The Internet has long been a hotbed (or depending on your perspective a cesspool) of nostalgia. Indeed, Star Trek nostalgia fueled much of the development of the Internet with blogs, wikis, and so forth dedicated to our beloved franchise. And for those of you gearing up for the 50th anniversary, what better way than to resurrect some gems from the 25th anniversary?
The website Good Old Games recently dropped several vintage Star Trek video games into its line-up the 25th Anniversary and its sequel Judgement Rites. Point-and-click adventures in the style of King’s Quest and similar 80s/early 90s video games, these are classics. When Watch Mojo did their Top 10 Star Trek games, the Anniversary and Judgement Rites got the #2 and #1 spots respectively.
GOG also offers Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, a popular flight simulator from 1997. The games are available here for $6 each.
The GOG model is to provide easy to download and play versions of older games, games which might otherwise be available if you torrent them and then play through a clunky emulator like DOS Box – a time-consuming, aggravating process. (Not that I’m speaking from experience, of course.)
The 25th Anniversary Star Trek game was alot of fun. When I was a kid, I spent hours playing. It. Some of the old games are more fun than new games. I recently pulled out my Sega Genesis for my kids, they love it. I would. Give these old games another try.
I really REALLY hope they bring Generations in, too! I never could get a proper experience of that again on a modern Windows box.
Stra Trek Armada…was a pretty fun game..
Star Trek…oops
The 25th Anniversary game was the first PC game I ever bought–so happy to see that someone has made these games playable on modern computers! I still have my copy of Starfleet Academy!
I can’t tell you how many times I played both 25th Anniversary and Judgment Rites (which was certainly a step-up from the original). These were both classic games in a number of ways, not the least of which was that they were nearly unbeatable without the strategy guide. In 25th Anniversary, there was that “Old Devil Moon” mission where you needed a code to get into the main door, and the only way to get it was to return to the ship and look it up in the ship’s computer…a function that you had to use maybe one other time in the game, and that you would never think of. In Judgment Rites, it was an even more epic head-scratcher. In the mission where Trelane recreates WWI-era Germany, the only way to steal a gun from the armory was to use McCoy’s medical kit to drug the beer IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION. First off, how you would know that McCoy’s life-saving medical kit could be used offensively to drug an item is beyond me…it’s the only time in either game that is done. Secondly, how you would know that the beer would then be ingested by the officers…I mean, I guess there was some hinting at their love for beer in dialogue, but you get my drift. I also suppose that if you are not a child of the 80s/90s, you wouldn’t understand that these frustrations are actually part of why these two games are some of my favorites of all time.
I played the heck out of Starfleet Academy. One of the best games ever. I might get this for my son.
” And for those of you gearing up for the 50th anniversary, what better way than to resurrect some gems from the 25th anniversary?” — Jared Whitley
One quibble, Jared, while licensed by Paramount to call itself STAR TREK: 25TH ANNIVERSARY, the game so titled, wasn’t actually released on TREK’s 25th Anniversary but the year following, 1992, in a cla$$ic example of Paramount’s licensing/marketing trumping any actual date for the anniversary celebration.
Star Trek: Armada II. :D I still play the game up until now. haha
I’m not much of a gamer, but even I have those CDs in a collectable black box with a numbered sticker. It has a second disc with interviews, if I’m not mistaken.
Oh, and I also played Starfleet Academy for a while.
Oddly, a fan of Starship Exeter (the fan film) made something I believe is called a scroller in which one could fight Klingon ships and protect a star base. That was entertaining.
For those who aren’t familiar with GOG, they tweak games to make sure they run on modern operating systems and provide manuals and such in PDF. Most of their games are available for Windows AND Mac AND Linux.
(I have no connection with GOG except as a satisfied customer.)
5. to play it on modern computers you just needed to use DOSbox.
6. Agree, the point was to get to these crazy and not often logical solutions.
Anyway, i´m glad those games get the spotlight they deserve.
u can get this games on steam too
I am so happy to see these. I have the CDs somewhere, but haven’t spent the time messing with DOSBox. The Starfleet Academy I did try to get running once and it was nye impossible.
One one complaint is that the Starfleet Academy doesn’t come with the expansion Chekov’s Lost Missions.
Hopefully they’ll get Klingon Academy out soon too.
I still play Star Fleet Command: Orion Pirates. Best tactical game ever!
I will have to try Star Fleet Academy again it has been 20 years or so….
Elite Force I & II did it for me. Those games were so much fun, and right around the days when First Person shooters were booming in the markets with Quake and Unreal. An easily comparable gaming experience from a Trek perspective, I think! Judgment Rites was an early grab for me too, as a kid. Solid adventure point-and-click game. But even though it’s not technically Star Trek, the best point-and-click Trek ever was Space Quest 5: The Next Mutation. PLAY IT!
