STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER

    Stardate 8474.8
    Captain's Log
    Captain James T. Kirk

These are the continuing voyages of the Starship U.S.S. Enterprise. The renegade Vulcan Sybok has taken command of my ship and intends to navigate the U.S.S. Enterprise through the 'Great Barrier' at the center of the galaxy. His destination is a legendary planet known only as Sha Ka Ree. Sensors have picked up a Klingon Bird of Prey closing fast at warp speed. If we are forced into combat, we will be out-gunned and out-maneuvered. I have nothing to rely upon except my wits and the abilities of my crew. 'May fortune favor the foolish.'

• As Captain James T. Kirk, it is now up to you as you face the ruthless Klingon, Klaa. Interact freely with your bridge crew as you never thought possible. "What are your orders, Keptin?"
• Ultra-realistic graphics and sound create the experience and bring you into the action and adventure that is Star Trek.
• Take the 'conn' and set course for the most exciting adventure yet. "Klingon Bird of Prey, sir! She's arming torpedoes." "Mr. Scott. I need warp speed in three minutes – or we're all dead!"

Boldly go where no man has gone before...

~ from the back of the box

Being an odd-numbered Star Trek film, you'll probably have a good idea what the consensus is of the 1989 movie. So what about Mindscape's computer game adaptation of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier?

Developed by Level Systems, it's one of those multi-genred movie-based games like the PC versions of Moonwalker or Terminator 2 so it's a little bit hit-and-miss. Normally, such games would have the programmers work on different elements resulting in little consistency in both gameplay and quality. Out of the four action stages here, three of them run on the same engine and control very similarly, though each detail a very specific event in the story. The other, as you would probably expect, is a little rubbish.

Each stage can be played alone or as part of an overall narrative retelling the events of the movie, which is the preferred way to play. The first level is Wormhole, a 3D obstacle course through a wireframe tunnel shooting rocks and collecting dilithium. Next is the Minefield, another 3D wireframe arena where you shoot down explosives that are spinning around you. The final game, B.O.P. Simulator, again uses the same engine but is much more open-ended, resembling the more traditional flight simulator the previous levels teased at. The other action section is a one-on-one fighter and a basic one at that.

All these, bar the fighting stage, take place in the bridge of the Enterprise and have a number of controls to memorise, spanning almost the entire keyboard including the number pad and the F keys. You can call upon your crew and give out orders, or use the keyboard shortcut to perform the action without taking your eyes off the view of space in front of you. It's a solid if dated system and well utilised in each iteration. It's just a shame only three levels were ever made out of it.

The game is exceptionally good looking for its time, but the sound lets the overall presentation down. Only the PC Speakers are supported, making the bleeps and bloops archaic compared to the VGA graphics. Amiga and Atari ST ports were touted to be released at a later date which may have solved the music issue, but we'll never know as they were ultimately cancelled (as was the completely different NES game).

It got good reviews at the time, and I suspect it may have deserved them too considering what other other similar games were doing, but some 30 years later it's best seen as a museum piece.

There are a couple of points to mention before you play the game. The first thing you'll see will be a selection of graphics option. Select VGA for the best visuals. Next is the self-explanatory difficulty and then the level select. 1-4 are assigned to each stage while 5 - the one to go for - is the complete game including story elements and cutscenes. You'll have to enter a copy-protection code of which the answers can be found in the back of the manual (though if you speak Klingon, you won't need it).

To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses DOSBox to bring the game to modern systems. Manual and Reference Card included. Tested on and Windows 10.

File Size: 6.17 Mb.  Install Size: 9.75 Mb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

Download



Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (the game) is © Mindscape Inc
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (the movie) is © Paramount Pictures
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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