New chapter for The New Zealand Story on DS

In its video game form, The New Zealand Story has nothing to do with eating falafels and explaining you're not Australian in noisy bars in West London. Hey, even antipodeans need a little escapism.

No, the 1988 original was a wholly distinctive platform game starring a yellow bird. It was a huge hit at the time, and it's the first in a series of similar quirky, classic video games that publisher Rising Star Games plans to resurrect for Nintendo DS under the label 'Revolution'.

"With New Zealand Story Revolution, we're not going to be taking away anything that made the original such a charming classic," explained Martin Defries of Rising Star. "Its delicate balance will be carefully re-created and with the new features we've included, New Zealand Story Revolution will be an even more manic platform adventure than the original."

New Zealand Story Revolution stars Tiki, the plucky Kiwi bird, and his attempt to rescue his kidnapped friends from a leopard seal's clutches. The setting for each of the game's levels will remain untouched although the layouts will be remixed and re-jigged to provide fresh challenges. The overhaul will also update New Zealand Story's visuals, but the publisher promises it will retain the clean lines of its arcade ancestor.

New Zealand Story Revolution is due for release towards the end of 2006. Click 'Track It!' to hear the story as it unfolds.