more info,to take or to
give,OR,which is faster,go to chapter [3.6] of this Guide,and find out more
about it!

 In the meanwhile,let's see how you can play NZS on your PC.
 You have NINE (yes,9) alternatives to the arcade:

1. You can try NZS for the Sinclair Spectrum,although it is not as good
 as the CPC one,but is surely more easy to get,and is perfectly playable,
 a good temporary consolation for lonely NZS fans!
 If you have a 486 (like moi),but especially a 386 or even 286 then that's the
 best thing to do,since the Z80 Spectrum emulator is able to run at about 100%
 speed on a medium 286! Spectrum Emulation,another Big Hope for NZS nostalgics!
 But beware,the game isn't complete: after round 4-4,some files are missing,
 and the game can't go on.Sorry,but that's the way I found it.
  Nestis Koutsoudis who got his copy from another source claims to have the
 same problem.That's too bad indeed,but don't forget that those old versions
 probably com from some old,worn dusty and played 100 times cassette tape.
  That's how it probably is found all around the Web,and there isn't much you
 can do about it...You can still play it,but it you make it to round 4-4 you
 might get very sad for not having the last 4 levels...
 Sorry,but I didn't dump the damn thing.With so many Spectrum archives however,
 something will surely jump out.I'll do my best/


2. If you have something better (e.g. a good Pentium/166 or above) you can try
  UAE (Universal Amiga Emulator) and play the Amiga version,which comes very
  close to the original,and is one of the best you can get (along with the
  PCE and MEGADRIVE version,which is practically a good sequel to this great
  game).There is another Amiga emulator,much faster than UAE.
  Unfortunately this emulator,FELLOW DOS,at its current version (0.21)
  crashes NZS.
   UAE should allow you to play NZS even on UNIX or other systems,due to it's
  high level of portability,but here we are interested in speed and the PC.
  Who gives a shit about portability...I really think that you should consider
  using the Amiga version only with an...Amiga!

3. You could also try an ATARI ST emulator,which should give you about the same
 quality (obviously Amiga users won't agree with that :-),and you could try
 it with a "smaller" system (like a 486DX4/100 or a P66,P75).A Pentium however
 is a realistic requirement,but it doesn't need to be a three-digit MHz one ;-)

4. A good choice is the TurboGraphX (PC Engine) version,after getting yourself
a * REAL * emulator for this system.Perfect emulation will cost you a Pentium
75/90 and 35$ ;-).
Why 35$? Because first you need to register Magic Engine,since the shareware
version can't load carts >256 KB.After all,what is 35$ in front of the
Ultimate Gaming Satisfaction? (Assuming you have the Pentium 75/90!) :-)

5. Now there is another,very good alternative: NZS for the NES,called "Kiwi Kraze".
 It is one of the good versions of the game,and NESTiCLE runs it smoothly on
 a 486 DX/40 (Mine).It's better than Amstrad and Spectrum,and in some aspects
 it's much better than the AMIGA,ATARI and PCE versions! Incredible quality,
 for very low specs,WOW!
 You should definitively try it! You will not miss (actually,you are a jerk
 if you know about it and you don't!)

6. At the same level of "Kiwi Kraze" (sometimes a bit better and most of the
time a bit worse) lies the C64 version.I spit blood to get my hands on it
but now here it is.In .D64 format (at last!).With pirate intro/loader.
With an infinite lives hack.All of these,yeah...It's better than the
Spectrum/Amstrad versions.So much better than it could even challenge some
of the 16-bit versions (especially the PCE one).It runs OK with C64S 2.5,
and also with CCS64 v1.06 (Tested by Dominic Holmes,thanks).
The game is perfectly playable using a 486.GO AND GET IT!

7. Another "Pentium oriented" choice is the Mega Drive version,although a
speedy 486 (DX4/100 etc.) will make it more than playable...you should use
Genecyst v0.20 and above,which is the fastest Genesis emu avaiable and has
SOME sound.But remember that the Megadrive version is practically a sequel
to the original arcade game,rather than a simple conversion.

