Star Trek: The Next Generation (1994 video game)

Last updated
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek The Next Generation game cover.jpg
Developer(s) Spectrum HoloByte [1]
Publisher(s) Spectrum HoloByte (SNES)
Sega (Genesis)
Designer(s) Randy Angle
Sergio Vuskovic
Kurt Boutin
Writer(s) Steve Olson
Stephen Goldin
Vera Chan
Composer(s) Andrew Edlen (Genesis)
Series Star Trek
Platform(s) Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Sega Genesis
Game Gear
ReleaseSNES
  • NA: September 1994
  • EU: 1994
  • JP: 17 November 1995 [2]
Genesis
Genre(s) Adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Star Trek: The Next Generation (subtitled Future's Past on SNES and Echoes from the Past on Sega Genesis) is a 1994 adventure game developed and published by Spectrum HoloByte. The game features strategy and puzzle-solving elements. The game was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sega Genesis and the Sega Game Gear. It takes place in the Star Trek universe, spanning Federation space and the Romulan Neutral Zone, and centers on the appearance of the IFD (Integrated Field Derandomizer), an artifact machine of unknown origin that, as its name suggests, allows its user to reshape matter and energy. It culminates in the IFD Trials, three tests undertaken by representatives of any races that are present when the Trials are held, and failure would mean the destruction of the Federation and the enslavement of countless worlds by the Federation's enemies.

Contents

Plot

The game begins with the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) in orbit around a red giant star near the edge of the Neutral Zone (the star adversely affects Romulan sensors, rendering the Enterprise undetectable). They are monitoring the border in response to increased Romulan activity; the Romulans recently lost contact with a vessel patrolling the Neutral Zone. Starfleet had agreed to assist in any investigation attempt as a sign of goodwill. The Romulans refuse the aid, and prefer to handle things on their own, which naturally prompts Starfleet to increase border patrols.

Immediately upon beginning play, the Enterprise receives a distress signal, broadcasting on all frequencies. It was sent out by one Dr. T'Laris, a Vulcan geologist stationed on a planet in the Codis Mu system (Codis Mu VI), and in the message she notes that her dig site was recently attacked by Romulans, and that the assailants are still present. The Enterprise responds to her plea for help and sets a course to her dig site.

As the game progresses, the player learns more about the missing Romulan vessel's mission, and of the IFD. The Enterprise also makes contact with an alien race known as the Chodak, hostile mollusk-like creatures who constantly accost the Enterprise as it traverses known space gathering clues about the IFD. There are also mentions of a now-extinct race called the Senatorious who were the last race to possess the IFD; the reason it resurfaced is because the Senatorious understood that they'd been using the IFD for their own benefit at the cost of all other races, and judiciously decided to send it ten thousand years into the future, in the hopes that civilizations then could put the IFD to use for the mutual benefit of all races. There is one more race, the gaunt Eunacians, which are encountered only once and, after the Enterprise repairs their ship, tell Jean-Luc Picard of the IFD Trials and the Eunacians' intention to participate. However, with their ship crippled, and the rest of their race residing in the Gamma Quadrant, they entrust the Federation with recovery of the IFD, and its judicious use.

Gameplay

Main bridge Sttngfp001.jpg
Main bridge

The game is an adventure video game in which the player is investigating the relationship between the Romulans, an alien race called the Chodak, and a temporal device. The game plays as an episode of the series does, in that the player communicates with members of the crew and interacts with them in a variety of ways. In game areas include the main bridge, transporter room, conference room, alien ships, and planet surfaces.

The main bridge offers a large amount of interactivity. Here the player can interact with each crew member, interviewing them to gain knowledge for the mission and to solicit opinions on how to proceed. The bridge has a variety of terminals, including the Conn, communications, engineering, the main computer, and access to the transporter room and conference room. The engineering terminal gives the player control over ship repair duties, in a similar style to the PC game Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity. The main computer offers a material to research for missions, and general information about the Star Trek universe. The Conn is the ship's navigational control and is where the player plots course and speed to various game destinations. In the conference room the player is briefed with the crew regarding how to proceed at various points throughout the story.

