Nerds That Geek Gaming Flashback - 'Star Trek: 25th Anniversary'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

I’ve always found it fascinating how a television show, movie or game or book can suddenly elicit waves of nostalgia in your mind, and how it comes straight out the blue. Because you’ll be watching or mashing buttons and just like that, a memory flashes in your mind and since I’ve been taking the time to recap my experiences in Star Trek: Online, it would seem my brain is sifting through all things Trek at the moment, since reminiscing about one game led to another since I found myself pondering upon a true Star Trek gaming gem in Star Trek: 25th Anniversary.
 
Now for those unfamiliar with that title, this is a game that premiered during the golden era of PC Gaming and well, it was a highly anticipated one to say the least, simply because it was about to go where no game had gone before. This release from Interplay, promised us something incredibly bold, a living and breathing season of The Original Series where you would be able to climb aboard the Enterprise and play as the iconic characters we came to know and love and well, I saved up an entire summer to get my hands on this one, for obvious reasons.
 
But, all nerdy joy aside, what made this game so great is that it delivered on its promise, since this game genuinely feels like season four of the show, since it is comprised of multiple episodes wherein the crew of the NCC-1701 must work together to figure out puzzles and conflicts in order to move the story forward and as an added bonus, you get to enjoy a little space combat along the way and the end result of this formula was downright magnificent. For it truly felt as though I was a part of the golden era of Trek thanks to the sense of adventure this game provided and the quality writing that was featured in every single episode.
 
Yet, what was truly stunning is how this game was further enhanced well after its release, because the popularity of it and the warm reception it received prompted Interplay to revamp the game by releasing a special CD edition of 25th Anniversary that featured brand new voice overs from the cast of the show and well, this was downright magical. Because suddenly, you were alongside William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley and this…was a dream come true and it truly took the game to a whole new level and truthfully, I must have replayed this game hundreds of times to get my Star Trek fix.
 
However, while this brought nothing but joy for me, it wasn’t until many years later that I came to realize what a pioneering game this turned out to be. Because this is one of the first games to feature celebrity and original cast related voiceovers and for the time, it pushed computer graphics to their maximum capabilities as well. In fact, I recall having to save up for another summer to buy a better graphics card to make this game run seamlessly. But what matters most, is that this game captured the spirit of Star Trek and if by chance you want to try this one out for yourself, it’s available online and I strongly encourage you to do so since this game, comes from a time where the story and the experience in a computer game, mattered above all else. 

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