8. Well,well,now we have the Amstrad CPC version.
  I often mentioned that it's a very 'low spec' one.
  Not only because the machine it runs/ran on is quite low spec,but also
  because one of the emulators actually avaiable for this system,CPCEMU,
  is so fast that it is faster than the real machine on a 386SX/33!
   My 486 DX/40 reaches about 500% performance!
  However,it seems that accurate sound emulation wasn't one of Marco Vieth's
  major priorities when making the emulator ;-).Sound emulation sucks,to put
  it in a few words.A simple Adlib/SB/SB PRO/SB16 and their clones,really
  haven't got the capabilities of the CPC's AY-3-8192 sound chip.
  Obviously Marco hasn't had time to emulate the AY chip via DAC,and simply
  mapped the AY registers to Adlib registers...I appreciate that however,because
  that gives the emulator SPEED,pure,raw SPEED...
  Sound output sounds flat and muffled,and SFX that rely on the noise
  generator (explosions,bullets,drums,etc.) have almost disappeared.
   The other CPC emulator,called CPE 5.2,has got PERFECT sound emulation,
  but it hardly reaches 100% speed on the same system that CPCEMU reaches
  500%...also,it CRASHES too often and completely randomly (sometimes it crashes
  while still loading a program...).In other words...use it at your own risk.
  You'll probably use it a time or two (for curiosity or to enjoy the sound...)
  and then you'll stick back to CPCEMU (BTW,you won't be able to decently
  use CPE with a 386,so don't even try it.)
   Conclusion: Go to the NZS fan page,go to the emulation section,grab the Amstrad CPC
  version,grab yourself CPCEMU,sit on your butt and PLAY IT!
   By the way,the version I supply on a .DSK file,isn't the original disk version.
  The version I have on my CPC,is a "pure","cracked par Exocet" disk version.
  The one I found on ftp.nvg.unit.no (and supply) is basically the tape version
  saved on disk.The only difference with the "pure" disk version is that when you
  lose all of your lives,the game will restart from the first level of the
  last episode you were playing (Auckland,Rotorua,etc.),like on the Spectrum
  version,due to tape speed and memory limitations.The previous levels just
  didn't fit in the CPC's memory.Nobody would like to rewind the tape and
  reload the first levels again on the real machine.But,when using this "disked"
  tape version,somebody expects for more...but the program doesn't know it's
  running from disk...
   Unluckily however,like for the spectrum version,this too isn't complete:
  it plays only until level 4-2,and then the data is corrupted and it can't
  load anymore.It simply hangs.Sorry,but the only damn copy I knew of was in
  ftp.nvg.unit.no and probably it's nowhere else.Sorry again...
  But this surely can't stop you from enjoying this great version,right?
  (At least until level 4-2!)


9. The only missing version is now the SEGA MASTER SYSTEM version,
classified as one of the best SMS games EVER.If Sparcade runs it..then
486 users will have a great version in their hands,that they will be able
to compare directly with the ones only their Pentium counterparts can
currently use without shame.(Yeah,Massage is more accurate,but,dammit,it's
too slow!)
 So c'mon guys,there's only one version left! Stop laming around the Web and
try to find something useful...I probably won't have the time to look
for that for the rest of 1997 and for more than half 1998 (guess what...
university ammision exams next year!(I'm only 17 yrs,BTW)),so I will
completely rely on you this time...you've got the power!

 [e-mail] and [e-mail]

These are my two e-mail adresses that anxiously wait for your final,ultimate,
absolute contribution.After that,the emulation section will be is complete!

 I will also BUY the SMS NZS cartridge from you and dump it myself.

 Now,where to get the game disks/tapes/ROMS?
 GOOD NEWS: the Spectrum,CPC,C64,ATARI ST,AMIGA,ARCADE,NES,PCE and MEGADRIVE versions
are now FREELY avaiable on my NZS page (http://www.speedy.gr/users/victor/nzs/nzs.html)
so don't bother looking anywhere else (I had to do that in order to collect them,
and I can tell you it wasn't pleasant!),nor transferring it yourself.
 I am actively searching for the LAST ONE (see above),and any help will be greatly
appreciated (credits on my page and Guide,etc.)

[3.5] Emulating NZS on non-PC systems.

 Go buy a NZS arcade board and play the game.That's a non-PC system,isn't it?
Jokes apart,are you a non-PC user and you felt excluded from the emulation
list?
Well,here is something to cheer you up...
Please note however that the PC has by far the most emulators than any other
system,so your choices in this case are much fewer...

So,if you have a Mac (68k or PowerPC based) you can use CPC++,The Amstrad CPC
emulator for the Mac.The fact that it is in C++ allows for use on other systems.
The same thing applies for UAE,the C++ Amiga Emulator.
 Or,if you are crazy enough to try it,you can use the DOS/WINDOWS emulator
supplied with the new Macs to emulate a PC and so you can use the large library
of PC emulators...I don't guarantee this will work,and I surely can't guarantee
you any SPEED ;-)
Emulating a PC which emulates something else? Sounds crazy and complicated
(and slow) to me!
Press notices however,said that (assuming an official tone of voice):
"....in the worst of cases,the emulated PC's speed compared to a 486/66....".
(resuming my normal tone of voice).

If it's really like that,the truth is that you have the choice of using
all 8-bit versions (ZX,CPC,C64,and NES) safely,and the bigger ones at
your own risk...

