Stellar Track: Incredibly Bad or Incredibly Underrated?

[jbanes]

Stellar Track

I honestly don't get why reviewers are so hard on this game. The Star Trek text game was a mainstay of every mainframe back in the day, and was played almost as much as classics like Adventure. To have an actual working version on the Atari 2600 was nothing short of amazing! Especially since just about all the gameplay was intact! (With the notable exception of the Library Computer. Most later versions get rid of such redudant computational resources anyway.) While I understand that the graphical update to adventure was cool, wouldn't it have also been cool if the original text game had been available as well?

 

When I spoke with Supercat at the VGS show, he rightly pointed out that there were a few flaws in the game. For example, it doesn't default commands correctly, and instead reuses the number of whichever command was last entered. Which is why the default course is always '7' right after selecting 'Warp'. Also, he pointed out that the difficulty of the mission was random rather than weighting the results based on the difficulty switches. These were good points, but after spending considerable time with the game last night, I still believe it was an excellent translation.

 

So what do you all think? Do you agree that it was a wonderful game that was unjustly punished for being text only, or do you think that it deserves every bit of bad press it gets?

 

I look forward to hearing your opinions.

[shadow460]

It is a love/hate relationship. It's impressive that it was recreated, but it pales next to most 2600 titles.

[Gabriel]

I think it's OK for one of the early, early 2600 titles. It couldn't stand up against what came later, but it is honestly pretty appealling when compared to Combat or Air Sea Battle.

 

I don't have the cart, but I play it occasionally on the PS2 Atari collection. The major flaw is it makes my head hurt because of the flickering venetian blinds.

 

Hey! Any intrepid homebrewers up for making a graphically enhanced Atari 5200 version?

Edited August 23, 2006 by Gabriel

[Student Driver]

Considering the bad reviews I saw of it at the time, I don't think I can call it "overrated."

 

However, I wasn't impressed by it because I'd played a zillion iterations of Star Trek on every computer I'd gotten my hands on in the 70s, and this was just more of the same. With Adventure, the 2600 had a novel interpretation that could stand on its own and that played to the system's strengths over text-based computers. This was just... me-too.

 

I have to wonder what first-time players who'd never had access to a computer/terminal version of Star Trek thought

[Gregory DG]

I've never owned a copy, but I remember playing it a lot at a friend's house back in the day. It was the first time I had played a "Star Trek" game. We thought it was pretty cool.

[+wavemotion]

The game is absolutely incredible! I must have played 100 hours of Stellar Track when I was a kid... I didn't realize until later that it was an older computer game. Amazing that they got it implemented so well on the 2600 - and is still one of my favoraite games today. Those that really don't like this game simply have thier SR SCAN damaged

[Foxsolo2000]

Sorry, its too much like hard work

[markheus]

One of these days I will own this game. Oh yes. I will own it !!

 

muhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[jbanes]

One of these days I will own this game. Oh yes. I will own it !!

 

$1.99 BIN - http://cgi.ebay.com/Atari-game-Stellar-Tra...1QQcmdZViewItem

$4.95 BIN - http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-SEARS-TELE-GAMES-...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Feel free to fight amongst yourselves.

[ZylonBane]

This poll would have been better without options that require us to vote in relative terms to what other people think. You've created an infinite feedback loop.

 

I will express myself absolutely rather than relatively:

 

It's good.

[markheus]

Haha - That is one ratty looking cartridge. Someone already got the 5 dollar one. I'm cheap though. I want the cart and manual for 5 bucks!

[jbanes]

Someone already got the 5 dollar one.

Looks like fellow AtariAger PocketMego snagged it. You snooze, you lose.

 

I'm cheap though. I want the cart and manual for 5 bucks!

I'm thinking that's never going to happen. From what I've seen of the title, manuals are exceedingly rare. The AA entry doesn't even have a scanned copy! If you find a manual and/or boxed copy, you're going to be paying a pretty penny to acquire it. That's why AA's rarity database is such a wonderful service. We can figure out how to play the games without investing massive outlays of cash!

[Room 34]

I had never heard of this game until I was a senior in high school (1992) and a friend gave me all of his old 2600 carts that no one had bought at his mom's garage sale. (Ah, those were the days!) So, in the days when all of my friends thought I was either crazy or cruelly deprived by my parents for not owning an NES, I finally got my very own copies of Maze Craze, Cosmic Ark, and Stellar Track, among others.

