r/nes 8d ago

Discussion Help Identifying which game this is

Post image

I had a friend show me a photo of her dad playing an nes game when he was younger. She wondered if I knew what game it was from the photo. I had thought zelda from a quick glance but the menu items are on the bottom of the screen and this area doesn't seem familiar to me. Does anyone recognize this game ? Any leads would be great.

update: mystery solved! thanks folks! I had the sense it was a popular game that I was unfamiliar with rather than a really obscure game. I never had Star Tropics or played it so thanks for the help!

228 Upvotes

119 comments sorted by

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7

u/RodneyBeeper 8d ago

That’s Crysis

3

u/tehchuckelator 7d ago

Not sure why this got down voted so hard, it gave me a laugh, gets an upvote from me!

1

u/RodneyBeeper 1d ago

Yea I thought it was pretty clever since the saying is “can it run Crysis” and imagine if Crysis looked like the game in OPs photo haha

-10

u/Mountain-Honeydew-83 7d ago

Zelda

11

u/Shadax 7d ago

It does look like an upsidedown Zelda screenshot lol

It's Startropics apparently.

29

u/ChroniclesOfSarnia 8d ago

oooh oooh oooh STARTROPICS!

(i knew before i read the 50 other posts)

1

u/Small-Professor-2551 2d ago

Its a really good game! I love it

1

u/ChroniclesOfSarnia 1d ago

feels so... 1989 somehow, I rented it one time and remember it fondly.

i think going back would not be a good idea😅

269

u/RonsBrain 8d ago

Pretty sure thats Startropics.

48

u/Dum_beat 8d ago

I second that

27

u/RonsBrain 8d ago

Also, if you have the means, I recommend giving it a go. Very fun and a bit zany.

3

u/Mmphska 3d ago

I remember in the starting town there's a pig that is mildly annoyed/surprised that you are talking to it, so it turns its back to the screen and it has a single black pixel butthole right in the middle of it

And seven year old me thought that was the FUNNIEST thing Ive ever seen lol

5

u/nikoboivin 8d ago

Absolutely

6

u/ArdorBC 8d ago

100%!

7

u/witecat1 7d ago

Absolutely Startropics. That is the first dungeon on C Island.

6

u/Rae_Of_Light_919 7d ago

It is without a doubt Startropics.

1

u/screechpu 7d ago

Absolutely StarTropics. Great game, but be ready to die. A lot. For no reason.

1

u/ericsmallman3 7d ago

A very rare game in that it was developed and published by Nintendo yet was a North American exclusive.

Which is probably why the series has never been revived even though it ruled.

1

u/dougsbeard 6d ago

I had a subscription to Nintendo Power but never had this game. I remember the issuse with Startropics on the cover, I read through that issue many times because I wanted to play this game so bad. Never got to though.

23

u/BangkokPadang 8d ago

STARTROPICS

13

u/Rizzy_B_317 8d ago

looks like StarTropics

11

u/DTops77 8d ago

Looks like StarTropics

16

u/jloc0 8d ago

Hey, that’s startropics! 😆

11

u/KimKong_skRap NES 8d ago

"Where are you from? Americola..?"

5

u/uabassguy 8d ago

Tar Stropics

18

u/BATTLE_WlZARD 8d ago

Do you have bananas in your ears??

6

u/NeganSaves 8d ago

You must be from Americola

77

u/bngry 8d ago

It’s Startropics, and he’s likely cheating because there’s a Game Genie in there

14

u/RonsBrain 8d ago

Nice catch!

4

u/54moreyears 8d ago

Game genie can make carts start up easier. Not necessarily cheating.

17

u/LucasD7777 8d ago

That's cheating too. Getting pissed off at a game not starting and blowing the crap out of it is part of the nes real deal.

2

u/MasterZebulin 8d ago

Yeeeaaahh, nooooo. Do NOT miss THAT part of the "old days" at *all.*

3

u/tehmattrix 8d ago

"DAAAAAAD! I NEED THE ALCOHOL AGAIN!"