If you have an Acorn Archimedes 3000 (the first RISC microcomputer) you can
find some Amstrad and Spectrum emulators.Is this machine still in use,somewhere?

If you have an Amiga (strange,because wanting to emulate a surely INFERIOR
version of NZS when the Amiga has probably the best one avaiable is like
listening to a ball game with your AM radio,while you have a 40" 16:9 Hi-Fi
stereo Dolby Surround equipped TV in your lounge.Anyway...) you can use the
usual Spectrum and Amstrad emulators.If you have a recent PC compatibility
card...then you know  what to do! (The XT-card supplied with the A2000 will
not help a lot!).
 Of course you can use some MAC emulator like Emplant to emulate a Mac,use
the (emulated) Mac to emulate a PC,and then use the (emulated by another
emulator) PC to use an emulator of it's own. (I'm joking,of course!).

If you use UNIX based workstations,you can still try to use C and C++ based
emulators,like CPC++,UAE (amiga emulator),etc.
Same thing applies to Silicon Graphics,Cray,etc. ;-)

So,everybody happy? ;-)

[3.6] Does NZS have a sequel?

 This depends upon what your definition of a "sequel" is.
There isn't an ARCADE sequel with same characters,same gameplay,etc.,
 Now,if for "sequel" you mean more something like a "succesor",something like
a new,enhanced game,with new features but close gameplay to the original...then
there is another TAITO game,called LIQUID KIDS,also known as "Mizubaku Adventure".
I am seriously considering supporting this game too in my Guide and in my Page.
I already started writing a FAQ of my own,but don't count too much on it...
 However,a great FAQ about it already exists on Carl Chavez's page (written by
him).I never dedicated as much time at Liquid Kids as I did to NZS,because I've
seen the game only for brief time periods.
 The first machine I've ever seen,five years ago,had got fucked-up keys and
you couldn't jump correctly most of the time,making the game frustrating to
play,as you couldn't even jump past the smallest ditch without getting killed.
You litterally had to CRUSH the jump key with your fist to jump.
This contributed to defeat the cabinet's integrity completely ;-)
 The second one was completely OK but it was in a foreign country,from which I
was leaving the next day.I played it as many times as I could in a few hours :-).
 When I first saw it,someone was playing it and I said to myself:
"This game MUST have something to do with NZS!"
After he finished,I saw the TAITO logo on the screen,like a sign from God,
and became absolutely sure that I was in front of another classic masterpiece
by the God (TAITO,I worship you!),which had to be explored...
 You can guess where I next inserted a coin...(no,not where you might think!)
Now,the first machine seemed to work fine one day,then the other it had the
key problem again!
 The machine remained there for about 2 weeks,then it was sent back,because
they couldn't...fix the keys!!! Quite a poor impression,unluckily.
 Recently (on August 1997,so recently) I had a chance to play the original
again,and so I did...
 However,I can't say that I've got as much experience at LK as I have at NZS.
Let's say that I have enough to write a slightly better (or slightly worse!)
FAQ for the game than Carl.I've only SEEN the game being finished once,and I
know a few more secrets than Carl.

So,what's the big deal with Liquid Kids?

 This game looks a lot like NZS in facts of graphics style and spirit
(colourful and "happy"),cuteness and gameplay (platforms,traps,spikes,water,
WARPS (yeah,it has warps!)) and has some major additions,like water-propelled
vehicles,unstable spinning wheels-platforms,fire traps,falling ceilings,
water-filling rooms,etc.
 The main hero is Hipopo,a PLATIPUS (you know what this is,right?),which throws
water bubbles (called 'Mizubakus') which freeze the enemies and then you can
kick them on a wall or against other enemies.
 You have to rescue your Platipus friends at the end of each level (Like Tiki
did for HIS friends),and after a number of stages you fight against a boss,like
NZS.The game also has warps and secret levels,lots of bonuses,animated backgrounds,
etc.
 Graphics use MANY colors,and are the biggest difference from NZS.The arcade
game also has parallax scrolling and some animated backgrounds.
 Sound is great,with the usual catchy TAITO tunes,good sound effects (most of
which digitised and LOUD) and a lot of fantasy!
 One strange thing is,that in spite of the LARGE quantities of WATER found in
this game,the main hero can't swim underwater like Tiki,but floats on the
surface with his lifesaver,and can jump FROM the surface.
 The game has got no flying vehicles (only floating ones,since LIQUID is the
key word of the game) and there are no "collision-free" enemies.Maybe this
makes the game more interesting.
 The enemies you will find vary from simple crabs,bouncing ball-shaped cratures
with or without a...slingshot,living bombs (which explode after a while),fire
throwing flowers,big-mouthed fish,gigantic...alarms clocks(!) etc.
 If you wish to find out more about it,go to the "Bub and Bob page" by Carl
Chavez at http://www.nwlink.com/~foregone/bb/index.html
 IMO,it's the only game that somehow RESEMBLES NZS in some particular aspects.
It's damn surely worth a look,and can be found for the PCE.
Also,IMHO it's a much better translation of the original than NZS for PCE.
(Ah,this AWESOME PCE!).It only lacks some impressive cinematic sequences
from the arcade (replaced with simpler ones or completely ommited),the parallax
scrolling,the digitised sound effects,and some palette and bitmap rotation effects.
The control,gameplay and the beauty of the graphics and music are left intact.
 It almost left me breathless!
 Again,if NZS had a successor,LIQUID KIDS would be the one.
If you liked NZS,you'll LOVE LIQUID KIDS.

