Elite was released (circa) 40 years ago today! This space trading open world game is considered to be the forerunner of many modern games, as well as being an important milestone in the history of space sci-fi. And you can play it, it's free on the Frontier Store. Box art by Philip Castle: - ThreadSky

thespaceshipper.com • 166 days ago

Elite was released (circa) 40 years ago today!

This space trading open world game is considered to be the forerunner of many modern games, as well as being an important milestone in the history of space sci-fi.

And you can play it, it's free on the Frontier Store.

Box art by Philip Castle:

Comments

jchapman1729.bsky.social•164 days ago

I spent hours playing this game on BEEB and Archimedes and got to 'dangerous'. I supported the crowdfunder for the remake but so far, have not found the time to play it yet.

lukerazor.bsky.social•166 days ago

Deadset classic. I played 100's of hours of Elite, Frontier: Elite 2 and Elite Dangerous

kurzheck.bsky.social•166 days ago

I do love that there are 'wireframe' paintjobs in the current game too <3

crungeoneer.bsky.social•166 days ago

oh seven, cmdr

p-no-nwa.bsky.social•166 days ago

Docking was so nerve-wracking

justhere4coffee.bsky.social•166 days ago

The trick was to get roughly lined up, then fly away from the station's entrance until it became very small but not just a blob, then turn back. Matching rotations on key controls was a pig, the analogue joysticks trivialised the process considerably!

iainl7.bsky.social•166 days ago

This is really noticeable on Elite Dangerous, where the joypad people still complain docking is a challenge, but as a flight stick owner it’s trivial to send it through the entrance at speed.

sheepbop.bsky.social•166 days ago

I preferred the keys

mangetout.bsky.social•166 days ago

Hard acceleration from zero distance was my trick.

We'd never put up with that nonsense today, eh?

rogers.co.nz•166 days ago

First upgrade was docking computer!!!!!

p-no-nwa.bsky.social•166 days ago

Always felt like cheating

rogers.co.nz•166 days ago

Never!!

georgejackson.bsky.social•166 days ago

I must have played hundreds of hours of Elite on my Amiga. Thinking back, many hundreds of hours. Unrelated fact, I feel very old now.

thespaceshipper.com•166 days ago

And you can play it right now, it's free.

"Experience the classic space trading game, Elite, as released on the BBC Model B in 1984, by Ian Bell and David Braben."

https://www.frontierstore.net/games/elite-dangerous-cat/elite1984.html

markmoxon.bsky.social•166 days ago

And you can play it in a web browser at the BBC Micro Games Archive - much easier than installing an emulator!

https://bbcmicro.co.uk/game.php?id=366

scottishphil83.bsky.social•165 days ago

Oh my word!!! We can play chuckie egg!!!!!

I was absolutely addicted to Lemonade stall! My first sim game

ranaroth.bsky.social•166 days ago

Played that on an Acorn Electron. Black & white wire frame graphics. Came with this novella.

jameshodden.bsky.social•166 days ago

Elite was always released about 40 years ago on one format or another.

thespaceshipper.com•166 days ago

It was a time when games were released on all sorts of formats because there were all sorts of formats. 😅

justhere4coffee.bsky.social•166 days ago

Wow, feels like it was longer; I was sure we had that before my sibling was born, and they turned 40 in March. We had the BBC since September '83, and I could have sworn we had Elite from the start. After Rocket Raid, Starship Command, et al Elite was a fantastic shift and it absorbed so much time.

tuftymctavish.com•166 days ago

I was Elite. The Thargoids held no fear for me! 😄

sheepbop.bsky.social•166 days ago

I got to Deadly. I think O Levels intervened. Before that, a computer room full of kids going "have you got the disk?" when approaching a space station.

agentpumpkin.bsky.social•166 days ago

And what a game it was! A mate had it on the BBC, it looked awesome despite the simple graphics. As soon as it was out on the C64 I had to get it. Then again on the Amiga and of course the PC.

So many hours of gameplay. 😁

Right On Commander!

polyrabbit.bsky.social•166 days ago

this poster goes so gyatt damn hard, I love elite dangerous but I can imagine the original would have been just as amazing for the time

jezbecker.bsky.social•166 days ago

Right on, Commander!

scottreeves.bsky.social•166 days ago

https://

ccharnul.bsky.social•166 days ago

Never played it but wow, that box art slaps

sheepbop.bsky.social•166 days ago

You can now play it on a VR headset, or player-vs-player, or even on a frikkin' laser.

https://www.emfcamp.org/schedule/2024/113-exploring-and-extending-the-elite-game-engine

sheepbop.bsky.social•166 days ago

Video here
https://media.ccc.de/v/emf2024-113-exploring-and-extending-the-elite-game-engine

grox.bsky.social•166 days ago

My dad used to play it a lot. He had the floppy discs and the handbook that came with it. He even had a extra pc with Win95 to play it (and some other classics).

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