FrontierAstro

The #AppleII version of #Elite attracted relatively little attention in the UK, on its release in 1986. In the USA, it was a different story, due to the machine's popularity there. It was a good, colourful conversion, with the full range of ships, space stations and missions.

Elite for the #AcornElectron often gets a bad press for its cut-down features, compared to the BBC and other versions. But instead of focusing on what it lacks, we should be amazed that the game was able to run on the little machine at all, thanks to David Braben & Ian Bell!

Sometimes it's the little touches in a game that make it special. For example, in FFED3D-AJ, the church clock tallies with the local system time on the screen. Then there's the mysterious blue/green power source on the side of an orbiting space station 😍 https://tinyurl.com/FFED3D

When Frontier First Encounters launched in 1995, it was a DOS-only game in 320x200 resolution. Some 30 years later, we can all enjoy the same brilliant game in much greater detail, thanks to some enterprising and talented coders. Details of FFED3D are at https://tinyurl.com/FFED3D-AJ

If you're wondering why #ArcElite didn't make it into my top 5 Elites, it's because I've had limited experience playing it and I didn't care much for the 16-bit versions anyway. Here's my complete Top 10 - from the note on my phone I used while I agonised over the final order! 😁

*FrontierAstro Top 5 Elites*
1. BBC Elite (disc) - the original is still the best! Jaw-dropping graphics and gameplay made this an instant classic. It set a new standard for games, with its flawless execution and physical presentation (manual, novella etc.) It all started here!

*FrontierAstro Top 5 Elites*
2. Nintendo NES Elite - often referred to as the "impossible" version, David Braben and Ian Bell wrote this masterpiece, which uses the Nintendo controller to deliver a fantastic gaming experience, with lots of nice touches as well. A genuine classic!

*FrontierAstro Top 5 Elites*
3. BBC Master Elite - an amazing update to BBC Elite. Much more colour, smooth flicker-free graphics and no in-game loading. Missions to undertake as well. Those lucky enough to own a BBC Master computer had an astonishing game to play in 1986!

*FrontierAstro Top 5 Elites*
5. Amstrad Elite - Probably the best of the Z80 versions. Very playable, no flickering graphics, a few missions and plenty of colour, although they can get a bit garish at times (see picture). Solid filled planets were a first for Elite as well.

I've never really been into comics, but back in 2012 Dave Jones of DJ Comics released a 5-part adventure, set in the Frontier Elite universe. Definitely worth a read on a cold, rainy day!
https://djcomics.wordpress.com/frontier-elite/

Yeah, maybe I'm a monster, but they did overcharge me on my docking fees...

Elite was immortalised by the UK's Royal Mail in 2020, when they produced a limited edition gamer collection pack of stamps. Seven other games were covered (see ALT text), including information on each one and a certificate of authenticity issued for each of the 2500 packs.

PC Elite certainly wasn't the prettiest version, when it was released in 1987. This was due to the restrictions of the CGA graphics. It did feature solid filled polygons, however. Elite Plus came along in 1991, and boasted a delicious 256 colour mode.

This was about as close as you got to a patch for computer games in the 1980s. For more serious flaws, like the bug which locked up #AmstradElite after a few hours of play, replacement media had to be sent out to anyone who requested it (new version with white label).

Elite for the Amstrad CPC was released by Firebird in 1985. It was an excellent conversion, featuring solid-filled planets and a good variety of ships. It came in cassette and disc formats and the retail package included the manual, novella & Ship Identification Chart.

In 1986, when Acornsoft's library of games was acquired by Superior Software, versions of #BBCElite were released under both labels for the new #BBCMaster computer. There was even a 3½" disc version for the Master Compact, confusingly described as a Compact Disc.

Elite for the #AtariST looked and played very similarly to the #Amiga version, with a few differences. Combat was considered to be a let-down, not helped by the enemies firing bullets at you, rather than lasers. Otherwise, a very good conversion with a few missions to undertake.

By 1988, the 8-bit computer era was pretty much over, and Elite made the jump to the new 16-bit machines. In doing so, they lost some of the magic of the original games (IMHO) but were otherwise good conversions for new and old gamers.

I would suggest an alternative Christmas schedule to this one. Ditch all the other games and just play Elite from 9.00 to 5.00. At some point load up The Complete Cocktail Maker and see how much your game playing skills deteriorate! 🍸🍸🍸

An interesting advert in the Special Racing Programme included with Acornsoft's Revs racing simulation, in 1984. It managed to combine elements of Revs and Elite, utilising the wonderfully named Gloria Slap, one of your competitors in the game.