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This century, the twenty fifth, will be the one for exploration, for explanation; for reconciling the paradoxes of the known galaxies; for discovering that which is unknown.

Starfleet is committed to this endeavour through its pan-galactic armada. We are not the 'Space Police' On the contrary, the maintenance of the Prime Directive, forbidding unnecessary interference in other cultures, is our strongest aim. We seek to bring understanding, conciliation and security to those within the Federation.

Nevertheless, our envoys, like the Galaxy Class Enterprise under the command of Capt. Picard, are ever vigilant for threats to this security. Only a quarter of this Galaxy is known to us, and the influene of mankind is limited even in this narrow sphere. But we are ready.

The game is licensed from the characters and elements of the TNG television series, creted by Gene Roddenberry.

Save the Galaxy from destruction at the hands of the FDI. Perform the duties of a Starfleet craft.

Weapons are the last-ditch option when encountering craft. You are normally given a chance to negotiate with interlopers like Romulans entering the forbidden zone. If you do fight, the battle takes place on a 2-D grid, with the state of the Enterprise shown on the right-hand side.

The secondary section of the game is set on planetary surfaces. The Enterprise transporter may send 'away teams' of foour persons to investigate planets. These take the form of overhead scrolling levels, with a fair amount of shooting and a strong puzzle element.

Selecting members for the team is done in the Transporter room from a personnel grid. It's worth getting a good mix of Ensigns (military personnel), a Commander, and a trained medical practitioner. In the TV series, Riker always leads away team.

The TNG series has covered so much territory in its seven season run, that any game couldn't hope to fit it all in. Spectrum Holobyte have opted to take a single storyline and turn it into a game.

The Enterprise crew come across a disabled alien vessel. By aiding the unknown hulk, they learn of a device called the FDI which threatens the Federation. Eliminating the threat is the ultimate objective.

Your task will be easier if you get to know the ship's less obvious functions. Sensors provide extra information about anything on the main viewer. The ship's computer has a wealth of (authentic) information on the Enterprise. It's easy enough to scroll around the bridge to access these stations.

Movement between planets is affected by Impulse and Warp power. The navigation panel splits the galaxy into systems and satellites in a series of sub-menus. You need to note the directions of Starfleet and subspace messages to keep you on the right track (if not, Picard's log can normally assist).

Spectrum Holobyte have made an admirable job of creating an original game concept out of the material provided. The Next Generation provides a wealth of background, and the detail contained in the ship's computer is just one illustration of how it has made its way into the game. The presentation is also adequate, even if the graphics are not cutting-edge Megadrive stuff.

It also gives the impression of being a massive game. The downside is that it's frequently long-winded. The away team segments, especially the mining one, involve a lot of backtracking and fruitless searching. Space battles are also in quite short supply.

All this prevents this being a great game, but it's certainly a good one.

TNGs developers are to be congratulated for managing to incorporate so many of the TV show's ingredients within the game. However, somewhere along the line, the action has suffered as a result. TNG fans will no doubt poop their pants over the many programme references, and this will be enough to entice them into the actual missions. But more casual ans may not be able to put up with the often repetitive gameplay.

Exploring planets is a little tedious at times, and even the space battles aren't all they could be. That said, TNG is an entertaining mix of game styles which is essential for fans of the series, and worthy of a look from anyone fancying something a tad different.

Graphics 74%
P. The scrolling bridge section is nifty.
N. Even if the characters are all static! Also, the game's colour scheme is quite dowdy.

Sound 67%
P. Loads of samples from the show have been used: transporters, tricorders and more.
N. The tunes are horrible renditions of the TV music.

Playability 75%
P. Great depth to be had, and the game doesn't spoonfeed you.
N. It's slow to get into, and there's less action than you might expect.

Lastability 80%
P. It's going to take a while to crack this baby.

Value For Money 77%
N. The cart is overpriced, but that's due to a full 16MEG of memory.

Overall 79%
Full marks in the ingenuity stakes, and not a bad little effort for the role-playing minded amongst us.