Uploaded October 2017 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a PC Star Trek simulation game that simulates the life of a typical Starfleet cadet. The object in the game is for the player to learn the basics of flying a starship so that the player can eventually become a captain of one's very own ship. It includes a simulation battle mode in which the player can pilot and fight ships of his or her choosing. It's also the first time in a video game that free-motion CGI filming took place. The in-game movies, directed by Martin Denning, at the time represented a breakthrough in CGI-Live Action rendering.
The player takes the role of human Cadet David Forester, leader of a cadet group at Starfleet's San Francisco–based Command College. The player has to pass all the simulated missions, optionally including the infamous Kobayashi Maru scenario. The scenarios, in addition to simple combat situations, include a recreation of Kirk's near-disastrous starship confrontation with Khan Noonien Singh which Kirk ruefully admits is used to teach cadets to avoid his serious mistake that nearly doomed his ship. In addition, between simulator scenarios, Forester must keep his crew in check and prevent personality clashes from lowering team performance by choosing the right dialogue options during cutscenes.
The cadet crew consists of a Vulcan science officer called Sturek, a female Andorian communications officer named Vanda M'Giia, and a detached and shy human engineer Robin Brady, with Trill Jana Akton at the helm and human Geoff Corin at navigation.
During the course of the game it is possible to foil the machinations of the Vanguard — a fanatical terrorist group dedicated to overthrowing the Federation government and installing Kirk as a despot — and to investigate the cause of increasing tensions around the Klingon Neutral Zone. On the other hand, it is possible to be dismissed from the Academy in disgrace if the wrong choice is made during certain full motion video sequences directed by Martin Denning at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.
The game has a multiplayer starship combat mode that allows up to 32 players to play together.
On the PC, the game is enhanced with numerous interactive live action scenes (FMV) that can affect crew performance, and a storyline involving a terrorist group known as the Vanguard. These scenes feature William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov, and George Takei as Captain Hikaru Sulu, as celebrity guest instructors at the school. Interplay contracted Ron Jones, composer for several Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, for the game's soundtrack, a CD of which was included in some versions of the game. Other versions came with an exclusive 3" metal miniature figure of the female Andorian cadet, Vanda M'Giia. Pocket Books released a novelization by Diane Carey.
The PC game received an expansion pack called Chekov's Lost Missions that features seven new missions, two new multiplayer games, and various improvements to the game interface. Walter Koenig and George Takei make return appearances in the introductions to several of the new missions.
Interplay also announced a PlayStation version of the game, but it was never released.
Sales of Starfleet Academy reached 40,000 units within four days of the game's release.
PC Zone gave the game 87 out of 100 and GameSpot gave it 5.6 out of 10. Pelit's Niko Nirvi gave Starfleet Academy 75 out of 100, criticizing the game for being unfinished and that the flight model doesn't resemble Star Trek but is instead too similar to Wing Commander.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a PC Star Trek simulation game that simulates the life of a typical Starfleet cadet. The object in the game is for the player to learn the basics of flying a starship so that the player can eventually become a captain of one's very own ship. It includes a simulation battle mode in which the player can pilot and fight ships of his or her choosing. It's also the first time in a video game that free-motion CGI filming took place. The in-game movies, directed by Martin Denning, at the time represented a breakthrough in CGI-Live Action rendering.
The player takes the role of human Cadet David Forester, leader of a cadet group at Starfleet's San Francisco–based Command College. The player has to pass all the simulated missions, optionally including the infamous Kobayashi Maru scenario. The scenarios, in addition to simple combat situations, include a recreation of Kirk's near-disastrous starship confrontation with Khan Noonien Singh which Kirk ruefully admits is used to teach cadets to avoid his serious mistake that nearly doomed his ship. In addition, between simulator scenarios, Forester must keep his crew in check and prevent personality clashes from lowering team performance by choosing the right dialogue options during cutscenes.
The cadet crew consists of a Vulcan science officer called Sturek, a female Andorian communications officer named Vanda M'Giia, and a detached and shy human engineer Robin Brady, with Trill Jana Akton at the helm and human Geoff Corin at navigation.
