StarTropics is an action-adventure game for the NES, produced, written and directed by Genyo Takeda, who also developed the Punch-Out!! series. Nintendo released it in North America on 26 December 1990 and in Europe on 20 August 1992. It was never released in Japan.
The hero, Mike Jones, is a 15-year-old from Seattle who searches the South Seas for his uncle, Dr. Steven Jones, after aliens abduct him. The NES box included a paper letter that had to be dipped in water to reveal the code 747, which is needed to progress. Later re-releases had to find new ways to deliver that code. A sequel, Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II, followed in 1994.
Nintendo Power placed StarTropics 64th in its 1997 list of the 100 best games of all time. The game was added to Nintendo Switch Online on 13 March 2019.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | StarTropics | NES | Dec 26, 1990 | Nintendo | 1 |
| NA | StarTropicsVirtual Console | Wii | Jan 7, 2008 | Nintendo | 1 |
| NA | StarTropicsVirtual Console | Wii U | May 26, 2016 | Nintendo | 1 |
| EU | StarTropics | NES | Aug 20, 1992 | Nintendo | 1 |
| EU | StarTropicsVirtual Console (PAL regions) | Wii | Jan 11, 2008 | Nintendo | 1 |
| EU | StarTropicsVirtual Console; Australia 2015-09-04 | Wii U | Sep 3, 2015 | Nintendo | 1 |
| WW | StarTropicsNintendo Switch Online (NES library); not offered in Japan | Switch | Mar 13, 2019 | Nintendo | 1 |
Box art by region
NA StarTropics 
EU StarTropics
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
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TextWii Virtual Console and later re-releases
Starting with the Wii Virtual Console, the yo-yo weapon is called the Star and Yo-Yo Island becomes Star Island, because "yo-yo" is a trademark in Canada.2
-
ContentNESWii Virtual ConsoleNintendo Switch Online
The original NES box had a letter you dipped in water to reveal the code 747. The Wii Virtual Console turned the letter into an animation in its electronic manual, and for the Switch release Nintendo gives the code on its customer support site.1
Where to play legally today
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Nintendo Switch Online Subscription
StarTropics (NES – Nintendo Switch Online)
North American NES version
Checked: 2026-10-133nintendolife.com
Reception
StarTropics has an 82.50% average on GameRankings. Nintendo Power placed it 64th in its 1997 list of the 100 best games of all time, and IGN ranked it 35th among the top 100 NES games, although some critics found it too close to The Legend of Zelda.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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