[3.7] The NZS ARCADE(!) emulation project!

 Yes,you read right!
 There IS a guy developing a NZS emulator.
This guy is Alan Pope and is making a NZS emulator,called the "Kiwi-lator"
on Moose's emulation page (well,Moose gives such names like "Kong-o-lator",
"Invade-o-lator" to the various emulators on his pages!).
 This brilliant programmer has done about 80-90% of the job needed to get started.
He has found graphics data,has got a working board for palette and stuff,ROMS
and most hardware features.
 He still needs info on the SPRITE HARDWARE and the SCHEMATICS of the board.
So,if you LOVE NZS,you are a FAN of this game,and know something he doesn't...
you should E-MAIL him ASAP!
 Take my word for it,when he releases his emulator,I will make him a SHRINE
on my page! He will be proclaimed my GOD of emulation! And yours,maybe.
His e-mail is: [e-mail]
and his second one is: [e-mail]

REPEAT: [e-mail]
    and
    [e-mail]

If you know something and keep it a secret...you are unforgivable!
Go,Alan,GO!


[4.1] MY way of finishing the game.
 So,you wanna know how the CHAMPION of this game (Moi) plays it?

I finish level 1-1 normally.
I take the warp in level 1-2 and go for the letters.
I take the second warp in level 1-3,take all the letters and then exit
normally the secret round to level 1-4.
I finish level 1-4 normally,and then make the loop [2-1]-[1-4] until I
get 10 same letters,then once more to have some letters.
I then take the second warp on 2-2,and the warp on the secret level.
I then start on round 3-4,and instead of going to the Boss trough the big
water tunnel,I go backwards and try to pass trough the waterfalls,saving time.
On level 4-1,I go down to the sea to take the letters,then take the
first warp to level 4-4,take the warp instead of the barrel,and instead of going
inside the huge viking ship,I go under it,make two soldiers with spears follow
me,I park myself under the cage with the captive bird,They hit me,and from
the agony jump Tiki touches the cage,the level ends and I don't have lost
a life!
Then I take the warp on level 5-1 and finish it normally.
Then I pass normally levels 5-2,5-3,and on 5-4 I get myself a Laser UFO before
facing the last boss.The UFO laser can take him down in 3-5 hits.
That easy!
As you can see,I don't even play rounds 2-2,2-3,2-4,3-1,3-2,3-3,4-2,4-3.
I only play 12 rounds instead of 20.

[4.2] How to EASILY finish the game.
 So,playing like Me isn't enough for you,huh?
 You wanna finish the game as easily as possible,right?
 Well,here is your chance to do it!
 My way IS fast (all my points are from the loop in round 1-4 and 2-1),
 but you can do it a bit faster.
 Take the warp on round 1-1 and so you skip levels 1-2 and 1-3.
 Pass normally 1-4 and on 2-1 go directly into the second warp,don't "loop".
 Then,proceed as I did,since it's the same thing from then on.This way you
 totally skip 10 levels,playing practically only half of the game!

[4.3] Tricks to make some rounds easier.

Round 3-4: The biggest danger in this round is the big water pipe you've got to
swim in,and nearly risk drowning.Well,you can avoid it!
Go in the place with the Waterfalls,and go near the one closest to the boss room.
Get in the water (beware of the water mine that is there),and jump over it
so two Cool Bobs will appear.Try to get one of their baloons but HANGING FROM
YOUR HEAD,fly on the water stream over the room with the letters and frankies
(which you should eliminate before doing that),let go the ballon (push down)
and then quickly push your joystick right.You will get into the room just as if
you had passed "normally" the level from the water pipe.

Round 4-4: The Viking ship at the end of this level is a dangerous place to
enter,in which even I will lose 2 or 3 lives minimum.
Instead,you can do the following trick:
Go under the ship,get two spear-wielding soldiers to follow you,precede them
and get stuck in the place exactly below the bird in the cage,going down
the ship full left and then up.Wait for the soldiers to appear below you and
let them hit you.Tiki will jump from pain and he will touch the cage,ending
the level.Don't worry,you won't lose a life,and you will have saved so many
others by not going inside the ship.


