Old Game Tuesday – Star Trek: 25th Anniversary

First, a note:  this is the PC game, not the console game of the same name.  Now, as a young science fiction fan growing up, there weren’t that many options out there.  So you were pretty much watching Star Trek, even if you were more of a Star Wars fan.  I believe young me begged and pleaded for this game for a birthday or Christmas, can’t quite remember, but I did get it.

And it was everything I had hoped it would be.  ST:25 (as I will now abbreviate it) was a point and click adventure game (with a little ship to ship combat thrown in) broken down into ‘episodes’ just as the series was.  You would take Kirk, Spock and McCoy (with a red-shirt thrown in for good measure sometimes) on away missions that played out like a puzzle.  You’d have to investigate the area, find important items, and figure out the mystery.  You were scored based on how ‘right’ you performed each mission, but as long as the big three away team members were alive, you could continue on.

The missions were varied, and had some references to the show.  You see Harry Mudd and Carol Marcus, as well as one of the ‘God-like’ aliens from the Original Series episode Who Mourns for Adonais?.  The CD-ROM version of the game was fully voiced by the cast, save Harry Mudd, as the actor that played him (Robert C. Carmel) had died.  There were multiple ways to complete the missions, but one ‘right’ one that would get you full marks from Starfleet Command.  Phasers, tricorders, Spock and McCoy sniping at one another – it’s all there.

I had a ton of fun with this game, the ‘click’ when one of the puzzle pieces fell into place for me was awesome.  Heck, ST:25 taught me about other numbering systems (one of the puzzles had you entering in numbers in base 3 or base 4).  If you wanted to play ST:25 (or it’s excellent sequel Judgement Rites) you will definitely want to get with DOSBox.  I am looking for other Star Trek games to feature in the future, but this is painful.  Star Wars has a bunch of games that are worthy, but Trek…oof.  If you have suggestions, comment away!