A mission on a planet's surface Sttngfp002.jpg
A mission on a planet's surface

When the player goes to the transporter room, planning to beam to a destination, he can choose his crew to bring along. Each crew member has stats that decide how effective he will be at certain tasks, such as tactical, technical, strength and health. Choosing a selection of characters that target the mission goals can make the gameplay much easier. At the destination, the player has individual access to each character and their inventory. The phaser, tricorder, and various specialized devices (such as medical equipment) are used in the game to interact with the environment.

In-game events are played out through conversations on the main bridge viewscreen, in-person on away missions and via short in-game animated cinematics. The game's intro mimics the intro of the television series.

Settings

The game has three different settings.

Bridge - Various interface stations allow the player to navigate, start away missions, and access the password system which can be used to play saved games at different points of the game.

Combat - Should an enemy attack the Enterprise, the red alert klaxons go off and the visual is transferred to a tactical grid that shows the Enterprise and the attacking ship. The player may fire phasers and photon torpedoes while maneuvering. Damage sustained during these battles can either be repaired at the Engineering console on the bridge, or at one of the three starbases in the sector. Damage inflicted can affect various systems, such as being unable to beam down to away missions, unable to access navigation, blurred and garbled communications, or ship destruction.

Away Mission - The player controls four members of an away team. The player can control each one in turn by switching to the respective portrait. Certain characters have different abilities based on their service branch.

Release

A version of the game for the Atari Jaguar was announced in early 1994 and was in development by Spectrum HoloByte but it was never released, despite being advertised in video game magazines at the time. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Similarly, a version for the Sega CD was announced and previewed by magazines, but never released. [9]

Reception

Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the SNES version a 7.5 out of 10. They praised the sound effects for their successful emulation of the TV show, but criticized that the gameplay is "slow-paced" and "boring at times". They nonetheless concluded that the game is "a must have" for fans of the show. [10] GamePro was somewhat more critical of the SNES version. Though they praised the sound effects and attention to detail with Star Trek lore ("Even Star Trek's previously undecipherable galaxy classification and navigation systems are now understandable - and useful"), they argued that the game failed to capture the spirit of the show, particularly in that it does not offer players the option to negotiate for peace with their adversaries. They also cited poor collision programming, but concluded the game to be "a solid action-packed adventure". [11] Released in Japan in late 1995, the game was scored a 21 out of 40 by a panel of four reviewers at Famicom Tsūshin . [2]

The Genesis version was slightly less well received than the SNES version. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it a 6.25 out of 10, saying that the controls and gameplay design are very frustrating and difficult to get into, though they again stated that fans of the show would enjoy the game. [12] GamePro praised the authentic Star Trek details, but like EGM they found the controls frustrating, and concluded by saying that anyone making a choice between the two versions of the game should buy the SNES version instead. [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Earthworm Jim</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Earthworm Jim is a 1994 run and gun platform game developed by Shiny Entertainment, featuring an earthworm named Jim, who wears a robotic suit and battles the forces of evil. The game was released for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System, before being subsequently ported to a number of other video game consoles.

<i>Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity</i> 1995 video game

Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity is an adventure game by Spectrum HoloByte, based on the Star Trek universe. It was released in 1995 for the DOS and later ported to the Macintosh. It puts the player in control of Captain Picard and his crew of the Enterprise D and features traditional point-and-click adventure gameplay as well as free-form space exploration, diplomatic encounters and tactical ship-to-ship combat.

<i>Star Trek: Armada</i> 2000 video game

Star Trek: Armada is a real-time strategy video game for Microsoft Windows developed and published in 2000 by Activision. The game's look and feel is based primarily on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and features a few of its main characters and ships. Playable factions include the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire and the Borg. The game received mixed to positive reviews and was noted for being one of the better Star Trek games to be made. A sequel, Star Trek: Armada II, was released on November 16, 2001.

<i>Star Trek Generations</i> (video game) 1997 video game

Star Trek Generations is a 1997 first-person shooter with adventure and strategy elements by MicroProse, based on Star Trek Generations (1994), the seventh film in the Star Trek film franchise. It includes voice-acting by much of the cast of the film including actors Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, and Malcolm McDowell, as well as footage from the film.