[4.4] Stories about the game/fans' section (Your help will be needed!)

Ah,that's the NZS fans room in this Guide!
Please,e-mail me your NZS story/fact/accident/etc. at the following address:

                [e-mail]

,and I'll include it here,in this Guide!
 That's YOUR section of the Guide,remember!

Here are a couple of sample stories about NZS that really happened (to me),so
you can understand what kind of stories I'm looking for.

 I was on level 3-2,swimming in the big water pipe (the one in which you can
almost drown) before the end of the level and had the Turbo (speedup) powerup.
Now,when I got out of the water,there was this place with the high "cliffs".
I climbed on the first one normally,and Tiki dissappeared!
I could still move,the screen would scroll accordingly,and my position was
on the map,but Tiki was nowhere on the screen!I could "walk" over spikes,
through enemy fire etc.,I got into the last room (following the map,of course)
,I "jumped" on the cage with the captive bird,but it wouldn't open!Obviously,
all sprite collision had been defeated! Time passed,the Devil came,but he
couldn't catch me,so came a second devil,and a third,and a fourth...until
MORE THAN 10 Devils were on the screen,and all looking for me!
I got bored,since I couldn't finish the level anymore,let alone the game,so
I turned the machine off.

 A kid was in level 2-2,he was walking normally close to the ceiling of the first
room of the level,he jumped up,and suddently,he got into a black round (with
no background) with some enemies and some weird star blocks and some falling
stars...After a while,the level regained blocks and background and he was on
round 3-4!
Well,he skipped 6 levels that way.Not bad,not bad...
By the way,I recently examined the NZS roms,and one of the ROMS containing
graphics data,had got some blocks with a star on them...so the previous
fact was not a bug ??!

 I was on level 3-4 in a point where there was a Magician on a zeppelin,and I
was afraid to approach,because I had no lives left (I wasn't a Champion yet),
had only got bombs,the place was spikey and the Magician had spawned many flying
Frankies,not exactly what I needed,and they had stocked up...
 Then,I saw the weirdest enemy in the game ever: a spikey red dragon,kinda like
a Frankie,that HANGED from a GREEN Cool Bob baloon. I was able to see him for,
say,5 seconds and then the game crashed and resetted.
 This enemy is found a lot often in other versions of the game,where it
appears along with or instead of a Flying Frankie.Being it so,I decided to call
this enemy a "Red Porcupine",since he was not spawned by an accidental
sprite bug,as I first thought,but appears regularly on non-arcade versions of
the game.In the arcade he just doesn't show up,he only did once!Why???
And why did the machine crash after that? Mystery...

[5.1] Future plans for enhancing the NZS WEB page.

 The Web page is now reality.
It looks somehow plain,but it's straightforward and will save you a lot
of pain and time looking for roms,etc.
 Sounds now include the C64 (courtesy of Dominic Holmes) and AMSTRAD CPC
soundtrack,in STEREO or MONO.
A lot of pictures can be seen as decoration,so why make a separate page?
Unless you ask me,of course...
The emulation section is the one I'm concentrationg on,because if you can
play the game,what the hell do you need static pictures and single sounds?
 The emulation section has now got the Arcade,Spectrum,Commodore 64,ATARI ST,AMIGA,NES
and PCE version of the game.
It's your choice,actually,but the capabilities of your system may be determining.

 But,I'll need all the help I can get on that:
 If you are interested,please send me pictures of sprites,NZS logo,etc.,some
samples (all from the arcade if possible,but I'll also do my job with Amiga,
Atari ST,NES,CPC,and even Spectrum ones if necessary!).
 PLEASE,if you DO have a disk/tape image with NZS,then quickly,E-MAIL it to
me,(at [e-mail]) and I'll do the rest! If you don't want me to
also distribute the disk/tape images,don't worry.I won't do anything without
your permission.I'll only distribute them if I get them myself,or if I am
entitled to do so.
 I also need some info on the programmers of the original game (Who they are,etc.),
and also on the programmers of the NZS conversions,so I can mention them on my
page/guide.Same for ending messages...
 The programmers themselves are invited to contact me.

[5.2] I have...and I need!

All NZS fans are invited to help and contribute!

I have:

1. All the good will and love to make a NZS web page and to enhance this guide.
2. Old paper notes with the game sprites,graphics,etc. (that's where the Guide
  is based on,almost completely!)
3. I've got the CPC,PCE,Spectrum,Commodore 64,ATARI ST,AMIGA,MEGADRIVE and NES
   version of NZS,as well as the ORIGINAL ROMS.
4. My first 486 based PC,my only computer I can do some serious work with!
5. A CGA PC-XT with 2 drives and 40MB hard disk ;-)
6. I've also got the PCE version of LIQUID KIDS (the only one avaiable).
7. Many good memories of the game.

