We are running Maui Week, a multi-day event designed to raise awareness of this disaster and the suffering inflicted upon Hawaii. A lot of folk have asked me where and how they can help. We will be directing people all week-long to the Hawaii Community Foundation – Maui Strong Fund where you can give to help the people of Hawaii, though I encourage you to explore other charity options if you’d like. Please help us to perpetuate Hawaii, its traditions, its way of life, its history and heritage, and its peoples!

-Red

“For me, a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, barefoot on a beach and I’m happy.”

-Yanni

Nintendo has a long history of delivering memorable gaming experiences. Most people in this country, and possibly even the world, know who Mario is from Super Mario Bros. The Legend of Zelda is so popular that Robin Williams named his daughter after the title character! By the way, guess what character is the most popular plushie in the world? If you thought Pikachu, you’re right, and Kirby is the runner-up! With all of that said, surely everyone has heard of Mike Jones, right? Anyone?

Nintendo’s Buried Treasure

Mr. Miyamoto’s company has so many IPs that it is difficult to keep track of all of them. Titles like Steel Diver, Sin and Punishment, and Geist are all Nintendo IPs that received excellent reviews and were adored by fans. For some reason, however, these games received very few, or no sequels. Another IP, which has accrued for itself quite a cult following, received that same treatment. That game was called StarTropics.

This week at The Pixels, we are responding to the wildfires in Maui by raising awareness through “Hawiian-themed” articles. Out of all the retro titles I can think of, StarTropics sticks out as being the game that captures an island adventure the best. It is ripe with danger and discovery, and in a way, it feels like taking a tropical vacation from other games. Of course, a thorough review of the game will reveal if it is worthy of the praise that it receives.

To Americola With Love

StarTropics was released in North America on December 1, 1990, for the Nintendo Entertainment System. This game received a North American release before all other regions, and that was because it was a Christmas gift to American gamers. That’s right, the developers deliberately designed this game for an American audience, and its content can attest to that.

Every sprite and pixel is a testament to American culture. That is, it’s a testament to the way Japanese developers think an American audience will connect to the content. For example, the main character’s name is Mike Jones, and he is a 15-year-old baseball team captain from Seattle! Now that’s American! All of the countries and regions in this game end with the word “cola,” which is a reference to the Americans’ love for Coca-Cola. Mike is actually from a land called Americola.

The developers wanted to make this game really special for their American friends, so they drew inspiration from one of America’s favorite movie franchises, Indiana Jones. Using the ideas of exploration and discovery, they crafted a narrative that provided players with all the action and adventure they would want from a Harrison Ford flick. They also knew Americans loved their beaches and tropical locations, so why not make the setting a series of islands in the South Seas? Sounds like a Hawaiian vacation to me!

Villages, Dolphins, and Aliens…Oh My

StarTropics is a very story-driven game. The action is linear in format, being split up into various chapters that separate the events of the game. In each chapter, Mike is tasked with navigating a new over-world map, or island, that each has its own series of villages and dungeons. Much like in The Legend of Zelda, which this game shares many similarities with, our hero can find secret heart containers and other collectibles to help him out on his journey.

The story begins as Mike Jones receives a mysterious letter from his uncle, Dr. Steven Jones. He is asking Mike to come to C-Island in the South Seas. The physical letter actually came in the original box for the game, and it could be dipped in water to reveal a secret code that would later be used to activate the submarine in the game itself. The chief of the island reveals that Dr. Jones has gone missing. Of course, it is up to brave Mike Jones to find his uncle and discover the mystery of the islands.

Not to spoil a game that is over 30 years old, but the plot gets deep. Very deep. It eventually unveils a conspiracy by an ancient alien warlord to take over the galaxy. Let’s just say the stakes rise from “Hey, let’s take a vacation” to “Let’s save the galaxy” really quickly. Despite being limited to 8-bits and only enough memory for a reasonable amount of gameplay, StarTropics weaves together a deep plot that keeps players interested in the game. This is, assuming they don’t get lost in the tropics.

Game Design Griefs

Before looking at some of the better aspects of this game, it is important to note one of the most irritating parts. As with many retro titles, that is the level design. This game has more design flaws than the Death Star, and it shows. Many of these flaws are contained within the various “clutch points” in the dungeons. There are some places that are impassable without a certain item, which is fine, but the game does not allow you to backtrack in order to get said item. Instead, you have to die, thus wasting a life, so that you can go back to the original checkpoint.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the overworld has those “hidden entrances” we all love. Most 2D, top-down games had those back in the day. Some buildings and barriers have entrances that are completely hidden from the player, and there are no hints as to where those entrances can be. Also, the NPCs in the game are little to no help in guiding Mike to his next destination. Though this game is technically a linear experience, it still sprinkles some of that RPG dialogue discernment into it. Unfortunately, the “hints” and “clues” just lead to more meandering around and pressing up against walls that might hold secrets.

Combat Evolved

Despite the game design flaws, the actual core gameplay of StarTropics is its crown jewel. If one were to simply watch someone else controlling Mike, one would think they were watching a Legend of Zelda game. They would not, however, notice that Mike can do something right out of the gate that Link couldn’t do for nearly 30 years. Mike can jump! The jumping mechanic really heightened the gameplay of StarTropics and set it apart from other top-down games of that era. In order to complete certain dungeons, Mike would have to jump onto platforms to reveal buttons or other secrets that also had to be jumped on. This mechanic also allowed Mike to jump over enemies and obstacles. It made the baseball prodigy quite a versatile hero.

Another mechanical marvel in this game that is often overlooked is the “soft directional” controls. Let me explain what that means. Let’s say you want Mike to move right. You press right on the gamepad and Mike merely turns to the right, he doesn’t move right. That is soft directional movement in games, as opposed to hard directional movement in which pressing a direction will instantly move the character in that direction. This makes navigating the dungeons in this game more of a strategic endeavor than a hack-and-slash. By simply turning Mike in the direction players want him to move, they can discern the right course of action before they take it.

The weapons are also fantastic in this title. Mike is given a yo-yo by the chief at the beginning of the game, and that becomes the main weapon he uses. Of course, Mike finds other weapons like baseball bats and slingshots, but all of those have a “shot limit.” Also, Mike is only able to keep those items in the dungeon that he finds them in, so there is no shame in using them like they are going out of style!

A Tropical Escape

For me, StarTropics will always be one of the good ones. It is a timeless classic that is meant to feel oddly American. Though it is certainly not a perfect title by any means, it is one that sets itself apart by feeling like a “video game vacation.” The game is not very short, but it is not incredibly long either. It has just the right amount of exploratory content to justify a little jaunt off the beaten path, but not enough to get players chasing endless sidequests. Like Goldilocks eating that lukewarm porridge, it’s just right.

I think we all need a little break from time to time, right? We Americans love our tropical vacations, especially to the enchanted islands of Hawaii. It is a place that many have called a paradise, and I can attest to that having been there myself. Regardless of whether it is a tropical beach or a sprawling mountain vista, taking time to appreciate the beauty of exotic places is something that is hardwired into the human experience. It’s good to know that some video games, like StarTropics, have realized that.

PIXEL PERFECT

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Look forward to more Hawaii-related content this week and don’t forget to help the people of Maui!

J.R. Sommerfeldt is a family man, licensed counselor, farmer, fiber artist, and indie game enthusiast living in the heartland of America. He has found solace living the simple life, and his preference for games centering around narratives, crafting, and exploration is a testament to this.