Play Star Trek - Starfleet Academy Online

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy came out for the Super Nintendo in 1994, developed by Interplay Productions. It was one of those mid-90s titles that tried to blend strategy with action, a common but tricky goal on the SNES. The game puts you in the uniform of a Starfleet cadet, and the whole thing is built around training simulations that test your command skills.

You control a starship, issuing orders to your crew and managing systems like shields, weapons, and engines from a top-down view. The main objective is to complete various missions, which involve navigating star systems, engaging enemy ships like Klingon Birds-of-Prey, and sometimes rescuing stranded vessels. Two key mechanics are the menu-driven command interface, where you allocate power and choose tactics, and the real-time combat that erupts when enemies appear. The pacing shifts between thoughtful planning and sudden bursts of activity when battles begin; the difficulty can spike sharply if you fall behind on repairs or misjudge an enemy's strength. It feels like a constant scramble to keep your ship in one piece while outthinking the opponent.