 

I didn't have any instructions for Stellar Track (and of course, looking them up online was not yet an option!) and I just never really could see the point of it. So to this day I've never really even TRIED to play this game, and I honestly don't care to.

Edited August 23, 2006 by Room 34

[Tempest]

I'd say increadibly average. It's not bad for what it is, but it sure hasn't aged well. If Atari thought they had a winner on their hands they wouldn't have given it to Sears as an exclusive.

 

Tempest

[pocketmego]

Someone already got the 5 dollar one.

Looks like fellow AtariAger PocketMego snagged it. You snooze, you lose.

 

I'm cheap though. I want the cart and manual for 5 bucks!

I'm thinking that's never going to happen. From what I've seen of the title, manuals are exceedingly rare. The AA entry doesn't even have a scanned copy! If you find a manual and/or boxed copy, you're going to be paying a pretty penny to acquire it. That's why AA's rarity database is such a wonderful service. We can figure out how to play the games without investing massive outlays of cash!

 

Well you guys spoke ridiculously highly of this game, so I figured I'd give it a run. I like the Sega trek game and I like those old computer text sims from back in the day. It could be fun for a few minutes and its rare.

 

5 bucks is fair.

 

 

-Ray

[jbanes]

Well you guys spoke ridiculously highly of this game, so I figured I'd give it a run.

Congrats on getting it, BTW! It really is a fun game, but it takes a bit more time investment than most. Make sure you read the manual (and keep it up while you're playing!) or you might have a hard time getting going.

 

I like the Sega trek game and I like those old computer text sims from back in the day. It could be fun for a few minutes and its rare.

It's a lot different than the Sega game, but if you like text games then I'm sure you'll find this interesting. As it so happens, Star Raiders is probably the direct descendant of Star Trek/Stellar Track, similar to the way that Adventure was graphically updated.

 

Have you ever played the Star Trek text-game on another computer? As I recall, the BASIC printout from Dartmouth was quite popular among home players. A C port was even included with BSD systems! (It still is, as far as I know.)

[jferio]

I'm thinking that's never going to happen. From what I've seen of the title, manuals are exceedingly rare. The AA entry doesn't even have a scanned copy! If you find a manual and/or boxed copy, you're going to be paying a pretty penny to acquire it. That's why AA's rarity database is such a wonderful service. We can figure out how to play the games without investing massive outlays of cash!

 

I didn't. I got the cart and manual, but no box, for $5, along with 11 other carts (and manuals) and an Atari 4-switch. All in excellent condition.

 

It replaced the original cart that I had, that I had lost the original manual to long ago.

 

Oh, and yes, the game rocks, even if it is an older game translated. I played a lot of it when I was younger, and revisit it now and again.

[jbanes]

I got the cart and manual, but no box, for $5, along with 11 other carts (and manuals) and an Atari 4-switch. All in excellent condition.

That's a nice haul! Was it from a garage sale or friend or somesuch? Every copy I've ever seen for sale is lacking the manual. Well, the manual, 11 other carts with manuals, and a 4-switch to boot!

 

Oh, and yes, the game rocks, even if it is an older game translated. I played a lot of it when I was younger, and revisit it now and again.

Amen to that!

[pocketmego]

Well you guys spoke ridiculously highly of this game, so I figured I'd give it a run.

Congrats on getting it, BTW! It really is a fun game, but it takes a bit more time investment than most. Make sure you read the manual (and keep it up while you're playing!) or you might have a hard time getting going.

 

I like the Sega trek game and I like those old computer text sims from back in the day. It could be fun for a few minutes and its rare.

It's a lot different than the Sega game, but if you like text games then I'm sure you'll find this interesting. As it so happens, Star Raiders is probably the direct descendant of Star Trek/Stellar Track, similar to the way that Adventure was graphically updated.

 

Have you ever played the Star Trek text-game on another computer? As I recall, the BASIC printout from Dartmouth was quite popular among home players. A C port was even included with BSD systems! (It still is, as far as I know.)