So while the Star Wars franchise is expanding in all directions generating orgasmic anticipation the constipated world of Star Trek gives us fanzoid features and defunked games to relive past glories.
Ever get the feeling Paramount has ZERO interest in Star Trek?
defunked? Did they smell at one point?
Or did you mean “defunct?” In which case, no–they work great.
gog.com is fantastic
I stand corrected…but gog.com does indeed stink.
More and more I firmly believe that Paramount has ZERO interest in Star Trek.
# 19. I Khan Believe it Ain’t Butter – May 8, 2015
” More and more I firmly believe that Paramount has ZERO interest in Star Trek.” — I Khan Believe it Ain’t Butter
When it comes to making money off of past TREK licenses with respect to merchandise, Paramount really doesn’t have a dog in that race. So it isn’t indicative of anything other than CBS maximizing its earnings.
Paramount did let JJ and the script writers work on the last new video game that went nowhere but that wasn’t really a failure having to do with the studio.
Okay, this Paramount hates Trek stuff doesn’t really stand up to the facts. In the last 6 years they’ve made two $200 million movies and are making a third. $Spending 5-600 million bucks, more or less, and not including marketing, is not zero interest from Paramount.
And then there are ten other films (Star Wars only had 3 until the late 90s) and 700+ hours of television. And hundreds of books and you name it. It might not be as much as you like, but it ain’t zero.
Star Trek doesn’t have the same kid appeal as Star Wars — and so it’s never really been the same kind of cash cow for toys and the like. And the Star Wars movies have traditionally had more general appeal.
Where I do agree, is that some of the quality control on some of the Trek merchandising is kind of lousy. That app they launched with Into Darkness was useless and silly. But, I don’t follow Star Wars that closely anymore, so maybe they’ve had duds too.
Has Lucas been better at selling shit? Probably. But Star Wars isn’t Star Trek. There are only so many Tribbles and models of the Enterprise one can buy. Making more and more stuff isn’t the answer — that, and Lucas is a technical whiz, the movies and games are typically technically groundbreaking. I can’t think of any other franchises that make video games that are as good as the Star Wars stuff (and then there’s the whole issue that Star Wars is kind of all about sword fights and blowing stuff up).
I would gladly play 25th again. It was an amazing game for TOS!!
Anyone for TNG’s Final Unity?
Weirdly, Conquest is still my go-to game when I’m stressed out and just want to conquer shit.
So I guess this site doesn’t do news on Kickstarter stuff? Just curious as to why there was no mention of that Captain Pike thing.
These games look like fun. Never played’em,should probably give it a go at some point. Only one I ever tried was Bridge Commander,which was fun.
J-R!
# 21. Jack – May 8, 2015
” Okay, this Paramount hates Trek stuff doesn’t really stand up to the facts…” — Jack
Your “facts” are confused and muddled. By the year 2005, warring intra-office political factions split between Tom Freston and Les Moonves had brought their feuding to the point where Redstone was forced to address it as this was hurting his bottom line. He believed the solution was to turn these energies on themselves by rending Viacom in half; thus, allowing them to fight it out on a market field. This took what had essentially been operating as Paramount prior and renamed it CBS. Then Redstone took the film library that old Paramount, i.e. now CBS, had and returned it to Viacom to form the foundation of an essentially “new” Paramount Pictures helmed by TV people with absolutely no experience in running a major motion picture studio. Anyone that was left that did were subsequently purged by Brad Grey, its new head.
Under old Paramount, Rick Berman’s personal a$$istant said that in meetings they had with Moonves that he “hates” all things SF. Other sources have elaborated that Moonves said he doesn’t understand SF and he hates anything he doesn’t understand as it is impossible for him to make money off of it.
Given this bit of relatively recent “Paramount” history, it is not surprising that fans would ask whether any Paramount “hates” STAR TREK. Is it a bit overblown? Perhaps, but given that new Paramount now only has access to limited revenue streams in regards to new Trek Motion Pictures, it is fair to ask whether its commitment to Trek is now also more limited in certain aspects than it was in the Paramount of old. Clearly they have made a far bigger commitment to future TRANSFORMER movies than their next STAR TREK.
No native Linux ports? GRRRRRR!!!!
Oops. Meant Linux port for Starfleet Academy. That’s the one I really want.
…just started up some retro-gaming with VOY: Elite Force on PS2! =D
i tried that ST: Conquest game… couldn’t get into it =(
i’d pretty much agree with the sentiment: paramount hates Star Trek =(
How about Star Trek: Promethean Prophecy for Coomodore 64
I prefer Star Trek: Rebel Universe for the Commodore 64. Even better would be Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator for the Commodore 64, Commodore VIC-20, Atari 2600/5200, Texas Instruments 99/4A, etc.. Best would be Star Trek: SOS, the arcade version or on MAME. (Not forgetting Star Trek: 25th Anniversary on the Amiga computer)
Son of Captain Garth wrote:
> a fan of Starship Exeter (the fan film) made something I believe is called a
> scroller in which one could fight Klingon ships and protect a star base.
