ALT Notification of an incoming message relating to the secret missions in BBC Elite (Acornsoft, 1984).

ALT The front of the retail box for BBC Master Elite (Acornsoft, 1986). At the top of the box was a panel which read "ACORNSOFT The choice of experience in software." At the bottom of the box, beneath the Philip Castle Elite artwork, was the wording:- "for the: BBC Microcomputer Models B and B+ BBC Master 128 6502 Second Processor"

ALT The front of the retail box for BBC Master Elite (Superior Software, 1986). At the top left of the box was a panel which read:- "BBC MICRO and MASTER SERIES 5¼" Disc £14.95" At the bottom of the box, beneath the Philip Castle Elite artwork, were the company logos of Superior Software and Acornsoft.

ALT The spinning Cobra Mark 3 space ship on the intro screen in BBC Master Elite (Acornsoft/Superior Software, 1986).

ALT The loading screen for Amstrad Elite (Firebird, 1986). This is the image for the cassette tape version, identified by the black space and blue engine plumes/planet. The text in the image reads "Firebird Elite. Original game Bell & Braben".

ALT The loading screen for Amstrad Elite (Firebird, 1986). This is the image for the disc version, identified by the blue space and cyan engine plumes/planet. The text in the image reads "Firebird Elite. Original game Bell & Braben".

ALT The loading screen for Amstrad Elite (Firebird, 1986). This is the image for the French & German versions, identified by the black space and orange engine plumes/planet. The text in the image reads "Firebird Elite. Original game Bell & Braben".

ALT The loading screen for MSX Elite (Firebird, 1987). Programmed by Mr Micro.

ALT The retail box contents for MSX Elite (Firebird, 1987). Aside from the box, there was the Space Traders Flight Training Manual (64 pages), The Dark Wheel novella (48 pages), a Quick Key Control Guide and the 3½" floppy disc.

ALT A spinning Wolf Mark 2 space ship, on the introductory screen of MSX Elite (Firebird, 1987).

ALT The space view in MSX Elite (Firebird, 1987). On screen are a Coriolis station, the system's star and a Transporter ship.

ALT The Pleiades star cluster, with Pleione circled. This has been confirmed as a Thargoid forward base in Frontier First Encounters (Gametek, 1995).

ALT In orbit around Pleione 1 in the Pleione system, in FFED3D-AJ. The message at the top of the screen reads:- "Thargoid Clone Leader to Followers: All drive engines destroyed. Hyperspace no longer possible. All followers to withdraw to Forward Base 2. This ship highly infectious. Clone members preparing to die. Do not attempt to board. Repeat, do not attempt to board."

ALT A Thargoid fleet ship in FFED3D-AJ.

ALT System information screen in FFED3D-AJ. It describes the Pleione system as being centred around a Type 'B' hot blue star but with no registered settlements.

ALT Eden Station orbiting planet Eden, Alpha Centauri system, in FFED3D-AJ. The red star to the left of the image is Proxima Centauri, the closest star beyond our Solar system.

ALT The system information screen for Alpha Centauri in FFED3D-AJ. Proxima Centauri is shown (erroneously) as having a distance from its parent star of 963 AU. One AU (Astronomical Unit) is the average distance between Earth and the Sun, equating to 149,597,870 km or 92,955,807 miles.

ALT Space view in Elite Dangerous, with Hutton Orbital targeted in the Alpha Centauri system. The distance of 0.21 ly (light years) is correct; approximately 13,000 AU. One AU (Astronomical Unit) is the average distance between Earth and the Sun, equating to 149,597,870 km or 92,955,807 miles.

ALT System information in Elite Dangerous for Alpha Centauri, showing Proxima Centauri as having a orbiting distance from its parent star of 12,268.91 AU. One AU (Astronomical Unit) is the average distance between Earth and the Sun, equating to 149,597,870 km or 92,955,807 miles.

ALT The front cover of the January 1986 edition of The Micro User magazine (Volume 3, Number 11). It featured some Elite-themed artwork and also showed the guide to playing Elite contained within.

ALT An advert for Elite on the Commodore 64 home computer (Firebird, 1985). The headline read "Out in deep space, these reviewers faced their toughest test."

ALT First page of the Constrictor mission in BBC Elite (Acornsoft, 1984). (***** is replaced by the current Commander's name.) The text reads as follows:- "Greetings Commander *****, I am Captain Fosdyke Smythe of Her Majesty's Space Navy and I beg a moment of your valuable time. We would like you to do a little job for us. The ship you see here is a new model, the Constrictor, equiped (sic) with a top secret new shield generator. Unfortunately it's been stolen."

ALT It went missing from our ship yard on Xeer five months ago and is believed to have jumped to this galaxy. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to seek and destroy this ship. You are cautioned that only Military Lasers will penetrate the new shields and that the Constrictor is fitted with an E. C. M. System. Good luck, Commander. MESSAGE ENDS

ALT A still image of the spinning Cobra Mark 3 space ship at the start of Elite for the BBC Computer (Acornsoft, 1984). The text on the screen reads as follows:- ---- E L I T E ---- By D. Braben & I. Bell Load New Commander (Y/N)? (C) Acornsoft 1984

ALT The front cover of the November 1984 issue of BEEBUG magazine (Vol 3 No 6). It included the familiar Elite artwork by Philip Castle, albeit in monochrome, and the words "Elite - the new supergame" above the picture.

ALT The single-page review of Elite in the November 1984 issue of BEEBUG magazine (Vol 3 No 6). It rated the game very highly, and awarded it 5 stars out of 5.

ALT The loading screen from the Atari ST version of Elite (Firebird, 1988).

ALT Commander information screen in the Atari ST version of Elite (Firebird, 1988).

ALT The loading screen from the Commodore Amiga version of Elite (Firebird, 1988).

ALT Commander information screen in the Commodore Amiga version of Elite (Firebird, 1988).

ALT A poster for Commodore 64/128 Elite (Firebird, 1985), for the USA market.

ALT The front of the USA retail box for Apple II Elite (Firebird, 1986). In addition to the usual Firebird Elite graphics was a sticker which read "Fly To Britain Competition".

ALT The Commander status screen in AndyJ's FFED3DAJ - a modern remake of Frontier First Encounters (Gametek, 1995). All ranks, medals and permits are genuine, with the exception of "Supreme Knight of the Shining Arc", which was awarded for successfully completing a mission to destroy the Thargoid home world. This mission was never implemented in the game.

ALT The front cover of the December 1984 issue of A&B Computing magazine. The main image was the familiar Elite artwork by Philip Castle, which adorned the Acornsoft releases of the game.

ALT The five-column review of Elite, in the December 1984 issue of A&B Computing magazine. The review scores were as follows:- Sounds - 90% Graphics - 90% Documentation - 100% Value for money - 80% Overall - 95%