If you grew up playing Nintendo, you already know that games used to come with awesome bonuses. Poster-sized world maps, guidebooks of tips and hints as thick as phone books, or even just some sweet temporary tattoos used to be the norm. Before every game came in the same standard cd-sized case, there was literally a lot more room for developers to get inventive with what they shipped out.However in all of gaming history, I don’t think there’s ever been a game insert quite as memorable as the StarTropics letter.

If you owned this game, you already know what I’m talking about. But if you didn’t, you're doing yourself a huge disservice. StarTropics is an unsung masterpiece for the NES. It was a top-down adventure, like Legend of Zelda, but with significantly better graphics and even more inventive puzzles. And it's those puzzles where the letter comes into play.

EVERY DUNGEON FILLED WITH SECRETS!

See, in the game your character gets a letter from his uncle inviting him to come visit his island. And in the box, you got a physical copy of that same letter.Now I don’t want to give away spoilers, so let’s just say that there is a lot more to this message than meets the eye.

CAN YOU SPOT THE HIDDEN CLUES?

As you progress through Star Tropics, you will have to re-visit and re-examine this piece of paper, and what you discover will blow your mind. There's a lot more hidden here than you'd ever guess. Interacting with the letter in real life gave Star Tropics a level of immersion that most games could never hope to achieve, and it’s one of the best video game secrets ever made.

StarTropics - Buy it for NES

But what about you? Do you remember playing StarTropics? What are your favorite game accessories? As always, tell me in the Comments.