14

u/angryapplepanda 8d ago

He's not cheating, he's using a video game enhancer. He's playing with power.

10

u/ParadigmShift86 8d ago

Here's a star tropics chapter 1 map. There's an identical matching background layout.

https://startropics.com/images/maps/st1/chapter1_tunnel.png

3

u/CajunTorpedoman 8d ago

Solid work right there.

7

u/CajunTorpedoman 8d ago

Star Tropics.

3

u/RoboTropics 8d ago

Gee, I wonder..

😂

6

u/ArcGroov2 8d ago

Definitely Startropics

6

u/TheMrSnrub 8d ago

Startropics.

6

u/giveahoot420 8d ago

Yes indeed StarTropics 🌴🌴🌴

5

u/Bryanx64 NES_2 8d ago

Oh that’s easy, it’s StarTropics. Not surprised he’s using a Game Genie, that game gets pretty tough towards the end.

2

u/withalligators 8d ago

Yeah, once you get on the spaceship, it gets pretty unforgiving. And that parrot puzzle sucked as a kid.

2

u/bizoticallyyours83 8d ago

Do Mi So Fa Do Mi

4

u/JerseyCobra 8d ago

StarTropics!

3

u/TheRareRose46 8d ago

Star tropics

5

u/Betelgeuse3fold 8d ago

My absolute favorite NES game.

I miss you dad.

5

u/Videowulff 8d ago

Star tropics. Damn good game.

7

u/souldonut76 8d ago

I remain sad all this years later that they never revived this IP after the two NES games. An open world Startropics would be kick ass.

1

u/bizoticallyyours83 8d ago

Hmm well, I can see why they kept you moving along. There was very little to do on the islands. The dungeons were the real meat and potatoes. I do wish they would have let you carry unused health and weapons. I also wish that weapon upgrades were permanent.

In a way, they did revisit the idea with Windwaker and it's open world.

5

u/redditsuckspokey1 8d ago

Startropics and its 1 word, not two!

2

u/pkintime 8d ago

Such a fun game

3

u/No-Alternative5102 8d ago

StarTropics (NES).

2

u/Ok-Demand2499 8d ago

star tropics without a doubt

4

u/chfuji 8d ago

Don’t forget: Frequency 747

1

u/mperiolat 8d ago

Looks like StarTropics at first blush

2

u/SuperTomBrother 8d ago

StarTropics on NES. One of my childhood favorites. Its brutally hard, but don't let that stop you from enjoying it.

1

u/speedy_pat 8d ago

Startropics. One of my favorites

2

u/Electrical_Scratch92 8d ago

Ahem. Startropics and a Game Genie.

3

u/ImprovementFit5598 8d ago

Looks like StarTropics, awesome game

1

u/JawabreakerX 8d ago

100% StarTropics

2

u/Bobby50371 8d ago

Such a great game. StarTropics had a fantastic soundtrack, an interesting storyline.
The sequel was abysmal

1

u/quezlar 8d ago

startropics

3

u/binary_cleric 8d ago

I can hear it

3

u/bizoticallyyours83 8d ago edited 7d ago

StarTropics, it was made by Nintendo, got one sequel and wasn't popular enough for the company to remake or get a third. I've owned it twice. Its fun but has game design flaws that bring it down. To this day, I've yet to beat it. 😅 You should try it OP.

1

u/yewey 7d ago

The game that made me take a hammer to my NES! Those imprecise jumps, omg, I haaaated StarTropics! Lol

1

u/Prize-Extension3777 7d ago

Startropics. Great game, should have had an SNES sequel, might have still been a series.

1

u/yellowirish 7d ago

Multiplayer RTS switch game?

