StarTropics

Your adventure begins here.

When StarTropics was released for the NES way back in 1990, most gamers had already begun dreaming about the soon-to-be-released Super NES and let this gem of a game go nearly unnoticed. A sequel to the game, StarTropics 2: Zoda's Revenge, was also released, but even fewer gamers will remember this game. As the NES slowly became a memory, so did StarTropics. Not even the holy grail of Nintendo fan service, Super Smash Bros. Melee, made mention of either of the games in its extensive trophy collection. Forgotten it may be, but StarTropics is still an incredible game, sorely deserving of some sort of revival.

The game follows the story of Mike, an ace little league pitcher who travels to the far-off island of Coralcola to visit his uncle, Dr. Jones. Upon his arrival, he learns that his uncle has been abducted, and it's up to Mike alone to save him. While the story is far from original, the script is peppered with clever writing that makes an otherwise boring and derivative storyline interesting. The gameplay, on the other hand, truly makes StarTropics the great game that it is, with its equal parts RPG and action adventure. Mike starts off every section of the game by exploring his surroundings, further unraveling the mystery of his uncle's disappearance, and then descending into a dungeon to wield his mighty yo-yo. Here he'll face many enemies, clearing room after room and solving numerous brain-bending puzzles. The game certainly borrows heavily from many different games, but it brings them all together into one endearing package -- one that is certainly worthy of being updated and brought back to a new generation of gamers.

Mike gets his bearings on a strange, tropical island.

It's common knowledge that Nintendo rarely abandons one of its properties outright. So why has StarTropics become little more than a fond memory for aging gamers? Perhaps it's because the game was released so late in the NES' life span that it simply was never able to get the attention that it fully deserved. If that's the case, reintroducing the game would add yet another seemingly new character to Nintendo's huge pool of talent. Imagine, if you will, a game very similar to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, except instead of a talking boat, you've got a submarine. Replace the boomerang with a yo-yo, toss out Link and put Mike in his place, and you've practically got a brand-new game. If you've ever had the chance to play StarTropics, you'd certainly agree that the way it culled the best parts of different genres really made it memorable. With all of the incredible advancements that have been made to gaming as a whole since the original StarTropics was released, a new StarTropics would truly have the potential to be another memorable game.