StarTropics (NES) Playthrough
395A playthrough of Nintendo's 1991 action-adventure game for the NES, StarTropics.
StarTropics represents Nintendo’s recognition of the popularity that its NES had achieved in the United States by the late 1980s. Understanding that there were significant cultural differences that defined fans’ interests between Japan and the US, Nintendo assigned one of its Japanese development teams, R&D3 (previously responsible for Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!), to create a game that was specifically designed to appeal to the tastes of Americans.
(That guy in the thumbnail looks like they stuck the head of some random Italian plumber on King Hippo's body, don't you think?)
StarTropics carries the distinction of being one of only two NES games developed internally by Nintendo of Japan that would never be released in Japan. (The other is its direct sequel, 1994’s Star Tropics II: Zoda’s Revenge.) Drawing obvious inspiration from games like The Legend of Zelda and Dragon Warrior, StarTropics combines recognizable elements from both in its presentation and its style of play, creating something that feels fresh and new while still retaining enough familiarity to appeal to fans of the classics.
I remember being so stoked for this game when the issue of Nintendo Power came in the mail that featured it on the cover. I read that issue until the pages started falling out and the cover had fallen off. My friend got the game pretty soon after it came out, and as soon as he beat it, I borrowed it and played it to death. It only took me two weeks or so to finish it, but I played it quite a few times before his family moved away and I had to give it back. A few years later I managed to snag a copy of both this one and its sequel from a clearance rack at Kay-B-Toys for $5 each, and I have played it through several times in the years since. Such awesome memories.
It puts heavy emphasis on both its puzzle-based dungeon design and its story, and it pulls off both nicely. The dungeons are thoughtfully designed and are good at leaving subtle clues about what you're expected to do, and the tile-based controls do a brilliant job at preventing you from accidentally running into things as you're attacking.
It is pretty amusing that the general idea of the game is to destroy aliens with a yo-yo, and there are tons of goofy moments throughout - a psychic will turn you into a girl so that you can enter a castle of she-warriors, a parrot gives you a tune to play on an organ so that you can sink a ship, and people randomly tell you to pull the bananas out your ears.
The game's sense of humor is always present, giving it a *much* lighter tone than Zelda, and much more personality. I actually prefer this game over the original Zelda by a slight margin, and this easily ranks among my all-time NES favorites. (Please, put down the torches and pitchforks!) That killer chiptune calypso soundtrack doesn't hurt things, either, nor does having one of the best endings on the NES.
If you're a fan of the NES, StarTropics deserves your attention. It was so thoughtfully put together with an eye for fun that it's hard to imagine anyone not enjoying their time with it.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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