Sinclair ZX Spectrum Elite Information

Spectrum Elite was programmed by Torus and released by Firebird in 1985. As with the other 8-bit versions, the graphics are wire-frame but a greater number of ships are available compared to the BBC tape version, although not as many as the Commodore 64 or BBC disc versions. In addition, there were a number of secret missions for the player to undertake.
The 16k Spectrum was not able to run the game; the 48k machine was required. Although not as smooth as the BBC version, this was a very popular and playable game, which sold in great numbers.

Click on the image to the right to view the complete Sinclair Spectrum Elite package.
As with the Firebird releases for other computers, there were a number of ancillary items within the game box, including a flight training manual, novella, keyboard overlay, control guide and Elite membership application form.

The Elite game package included a keyboard overlay to fit over the Spectrum machine. This was a much more effective way of assisting new players than a separate control guide, as long as the card could be encouraged to lay flat on the computer and not slip off during frantic combat sequences!

The Spectrum computer did not have function keys, which were present on the BBC and Commodore 64 machines. The key assignments were therefore changed accordingly, as outlined in the control guide above.
For those using emulators to play the game, the only Spectrum-specific keys used in the game are "Symbol Shift" to decrease speed, which is assigned to the "/" key, and "Caps Shift" to freeze the game, which is assigned to the "Down Cursor" key (spacebar to unfreeze)

Sinclair released the Spectrum+ computer in the autumn of 1984, which replaced the rubber keys of its predecessor with a proper keyboard. It was otherwise identical to the earlier machine, therefore no changes were necessary to the program itself. The Elite game package included a Spectrum+ Control Guide, on the reverse of the Quick Key Control Guide, to assist players who were using the new machine.

Included in the Spectrum version of Elite was the notorious LensLok anti-piracy device. This was a physical item which required the player to view a scrambled code on their screen through the LensLok prism, which would unscramble the image and allow the player to type in the code now revealed.

The instructions on the device read "Stand holder on screen, close one eye, line up lens, type in code".

Although it was a well-intentioned attempt to defeat computer game piracy, in reality it was a frustrating and fiddly process which was soon circumvented by hackers who removed the relevant code from the game.

Untimately, the greatest incentive for players to purchase the game legitimately was to possess the amazing array of items contained within the retail package.

Due to the considerable popularity of the Sinclair Spectrum, a number of interesting variants of the game were unofficially produced, including a Russian version with major improvements to the computer-controlled ships' AI. These may be found at Ian Bell's Elite Page

In September 1983 Sinclair introduced the ZX Interface 2, which allowed program cartridges to be plugged into the computer, resulting in virtually instant loading. However, the relatively high cost of the cartridges and their limited capacity (16kB) meant the concept never really caught on, and only 10 games were released. The picture to the left shows an Elite game cartridge (yellow) and an alternative interface, plus a small Elite box to store the cartridge in. This was not an official release.

This is the Ship Identification Chart which was included with all the Firebird versions of Elite. It identifies 16 different types of ship, plus 6 other items which appear in the game, such as space stations and asteroids. However, the Spectrum version only features 9 of the 16 ships, due to memory restrictions. Those on the chart which are missing from the game are the Anaconda, Boa, Gecko, Mamba, Moray, Orbit Shuttle and Transporter.

Playing Spectrum Elite on your PC

1. Download a Spectrum Emulator, such as ZX Spin
2. Download the game from Ian Bell's Elite Page