I need:

1. Game sounds (sampled sound effects,music,etc.),possibly in WAV format
  and WELL recorded,although I'll handle other formats and qualities...
2. The NZS game itself.Disk/tape images from ANY version (I want then ALL in
  this case,so everybody can get a version for their computer or emulator.
  That's fair,isn't it?).
  I already have the Spectrum,CPC,Commodore 64,NES,ATARI ST,AMIGA,PCE,MEGADRIVE
  and Arcade versions.So if you have ANY other version,please send it to me!
  You will be amply credited!
  The SMS version is the only one left.Come on...
3. Info on the programmers of ANY version of the game,and possibly their
  e-mail address.I'd also like them (the programmers) to contact me
  via e-mail.
4. More Info on secret rounds,especially on 4-2,4-3 and the unknown ones.
  Although I think that my info is complete...you never know.
5. Individual info for every game version,especially for the ones I haven't.
6. Info on how to perform the "Double Extend" trick correctly.
7. Info on how to use the ATARI ST disk supplied in my page...

E-MAIL TO: [e-mail]

I'm waiting!

[5.3] NZS fans!

 Here is a list of people who have helped me or simply declare themselves
keen NZS fans!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Nestis Koutsoudis
email: [e-mail]
info: He is a SPECTRUM and NZS huge fan,and the first man to show interest to
my NZS Guide!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He is to supply me with the Spectrum version,which he keenly supports,
although he had been a bit unwilling to hand it to me,so I found it myself,
but he also sent it to me.Well,better late than never...
 He also gave me some more info on the Spectrum version.Some? I almost
rewrote the whole conversion section! Some things he pointed out were correct,
but some where,well,unconfirmed.Finally,I reviewed the Spectrum version by
myself,making direct comparisons only with the CPC version (which is the best
8-bit home computer version,may I add.
Anyway,in Spectrum we trust.

Here is his last e-mail to me,about the Spectrum version.
It is in Greeklish,e.g. Greek + English,Greek words with English chars.
Don't worry,translation included ("Like that") :

{
Subject: TREXA KAI ALAKSE TON ZX ("GO AND CHANGE THE ZX!")

Victor threxa kai alaxe ayta poy les gia tin ekdosi toy SPECTRUM giati den
tha tin paris pote apo emena
("Victor,go and change what you say about the SPECTRUM version or you'll
never get it from me!")

first
mono ston spectrum kai stin amiga to gameplay agizi to epipedo tou coin-op
("Only on the spectrum and amiga the gameplay is close to the coin-op level")

second
ta grafika toy spectrum itan akribos o source code to coin-op mono ta xromata
elipan.(an o spectrum mporouse na exei se kathe pixel kai ena
xroma.........DEN THA INTAN SPECTRUM alla mia gamati AMIGA TOY 1082..
("spectrum graphics were exactly from the coin-op source code (!!!),only the
colors were missing.(if spectrum could have a color per pixel...IT WOULD
NOT BE A SPECTRUM but a fuckin' 1082 AMIGA")

third
to soundtrack toy spectrum eine panomiotipo ton coin-op kai afto giati to AY
ston
spectrum vgazei kai gamo ta basa
("Spectrum's soundtrack is identical to the arcade and that's beacuse the
AY on the spectrum has a great fuckin' bass sound")


forth
the worst version is for the atari
(Well,you need no translation for that,but WHY is it the worst version?)

please answer back
sorry but I have to hurry.
}

Well,this speaks for itself!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Carl Chavez
e-mail: [e-mail]
info: he is the mantainer of the famous Bub and Bob page,and also linked to my
page,pointed out Kiwi Kraze,GREAT TAITO fan (obviously!)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next great NZS fan is Carl Chavez,who mantains the famous Bub and Bob page,an excellent
page for Bubble Bobble (and not only).
He will eventually place my Guide on his page,and I will surely add a link to his page.
I have tried to contact him several times before,and finally I succeeded.
Hey Carl,sorry if I kinda rushed you.No offense,right?

Here is the e-mail that (finally) brought us together:


Speedy.net wrote: (that's me)
>
> Hey ,wanna a GOOD link for New Zealand Story?
> Then,try this address: http://www.speedy.gr/users/victor/nzs/nzs.htm
> You will find a HUGE (80K) and complete guide for NZS and some emulated
> versions of the game.
> Gee,I wish you would link me from your EXCELLENT page! ("did this sound insulting?")