During the course of the game it is possible to foil the machinations of the Vanguard — a fanatical terrorist group dedicated to overthrowing the Federation government and installing Kirk as a despot — and to investigate the cause of increasing tensions around the Klingon Neutral Zone. On the other hand, it is possible to be dismissed from the Academy in disgrace if the wrong choice is made during certain full motion video sequences directed by Martin Denning at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.
The game has a multiplayer starship combat mode that allows up to 32 players to play together.
On the PC, the game is enhanced with numerous interactive live action scenes (FMV) that can affect crew performance, and a storyline involving a terrorist group known as the Vanguard. These scenes feature William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov, and George Takei as Captain Hikaru Sulu, as celebrity guest instructors at the school. Interplay contracted Ron Jones, composer for several Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, for the game's soundtrack, a CD of which was included in some versions of the game. Other versions came with an exclusive 3" metal miniature figure of the female Andorian cadet, Vanda M'Giia. Pocket Books released a novelization by Diane Carey.
The PC game received an expansion pack called Chekov's Lost Missions that features seven new missions, two new multiplayer games, and various improvements to the game interface. Walter Koenig and George Takei make return appearances in the introductions to several of the new missions.
Interplay also announced a PlayStation version of the game, but it was never released.
Sales of Starfleet Academy reached 40,000 units within four days of the game's release.
PC Zone gave the game 87 out of 100 and GameSpot gave it 5.6 out of 10. Pelit's Niko Nirvi gave Starfleet Academy 75 out of 100, criticizing the game for being unfinished and that the flight model doesn't resemble Star Trek but is instead too similar to Wing Commander.
![Dragons Crown Initial Gameplay [2 player] (2013, Vanillaware/Atlus)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uVm3XaR7TUQ/mqdefault.jpg "Dragons Crown Initial Gameplay [2 player] (2013, Vanillaware/Atlus)
Skipped over the intro/tutorial a little to show more gameplay.
Dragons Crown (ドラゴンズクラウン Doragonzu Kuraun?) is a 2D fantasy action role-playing video game developed by Vanillaware. Set in a medieval world of swords and sorcery, the game sees up to four players travelling through dangerous dungeons and labyrinths in search of fortune and adventure. Cooperative options include both local multiplayer and four player drop in sessions over Sonys PlayStation Network service with data-sharing of save games and cross play between the Vita and PlayStation 3.
Dragons Crown is an action role-playing game structured like traditional side-scrolling beat em up such as Capcoms Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara or Segas Golden Axe where players move their characters across the screen into the background or foreground while defeating the assailants that confront them from all angles. Players may choose between one of six heroic character archetypes and travel through numerous environments alone or accompanied by computer controlled or other player characters defeating enemies using skills, combos, magic and collectable offensive weapons like bombs and crossbows recovered from chests or dropped by their foes.
Each character has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, fighting styles, skills and magic which can be upgraded through the Adventurers Guild. The characters skills and statistics increase upon leveling like a classic RPG and with each level the characters earn skill points to unlock or buff his or her skills and magic. The number of skill points attainable for each character is not enough to unlock and upgrade every skill on a characters character tree so the player must plan carefully to ensure they build and buff their characters skills and magic in a way that is tailored to their play style.
The game is set primarily in the Kingdom of Hydeland, in the same fantasy world of GrimGrimoire and Odin Sphere, taking place within a different timeframe and location of the world. The games world possesses vast labyrinths and catacombs that lay beneath the civilization, and fantastical monsters that stalk the darkest and most desolate forests.
The plot revolves around a legendary relic, the titular Dragons Crown, and the quest to retrieve it. A mysterious coven of magic-users with influence in even the highest levels of government seek the treasure and have used their sorcery to link long-forgotten ruins, dangerous labyrinths, and many other areas together in order to search for it.
Players must take up the role of one of six adventurers charged with retrieving the crown before those who would use it for their own sinister purpose, as well as search for treasure and riches of their own.")
