Two years ago I released Elite 3D - the #BBCMicro classic, in anaglyph 3D (for red-and-cyan glasses) But I failed to give the project a repository, so here it is, only 22 months late: github.com/markmoxon/el... So you now can see every change I made to Elite to drag it into the third dimension 🚀

GitHub - markmoxon/elite-3d: Anaglyph 3D version of the classic BBC Micro game Elite

Anaglyph 3D version of the classic BBC Micro game Elite - markmoxon/elite-3d

github.com

Two-player #BBCMicro Elite has just become the first game ever to support all the buttons on twin Delta 14B joysticks So two players can dogfight in Elite without either of them needing the keyboard For some of us, this is a dream come true! And it justifies all this hardware I keep buying... 😀

Happy memories from my days as a magazine editor - this issue was definitely a high point of my tenure at Acorn User! I still can’t believe I had a job that combined all my favourite hobbies into one. I mean, writing about Elite and Acorn computers for a living? It’s all been downhill since then. 🤣

FrontierAstro@frontierastro.bsky.social · 2w ago

The #AcornArchimedes version of #Elite was released by Hybrid Technology in 1991. Four years later, the full game was included on the August 1995 cover disc of #AcornUser magazine, edited at the time by software archaeologist extraordinaire Mark Moxon 🙂 @markmoxon.bsky.social elite.bbcelite.com

Missiles are now working in two-player #BBCMicro Elite. This clip shows player 1 firing a missile at player 2 (in the bottom view) and then player 2 retaliating (in both views). This was really difficult to build! But it's important; see the thread for details. #retrocomputing #retrogaming (1/3)

This is quite wonderful. James has taken Level7’s epic disassembly of #BBCMicro Exile and has not only converted it into TypeScript so it runs in browsers, but he’s also annotated the disassembly with notes on the TypeScript conversion *and* started writing a bunch of deep dives. Amazing work! 🫡

James@jamesrandall.bsky.social · 3w ago

I've been spending some time analysing the code and systems of the epic 1988 BBC game Exile resulting in a (I hope) bit perfect recreation in TypeScript and a set of @markmoxon.bsky.social inspired deep dives into its working. bbcexile.com #retrocomputing #bbcmicro #gamehistory

To help me test two-player #BBCMicro Elite, I’ve added “AI Pilot” as an option It uses the game’s 1984 tactics routines to fly player 2 (bottom view) It’s really interesting to watch Elite’s original “AI” from inside the other ship’s cockpit - in this case, an NPC Python #retrocomputing (1/3)

Two-player #BBCMicro Elite will be a deep-space dogfight game The rest of Elite wouldn’t be that exciting with two players, so I’m sticking to the core combat experience When you fire it up, you can choose what kind of contest you want Here's the all-new config screen 🚀 Game on! #retrocomputing

I’ve been beavering away at two-player #BBCMicro Elite These videos show the most recent improvements: laser beams, hit counters, two-player dashboard, planets, suns and more accuracy It’s quite difficult to film! See the thread for a tour of what’s new… (1/6) #retrocomputing #retrogaming #8bit

Two-player #BBCMicro Elite now has a two-player dashboard Each player has their own set of indicators: speed, attitude control, fore and aft shields, laser temperature, energy, missiles and compass They share the scanner, which works well It’s starting to feel like a proper game! #retrocomputing

Two-player #BBCMicro #Elite is coming along nicely. It now supports two pilots in two ships with two controllers and a split-view screen Here are some work-in-progress videos - see the thread for an explanation There’s lots to fix, but at least we have a proof-of-concept… (1/6) #retrocomputing

People ask me how I do my software archaeology projects So when I spent 7 months documenting Geoff Crammond’s epic game The Sentinel, I kept a diary It’s not exactly Samuel Pepys, but it does explain how I disassembled an #8bit classic: bbcelite.com/disassembly_... #retrocomputing #BBCMicro #C64