I downloaded that game! And I’m glad they finally finished Starship Exeter: the Tressaurian Intersection last year.
@ 32. Robert Bernardo – May 10, 2015
“Son of Captain Garth wrote:
> a fan of Starship Exeter (the fan film) made something I believe is called a scroller in which one could fight Klingon ships and protect a star base.
I downloaded that game! And I’m glad they finally finished Starship Exeter: the Tressaurian Intersection last year.”
Yeah, the timetable on that episode caused quite a bit of consternation among the fans; it became a bit of a game, with numerous people claiming they had seen the “secret cut,” etc., while others (you know how Trek fans can be) were making demands of Jimm Johnson, whining that it was taking so long. Then, of course, there were a few who were demanding that they produce more episodes on a tighter schedule. The sense of entitlement was breathtaking, as I’m sure almost none of them donated. Those who did probably offered a sawbuck at most and thought that doing so made them producers, or put them in a position to make demands.
As for the game, yeah, it can be addictive. What amazes me is how much effort and detail this guy put in to a game based on a fan-film.
I still have A Final Unity on original CD and play it every few years.
Also Star Trek Klingon was fun – as an episode in the 90’s.
In those times i was more into star trek encyclopedia and interactive technical manual (which is still great ent-D manual – and should remade to modern hi-res)
I still play “The Fallen”. Great game with an equally great soundtrack.
As someone who was on the in-house test team for Generations, I really hope they bring that back. It’ll be the first time I’ve ever gotten to play it as a player, not a tester.
34. same here, i always recommend this game to the occasional trekkie i meet.
“Star Trek The Final Unity” should be better known it´s beautiful, and would look lovely in an Ipad screen.
I like it!
I thought ST Legacy on PC was pretty good. First and only time all the major ships were playable along with the voices of all 5 captains.
how does one play older games like the fallen etc…i had most of these older games and newer versions of windoze combined with no companies ufnthey even exist anymore updating the programs so they work on windoze 7 or 8….when we got a newer computer with windoze 7 suddenly most of my programs dont even run anymore….at least ps2 runs elite force….
Anybody still remember The Secret of Vulcan Fury…the greatest Trek game never made? That preview ad video for it made us want it soooo bad!
Does anyone remember NetTrek or the Nettrek: The Real Version? They were both Shareware on the early Macintosh. I think the later came out in 1991ish. It was my first Star Trek game, and still one of my favorites. Until Starfleet Command came out which is the closest thing there is.
41: Jim I certainly do. That was so amazing for the time. What a crying shame we never got it especially since DJ Fontana & the whole original cast was involved. Here is some new found footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds_XKnhjRfA
-Never before seen gameplay footage from
Star Trek: Secret of Vulcan Fury
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrkvSyB7i7Q
Games That Weren’t – Star Trek: Secret of Vulcan Fury
(Evil Spock at end ;^)
LLAP
Oops that was DC Fontana. The 2 trailers also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQHyg6nFpAY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZT_qg0jH0U
BTW, the fantastic “ST TOS Beyond Antares”, has 10 min of new footage and redone animation done by one person on one computer in his spare time check it out (pt 3 is in progress still):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCD9tgWeZYQ
LLAP
Yep B Kramer….all the principle tos cast recorded voices for the entire game and the screenshots were amazing…i could not believe it when we finally realized that even though the game years in development and almost done was never going to happen.,,wasnt that based on a novel?
Lets see i liked early simplistic videogames based on trek on my Vectrex video game system….now that was a game system…vector graphics on a black n white vertical monitor with colored plastic overlays for each game even a 3d hardware system and drawing pen tools,,,trek and their submarine game set in the north or south pole were two of my faves…colecovision had the early trek game that had Nomad in it….
Jim the story was specially written for the video game and it had a lot of concepts and ideas true to the original series: A damn shame.
Even the 25th anniversary and Judgement Rites video games impressed me enormously at the time, although the graphics are dated now – but still fun nonetheless. They also possess the spirit of the show with original voice, music etc. But Vulcan Fury blew me away.
You know what, if anything is left from the original game data and voices anywhere, they should fund a kickstarter to complete it: Now that would be a 50th anniversary present. I bet Tos fans would fund the heck out of it.
LLAP
PS – notice how when Scotty cuts through the bulkhead in the two clips in #43, different angles are shown in each which is standard today but back then way advanced.
What about Star Trek Away Team? That was a great game!
Come to think of it, they should even redo the 25th and Judgement Rites into new state of the art graphics for the 50th anniversary. ;^)