Good Star Trek games on consoles and portables

Good Star Trek games on consoles and portables

A while back, I read a Top 10 list featuring the best Star Trek games. I don't normally care what lists like this say but, there was one thing that stuck out for me with this one: All the titles on the list were PC games. Where were the console and portable games? They weren't there! So, I decided to write a list of my own. This list is based on my personal experience with Star Trek games. I didn't include ones I haven't played, even if they're popular.

Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator (Atari 2600)

It's a port of a vector-based arcade game that SEGA released in 1983. It plays the same as it's arcade counterpart. It's nowhere near as impressive as the arcade original or the ports for more advanced consoles like Colecovision & Atari 5200. However, for an Atari 2600 game, it's easily one of the most spectacular titles ever made for the system. (Not to mention one of the few 1st person games on the system...)

In this game, you fly around, fighting Klingons, protecting starbases and refueling at said starbases. This continues until you run out of fuel/get destroyed by the Klingons. Like all Arcade/Atari games of that era, there was no real end goal. You were just trying to get the highest possible score. It's simplicity is what gives it the ability to illicit such bliss. I highly recommend this game for ANY system on which it can be found.






Star Trek - The Next Generation (NES)

Ever wanted to pretend like you were Captain Picard and command the Enterprise on a series of missions? Well, this game will actually have you play a Starfleet Academy cadet on a holodeck, being trained by Captain Picard. You still get to fly the Enterprise in a number of often dangerous missions, though.

The missions do get a bit repetitive after a while (especially after you beat the Borg) but, this is still easily the best 1st person simulation title on the NES. It's also the most graphically impressive NES game that I have ever seen. This title was easily a LOT better than the TNG game on Genesis (which I own and will get to later) and the one on SNES.

Star Trek - 25th Anniversary (Game Boy)

The reviews I've read on this title complain about the graphics being very sparse. It's also short enough to beat in an hour or two if you know the game really well. To those critics, all I can say is what did you expect? It's a Game Boy game. Considering the system's limitations, I'd say the programmers did a good job.

It's actually 2 games in 1; a side-scroller when piloting the Enterprise in space and top-down action when leading an away team on a planet's surface. The away missions get tedious and lack music. The side-scrolling in space is a lot more fun, albeit a bit repetitive sometimes. You get to fly through 2 kinds of asteroid fields, a giant space amoeba like the one in a TOS episode called The Immunity Syndrome, Klingons, Romulans, Tholians and, eventually, the Doomsday Machine.

The space missions also feature music that uses melodies from various episodes of the Original Series. Small touches like that show that the programmers were true fans. It would have been easy (and quite common at the time) to have just used some kind of stock music but, not with this game.

There aren't many 3rd-party Game Boy games that have actually stood the test of time for me but, this surely is one of them.

Star Trek - The Next Generation: Echoes from the Past (SEGA Genesis)

The graphics and sound are spectacular for the Genesis. Even the opening title sequence for the game will give hardcore Trekkies a geekgasm. The amount of detail put into the game is quite impressive. What kills this game though, is the level design. It tends to get confusing at times. You'll need a map of the away-team levels. Otherwise, it can get really tedious.

I give this game at least an honorable mention, if not saying it's actually good.











Star Trek Starfleet Academy - Starship Bridge Simulator on SNES (Also on SEGA Genesis 32X)

This game is very common and cheap but, still a great space combat simulator. Loved the recreations of famous battles from the TOS-era Movies.

The PC version that would be released sometime after this title in 1994 was much more detailed and elaborate. However, if you don't have that version, this one will do. I recommend using the Super Advantage joystick when playing this one.





Star Trek - Tactical Assault on DS (and PSP)

This is one of the VERY few Strategy games that I have ever tried and also the ONLY one that I have enjoyed. The fact that it was a Star Trek game wasn't even the reason why. This game was able to get me interested in a strategy game because it has simple controls. I wish more strategy (and RPG) games would offer simple controls...

Also, I particularly enjoy the skirmish mode, where I can set up a battle between up to 4 vessels in 5 different environments. You can relive classic battles from the TOS movies (since this game is based in or around 2284) or set up battles we all wanted but, never got. Like the Constitution Class Refit fighting a Klingon K'Tinga Class Battlecruiser.



- Lord Publius