Second chances

I’m sure the following admission will shock a few of you PC Engine stalwarts, but I’m going to share it anyway: I’ve never been a big fan of New Zealand Story.

For starters, I’ve always thought the game looked a bit garish and rough–especially when compared with Taito’s other arcade classics of the same era, Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands. Second, its music and sound effects are, in my humble opinion, akin to an assault on the ears.

I don’t have anything negative to say about New Zealand Story‘s gameplay–other than it can, at times, be a tad too difficult–but it doesn’t really matter because the aforementioned niggles have been, until recently, more than enough to turn me off of the game.

So, what prompted me to give it another try a few weeks ago? I’m not entirely sure, although I think this review had something to do with it.

Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that my second and subsequent experiences with the game have pushed me to start a New Zealand Story fan club or anything like that, but they have helped me see it for what it is–a quality, if not exactly high-caliber, PC Engine platformer.