Growing up, I was well acquainted with a very famous archeologist named Dr. Indiana Jones. I'm sure we are all familiar with his pursuit of the Lost Arc, exploration of the Temple of Doom, and his Last Crusade for the holy grail....and there were no other adventures beyond those....don't believe what others may tell you. THAT Dr. Jones only had these three adventures. But, there was a far lesser known archeologist, also named Dr. Jones, that had a remarkable adventure with tropical islands, alien abductions, and a brave nephew named Mike. Let's jump back to 1990 and revisit the NES adventure, Startropics.
An early part of my NES collection, Startropics was a core part of my early gaming years. Startropics had a whimsical adventure story that resonated with my early 90's personality and had gameplay that felt like the logical evolution of my first love, the Legend of Zelda. Startropics followed the story of Mike Jones, a typical 90's American kid and his trip to the tropical Coralcola to visit his uncle, Dr. Steve Jones. Upon his arrival on C-Island. Mike is informed that his uncle has gone missing. Armed only with hints and rumors, and his trusty Yo-Yo, Mike embarks on a dangerous adventure through caves and dungeons in search of his missing uncle. Little does he know, but his uncle has been abducted by aliens and is currently the captive of Zoda aboard his spaceship. Mike's adventures bring him various allies and put him in very dangerous circumstances, but he eventually confronts Zoda and retrieves both his uncle and another dramatic surprise to conclude this fun-filled adventure.
The specific stylizing of this game screams "American" at the top of its lungs. But, that was Nintendo's goal when making Startropics. Startropics was the second game developed by Nintendo to never released in Japan. Instead it was only released in North America and in Europe. Nintendo once believed that the cultural differences between the East and West were enough that games developed for Japanese children wouldn't be as successful in the West as games developed specifically for the Western market. As time moved on, this idea would repeatedly be proven false. But in the early 90s, the separation was still very prominent. Japanese markets saw more success with RPGs such as Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. The western markets saw more success with action and adventure games like Super Mario and Legend of Zelda.
There are many characteristics of Startropics that make it stand out in my memories and in gaming history. Startropics is a 2D top down adventure game with a grid-based overworld map containing locations that Mike can enter to continue his adventure. When Mike enters a location, the frame of reference zooms in by doubling the size of Mike's sprite. this allows for more detailed graphics as well as more engaging combat with enemies. Now, while we retro-gamers may be able to adapt to outdated controls easier than some, I'll warn you...Startropics controls are difficult to master. Movement is grid based and has a difficult delay before movement begins. This allows for a tap of a direction button making Mike turn without taking a step. But, pressing the direction for longer will cause Mike to walk in that direction. The movement can be adapted to, but will likely lead to frustration early on. Much like going back to Silent Hill or Resident Evil, with their tank-controls. It just takes some time to acclimate. Now, the most unique memory I have of Startropics isn't the controls or even the adventure itself. It was Nintendo's attempt to stop piracy and resist the game rental market. In order pass the halfway point of the game, the player had to have the original manual and its included letter from Dr. Jones. This letter was a physical reproduction of the letter Mike receives in the game from his lost uncle. At a particular point on the game, an NPC will instruct you (the player) to try dipping the letter from Dr. Jones in water and see what happens. A secret code will appear on the bottom of the letter while the paper is wet! If you need it, the code is 747 by the way. This was the coolest, immersion building idea I have ever run into with a video game. I love this idea....but if you didn't
have the letter (and no internet in the early 90s) the game was unbeatable. This lead to Nintendo Power magazine publishing the code and, in many cases, the code being written in sharpie on the back of rental cartridges. But, regardless of the intent or the actual results, I still think including the letter was a brilliant idea.
Now, back to modern day...I found myself working at my desk listening to an NES music playlist in the background when a familiar tropical theme song found it's way to my ears. I was immediately taken back to my childhood. I finished my project and reached for my Nintendo Switch. I opened the NES app from Nintendo Switch Online and was thrilled to find Startropics amongst the games listed. As I began my adventure on C-Island again I couldn't stop smiling. What a trip back into my memories. I could almost hear my father's voice in my mind reminding me of things I used to miss when we played Startropics together when I was very young. It was a magical feeling. So, if you're like me and have a soft spot for NES adventure/RPGs like the Legend of Zelda or Crystalis, you need to give Startropics a chance. It's a charming adventure that will bring back waves and waves of nostalgia from the earliest years of the NES. Clunky controls, stylistic music, and a crazy story. It'll hit you with a slap of frustration but if you can make it past the adjustment period, you'll be rewarded with one of the NES's most special gems. I encourage you to give it a try, and as always, Game On.
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