Play Kiwi Kraze Online

I picked up Kiwi Kraze for the NES back in 1991, a Sunsoft release that came out during a time when the console was absolutely flooded with platformers. It wasn't a huge hit, but it had a certain charm that made it stand out from the endless Mario clones. You play as Tiki, a kiwi bird on a mission to rescue his kidnapped kiwi friends from a bunch of seals, which is about as weird and specific as it sounds.

You control Tiki through a series of side-scrolling levels, running and jumping across platforms while avoiding enemies and environmental hazards. Your main attack is a peck, which you use to defeat foes, but you can also find power-ups like a boomerang or a temporary flying ability. The game is structured screen by screen, and you often have to find keys to unlock doors to progress. The pacing is fairly quick, but the difficulty can spike unexpectedly, especially in later stages where precision jumps are crucial. It feels frantic and a little unpolished, but there's a genuine satisfaction in mastering its quirky movement and uncovering its hidden paths.