About my disassembly diary for The Sentinel - Mark Moxon's Software Archaeology

An overview of my disassembly diary for The Sentinel on the BBC Micro

bbcelite.com

My favourite game: Elite (picture 1) My latest purchase: Twin joysticks (picture 2) My plan: Squish ’em together to see what happens (picture 3) This should be a fun project! Note: Picture 3 is a genuine in-game work-in-progress screenshot, but it’s VERY early days… #retrocomputing #BBCMicro

As promised, I've created a flicker-free version of the Elite Demonstration Disc for the #BBCMicro. It contains both flicker-free ships and planets. Play in browser: bbc.xania.org?autoboot&dis... Download disc image: elite.bbcelite.com/hacks/flicke... More info: elite.bbcelite.com/demo/ Enjoy!

About the Elite Demonstration Disc - Elite on the 6502

An article about the source code for the Elite Demonstration Disc for the BBC Micro

elite.bbcelite.com

How cool is this? It's the #BBCMicro Elite Demonstration Disc, converted to run on the #Atari 8-bit machines. youtu.be/WHVVO3sUvFw?... Great work from Atari guru Wrathchild, who inspired me to look at the demo code in the first place! More details on AtariAge: forums.atariage.com/topic/389923...

A8 Elite - BBC Demonstration Version port - 2026-04-28

YouTube video by a8converterman

youtu.be

I've just published a deep dive into the Elite Demonstration Disc, Acornsoft's self-playing #BBCMicro Elite demo from 1984 This links to a second deep dive that analyses every code difference that makes the demo the demo I'll make it flicker-free next, because why not! 😀 #retrocomputing

The Elite Demonstration Disc - Elite on the 6502

A deep dive into the Elite Demonstration Disc in Elite on the BBC Micro

elite.bbcelite.com

We have a new addition to the 6502 Elite Source Code Family Tree! Turns out the Elite Demonstration Disc is a fork of the cassette version, but incorporates the docking computer routines from the disc version for the self-flying combat AI. Welcome to the tree, demo. 🫡 #bbcmicro #c64 #nes #apple2

I've just released a web version of the documented source code for the Elite Demonstration Disc, the 1984 self-playing demo from Acornsoft. elite.bbcelite.com/demo It's got syntax colouring, hyperlinked labels, code maps, indexes, stats and more. Deep dive coming soon. #bbcmicro #retrocomputing

About the Elite Demonstration Disc - Elite on the 6502

An article about the source code for the Elite Demonstration Disc for the BBC Micro

elite.bbcelite.com

This game is absolutely amazing. Take the 8-bit classic Chuckie Egg and wrap it around a tower like Nebulus- and the result is Chuckulus. It's a bit of genius, beautifully coded by @snuggsy187.bsky.social Seriously, take a look. It’s that good. 🫡 #BBCMicro

Snuggsy187@snuggsy187.bsky.social · 3mo ago

CHUCKULUS for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro.... Download or play in browser: github.com/Snuggsy187/C... Coffee (no milk) welcome: ko-fi.com/snuggsy187

I've finished adding comments to my #BBCMicro Elite Demonstration Disc disassembly: github.com/markmoxon/el... Turns out the AI code is essentially the docking computer routines, which might explain why the ship in the demo is so rubbish at hitting things. :-) Web version & deep dive coming soon.

GitHub - markmoxon/elite-demo-source-code-bbc-micro: Fully documented source code for the Acornsoft Elite Demonstration Disc on the BBC Micro

Fully documented source code for the Acornsoft Elite Demonstration Disc on the BBC Micro - markmoxon/elite-demo-source-code-bbc-micro

github.com

Here's a new repository for the Acornsoft Elite Demonstration Disc. I haven't documented all the changes yet, but I have marked them up. Search the main source file for "Mod:" to see what Bell and Braben changed to turn the #BBCMicro cassette version into the demo... github.com/markmoxon/el...

