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Well it's been a long time coming but Firebird have completed their five year mission (well, it seems like that long) and Star Trek has finally materialised on the C64.

Genuine Trekkies will be glad to hear that the game, an adventure with a smattering of arcade action, features all the major characters of Gene Rodenberry's mega successful sci-fi TV series.

In this episode, the Klingons have discovered a method of mass hypnosis which enables them to take control of Federation Starships. Ships which enter the ominous Quarantine Zone return renegade and open fire on their own fleet. Starfleet Command in their wisdom have decided that the thing to do is send The Enterprise into the Quarantine Zone and then seal it up with a Klein Sphere - sort of intergalactic clingfilm.

All actions are carried out by means of a cursor which is positioned over certain control points on the screen. The screen itself is divided into a main display, which initially shows the bridge, and seven secondary screens showing each of the seven officers.

Each character is responsible for different actions. Sulu for navigation, Chekov for weapons, Spock gives data on planets and systems as well as damage reports. Captain Kirk is responsible for organising landing parties and, via you, for making decisions whilst on the planet surface. Scotty, Uhura and Dr. McCoy have fairly limited reporting roles.

The first thing to do is set a course for a neighbouring system. This is done by first clicking on Sulu which brings the Starglobe screen into the main display area. The starglobe is a three-dimensional representation of the Quarantine Zone which can be rotated so that you can plot a course to any system. You can click on a system then ask Spock to give you the run down on it. The information, though limited, gives you the important bits - whether it is Federation, Romulan or Klingon controlled and the number of planets.

Once you have decided on a system you must engage warp drive to get to it. This is done by pulling onto the main display another of Sulu's screens which shows very simple power controls. Once the system is reached a further sub-window can be pulled into the main display area. This shows the planetary system in more detail. Once again planets can be selected and analysed by Spock before you set a course for orbit and engage impulse drive.

En route to your destination system you will almost certainly come under attack from either Klingons or rebel Federation Starships. This time it's Chekov who controls the action. First, you select a target using the tracking screen, choose between phaser banks and the more powerful photon torpedoes, then let them have it on the targeting screen. This is the nearest you get to action shoot-'em-up style and to be honest it's not very near. If it's laser-blastin' action you're looking for, you won't find it here.

The adventure begins when you beam down to a planet surface with a landing party. You can beam down up to six crew members to life supporting planets. Once you get there it's very much a move forward, open door, take object affair. When you come across an object, you can poll each of the landing party in turn for suggestions and then pick the right one.

Your mission is to roam the Quarantine Zone, fight off attacking Klingons and rogue ships, and beam down to planets and collect all the relevant objects to help you overcome the Klingon plot.

As an arcade adventure, Star Trek: The Rebel Universe works pretty well. But I have to say that, in other respects, it's a bit of a disappointment. The graphics are nothing to write home about, the head and shoulders portraits of the crew are a reasonable likeness, the bridge is spot on and there's a good pic of a planet (the same one) every time you go into orbit, but everything on the operational side is extremely crude. The same goes for sound. The General Quarters siren is nothing like the original, a whistle signals incoming communications and there is an almost negligible blip when you fire the phasers or photon torpedoes. So much could have been added to the feel of the game if Firebird had attempted to match the original brilliant sound effects.

Lastly, I think more could have been made of the characters. Apart from the physical likeness, there is nothing to suggest that it is Jim Kirk in command, none of Spock's emotionless logic or Scotty's excitable nature. Not so much as a "He's dead, Jim" from Bones. I think Star Trek fans who have endured the long wait will expect, and probably deserve, something better.