<i>Star Trek: 25th Anniversary</i> (computer game) 1992 video game

Star Trek: 25th Anniversary is an adventure video game developed and published by Interplay Productions in 1992, based on the Star Trek universe. The game chronicles various missions of James T. Kirk and his crew of the USS Enterprise. Its 1993 sequel, Star Trek: Judgment Rites, continues and concludes this two-game series.

<i>NBA Jam</i> (1993 video game) 1993 video game

NBA Jam is a basketball video game developed and published by Midway for arcades in 1993. It is the first entry in the NBA Jam series. The project leader for this game was Mark Turmell.

<i>Aero the Acro-Bat</i> 1993 video game

Aero the Acro-Bat is a 1993 video game developed by Iguana Entertainment and published by Sunsoft. It was released for both the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. Aero the Acro-Bat, a red anthropomorphic bat, was created by David Siller. In 2002, Metro 3D released a version of the game for the Game Boy Advance, with a battery back-up. The GBA version was titled Aero The Acro-Bat - Rascal Rival Revenge in Europe and Acrobat Kid in Japan. The Super NES version of the game was released on the Wii's Virtual Console in the PAL region on July 23 and in North America on July 26, 2010.

<i>Revolution X</i> 1994 video game

Revolution X is a shooting gallery video game developed by Midway and released in arcades in 1994. The gameplay is similar to Midway's earlier Terminator 2: Judgment Day, but is themed around the band Aerosmith. The oppressive New Order Nation regime and their leader Helga have abducted Aerosmith, and players use a mounted gun to control onscreen crosshairs and shoot enemies. The members of Aerosmith are hidden throughout the game's international locales and must be found in order to receive the game's true ending.

<i>Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure</i> 1994 video game

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure is a side-scrolling action-platform video game developed by Activision in conjunction with Kroyer Films and originally published in North America and Europe in 1994. The fourth installment in the Pitfall! franchise, players assume the role of Pitfall Harry Junior as he embarks on a journey through the Mayan jungles of Central America in an attempt to rescue Pitfall Harry, his father and the protagonist of previous entries in the series, from the evil Mayan warrior spirit named Zakelua. Its gameplay mainly consists of action and platforming mixed with stage-based exploration using a main six-button configuration.

<i>The Lion King</i> (video game) 1994 video game

The Lion King is a platform game based on Disney's 1994 animated film The Lion King. The game was developed by Westwood Studios and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment for the Super NES and Genesis in 1994, and was ported to MS-DOS, Amiga, Game Gear, Master System, and Nintendo Entertainment System. The Amiga, Master System, and NES versions were only released in the PAL region. It is the final licensed NES game worldwide. The game follows Simba's journey from a young cub to the battle with his uncle Scar as an adult.

<i>Troy Aikman NFL Football</i> 1994 video game

Troy Aikman NFL Football is an american football video game originally developed by Leland Interactive Media and published by Tradewest for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System first in North America on August 1994. Officially licensed from the National Football League, it prominently features former NFL player Troy Aikman, who became the first member of the 1993 Dallas Cowboys to have his namesake in a game, followed by his teammate Emmitt Smith in Emmitt Smith Football.

<i>Star Trek: Encounters</i> 2006 video game

Star Trek: Encounters is a video game set in the Star Trek fictional universe, which was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. The game was developed by Scottish studio 4J Studios for Bethesda Softworks and Ubisoft (EU).

<i>Madden NFL 97</i> 1996 American football video game

Madden NFL 97 is a football video game released in 1996. It was the first multiplatform Madden game released for the 32-bit consoles, being released on both the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. 16-bit versions were also made for the established Super NES and Genesis platforms, as well as a portable version for the Game Boy.

<i>Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is a fighting video game developed and originally published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment in Europe for the Sega Genesis in June 1994. It is based on the 1993 film of the same name, which is a semi-fictionalized account of the life of Hong Kong-American actor and martial artist Bruce Lee. Following the events of the movie, players take control of Bruce Lee across several stages that takes places in different time periods of his life and fight against some of his adversaries.