GitHub - markmoxon/elite-demo-source-code-bbc-micro: Source code for the Acornsoft Elite Demonstration Disc on the BBC Micro

Source code for the Acornsoft Elite Demonstration Disc on the BBC Micro - markmoxon/elite-demo-source-code-bbc-micro

github.com

I've started disassembling the #BBCMicro Elite Demonstration Disc. Acornsoft sent this out to shops in 1984. It flies itself and contains rudimentary pilot AI. Did anyone see this back in the day? It’s fun to watch! You can run it in your browser: bbc.xania.org?autoboot&dis... #retrocomputing

This is pretty amazing. Draw accurate landscapes from The Sentinel on a pen plotter? And animate them? I'm definitely in! newsletter.revdancatt.com/p/085-the-se... I do my projects for a lot of reasons, but seeing what people do with them? Yeah, that's a big one. 😀 #bbcmicro #c64 #retrocomputing

📙 #085 - The Sentinel, adventures in animation

Mark Moxon, as of four days ago has finished his incredibly deep dive into the 1986 BBC Micro game The Sentinel - and to call it an “incredibly deep dive” is to undersell it an almost unforgivable amo...

newsletter.revdancatt.com

It's finished! The Sentinel, Geoff Crammond's epic game, is now fully documented. * 41,902 lines of lovingly annotated source code * 51 deep dives (116,240 words) * Buildable repository * 100% handcrafted AI-free content * 7 months’ work thesentinel.bbcelite.com #retrocomputing #C64 #BBCMicro

Time for my last batch of deep dives into The Sentinel, Geoff Crammond's epic #BBCMicro game. This one's a mixed bunch of miscellaneous topics, from anti-cracker code to hidden snippets of original source code. Short and sweet! thesentinel.bbcelite.com/deep_dives Enjoy… #retrocomputing #c64

What links The Sentinel with "Every Breath You Take"? Why, it’s the minor added 9th chord, of course! And the fact that they’re both 1980s classics Find out more in batch #10 of my deep dives: thesentinel.bbcelite.com/deep_dives Batch #11 (last one!) soon Enjoy! #retrocomputing #c64 #bbcmicro

Find out how the Sentinel thinks with my latest deep dives Batch #9 covers enemy tactics, and following the gaze vector to work out what the player and enemies can see in the 3D world thesentinel.bbcelite.com/deep_dives Batch #10 (sound & music) coming soon Enjoy! #retrocomputing #c64 #bbcmicro

Index of all deep dive articles - The Sentinel on the BBC Micro

Index of all deep dive articles about The Sentinel

thesentinel.bbcelite.com

I just wrote word number 100,000 of my deep dives into the epic game The Sentinel. I know quantity <> quality, but milestones are important in projects this long. I started this project in September! Seems like a lifetime ago. Here's my progress chart. Nearly there… #retrocomputing #c64 #bbcmicro

New release: deep dives #37 to #40 for The Sentinel, Geoff Crammond's epic #BBCMicro game This batch (#8) is a small release, covering the title screens, energy icons and scanner thesentinel.bbcelite.com/deep_dives Batch #9 is still in the oven, coming soon Enjoy! #retrocomputing #c64 #8bit

Index of all deep dive articles - The Sentinel on the BBC Micro

Index of all deep dive articles about The Sentinel

thesentinel.bbcelite.com

I've just completed 70% of my planned 50+ deep dives into The Sentinel, Geoff Crammond's epic #BBCMicro game Batch #7 is now ready: 4 new articles about drawing the 3D landscape, ray-casting and quadrants thesentinel.bbcelite.com/deep_dives Batch #8 coming soon Enjoy! #retrocomputing #c64 #8bit

Index of all deep dive articles - The Sentinel on the BBC Micro

Index of all deep dive articles about The Sentinel

thesentinel.bbcelite.com

Left: The Sentinel and four sentries, from the landscape preview in the classic game. Astonishingly, these are not sprites. They are fully rendered 3D objects, using the same code as the game. Right: a robot, drawn by the same routine. Micro *and* macro excellence! #retrocomputing #c64 #bbcmicro