FrontierAstro has been online for exactly 25 years today! 🎂 This is how the site looked around 18 months after launch. The look hasn't really improved but the content has expanded considerably. Probably the longest running regularly updated Frontier website in the galaxy!

FrontierAstro has been online for exactly 25 years today! 🎂 This is how the site looked around 18 months after launch. The look hasn't really improved but the content has expanded considerably. Probably the longest running regularly updated Frontier website in the galaxy!

For some reason, when #FrontierFirstEncounters was released in the US in 1995, it sported much improved box artwork compared to the UK and European versions. The Frontier wording was dropped; the game simply being known as First Encounters. A curious decision, given FE2's success!

In 1986, Superior Software acquired the rights to selected Acornsoft products. The following year they released re-branded versions of #Elite but due to the design of the new game boxes, the Dark Wheel novella and ships poster were not included.

Unlike today, in 1993 the quality of printed game artwork was still far superior to actual in-game graphics. Nevertheless, CU Amiga magazine's hype machine went into overdrive for #FrontierElite2 in the November edition. Even the rolling demo would "stun you into insanity"!

It's been a while since I posted my entire collection of Elite games (see the ALT text to identify each one). There have been few additions of late, due to crazy eBay prices. Rarest versions? Tatung Einstein and MSX. Still to find? Spectrum Elite Opus disc version (even rarer!)

The #CommodorePlus4 computer could not be described as much of a success commercially, but fortunately #Elite can be played on it. This conversion is identical to the #Commodore64 version, with the added benefit of Mark Moxon's flicker-free graphics. tinyurl.com/ElitePlus4

The 1990s really was a golden age for computer games. Big box releases complemented the games perfectly, none more so than #FrontierElite2 (1993) with its instruction manual, star systems gazetteer, game world fiction and - of course - that beautiful star map 😍

In the 1980s, 3 years was a long time in the development of computer games. So when #MSXElite was released in 1987, it demonstrated a number of improvements over the originals. A fast, colourful display with all the ships and secret missions made this a top conversion.

Here's a rarity - a Portuguese version of #FrontierElite2 with all the printed material in Portuguese. As far as I can tell, the game is in English unfortunately. Sadly, I'm still scratching my head trying to find a way to install the game and run it through DOSBox 🤔

RIP Philip Castle (20/10/1942-20/02/2026) - the British airbrush artist who, amongst his amazing catalogue of work, created the iconic artwork for Elite in 1984. This is arguably the most recognisable game art of all time.

Elite for the #CommodoreAmiga improved on the original in virtually every way, with fast, colourful graphics, secret missions and exciting gameplay. Somehow though, it lacked both the x-factor and wow factor of the 8-bit versions, probably because games had moved on by 1988.

If you still enjoy playing #FrontierElite2 you might want to take a look at #glFrontier by Tom Morton. The basic game is unchanged, but the graphics are far clearer and it runs much faster than the original. tinyurl.com/FrontierElite2

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 😍 tinyurl.com/FFED3D

It's not Elite or Frontier, but I've installed Freelancer HD on my PC and I'm looking forward to spending some time on it. I played it on release in 2003 and it's amazing how the game and its characters are still familiar despite not having experienced the game for over 20 years!

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 tinyurl.com/FFED3D-AJ

Perhaps the other surprise omission from the FrontierAstro Top 5 Elites was the #ZXSpectrum version. A lot of people loved this back in the day, but to me it looked drab and ran too slowly. Somehow it lacked the magic of #BBCElite and was inferior to the #C64 version too. Sorry!

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* 4. Commodore 64 Elite - An excellent version, which maintained the classical BBC style while adding extra colour and the "Trumbles" mission. Graphical flicker can now be eliminated (see ALT text) and the full range of ships/space stations is present.

*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.

People will argue long into the night over whether #Spectrum Elite or #Commodore64 Elite was the best. With its more colourful display and extra ships, the C64 version probably edges it, although the Spectrum game did boast the LensLok protection system 😁

Was Frontier Elite 2 on the #AtariST the best game ever released on that machine? Atari ST Review magazine certainly liked it, in their February 1994 edition. "Quite superb - as close to the perfect game as you'll find!" Overall score of 96%.

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! djcomics.wordpress.com/frontier-eli...

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

If the Tatung Einstein version of Elite looks suspiciously like the Spectrum version, it's because it is a direct port from the Sinclair machine. The retail box was actually the Spectrum box, with stickers covering the logo where needed. The manual was also from the Spectrum!

Elite for the #AcornArchimedes was arguably the ultimate version of the original game. The physical items included were certainly unsurpassed, including 24 Ship Data Cards. The long-held tradition of naming ships in the game after snake species was no longer adhered to.

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.

In 1986, The Micro User magazine included two pull-out guides to Elite, in the January and February editions. The first contained various hints & tips to help play the game. The second was a cheat program, guaranteed to finish any interest in the game for the player 😐

Having just the English PC version of #FrontierElite2 is clearly not enough. The Amiga, Atari ST and CD32 editions are required, plus the French, German and Portuguese releases as well. But only if you're slightly obsessed 😆

For some reason, I always preferred the Acornsoft Ship Identification Chart for Elite to the Firebird one. It covers the seven ship types found in the BBC cassette tape version. A poster including the extra ships found in the disc version didn't happen until the Firebird release.

Says it all, really. Elite was - and still is - The Game Of A Lifetime!

It's ironic to think, as I wait a couple of minutes for games like F1 25 and Cyberpunk 2077 to load, that over 40 years ago I could be in the Elite Universe in less than 10 seconds! Assuming I had a disc drive and BeebEm emulates the boot sequence accurately, that is 🤔

The Dark Wheel was one of the first examples of a novella bundled with a computer game. Written by the late Robert Holdstock, it did a brilliant job of establishing the Elite Universe in the mind of the player. A planned sequel sadly never materialised.

I've never been sure if Mass Effect is my kind of game, but I figured at £4.99 in Steam's Black Friday sale, it's a risk worth taking 🙂 store.steampowered.com/app/1328670/...

Moving to an astronomy theme, the latest smart telescopes are pretty amazing. I took this picture of The Pleiades the same day it was delivered. The system is easy and affordable for beginners, but offers a load of extra features to take it to the next level in image processing.

By contrast, Elite for the ZX Spectrum didn't seem to suffer from the flickering in the 6502 versions of the game. Perhaps the drawing routine had already been improved for the Z80 machines? It was a little slower than the Beeb version, but still very nice.

Elite on the Commodore 64 always looked good, but the genius that is Mark Moxon has incorporated the flicker-free drawing routines from the BBC Master version into the game, making the whole experience beautifully smooth. Download it now! elite.bbcelite.com/c64/