New Zealand Story Revolution review

A £30 game you can play for free online... still good, though

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Improved cosmetics are cool

  • +

    The great gameplay is untouched

  • +

    Pure gameplay and challenging too

Cons

  • -

    Repetitive sound may break your mind

  • -

    It's pricey for an 18-year old game

  • -

    And you can play it online for nothing

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Wednesday 31 January 2007
Okay, two things. One, calling this a 'Revolution' is like calling Peter Andre a timeless performer of real calibre and talent. It's a subtitle of truth-stretching cheekiness that suggests some sort of radical reimagining, when all you're getting is essentially the same old Mysterious Girl with a couple of bolted on extras you'll hardly even notice.

But, by doing that - and here's where number two comes in - by taking a classic 2Der and making only cosmetic changes, DS developers Rising Star have produced a game that remains thoroughly respectful to the simple brilliance of the original, without offering exactly the same experience 18 years later. In short, New Zealand Story Revolution works.

Above: An evil walrus (no, really) steals your friends at the start of the game

More info

GenreAction
DescriptionIn this reworking of the old arcade game, you must save your friends from a seal. Apparently New Zealand is a dangerous place, kids.
Platform"DS"
US censor rating"Rating Pending"
UK censor rating"Rating Pending"
More
CATEGORIES
Latest in Action
Batman: Arkham Knight
Rocksteady's rumored single-player Batman game is in development for PC, PS5, Xbox, and "the next generation of consoles"
Tomb Raider
5 years after Avengers, 2 years after its last layoffs, and who knows how long before Perfect Dark and Tomb Raider return, Crystal Dynamics announces another round of layoffs
Naoe looks over at a dense, lush, green forest in Assassin's Creed Shadows from a viewpoint
Getting Assassin's Creed Shadows on PS5 and Xbox Series X was all about adding "dynamism" to the open world, but the devs seem most proud about the trees
Naoe and Yasuke walk in the sunset in a screenshot from Assassin's Creed Shadows
Following Assassin's Creed Shadows controversy, Baldur's Gate 3 publishing director says "every big AAA game could be better," but players shouldn't be mad "just because some dude told you to"
Assassin's Creed Shadows Wanted Status
How to remove Wanted status in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Naoe kills a target with a black and white filter over the camera highlighting the red of blood spray in Assassin's Creed Shadows, with an On The Radar orange frame
Assassin's Creed Shadows "has a little bit of Tarantino flavor", but its real secret ingredient is intrigue: "It's almost like you're watching an episode of Shogun"
Latest in Reviews
Image of the Corsair Virtuoso Max wireless headset sitting on top of a gaming PC case taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe.
Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless review - a PC headset tour de force
Zombicide box featuring stylized art of survivors fighting zombies
Zombicide 2nd Edition review: "Like a zombie flick brought to tabletop"
Razer Handheld Dock with Steam Deck sitting on cradle, pink and yellow RGB lighting on, and Alienware monitor in background with Tomb Raider Trilogy gameplay on screen.
Razer Handheld Dock review: “Your Steam Deck will ride shiny and Chroma"
Photographs of the Agricola board game in play
Agricola review: "Accurate representation of the highly competitive and often unstable world of agriculture"
Photos taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe of the Shure MV7i microphone, within a pink and white themed room.
Shure MV7i review - convenience and excellence rolled into one superb sounding package
Key art for Atomfall showing a character in the English countryside looking at a nuclear plant some distance away
Atomfall review: "This isn't British Fallout – it's something much better than that"