StarTropics

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StarTropics

Developer(s)	Nintendo
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Genyo Takeda
Release date(s)	^NA 1990 ^EU August 20, 1992
Genre(s)	Adventure game
Mode(s)	Single player
Platform(s)	NES
Media	4-megabit cartridge

StarTropics is a game released by Nintendo in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. This game was released mainly for the American audience, although it was also released in Canada and Europe; it was never released or intended to be released in Japan. It was designed by Japanese designers living in the United States, written and directed by Genyo Takeda of Nintendo Integrated Research & Development (also the creators of such games as the arcade and home console versions of Super Punch-Out!! and Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!).

StarTropics was followed by a sequel titled Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II, in 1994.

The first overhead map view in the game StarTropics. This particular area is known as C-island, so named due to its resemblance to the letter "C".

1 Storyline
2 Gameplay
3 Immersive letter
4 External links

[edit] Storyline

The story revolves around Mike Jones, a star pitcher from Seattle, who comes to C-Island to visit his uncle, an archaeologist named Dr. Steve Jones, after receiving a letter from him. Uniquely, this letter was actually packaged with the game and addressed to the player. Just as Mike carries the letter inside the game, so too must the player keep it for later use. During his visit, Mike discovers that his uncle has been abducted by aliens. Wielding an island yo-yo, Mike travels from isle to isle in a submarine piloted by an AI named NAV-COM (short for Navigational Computer) and fights his way through caves searching for clues to his uncle's capture.

[edit] Gameplay

StarTropics is played from a 2D top-down perspective, similar to The Legend of Zelda (in the "dungeon" areas) and various RPGs on the NES (town/overworld areas). The game is divided into a series of chapters through which the story progresses. In each chapter, Mike initially walks around towns or other areas, talking to NPCs and obtaining information. After speaking to the required people, Mike will often then travel to a cave or other underground area. It is here that the game switches mechanics. The view is much more zoomed-in, with Mike traveling through rooms that are (usually) one screen big. He initially attacks enemies with a yo-yo, which has a short range. He can accumulate additional weapons in these areas, such as baseball bats, baseballs (also called horsehides), shooting stars, laser guns and more. He has a life meter which is made of a maximum of 22 hearts, similar to that of Link's. This meter can be expanded by finding Big Hearts (which are essentially the same as Heart Containers in Zelda). Mike has three lives and must restart from the beginning of a dungeon area if he loses them all. There are dozens of different enemies within the game and some instant-kill traps, such as platforms that sink into the ubiquitous water and giant bowling balls. Upon reaching the end of the dungeon area, Mike will usually fight a large boss character, which often requires a unique strategy to defeat. There is a point system in the game which, unlike most games, does not reward the player with more points for performance, but rather awards the same number of points after an area is completed. The points do not appear to serve any purpose in the game.

[edit] Immersive letter

A unique aspect of StarTropics was a saga involving a piece of paper, resembling parchment, that came packaged with the game. Written on it was a letter from Dr. Jones and was addressed to Mike, asking him to visit him at his laboratory on C-Island. It was as if the actual player had intercepted the message and was being invited indirectly to play the game. In later parts of the game, Mike receives an enigmatic message from his uncle through a third-party.

"Evil aliens from a distant planet... tell Mike to dip my letter in water."

Even for a player who owned an original copy and thus, was more likely to have the letter, it was unusual for a game to refer to a physical object that would otherwise just be a novelty. This prompted the player to think that Dr. Jones might be referring to an object within the game. To add to the confusion of the puzzle, putting this paper under water might damage it. Regardless, the correct course of action was to dip the physical piece of paper in water. It revealed a secret message from Dr. Jones and the number "747" that must be used in the game in order to advance.

Since many used video game retailers sell their NES games without a box or manual, it is difficult to find a copy of StarTropics with the original letter, requiring the use of online game manuals or online walkthroughs to complete this part of the game.