 

Yes, that game and many original games based on similar basic text and ASCII type graphics were around in the late 70's and early 80's and I had a chance to play them from time to time. I am curious as to how the 2600 version is going to play. It should be interesting. Plus, I haven't played a game where * represented a ship or planet in a LONG LONG time.

 

 

 

-Ray

[supercat]

It's a lot different than the Sega game, but if you like text games then I'm sure you'll find this interesting.

 

I think Stellar Track is notable for making the VCS seem like a computer.

[+Nathan Strum]

Back in the day I really liked playing Star Trek on a Trash-80, but didn't have a computer of my own. When I found out about Stellar Track, I had to have it. It took me a little while to find one at a Sears, but I finally picked one up around '83 or so (probably in a close-out bin). I've always really liked Stellar Track, for precisely the reason supercat mentioned.

[Lord Thag]

I like this game a lot actually. I used to play an IBM knockoff called EGA Trek a lot in high school. The 2600 version is one of the best, mainy because you can kick back in your chair and use a bloody JOYSTICK instead of typing tons of little annoying commands. Plus, it's hard and requires a great deal of skill to win. I am by no means confident that I am going to win when i play, which is great after all these years.

 

This game gets knocked not because it's bad (it's an amazing port), but because a lot of folks do not like this style of game. Taken on it's own merits, it's superb. I was shocked when I finally found a cart and had a version of this classic for my 2600. I didn't even know they made one until I stumbled across it.

 

Knock the type of game if you want, but this port is nothing short of stellar!

Edited August 23, 2006 by Lord Thag

[Godzilla]

Yea, I agree. This was an awesome strategy game on the 2600 (of which there are far too few,) and a great port of a computer classic.

[pocketmego]

I like this game a lot actually. I used to play an IBM knockoff called EGA Trek a lot in high school. The 2600 version is one of the best, mainy because you can kick back in your chair and use a bloody JOYSTICK instead of typing tons of little annoying commands. Plus, it's hard and requires a great deal of skill to win. I am by no means confident that I am going to win when i play, which is great after all these years.

 

This game gets knocked not because it's bad (it's an amazing port), but because a lot of folks do not like this style of game. Taken on it's own merits, it's superb. I was shocked when I finally found a cart and had a version of this classic for my 2600. I didn't even know they made one until I stumbled across it.

 

Knock the type of game if you want, but this port is nothing short of stellar!

 

Mind that I haven't played the 2600 version, but I think the bad reviews this gets probably show the difference between teh cerebral and action oriented gamers. The 2600 was not good for much more than arcade style gameplay. The rare gems such as Adventure, Secret Quest, Superman, and Haunted House all seem to get a lot of love from the fan community do to their non-arcade, thinking player type nature.

 

This game seems to fall into that category, unfortunately it lacks the kinds of graphics that 2600 players seem to be used too. You may have had to think in the other games I mentioned, but you were provided with the same kind of visiuals present in the arcade style games. This made it easier for people to understand those games. Apparently Stellar Track has to hold its own strictly via its gameplay. This can be very daunting. There is a C64 game called Armageddon Man that you almost never hear about it. In it you play the leader of United Nations. Your job is to over-see relations between countries around the world. Such exciting gameplay ensues as sending memos and giving the OK for food and supply allocation.

 

However, as a simulation it is superb, has very minimal graphics and uses the Joystick togive commands. I enjoy it immensly, but I doubt it makes very many C64 Top Ten lists.

 

I figure I'll enjoy Stellar Track just the same. I'm looking forward to it now, especially with all the fine reviews from people's whos opinions I very much respect.

 

-Ray

[jbanes]

I think Stellar Track is notable for making the VCS seem like a computer.

You hit the nail on the head. At the time, the thought in people's minds was that Video Game Consoles < REAL Computer. Stellar Track showed that the 2600 was capable of being a REAL computer. It had its faults, but nothing that really stood out as making it inferior to the mainframe and home computer versions.

 

I used to play an IBM knockoff called EGA Trek a lot in high school.

Ah, another EGA Trekker I see! IMHO, that game was the pinnacle of the Star Trek text game. I must have spent hundreds of hours fighting Klingons in that game. Don't remember if I ever actually won, though.

 

Knock the type of game if you want, but this port is nothing short of stellar!

*Groan*