The firstStar Trekvideo game appeared in 1971, and by the 1990s, the series was flourishing in the industry. A significant factor was the various gaming platforms, including the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Sega Genesis, and home computers, where Star Trek games could appear. Genres ranged vastly, with developers pumping out point-and-click adventures that fit the spirit of the TV series, along with first-person shooters, strategy games, and flight simulators that may have caught more of the energy of the movies.
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With Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and a variety of movies happening in the 1990s, it’s easy to see why so many games also popped up to take advantage of Trek-mania decades after the original series aired.
8Star Trek: Generations (1997)
For kids of the 1990s, this was the PC game to have as it was a valiant attempt to bring the first TNG movie into a video game. Star Trek: Generations follows the movie’s plot and is an adventure game with different modes.
While considered a first-person shooter by some, it blends a ton of different game types and non-linear paths through the game. Though it’s weird that this game was released three years after the movie’s release, it’s an excellent treat for Trek fans.
7Star Trek: Birth Of The Federation (1999)
This absorbing turn-based strategy game had you managing one of the races in Star Trek’s The Next Generation era. Launched around the same time Star Trek: Insurrection came out in movie theaters, this game hoped to cash in on Trek’s popularity but ended up being a competent enoughCivilization-like game.
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The game has a 3D combat mode that curiously uses developer MicroProse’s Falcon 4.0 engine, originally intended to simulate F-16 battles. If you’ve always wanted to run the Federation or the Klingon Empire, this is probably one of the best classic PC experiences you will have.
6Star Trek: Starfleet Command (1999)
Star Trek: Starfleet Commands combines real-time strategy with space combat in an engaging experience. You can play one of six Star Trek powers in this game, each with its unique campaign and story. The 3D graphics tie into the tactical moves you’ll be making throughout the game.
Curiously based on the 1979 board game Star Fleet Battles, Star Trek: Starfleet Command spawned several sequels and has gone down as one of thebest Star Trek game seriesby several publications.
5Star Trek: The Next Generation SNES (1994)
While you would expect that Star Trek excels as some space combat simulation game, the adventure game genre is where the IP seems to shine. Star Trek: The Next Generation: Future’s Pass on the SNES is a great action game that has it all for Trek fans.
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You interact with characters and the game world on the main bridge and other parts of the Enterprise-D. You also take trips to alien ships and planet surfaces. It’s like watching acozy episodeof The Next Generation on your SNES.
4Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (1997)
This game screamed the 90s with full-motion video graphics in between missions. Featuring some of the original series actors and set during the original cast movie era, this game was a treat.
You play as a Starfleet cadet taking on simulated missions, and the space combat gameplay feels like Wing Commander, but each ship does handle differently and has different attributes. Along with the story, you can come up with custom scenarios, meaning Trekkies can pitch their favorite ships against one another.
3Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (1992)
Set during the original series, Star Trek: 25th Anniversary was an incredible home computer adventure game that made you feel like you were in an episode. There is a bridge mode and away team mode, and you can navigate through seven “episodes.”
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It was well-received by critics and got ports to several consoles. It’s easy to see why, too, as this is one of the best original series experiences. An NES port of the game also came out, getting good ratings at the time.
2Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity (1995)
Another adventure game? Yes, this was Trek’s bread and butter through the 1990s. On the home computer, this game offered you the ability to interact with the game world on the Enterprise-D and during away missions.
Adventure games can sometimes become messy, but this one had a well-structured plot. Many felt this game did the best to translate The Next Generation into a video game and was up for the Adventure Game of the Year awards.
1Star Trek: Judgment Rites (1993)
While using the same game engine as Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, Judgment Rites was upgraded and polished. This game has eight “episodes,” and you interact on the bridge, battle in space combat, and beam down for landing party missions.
Critics liked this game more than Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, and it was nominated for the Adventure Game of the Year awards. Not only was it considered one of the best Star Trek games of all time, but it’s also considered one of the best PC games of all time.
