Star Trek

ZX Computing

Phil Garratt

Fuller Micro Systems' Startrek is a no-frills version of the classic game, for the 16K Spectrum. Your task, as ever, is to clear the eight by eight sector galaxy of the cursed Klingons. Nicely detailed user-defined graphics are used to mark the Enterprise and any Klingons or starbases in your current sector. You are also told the state of your energy reserves, shields and torpedoes. Sectors are numbered consecutively, rather than in the more usual line/column format. Seven commands are available in this version. 'Helm' requires a direction from 0 to 7 and 'Warp Factor' from 1 to 63, and is used for movement. 'Torpedo' uses the same direction input, and will always destroy any Klingon it hits, whereas 'Phasers' seem to need an awful lot of energy to knock out the enemy. 'Update' is equivalent to a short range display, and has to be used if you want the destroyed Klingon to disappear from the screen. Updating is done automatically when the Enterprise moves. The 'Long Range Scan' shows Klingons, starbases and stars in the surrounding eight sectors and is slightly confusing as it is not justified, so that if there are only stars in a sector, it appears in the Klingons column. 'Shields' set the strength of your defences and the last command is 'Resign' for when you tire of the chase. The galaxy is well supplied with starbases at which you can refuel, but I can't help feeling that with such a limited number of commands and scenarious, you'd have to be a pretty dedicated 'Trekkie' to see this one through to the bitter end. However, it is reasonably quick, has good graphics (although it would have been nice to see the torpedo tracks) and sound effects. 'Startrek' is priced at £5.50 and is available from Fuller Micro Systems, [redacted].