Trek-80 (1979 video game)
| Trek-80 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Judges Guild |
| Publisher(s) | Processor Technology Corporation |
| Designer(s) | Bruce Berry |
| Platform(s) | TRS-80 |
| Release | 1979 |
Trek-80 is a computer game developed by Judges Guild in 1979 for the TRS-80.
Plot[edit]
Trek-80 is a game in which the player must destroy all the Klingon ships within a time limit and cannot lose more than five supply tugs. The player uses the warp drive to move the ship for galactic travel, and impulse drive for moving through the inner quadrant. The Enterprise and Klingon vessels are armed with phasers and photon torpedoes, but the supply tugs only have phasers. The Enterprise is also able to use a ram for an attack.[1]
Gameplay[edit]
The graphic layout is the usual galactic grid overlaid by an 8 × 8 quadrant grid found in Trek games. The Enterprise is depicted by an "E", and Klingons by a "K", and the tugs by the up arrow. Additional information displayed on-screen includes: stardate, ship's condition, quadrant, ship's energy, bases, torpedoes, and number of tugs lost.[1]
Development[edit]
As part of their plan to compete with TSR, Judges Guild increased production on their print products, and they also started to diversify by moving into computer game production, although Trek-80 (1979) was their only computer game.[2]: 198
Trek-80 was a basic language, 16K program written by Bruce Berry, and was the first computer game produced by a science-fiction/fantasy wargaming company. Barry took many ideas from the numerous Trek programs already on the market, and added a few new and different twists.[1]
Reception[edit]
The game was reviewed in 1980 in The Dragon #36 by Michael Dodge. Dodge concluded the review with, "Trek-80 is a well written program and a good Star Trek game. The program's graphics are well laid out and easy to read, the mechanics are adequate, and the introductions of ramming and tugs are excellent features".[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Dodge, Michael (April 1980). "The Dragon's Augury". The Dragon (36): 65.
- ^ Shannon Appelcline (2014). Designers & Dragons: The '70s. Evil Hat Productions. ISBN 978-1-61317-075-5.