I’ve been inundated with all things Star Trek as of late and I welcome it. Thanks to the J.J Abrams movie, everywhere I look, there’s Star Trek. Fortunately it’s not just about the latest movie. People are talking TNG, the old movies and some (like GiantBomb) have revisited Star Trek: Online.
With all this Star Trek in mind, I thought it was a good opportunity to revisit my fandom with this iconic franchise. There were TV shows, movies, action figures, novels, comics, video games and all sorts of merchandise befitting of a popular franchise.
Ranking the TV Series
- Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Star Trek: Voyager
- Star Trek: The Original Series
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: The Next Generation was my gateway drug. I rank it very highly for it successful mix of crazy and serious sci-fi. I loved that it took itself seriously but at the same time, it wasn’t afraid to indulge in silly holodeck adventures or creepy Data smiles. It’s far from perfect but it is a fun ride.
I recognize Voyager has significant issues like “Borg over saturation” however it was a breath of fresh air after Deep Space Nine. It felt like a return to what I enjoyed in The Next Generation. There was space flight, new worlds, new aliens and holodeck silliness with the Doctor. Most importantly, they were not stuck in a dingy space station.
I’m sure I would have enjoyed The Original Series but I watched some of it after The Next Generation. I am more familiar with the original series crew through their movies than the TV show.
I don’t consider Deep Space Nine and Enterprise to be “Star Trek” shows. They were missing what I found appealing in the other series. They may be fine sci-fi shows on their own right but I didn’t enjoy them as Star Trek.
Video Games
The only Star Trek game I ever enjoyed was Star Trek: Elite Force II. It was a Star Trek themed first person shooter and I honestly don’t remember much of it except for the phaser fire and uniforms.
And that’s my extent of Star Trek video games. The next closest thing would be the Mass Effect games which I loved for its resemblance to Star Trek.
Miscellaneous Merchandise
I tried getting into model making when I was younger with the NCC 1701-A but that didn’t pan out at all. I remember buying a novelization of The Undiscovered Country and a bookmark of Picard to going along with it.
My favorite piece of Star Trek merchandise was and will always be the Star Trek: TNG Technical Manual. It’s the self-serious side of Star Trek that I loved and appreciated in a book.
My most recent piece of Star Trek merchandise is the Star Trek: TNG 365 book. It’s a wonderful behind the scenes look back at one of my favorite series. I haven’t finished it because I’ve been consumed with rewatching TNG proper.
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I’ve been playing God of War: Ascension. It’s a beautiful game and it does have the God of War traits that I’ve always enjoyed. There’s just something off with this release that rubs me the wrong way.
I’m almost done with Luigi’s Mansion 2 as well. It’s worn out its welcome and I’m pushing myself towards the end. There’s still lots of charm and it is a quality product on the surface but there are fundamental issues that I cannot shake off.
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