Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator

Sometimes the best way to enter the world of Star Trek isn't diplomacy, but a proper space battle. Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator offers exactly that, and on the Commodore 64 it delivers the experience of commanding a starship in direct combat with enemies among the stars.

The game is primarily a space-combat simulation. The player sits in the cockpit of the Enterprise, controls the phasers and photon torpedoes, and fends off waves of attackers, among which Klingon ships are not missing. The emphasis is on action and reflexes, but with that cosmic touch where you have to watch what's happening around you, aim, and time your fire in a space that feels three-dimensional.

The roots of this title reach back to an arcade machine that capitalized on the popularity of Star Trek, and the home version was meant to bring this experience into players' living rooms. Converting arcade action onto an eight-bit computer meant, as always, a number of compromises, but the goal was to preserve that addictive rhythm of repelling enemy attacks and piling up the score.

Culturally, the game represents an era when sci-fi brands and arcade machines fed off each other, and when every successful film or series tried to find its way into the games industry too. Star Trek was a constant among these licenses, and its action-oriented take appealed to players craving shootouts among the stars.

Because reliable period data about the home conversion for the C64 is fragmentary, it's reasonable not to overstate specific numbers or ratings. What does hold up, though, is the very essence of the game, namely brisk space action with a touch of one of the most famous sci-fi universes.

Why play: For straightforward space action at the controls of the Enterprise, ideal when you want mainly shootouts among the stars from Star Trek.