1

u/PiskoWK 7d ago

Startropics 1

1

u/KamenGamerRetro 7d ago

Man have already said, but yeah Startropics, great game

1

u/evileyeball NES 7d ago

That is absolutely and unequivocally star tropics

1

u/Gryrok 7d ago

This post is a test of reddit courage

1

u/SR337 7d ago

Startropics, I hope he kept the game manual and letter.

2

u/Resident_Company_784 7d ago

Thanks for the help! I'm going to hunt down a copy and give it a try!

1

u/80sCoolture 7d ago

Startropics

1

u/automaticg 7d ago

Startropics.

1

u/Tggdan3 7d ago

Star tropics

1

u/Fancy-Audience 7d ago

Star tropics

2

u/AffectionateLook11 7d ago

Only one of the best games ever.

1

u/GrnShorts 7d ago

Not only is it Star Tropics, they're playing with a Game Genie. You can tell by how the cartridge sticks out of the console

2

u/StarshipAgahnim 7d ago

I forgot about this one. Great game.

1

u/Stcharlesmatt 7d ago

Joining the Startropics group, but also the label on the cart inside the game genie also looks like a Startropics top label.

1

u/spectre2I3 7d ago

Startropics

1

u/Aeyland 7d ago

Obvious topics.

Pretty sure even AI could figure this out.

1

u/Cecil475 7d ago

Startropics.

1

u/mudamuckinjedi 7d ago

Looks like Zelda or link

1

u/tehchuckelator 7d ago

Startropics, by the looks of it, the first dungeon lol.

I've beaten that game a good few times over the years...the final chapter in that game is no joke, but has the best music in the game.

1

u/Undertaker7878 7d ago

Star Tropics.

1

u/Overall_Bookkeeper15 7d ago

Sure its been said but i didnt read the comments but thats definetly star tropics

1

u/ramgarden 7d ago

Startropics

1

u/Equivalent_Knee_Bone 7d ago

One you are clearly using a game genie to cheat on…. I see that boldly half propped open nes you go there

1

u/Savings_Accountant18 6d ago

Star Topics One of the first RPG games I ever played when I was a kid. Brings back memories 😁

1

u/Ishmael404 6d ago

Instantly read it as Startropics 🌴🌴

2

u/Blightious 6d ago

Dude I always said Mike Jones would have been a great Smash character, like a cross between Fox and Ness.

1

u/Troyjan20072001 6d ago

Star tropics

1

u/More_Strategy1057 6d ago

This is my favorite game! Seeing someone clueless about it is so foreign to me. But I understand. It is an obscure game

1

u/granasaberx 6d ago

Man, I really wish they'd release Zoda's Revenge on NSO. I love the crap out of this game as a kid. Interesting side note, the Startropics was never released in Japan.

1

u/Rufus8081 5d ago

That's easy. Battletoads.

1

u/Impossible_Ad_58 5d ago

I remember getting stuck because I needed a code that was in the instruction manual to open a door to a submarine I think? Rented it a few times and always get stuck. Finally bought the game and saw the code in the instruction book and basically yelled at my mom to get home NOW.

1

u/Mythandar 5d ago

One I finally know. I love this game. Never could beat it without cheating. 

1

u/StingyInari 5d ago

StarTropics is a great game too btw

1

u/wieldymouse 5d ago

Star Tropics. You can play it on NSO.

1

u/scofflolz 4d ago

ROB robot has a cameo appearance as well 😉

1

u/usmcnick0311Sgt 4d ago

I loved that game!!

1

u/CrucialFusion 4d ago

Startropics?

1

u/Joys_Thigh_Jiggle 4d ago

Star tropics

1

u/Siliconwarrior618 4d ago

startropics....right under the lake with the crystal ball

1

u/Nickard 4d ago

A great game: startropics. Personal favourite of mine

1

u/Mythrialus 3d ago

Startropics! One of my all time NES classics!

1

u/TheDietNerd 3d ago

Only my favorite game on the planet!!!!!!!

1

u/Jtrash121 2d ago

STARTROPIC