''Trek-80'' is a

computer game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual feedback from a display device, mo ...

developed by

Judges Guild Judges Guild is a game publisher that has been active since 1976. The company created and sold many role-playing game supplements, periodicals and related materials. During the late 1970s and early 1980s the company was one of the leading publish ...

in 1979 for the

TRS-80 The TRS-80 Micro Computer System (TRS-80, later renamed the Model I to distinguish it from successors) is a desktop microcomputer developed by American company Tandy Corporation and sold through their Radio Shack stores. Launched in 1977, it is ...

Plot

''Trek-80'' is a game in which the player must destroy all the

Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon language, Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a humanoid species of aliens in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star T ...

ships within a time limit and cannot lose more than five supply

tugs A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, such ...

. The player uses the

warp drive A warp drive or a drive enabling space warp is a fictional superluminal (faster than the speed of light) spacecraft propulsion system in many science fiction works, most notably ''Star Trek'', and a subject of ongoing real-life physics research ...

to move the ship for galactic travel, and

impulse drive Space travel, or space flight (less often, starfaring or star voyaging) is a science fiction theme that has captivated the public and is almost archetypal for science fiction. Space travel, interplanetary or interstellar, is usually performed ...

for moving through the inner quadrant. The Enterprise and Klingon vessels are armed with phasers and

photon torpedo The ''Star Trek'' Setting (fiction), fictional universe contains a variety of weapons, ranging from missiles (photon torpedoes) to melee (primarily used by the Klingons, a race of Extraterrestrial life in fiction, aliens in the ''Star Trek'' ...

es, but the supply tugs only have phasers. The Enterprise is also able to use a ram for an attack.

Gameplay

The screen displays an 8 × 8 square quadrant grid laid out over the galaxy as found in Trek games. The Enterprise is represented using the letter "E", and likewise Klingons use a "K", and the supply tugs use an upward pointing arrow. The on-screen display also shows the stardate, the condition of the ship, quadrant information, the energy of the ship, nearby bases, torpedoes left, and number of tugs destroyed.

Development

As part of their intention to compete with TSR, Judges Guild increased the production on their print products, and also moved into producing computer games, although ''Trek-80'' (1979) the only such game Judged Guild released. ''Trek-80'' was a 16K program written in

BASIC Basic or BASIC may refer to: Science and technology * BASIC, a computer programming language * Basic (chemistry), having the properties of a base * Basic access authentication, in HTTP Entertainment * Basic (film), ''Basic'' (film), a 2003 film ...

by Bruce Berry, and was the first computer game produced by a wargaming company that specializes in science-fiction and fantasy. Barry used concepts drawn from Trek games that were available at the time, and innovated on them further.

Reception

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".

References

{{reflist 1979 video games Judges Guild publications TRS-80 games TRS-80-only games Video games based on Star Trek Video games developed in the United States