Star Trek: TNG Future's Past

RETRO NEWS

Happy Tuesday friends! Hope you’re all finding ways to stay warm while playing your retro games.

Today's retro news brings us some classic spy action, a rescued piece of Pac-Man history, and a new reason to dust off the GameCube.

Taito's Elevator Action has returned through Console Archives, bringing the 1985 NES version of the arcade favorite to PS5 and Switch 2.

Meanwhile, a dedicated fan has preserved Pac-Man SP, a Japan-only mobile game from 2011 that features new maze mechanics, oversized ghosts, and teleport pads. It's another great example of why game preservation matters, especially when it comes to titles that were never released outside Japan.

And finally, Dolphin Depothas entered public beta, offering a homebrew app store that runs directly on original GameCube hardware, making it easier to discover and download emulators, utilities, and other fanmade software.

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PRESS START

An Introduction To Today’s Game

This is a bittersweet one to write. On October 28, we lost Sir Patrick Stewart, the legendary actor who brought Captain Jean-Luc Picard to life in Star Trek: The Next Generation. For those of us who grew up watching the Enterprise-D explore the galaxy, Stewart was more than just another actor playing a starship captain. He gave us a character who led with intelligence, compassion, and the occasional stern lecture from his ready room.

So today, we're paying a small tribute to the man by revisiting a game that once let us sit in his chair.

Released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Future's Past puts you in command of the Enterprise-D, where distress calls, mysterious alien technology, and the occasional Romulan encounter await. You get to assemble away teams, explore strange new worlds, and discover that being captain involves quite a bit more frustration than Picard ever let on.

So settle in, check your tricorder, and make it so. This one's for you, Captain.

BEHIND THE PIXELS

Let’s Dive Into The Game

Developed by Spectrum HoloByte, this adventure game mixes exploration, strategy, puzzles, and space combat into an original story involving the Romulans and a mysterious device called the Integrated Field Derandomizer.

It sounds like something Geordi would spend an entire episode explaining while everyone else nodded along.

Fortunately, you don't need a degree in engineering to understand what's happening, although a little patience certainly helps.

Most of your time begins on the bridge of the Enterprise-D, where you can talk to crew members, plot courses, access the ship's computer, and manage repairs.

The conference room even serves as a hint system when you're unsure what to do next. Eventually, you'll need to leave the comfort of Picard's chair and assemble an away team.

Each officer has different strengths in areas like combat, technical skills, and physical ability, so choosing the right crew can make a difference. My advice, always take Data.

Once you beam down, the game switches to a top down perspective where you control four characters, explore unfamiliar environments, solve puzzles, and use tricorders and phasers.

Just remember that sending your entire senior staff into danger probably isn't the smartest command decision. Thankfully, you’re given a lot of red shirts to help out. ;)

Of course, it wouldn't be Star Trek without a few hostile ships getting in your way. Space combat takes place on a tactical grid where you maneuver the Enterprise, fire phasers and photon torpedoes, and try to keep your systems operational.

Damage can knock out important functions like navigation, forcing you to make repairs before continuing.

Unfortunately, combat is also one of the game's biggest frustrations, particularly on the Super Nintendo, where encounters are less forgiving than in the Genesis version.

Your ultimate goal is to uncover the mystery surrounding the Derandomizer and survive the IFD Trials, a series of three challenges with serious consequences for the Federation. Between the puzzles, awkward controls, and demanding battles, you'll occasionally wish you could just tell Wesley to handle everything.

Where Future's Past really shines is in its effort to recreate the atmosphere of the television series.

The opening sequence resembles the show's introduction, animated cinematics help move the story along, and the familiar Star Trek theme makes an appearance.

The sound effects also received praise from publications like Electronic Gaming Monthly and GamePro, even if the rest of the soundtrack isn't particularly memorable.

There's something genuinely appealing about exploring the Enterprise, hearing familiar sounds, and pretending you're commanding one of science fiction's most recognizable starships.

It doesn't always succeed as a video game, but for fans of The Next Generation, there's enough here to appreciate. Just don't expect every mission to end with a cup of Earl Grey and a thoughtful speech from Picard.

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GAME INFORMATION

WHERE TO PLAY

• The original copy will be your best bet.

• Original Copies of the Game (All prices in USD)

  • Loose: $16

  • Complete: $50

  • New/Sealed: $130

COVER ART

GAME OVER

Why You Should Play This

So, should you play it today? If you are a Star Trek: The Next Generation fan who enjoys slow, methodical adventures, it is worth a look. It is an original story with the Enterprise crew, and picking your own away team matters because each officer’s stats affect how a mission goes.

Go in with realistic expectations. Reviews at the time were mixed, with Electronic Gaming Monthly calling it slow paced at times and Famitsu’s four reviewers scoring it between 4 and 6 out of 10. Several retro writers since have pointed to frustrating controls and combat.

Still, the ambition is easy to see. Bridge management, ship battles and away teams in one cartridge is an ambitious mix for a 1994 console game, and Electronic Gaming Monthly recommended it to fans of the show.

Practical tips: keep a guide and the password system close. Beam down, take your time, and make it so.

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RETRO HARDWARE

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