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Cover image for Elite Commodore 64 Source Code is available
Valentin Briukhanov
Valentin Briukhanov

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Elite Commodore 64 Source Code is available

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 Commandore Sources

Top comments (2)

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Darryl Ruggles

I spent so much time on my C64! It's really interesting to see code like this. Thanks for sharing.

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Valentin Briukhanov

The code is insane and looks a the blackest magic that I've seen ever :-)
Still can not imagine how they made such games 40 years ago.