May 11, 2006 | 6:06 PM PST
by: Jeff Rivera
To boldly go where no man has gone before!
Star Trek as a game franchise seems destined to appeal to hardcore fans of the series. I'll admit not being a huge fan of the franchise. I do not know my Star Trek lore, and while I can tell the difference between a Klingon and a Vulcan, my interest in games based on the property is muted at best.
That said, Star Trek: Tactical Assault is genuinely positioned to be a great space combat strategy game for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. Developed by Quicksilver, creators of the much loved PC series Star Trek: Starfleet Command and the not so loved Master of Orion 3, Tactical Assault has you fill the shoes of an up and coming Federation captain. As you advance in rank, access to bigger and better ship classes will soon have you kicking Klingon ass throughout the known galaxy. Or, you could be more diplomatic in your approach to confrontations. Kirk or Picard: that is the question.
The game takes place during the Kirk era and you'll run into many familiar faces, including Scotty, Sulu, and others. As you complete campaigns you'll earn points with which you can upgrade the effectiveness of your crew, allowing for faster weapons firing, quicker shield regeneration, and other combat advantages. If things get too hairy some missions allow you to hail Federation outposts and request backup.
Successfully completing the Federation campaign will unlock access to the Klingon counterpart, and for you really die hard Trekkies, the option to have all game text in Klingon. (Nerds!)
Also included is a sandbox mission mode which allows the player to create their own battle conditions and then duke it out against the game AI. Multiplayer is available for both the DS and PSP over their respective adhoc wireless modes. Multiplayer factions include both the Klingon and Federation along with several other Trek races, including Romulan.
Star Trek fans can look forward to commanding the bridge of their favorite ships this September. Keep checking back with DS Advanced for more information in the coming weeks.
--Weston Bass
Star Trek as a game franchise seems destined to appeal to hardcore fans of the series. I'll admit not being a huge fan of the franchise. I do not know my Star Trek lore, and while I can tell the difference between a Klingon and a Vulcan, my interest in games based on the property is muted at best.
That said, Star Trek: Tactical Assault is genuinely positioned to be a great space combat strategy game for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. Developed by Quicksilver, creators of the much loved PC series Star Trek: Starfleet Command and the not so loved Master of Orion 3, Tactical Assault has you fill the shoes of an up and coming Federation captain. As you advance in rank, access to bigger and better ship classes will soon have you kicking Klingon ass throughout the known galaxy. Or, you could be more diplomatic in your approach to confrontations. Kirk or Picard: that is the question.
The game takes place during the Kirk era and you'll run into many familiar faces, including Scotty, Sulu, and others. As you complete campaigns you'll earn points with which you can upgrade the effectiveness of your crew, allowing for faster weapons firing, quicker shield regeneration, and other combat advantages. If things get too hairy some missions allow you to hail Federation outposts and request backup.
Successfully completing the Federation campaign will unlock access to the Klingon counterpart, and for you really die hard Trekkies, the option to have all game text in Klingon. (Nerds!)
Also included is a sandbox mission mode which allows the player to create their own battle conditions and then duke it out against the game AI. Multiplayer is available for both the DS and PSP over their respective adhoc wireless modes. Multiplayer factions include both the Klingon and Federation along with several other Trek races, including Romulan.
Star Trek fans can look forward to commanding the bridge of their favorite ships this September. Keep checking back with DS Advanced for more information in the coming weeks.
--Weston Bass
