StarTropics is a game released by Nintendo in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

The story revolves around Mike Jones, a star pitcher from Seattle who comes to C-Island to visit his uncle, an archaeologist, and discovers that he has been abducted by aliens. Wielding a yo-yo, Mike travels from island to island and fights his way through caves searching for clues to his uncle's capture.

StarTropics was followed up by a sequel, , in 1994.

Criticism

StarTropics is sometimes criticized for its controls, which restrict the player to a grid of squares. This was changed in the sequel, which allows players freer movement.

StarTropics was also packaged with a letter from Dr. Jones, which at a certain point in the game is meant to be dipped in water to reveal a frequency number. This number must be entered into the game in order to advance. However, 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. Thus, for many players the only reasonable way to get past this part of the game is to look up the number on the Internet.

Credits

Hiroshi Yamauchi and Minoru Arakawa are credited as the executive producers of StarTropics.