FrontierAstro
@frontierastro.bsky.social
Dedicated to Elite, Frontier and Astronomy
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...
djcomics.wordpress.com/frontier-eli...
February 6, 2026 at 12:39 PM
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...
djcomics.wordpress.com/frontier-eli...
Yeah, maybe I'm a monster, but they did overcharge me on my docking fees...
February 4, 2026 at 9:14 AM
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!
February 2, 2026 at 12:13 PM
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.
January 29, 2026 at 3:50 PM
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.
January 26, 2026 at 12:01 PM
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.
January 21, 2026 at 2:13 PM
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).
January 16, 2026 at 12:15 PM
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.
January 13, 2026 at 1:53 PM
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.
January 8, 2026 at 2:59 PM
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.
January 6, 2026 at 2:01 PM
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.
January 1, 2026 at 11:26 AM
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! 🍸🍸🍸
December 22, 2025 at 11:42 AM
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.
December 18, 2025 at 12:16 PM
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 😐
December 15, 2025 at 1:15 PM
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 😆
December 12, 2025 at 10:44 AM
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.
December 10, 2025 at 1:16 PM
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!
December 8, 2025 at 1:12 PM
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 🤔
December 5, 2025 at 12:11 PM
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.
December 2, 2025 at 1:30 PM
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/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1328670/...
Save 90% on Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition on Steam
The Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from the highly acclaimed Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors, a...
store.steampowered.com
November 28, 2025 at 10:25 AM
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/...
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.
November 27, 2025 at 10:23 AM
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.
November 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
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/
elite.bbcelite.com/c64/
November 20, 2025 at 1:17 PM
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/
elite.bbcelite.com/c64/
This cartoon will resonate with anyone who played the 8-bit versions of Elite. It was drawn by Australian artist Cameron Davis, who sadly passed away in May 2024. So far I haven't been able to find any more Elite cartoons by him. Perhaps it was a one-off.
November 17, 2025 at 1:09 PM
This cartoon will resonate with anyone who played the 8-bit versions of Elite. It was drawn by Australian artist Cameron Davis, who sadly passed away in May 2024. So far I haven't been able to find any more Elite cartoons by him. Perhaps it was a one-off.
It was a shame that the retail box for Frontier First Encounters in the UK was so drab. For the US release - just known as First Encounters - the artwork was very impressive and must have really helped to sell the game in the shops.
November 12, 2025 at 10:53 AM
It was a shame that the retail box for Frontier First Encounters in the UK was so drab. For the US release - just known as First Encounters - the artwork was very impressive and must have really helped to sell the game in the shops.