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Startropics is a classic action-adventure video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1990. Developed by Nintendo R&D1 and published by Nintendo, Startropics was the first console game created specifically for North American audiences. The game follows a teenage protagonist named Mike Jones as he embarks on an epic quest to rescue his missing uncle, Dr. Steven Jones, from an alien race known as the Zoda Empire.
Startropics tells the story of Mike Jones, a young boy living in Seattle who receives a mysterious letter from his uncle, Dr. Steven Jones. In the letter, Uncle Steven entrusts Mike with a special artifact called the “Star Cane” and asks him to come to C-Island in order to find out what has happened to him. Upon arriving at C-Island, Mike discovers that Uncle Steven has been kidnapped by aliens from the Zoda Empire and it is up to him to save him. To do this, Mike must explore various islands while battling monsters and solving puzzles in order to progress further into his quest and eventually confront Zoda himself.
Gameplay wise, Startropics is played like most other action-adventure games of its era; players control Mike as he moves around each island while fighting enemies with his trusty yo-yo or using items found along the way such as bombs or health potions. Along with enemies scattered around each level there are also puzzles which must be solved in order for Mike to progress further into his journey - these puzzles range from simply pushing blocks around or finding hidden keys to more elaborate challenges such as deciphering ancient languages or solving complex mazes.
In addition to its traditional action-adventure gameplay elements Startropics also contains several unique features which set it apart from other games of its time; one such feature being its use of real world locations such as Seattle and Hawaii which were used as backdrops for some of its levels. Another noteworthy feature was its use of password system which allowed players to save their progress when they needed to take a break from playing - this was especially useful given that Startropics was quite difficult even compared to other NES titles at the time so having passwords allowed players an easier way of continuing where they left off without having to start all over again if they ever got stuck on certain parts of the game.
Overall Startropics remains a beloved classic amongst NES fans due its engaging storyline and challenging gameplay - not only does it feature many elements that have become staples in action-adventure games today but also manages provide something new through its unique use of environments and password system which give it an extra level of depth that was not seen before back then in console gaming experiences.