Elite Systems

Elite Systems is a UK video game developer and publisher established in 1984 as Richard Wilcox Software. They are best known for producing home computer conversions of popular arcade games. Elite also published games under the budget re-release labels Encore and Hit-Pak.

History
Under the name Richard Wilcox Software, only one title was published:Blue Thunder for the ZX Spectrum, Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64. In August 1984, the group was relaunched under the name Elite Systems, expanding the team to include graphic designers Rory Green and Jon Harrison; programmers Neil A. Bate, Chris Harvey, Andy Williams and Stephen Lockley; administrators Paul Smith and Pat Maisey; and Wilcox's brother Steve handled sales and marketing. Their first release under the new Elite Systems label was Kokotoni Wilf, which also carried the first of their anti-counterfeiting holograms on the cassette inlay card.

By 1986, the team were hiring freelancers and developing many home computer licenses of arcade machines. Ghosts 'n Goblins, for example (spectrum), was converted by freelance programmer Nigel Alderton and graphics designer Karen Trueman (plus Elite's regular team). The Aldridge-based headquarters housed a row of arcade cabinets for games that were being converted. Their hardware had been hacked so the team could analyze the games to ensure an accurate, licenced conversion.

In 1986, Elite was awarded "Software House of the Year" by Computer & Video Games magazine. And in 1989 it got a "Game of the Year" award for Paperboy by the British software industry. Converted by Neil bate, Chris harvey and Jon Harrison.

Around 2003, with the rise in the popularity of mobile games, Elite began to publish mobile games, with a focus on mobile conversions of classic games. Elite has also developed and published some new games, such as AVP.

In 2005, the publication Retro Gamer credited the Elite team in Volume 2-Issue 1 as Richard Benton, Matthew Hyden and Steve Wilcox.

Elite is currently working on an update to Paperboy, and also port popular games to Danger's Sidekick devices.

List of mobile games

 * All-new Paperboy - In Development
 * Double Dragon II: The Revenge
 * R-Type
 * Atlantis Quest
 * Double Dragon EX
 * Paperboy
 * Star Warriors
 * Alien vs. Predator
 * Bombjack
 * Chuckie Egg

List of older games

 * 1942
 * 3DC
 * 911TS
 * A Question of Sport
 * Ace
 * Ace2
 * Airwolf
 * Airwolf 2
 * Aquablast
 * Battleships
 * Batty
 * Beyond the Ice Palace
 * Blue Thunder
 * Bomb Jack
 * Bomb Jack II
 * Buggy Boy
 * Chain Reaction
 * Combat Lynx
 * Commando
 * Complete Onside Soccer
 * Critical Mass
 * Deep Strike
 * Dirt Racer
 * Dogs of War
 * Dr. Franken (titled The Adventures of Dr. Franken for the SNES in the United States)
 * Dr. Franken II


 * Dragon's Lair
 * Dragons Lair: The Legend
 * Dukes of Hazzard
 * European Championship 1992
 * The Fall Guy
 * First Strike
 * Ford Racing
 * Frank Bruno's Boxing (a modified port of Nintendo's Super Punch-Out!! arcade.)
 * Ghosts 'n Goblins
 * Grand National
 * Grand Touring
 * Gremlins 2: The New Batch
 * Harrier Attack
 * Hoppin' Mad
 * Hybrid
 * Ikari Warriors
 * Joe and Mac
 * Kokotoni Wilf
 * Last Battle
 * Live And Let Die
 * Mighty Bombjack
 * Mike Read's Computer Pop Quiz
 * Nintendo Soccer
 * On The Tiles
 * Onside Complete Soccer
 * Overlander


 * Paperboy
 * Passing Shot
 * Roller Coaster
 * Saboteur!
 * Saboteur II
 * Scooby Doo
 * Sigma 7
 * Space Academy
 * Space Harrier
 * Spitfire
 * Storm Warrior
 * Strikepoint
 * Striker (with Rage Software)
 * Supertrux
 * Test Drive Off-Road
 * Thanatos
 * The Fidgetts
 * ThunderCats
 * Tournament Golf
 * Turbo Esprit
 * Virtuoso
 * Wanderer 3D
 * World Championship Soccer
 * World Cup Striker