Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive VCR Board Game

“This game never plays the same twice!” – Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive VCR Board Game

By

Racan Souiedan

In case you’re not familiar, VCR board games emerged in the 1980s as a form of supposed interactive multimedia, before finally peaking in 1991 with the horror classic Nightmare. While fulfilling a novelty role and providing plenty of hearty laughs, the genre never quite lived up to its potential, as most of the slim game offerings quickly became formulaic and easy to win. Released in 1995, the Star Trek VCR Game arrived years after the success of Nightmare, in an obvious attempt to capitalize on the conclusion of the popular Next Generation television series. Although offering nothing innovative for the gaming aficionado, the Star Trek VCR Game will entertain any fan of the science-fiction franchise, and is certainly worthy of purchase at any garage sale or thrift store.

Jonathan Frakes is the only regular cast member from The Next Generation to make an appearance, in the form of a phoned-in first officer’s log that sets up the episode, titled “A Klingon Challenge,” which deceptively hints at future games that sadly never materialized. The Enterprise-D is docked at Starbase 74 as play begins, with repairs underway and apparently taking longer than expected for the perennially irritated William Riker. Moments later, a renegade Klingon warrior named Kavok (played by Robert O’Reilly of Gowron fame) beams aboard and hijacks the Enterprise, without any resistance or pursuit from the Federation. Kavok subsequently blathers on for a while about his goal of starting a war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, in order to restore his “warrior race” to glory. You play the role of crew members aboard the Enterprise assisting with the maintenance of the ship, now forced to take action against Kavok in an effort to preserve interstellar peace.

Players are assigned Starfleet ranks at the start of the mission, with the game even including communicator and collar pip stickers to better help friends get into character. The game proceeds with players moving throughout the Enterprise and striving to avoid the wrath of Kavok, who periodically interrupts the game to either call you a Ferengi or demand the attention of “the player who is moving now.” In order to regain control of the Enterprise, you’ll need to obtain access to the ship’s computer within an hour by finding isolinear chips for your tricoder, another item featured in exquisite detail in the deluxe packaging of the Star Trek VCR Game. Kavok will stop you by instructing you to “take the challenge of the Klingon sword,” which involves the daring flick of a spinner that promises to end in the granting of increased computer access or the horror of “bIj.” Kavok’s greatest weapon is ordering players to “experience bIj,” which, aside from sounding extremely suggestive, often results in setbacks that can hinder your efforts to retake the Enterprise.

The on-screen clock tells players how much time remains before the Enterprise reaches the Klingong homeworld of Qo’noS and war ensues. Despite the seeming constraints of time, players ought to have no trouble in defeating Kavok, especially as his reign becomes ever more lenient as the Enterprise approaches Qo’noS, as if he almost starts to have second thoughts about his drastic decision. With mere minutes remaining, you’ll suddenly have full access to the ship’s computer, leaving the only pressing issue the race among players to gain the honour of reaching the bridge, stunning Kavok, and having the “Medal of Valor” sticker pinned to his/her chest. Even if you fast forward to watch the Enterprise get destroyed by a Klingon fleet (which is worth the price of admission alone), a post-game blurb will state that the ship in fact entered a repeating time-loop at the moment of its demise, allowing you ample opportunity to go back and get the job done right the next time.

The Star Trek VCR Game is a must for any fan of the series, and makes a fairly enjoyable night’s entertainment for dedicated board gamers as well, so long as you have a keen sense of humour and are willing to accept the limitations of interactive multimedia circa 1995. You should be able to find a copy of the game for under $10, and a bargain VCR at a similar rate. Since VCRs and VHS tapes happen to be about as flimsy as technology can get, I recommend that you follow my lead; I transferred my copy to DVD last summer and haven’t looked back. Make it so!

Tags: board games, klingons, star trek, starfleet, the next generation, vcr, vcr game