Elite (series)
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Elite is an action space simulation series created by programmers David Braben and Ian Bell. It was one of the earliest games to feature actual 3D wireframe graphics. It was first developed for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron computers, before subsequently being ported to every home computer under the sun. It was even ported to the NES, making it the only home console it was converted to.
The game spawned a few sequels, and is one of the longest-running video game franchises.
Contents
Games
Elite
(Note: Games with no page link do not contain music.)
- Elite (A2)
- Elite (A32)
- Elite (ARCH)
- Elite (AMI)
- Elite (AST)
- Elite (BBC)
- Elite (C64)
- Elite (DOS)
- Elite (ELEC)
- Elite (MSX)
- Elite (NES)
- Elite (TE)
- Elite (ZXS)
Elite Plus
Frontier: Elite II
- Frontier: Elite II (AMI)
- Frontier: Elite II (AST)
- Frontier: Elite II (CD32)
- Frontier: Elite II (DOS)
Frontier: First Encounters
- Frontier: First Encounters (DOS)
- Frontier: First Encounters (LIN)
- Frontier: First Encounters (MAC)
- Frontier: First Encounters (W32)
Elite: Dangerous
Music
Elite
Only a handful of versions of Elite have music; The Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and NES versions. They all contain The Blue Danube, which plays during the docking sequence. The song was used as a nod to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
A musical for the game called Elite: The Musical was written by Aidan Bell, brother of the game's programmer Ian Bell. Aidan's songs Elite Theme and Assassin's Touch were used in the games, but only the latter made it into the NES version.
Quality
The listener's mileage may vary when it comes to comparing the audio quality of Elite. Only a few ports of the game have music, and most of them only have one song. The Amiga and Atari ST versions contain just The Blue Danube, while the Commodore 64 version has a title song as well. Scott Joplin's The Entertainer was added in later copies. The NES version surpasses all versions in terms of quantity of songs because it retains the Commodore 64's title music, The Blue Danube, and a couple more original songs.
In terms of fidelity, the Amiga version has the best sound, using sampled instruments. The Commodore 64 version has a PSG but has several waveforms and filters, which ends up being the second-best. Third is the NES because its PSG also allowed for a few waveforms. The Atari ST version is the worst in that its PSG only has 50% square waves.
Notable Songs
- Assassin's Touch - Played before the game starts in the NES version.
- Elite Theme - Played during the title screen of the C64 and NES versions.
- Game Theme - In-game music exclusive to the NES version. Appears to be an original composition by David Whittaker.
- The Blue Danube - Played during the docking sequence.
Notable Audio Personnel
Notable Companies
- Braben and Bell - David Braben and Ian Bell, developers of the original game.
- Frontier Developments - Developed the newer games in the series.
Links
- iancgbell.clara.net/elite/musical/ - Official page about Elite: The Musical.
| Elite | |
| Elite |  •  •  • 
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| Elite Plus |  • 
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| Frontier: Elite II | • •  •
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| Frontier: First Encounters | •  •  • 
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| Elite: Dangerous |  •  • 
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| Notable Songs | Elite Theme • Assassin's Touch • Game Theme • The Blue Danube |
| Notable Personnel | Aidan Bell • Julie Dunn • David Whittaker • Wally Beben |
| Notable Companies | Braben and Bell • Frontier Developments |
