You might be a big Nintendo fan, but it’s likely you’ve never played StarTropics. You should fix that.
Nintendo revealed today that StarTropics and Zoda’s Revenge: StarTropics II are coming to the U.S. Virtual Console for the Wii U. The Virtual Console is a digital store that sells classic games. StarTropics first came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990, with its sequel following in 1994 for the same console. Both games were available for the Wii U already in Europe and Australia last year, and the also came out for the Wii’s Virtual Console back in 2008.
Being a first-party Nintendo game during the NES era usually nets you legendary status, but StarTropics never became long-running series. Part of that is because of just how unique they are. Both games didn’t debut in Japan. Instead, Nintendo created them with a Western audience in mind. They also came out relatively late in the console’s life. Its successor, the Super Nintendo, released in the U.S. in 1991. That was a problem for StarTropics 2, which came out for the aging NES three years after the newer console’s release.
Still, these are both great games. The original is like a The Legend of Zelda that takes place across a bunch of tropical islands instead of a fantasy setting. Rather than a traditional hero, you play as a kid who fights with a yo-yo and baseball bat. Sound familiar, Earthbound fans? The sequel featured similar gameplay, but it used a variety of different locations thanks to its time-travelling story.
The originals aren’t rare. You can get each for about $10 on eBay. NES games usually go for $5 on the Wii U. Plus, it can be a lot more convenient to play an old game on the newer system if you don’t have your old NES plugged in and ready to go.
I like to dream that Nintendo might one day revive this series. Hey, we finally got a new Kid Icarus game not too long ago. Maybe one day Nintendo will dig StarTropics out of obscurity.