<i>Brett Hull Hockey</i> 1994 video game

Brett Hull Hockey is an ice hockey video game developed by Radical Entertainment and originally published by Accolade for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in January 1994. It prominently features former Canadian-American NHL player Brett Hull and is officially licensed from the NHL Players' Association.

<i>Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel</i> 1994 video game

Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel is a video game developed by Iguana Entertainment, and published by Sunsoft in 1994. It is a spin-off/sequel of the Aero the Acro-Bat series. The game was released for the Sega Genesis in October 1994 and for the Super NES in November 1994, along with the release of Aero the Acro-Bat 2.

<i>Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Starship Bridge Simulator</i> 1995 video game

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Starship Bridge Simulator is a video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis 32X systems that was released in 1995 by Interplay, the same group that produced many later Star Trek starship games.

<i>Spider-Man</i> (1995 video game) 1994 video game

Spider-Man is a side-scrolling action game developed by Western Technologies and published by Acclaim and LJN in 1994 and 1995, based on the 1994–1998 animated series of the same name. The game was released for the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The two versions of the game have the same basic story but have gameplay, level, and enemy differences.

<i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i> (1993 video game) 1993 video game

Star Trek: The Next Generation is a large spaceship simulation video game based on the Star Trek follow-up series of the same name. It was released in 1993 to the North American and European markets for both the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Game Boy.

<i>Road Rash</i> (1994 video game) 1994 racing video game

Road Rash is a 1994 racing and vehicular combat video game originally published by Electronic Arts (EA) for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. A version for the Sega CD was developed simultaneously and released in 1995 to act as a "bridge" between the 3DO version and the Sega Genesis title Road Rash 3, and the game was subsequently ported to the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Microsoft Windows in 1996. The game is the third installment in the Road Rash series, and is centered around a series of motorcycle races throughout California that the player must win to advance to higher-difficulty races, while engaging in unarmed and armed combat to hinder the other racers.

References

  1. "MobyGames.com Star Trek: The Next Generation - Echoes from the Past Credits". Archived from the original on 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
  2. 1 2 "New Games Cross Review - 新スタートレック ~大いなる遺産 IFDの謎を追え~". Shūkan Famicom Tsūshin . No.362. Pg.29. 24 November 1995.
  3. McGowan, Chris (January 15, 1994). "The Enter*Active File - Entertainment Industry News Of Info Systems, Video Games & Retail-Tech Media - Firm's 'Star Trek' Games Span Generations - 'Star Trek' Games". Billboard . Vol. 106, no. 3. Lynne Segall. pp. 46–54.
  4. "News - Jaguar bares its claws - Complete Atari Jaguar thirdparty release schedule". Edge . No. 5. Future plc. February 1994. pp. 10–11.
  5. "News - La Jaguar ronronne - On attend sur Jaguar". Génération 4 (in French). No. 64. Computec Media France. March 1994. p. 42. Archived from the original on 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  6. "News - Update - Around the corner... - Expected Release Dates". ST Format . No. 56. Future plc. March 1994. p. 48. Archived from the original on 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  7. "News - Update - New Jaguar Development System Released - Expected Release Dates". ST Format . No. 57. Future plc. April 1994. p. 50. Archived from the original on 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  8. "Update - Games News - Atari ooze confidence at ECTS - Jaguar Developers". ST Format . No. 59. Future plc. June 1994. pp. 56–57. Archived from the original on 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  9. "Cart Trek: The Next Generation Sci-Fi Previews". GamePro . No. 39. IDG. October 1992. pp. 23–24, 27.
  10. "Review Crew: Star Trek: TNG". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 57. EGM Media, LLC. April 1994. p. 38.
  11. "ProReview: Star Trek: The Next Generation". GamePro . No. 57. IDG. April 1994. pp. 50–51.
  12. "Review Crew: Star Trek: TNG". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 59. EGM Media, LLC. June 1994. p. 34.
  13. "ProReview: Star Trek: The Next Generation". GamePro . No. 60. IDG. July 1994. p. 54.