Summary
- Release Year: 1982
- Genres: Arcade, Shooter, Simulator
- Platforms: Vectrex
- Developers: GCE
- Publishers: Milton Bradley
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1982)
Overview
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1982 arcade game developed and published by Atari, Inc. It is based on the 1979 film of the same name, and was released to coincide with the film’s home video release. The game is a basic “shoot-’em-up” style game for one or two players. The object of the game is to travel through space and destroy Klingon and Romulan ships.
Gameplay
The player controls the USS Enterprise, which is viewed from a third-person perspective. The Enterprise can move left, right, up, and down, and can fire phasers and photon torpedoes. The player must destroy all of the enemy ships on each level in order to progress to the next level.
There are a total of four levels in the game. The first level takes place in the Mutara Nebula, the second level takes place in the Klingon Empire, the third level takes place in the Romulan Neutral Zone, and the fourth and final level takes place on the surface of the planet Vulcan.
The enemy ships in the game include Klingon Bird-of-Prey ships, Romulan Warbirds, and Romulan Battle Cruisers. The Klingon ships are the most common enemy, and are relatively easy to destroy. The Romulan ships are more powerful and durable, and can be more difficult to destroy.
The player can collect power-ups throughout the game that will give the Enterprise additional abilities. These power-ups include:
- Cloaking device: Makes the Enterprise invisible to enemy ships.
- Photon torpedoes: More powerful than phasers, but can only be fired a limited number of times.
- Warp drive: Allows the Enterprise to travel faster.
Development
Star Trek: The Motion Picture was developed by Atari’s arcade division in Sunnyvale, California. The game was designed by Ed Logg, who had previously worked on Atari’s hit arcade games Asteroids and Missile Command.
Logg wanted to create a game that would be faithful to the Star Trek universe, but that would also be fun and exciting to play. He drew inspiration from the film’s special effects and action sequences, and incorporated many of the film’s iconic elements into the game, such as the Enterprise, the Klingon Bird-of-Prey, and the photon torpedoes.
The game was developed on the Atari System 2 hardware, which was a cutting-edge arcade platform at the time. The System 2 hardware allowed Logg and his team to create a game with impressive graphics and sound effects.
Release
Star Trek: The Motion Picture was released in arcades in November 1982. The game was a commercial success, and was one of the most popular arcade games of its time. It was also well-received by critics, who praised its graphics, gameplay, and faithfulness to the Star Trek universe.
The game was ported to the Atari 2600 home console in 1983. The 2600 version of the game was not as well-received as the arcade version, but it was still a popular game among Star Trek fans.
Legacy
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is considered to be one of the classic arcade games of the 1980s. It was one of the first games to feature a licensed property, and it helped to popularize the Star Trek franchise in the arcade market. The game is still enjoyed by Star Trek fans today, and it is considered to be one of the best Star Trek video games ever made.
Trivia
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture was the first arcade game to feature a voice synthesizer. The voice synthesizer was used to generate the voices of the Enterprise’s crew, including Captain Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.
- The game’s music was composed by Brad Fuller, who also composed the music for the film.
- The game was originally going to be called Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, but the name was changed to Star Trek: The Motion Picture to avoid confusion with the film of the same name.
- The game was featured in the 1982 film Tron.
Conclusion
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a classic arcade game that is still enjoyed by Star Trek fans today. The game’s faithful recreation of the Star Trek universe, its exciting gameplay, and its impressive graphics and sound effects make it a timeless classic.
Review Score
7/10
Art
Cover Art
Screenshots
