Released in 1995

Available in

Genre: Simulation

Starship Bridge Simulator was originally released for the Super Nintendo in 1994. The 32X version came out later and features some improvements, mainly in the graphics -for example, the ships are more detailed in the 32X version. The game has you play as a Captain in training, who has just joined Starfleet. Before you can go out into space, you have to clear a number of training tests in the simulator, each one with different objectives. As the Captain you have full control of your ship -it's down to you whether you want to go to red alert, try communicating with other ships or where you want to warp to next. You are graded between each mission and can only progress to the next on by reaching the minimum pass rate.

The 32X version of the game doesn't seem to have a very good reception, as many of the reviews I've read state that it isn't that much better than the Super Nintendo game, and if you already have that, you don't need this. I've never played the SNES version, but after playing the 32X version there are some obvious problems. The small viewer window makes it difficult to make out ships until they're fairly close to you, and the radar isn't much use, so you can end up just flying around space encountering nothing. Combat is very limited, as you only have two different weapons to choose from and it can take quite a while to destroy an enemy ship, especially as it can be difficult to hit them -most of them move around very quickly!

For Star Trek fans however this might be worth a look. The combat simulator has a few missions plucked from the original series and movies, such as the final battle of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The Kobayashi Maru scenario, which was featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, also makes an appearance in the game. For anyone who wants a more traditional space shooter, there's Star Wars Arcade and Shadow Squadron.

The single player mode has you selecting a rookie Captain and entering Starfleet Academy. You can go straight into the tests, but before you start, it is highly advisable to play through the training missions first, so you can learn the basics of flying the ship. During normal gameplay you can control the ship manually, speeding it up or slowing it down when required. You also have access to two different weapons: phasers and torpedoes. The phasers don't do much damage but can be fired faster, whilst the torpedoes do more damage but are more difficult to hit enemies with at a distance.

As well as being able to fly the ship and fire the weapons, you also have to work with your crew. You can hail other ships or be hailed, and will have to access the communications menu to talk to anyone. Your science officer will offer basic support about what to do or if anything has been picked up by your ship's scanners. Other options include being able to go to warp speed to get to a destination you've selected in the navigation menu, or using the ship's tractor beam on objects you want to bring in. In addition to the training missions, you can also enter academy lectures, where you can learn about things such as what the different alert statuses do. You can also hang out in the academy lounge and talk to your fellow crew mates, and even play a game of pool with one of them if you wish. You can also access one of Starfleet's computers to read about the different races and ships you'll be encountering in the simulator.

In addition to the main simulator missions, there is also a combat simulator. This mode lets you pick your own ship and then the one you want to fight, and you'll then enter a battle where the objective is to destroy your opponent. There are also some special combat simulator missions which let you play through certain scenarios that should be very familiar to Star Trek fans. The combat simulator also has a two player option, where you and a friend can take each other on.

Enter these at the password screen. When the password screen appears you have to enter the codes with the d-pad as well as the controller buttons. D means down, L means left, R means right and U means up. A, B and C are the buttons on the controller, and S is the start button.

Level 1
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Level 2
LUBUBRRRBA

Level 3
RUBUBSRRBA

Level 4
LUBUBCRRBU

Level 5
RUAUBDRDBU

Level 6
LUBUBRRLBA

Level 7
LUBUBCRLBU

Level 8
RUBUALRRBD

Level 9
UBSBLLLAAC

Level 10
LUAUAURUBB

Level 11
RUBUASRRBB

Level 12
LUBUACRRBD

Level 13
RUBUALRLBD

Level 14
LUBUARRLBB

Level 15
RUAUABRDBB

Level 16
LUBUACRLBD

Level 17
RUBUBLRRBD

Level 18
LUBUBRRRBB

Level 19
RUBUBSRRBB

Level 20
LUBUBCRRBD

-Much of the music featured in the game is taken from some of the films, most notably, some of James Horner's score from The Wrath of Khan.

-In 1997, a new Star Trek game for the PC was released called Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. This game is similar to the 32X game in terms of plot and missions, but has a number of differences, including completely new graphics, live action cutscenes and a multiplayer mode which could support as many as 32 players.