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This Game From the 80s Had Kids Obsessing Over Space Trade—And Its Source Code Is Now Available

by valentin_b...February 11th, 2025
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Elite was a space trading game with a huge universe, and you could explore it. The game's difficulty was insane, and I loved it.
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Valentin Briukhanov HackerNoon profile picture

I have often mentioned that my video game education started with the ZX Spectrum (you know, it may be known as the Commodore 64). One of the games that left a huge impact on me was Elite. Just imagine how advanced the game was in the 80s. It was a space trading game with a huge universe, and you could explore it. What I remember from the game is how hard it was to get used to the controls.


Docking to a space station was a challenge — no, it was THE CHALLENGE! There was no scaffolding, no help, just your ship and rotating narrow port. I have no idea how many times I crashed into the station.


The game's difficulty was insane, and I loved it. In our notebooks, we wrote prices for different goods on different planets. We planned our routes to make some profit and avoid pirates. Or, if you are a fan of space combat, you could become a space pirate and/or a bounty hunter. I still don't know how they could make such a game back in the 80s. And now, we have a chance to see the game's source code. Yes, this long intro was a "trap" to lure you to the source code ;-).


Elite Commodore Sources


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