116: Elite

Number 116
(42.2 points)
Elite
1991: 75 (2.6)
1995: 64 (29.6)
1996: 91 (10.0)

Ranked far higher than its sequel - due mainly to its surprising re-inclusion after a three-year absence - Elite is a port of a BBC Micro game that broke new ground.

Travelling throughout the universe, the game sees you flying a Cobra Mk III spaceship as a trader, buying and selling goods between planets. There are thousands of planets but you can't land on them, only enter their orbiting space stations. You can also make money by dogfighting with hostile ships, though you will need to buy upgrades before considering that option. You can also fall foul of the law by trading in illegal goods, and have to fend off the police. However you choose to play, Elite doesn't force you down a narrative path.

It must have been mindblowing to see this on the BBC Micro and other 8-bit computers, but it's less impressive to be on the mighty Amiga, especially when you look at Frontier, the sequel. Still, this is one of the best versions to play the original Elite, and I enjoy it very much. Frontier does a lot more, though.

Recommended TOSEC disk(s):
Elite v2.0 (1988)(Firebird)[cr Black Monks]