Fortunately StarTopics isn't a totally negative experience. The main gameplay is still fun and enjoyable, and while the last few levels are pretty tough, the game can be beaten with a little practice and perseverence (the final boss is actually pretty easy to defeat, believe it or not). The game has an auto-save feature, which saves your game wheverer you enter or leave a cave, and this is a big help. The Review Mode is a nice feature as well, letting you replay previous chapters without affecting your progress. The game story is fun to follow along as well; it flows at a nice pace and features a few cool twists and turns.
While StarTropics is still a great Nintendo outing, the negatives described above keep it from paradise. If the gameplay controls were done better and the challenge better balanced, then this cart would have scored much higher. In face Nintendo addressed these issues when they brought out Zoda's Revenge in 1994. As it stands, this game does do a good job of providing a good time in your NES system, and adventures fans won't be disappointed. If you can tolerate the controls and the frustration, then you'll have a nice trip through the Tropics, but I’d recommend the sequel just a bit more.
- Review posted on July 15, 2006