Mike Jones is an ordinary kid who embarks on an extraordinary adventure! Invited by his archaeologist uncle to a tropical island, Mike arrives to find his uncle kidnapped, and vows to track him down and uncover the dark secrets lurking in the island paradise.
StarTropics includes two main types of gameplay. In travel stages, move Mike around the island on foot or in his uncle's submarine. In battle stages, explore monster-ridden caves using a variety of weapons and items.
Upon its original release, StarTropics included a letter from Mike's uncle, which was needed to progress in the game. For the Virtual Console version, this letter has been reproduced in the Operations Guide, accessible from the HOME Menu.