I detect some sarcasm here... ("really,I didn't intend to induce ANY kind of sarcasm.Sorry...")
the reason why your NZS FAQ was not on my
Web page is because I do not put documents from others on my page
without permission, because I want to avoid any legal problems. (I've
had problems with Web sites and copyright violations before, so I prefer
to be careful.) Whenever I tried to contact you at [e-mail] or
[e-mail], the mail would bounce. (I'm hoping it's not going to
bounce this time.) ("This time it didn't!")
 I did intend to put your FAQ there; I even left a
(broken) link there for your FAQ. No hard feelings? ("Nope")

Anyway, I'll gladly link to your page. I'm glad you have the time to
build and maintain a New Zealand Story page because it really is a great
game, and I don't have the time to continually maintain every page on my
site. Of course, you can add me to your "NZS fan" list! ("Seems so,Carl!")

You have an error in the emulators section: there is a Nintendo
Famicom/NES version called "Kiwi Kraze". I have this cartridge, box, and
manual, and can send you screenshots of the cartridge art (and box and
manual if I find them). It has only four weapons and three vehicles, but
it is still a better conversion than some of the others out there. Maybe
there's a ROM image for the iNES emulator out there? I haven't found one
yet, but you never know... ("but I did!")
(This was indeed a very important info.I suspected of a NES version in older
versions of the guide,but then I abbandoned the idea.But,Carl here confirms it.
Well,guess we'll have to make some changes to my pages...)

I was playing the PC Engine version last night and had loads of fun.
I'm still not sure which version I like more: the PC Engine or Amiga
version. The Amiga version has more features (like the tentacle creature
in the water, and the UFO vehicle) than the PC Engine's, but the PC
Engine's version is not copy-protected, has better control and screen
scrolling, and has the whole song. What I didn't like about playing the
PC Engine version yesterday is that I got all the way to 2-4 before I
got a weapon besides an arrow (I finally got a laser)!
("ê know,I know.The PC Engine version,while graphically stunning,fast,etc. has
got a lot of missing things.That's true.And very stupid,too!I now mention that
in my Guide.")

I bought Bubble Memories (1996 version of Bubble Bobble), so now that I
have a game cabinet I'm also going to hunt for a New Zealand Story game
board. I saw an NZS board advertised on a Web site for $50.00, but
someone had already purchased it. ("Dammit!")

Well,this was Carl Chavez,NZS,Bubble Bobble etc. freak.
Go Carl,GO!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Alan Pope
e-mail(2): [e-mail]  AND  [e-mail]
info: He is the author of the most important emulation project up to our days
(even more important than Sparcade!) and supplier of the ATARI ST and AMIGA
versions.
Read on,read on...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 AND,the HUGEST NZS fan on earth is : Alan Pope! ([e-mail])
He IS the hugest because he has so far done much more than any of us (even more
from me and my page) for bringing NZS back to LIFE: he is developing (hold on...)
a NZS ARCADE (Whoah!) emulator!
 I was overjoyed when I contacted him for the first time,and even more when I
received his reply!Here is what followed:

{
Subject: Re: Will you help me?

In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]>
> I have got a New Zealand Story Web page.
> It has got a HUGE guide (90K),some versions of the game (Spectrum and
> PC-ENGINE
> for now),sound,pics,etc.
I think I may have a couple of other versions kicking around - I can dig
them out and mail them to you if you like..

> I would like to have the ROMs to put them on my page.
> If you do send them to me ([e-mail]) I will credit you and
> also advertise you on my page and Guide.
They're in the incoming directory on ftp.tant.com...

> I am the Hugest NZS fan on earth,and I was happy to learn about your
> emulator project.
:)

> Pass by my page (http://www.speedy.gr/users/victor/nzs/nzs.html) and
> tell
> me
> what you think,OK?
> Bye!
The server appears to be down! Is there a problem..
}

 As you can see,he replied immediatelly,in a friendly manner and much willing
to contribute to my page.
If you haven't understood,he also pointed me where the NZS ROMS reside.
It seems to be a dead link,though.
 I finally managed to connect there,and so here they are..avaiable on my page!
 When his emu is out,my page will be here to support it.

               "YOU SHOULD KNOW WELL
            THE STORY AFTER THIS.
            BECAUSE YOU WOULD MAKE
            THE STORY AFTER THIS
            BY YOURSELF..."

                     TAITO,1988

              "Doesn't this apply to Al?"

                     Victor,1997

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Mighty Red
e-mail: [e-mail]
info: He used to play NZS ADDICTIVLY!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This guy is one of the ones that e-mailed me while on was on vacation
(from 6/8/1997 to 25/8/1997).It is very nice to receive congratulations
and notalgic letters from deprived players...
See for yourself:

{
Subject: NZS

Thank You!!!


 I had totally forgotten about this great game! I used to play it
ADDICTIVLY!!!

 It sat next to bubble bobble in the arcade a long time before I tried it,
but once I did I was hooked.... nice to know there may be a way to play it
again!
}

 Well,dear Mighty Red,there are many ways to play it again.It sounds strange to
me that you left it untried for a long time.I suppose you have regretted it
now,eh? Especially if you have never finished it.
 That's not bad: even after the 40 or so times I've finished it,I always
played it with the same addiction and I would still do...
 My secret dream is to enter an arcade room with a NZS machine nobody plays
with (because the game is "old" and "kids stuff",or more appropriately it's
too hard for them) and the rest of the room is filled with "modern" games:
the usual 3D racers,shooters and fighters,(which last no longer than a few
minutes,even if you are good enough to finish them but everyone plays with
them).
 Then I would play NZS with ONE coin for HOURS (thanks to my trick) until
they started to wonder who the hell am I and then finish it in front of their
astonished eyes with great ease (and a great score,too!).NZS really has great
play value for it's money,eh eh eh...
 Well,I hope you find a good computer/emulator combo to play NZS on your
computer again!
 As I told you,depening on the power of your computer and the emulators at your
disposal,you will be able to play this or that version more or less decently.
For the 486 DX/50 you say you have...I'd recommend the C64,Spectrum,AMSTRAD CPC
and NES ones (already avaiable) and the SEGA MASTER SYSTEM one (when and IF
ever avaiable).
 Of course,nothing and nobody stops you from using -say- the PCE or Megadrive
versions with your 486DX/50,but due to the nature of those systems,emulation
will never be fast enough for a 486 DX/50,like yours.
 If you can tollerate some frame skipping however,the PCE version will give you
over 20 (out of 60) fps with your 486 DX/50,and the Mega drive version about
10-12 fps,with Genecyst.
 Imagine,I use my poor old 486 DX/40 to play both versions,and I'm very happy,
although I keep dreaming of the day I will buy me an up-to-date machine that
will have no problem emulating EVERYTHING...
 If you already/still have (or a friend of yours has) some other kind of computer,
say,an AMIGA (which has a very good version) or an ATARI ST,or even a Spectrum,
you will be able to use the downloads on the real machines,and forget all
emulation crap...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Richard Bush
e-mail: [e-mail]
info: He offered to contribute the Genesis/Megadrive version of NZS.
     His page is at http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/6195/
     Visit him!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is his e-mail to me:

{
Subject: NewZealandStory

Hi, I love this game (and all taito games...)
and your page is really nice. Anyway, I have the
ROM for the Megadrive/genesis version of NZS.
Let me know if you want it and I'll mail it
to you :)

,-Richard Bush [J3d!]--------------------------------------.
|  ICQ: 2365132                                            |
|Email: [e-mail]                                  |
|  WWW: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/6195/  |
`----------------------------------------------------------'
}

You can guess what my answer was...YES!!!
 It's thanks to people like him that this page and this Guide grew bigger.
Half the ROM images I freely offer on my page are contributions or indications
from many good people (which obviously like NZS a lot!).
Now,thanks to Richie,we have the * FANTASTIC * MegaDrive version avaiable
for everyone.Thank you Richie!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Dominic Holmes
e-mail: [e-mail]
info: He indicated me where I can find some interesting NZS stuff,including
 the C64 version in .
 D64 format.
He is also involved in co-writing a Rainbow Islands FAQ with Carl Chavez,if
I am not wrong.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{
Subject: C64 NZS D64 File and NZS C64 music.


Hello

I have found a copy of the C64 version of The New Zealand Story in D64
format at the Arnold FTP site.

    ftp://arnold.hiof.no/games/n/nz_story.zip

I have tested it with the C64 emulator CCS64 v1.06 and it seems to work
fine.

I have attached the C64 music to The New Zealand Story (5K) to this
mail.  It was obtained from the High Voltage SID Collection and can be
played with SIDPlay.  I also have the loading music for TNZS of the C64
in the same format if you are interested.

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/5147/     Sidplay homepage
http://www.student.nada.kth.se/~d93-alo/c64/spw/   Sidplay for Windows
http://www.dhp.com/~shark/c64music/          High Voltage SID Collection

Your link to SBSCOPE 3.0 does not seem to work.  (File not found).

I think the TNZS FAQ is great, keep it up!
--

/*  Dom  */
}

Many thanks go Dom(inic) for his contributions (and his compliments,of course!)
 I am sorry about the link.You can try to substitute the capital letters in
the file name with small ones,for now (my server mantainer insists to store
everything with small letters,but my (still) DOS-based machine only knows how to
write capital-letter files,and so if I forget to rename them when FTPing to the
server...here is what happens!
 I will fix it and will e-mail it to you...hoping it doesn't bounce,of course!