Elite - Blue Danube Waltz

WARNING: Can cause severe cases of nostalgia if you've played this game long enough to get a beam laser.
This is a capture from the classic Commodore-64 version of Elite, a space flight/trading simulator published in 1985 by Firebird Software. This is a sample of the docking sequence once you've become successful enough to afford a docking computer, inspired by the docking scene in the movie "2001"
I did fudge this one a bit as I turned on the docking computers 45 seconds too late, so I layered the music (and the docking sound) onto the capture so it would play in its entirety. Hopefully it was still enough to make you look for the tan "F5" key on the right hand side of your keyboard so you could spy Diso's space station out of your port window.

[@jamesandtonya4538]

My dad played a lot of Elite when I was very young. He's gone now, and this unexpectedly caused me to tear up. It's weird the things that make us remember.

[@zapman6528]

This song kept him company on his adventures into the void. I think its a great song to remember someone by.

[@ahmershamsi776]

Rest in peace, Commander.

[@Kyoseki]

If you can't dock without losing your paintwork, you shouldn't be in space

[@RastaTailSpike]

Ha, I remember that line!

[@timelord1137]

Docking computer 1984: Quickly and flawlessly docks the ship. Docking Computer 2023: Two Type-10s met in an airlock😶😶😶

[@rockford3943]

Docking computer 1984: Quickly and flawlessly docks the ship ... most of the times. 😉

[@timm9769]

I remember the mad frustration and many pilot deaths that occurred before I managed to get a docking computer. The first time I heard that music, I ran around the room screaming my head off for 5 minutes... then sat and waited more minutes while that ridiculously antiquated algorithm tried to make sense of docking! lol

[@Asatruction]

It was quite a sophisticated one back then, to be fair, not to mention that it ran on a C64 all while inputs and graphics were still intact!

[@Banzay27]

This game is before my time -- hell, it was released a few years before I was born. But hearing this version of this marvelous symphony... it tickles my fancy greatly. I can imagine adventuring through space in this game was an all the better experience thanks to this little tune.

[@UKCrash123]

and now its in ED. ahhh much awesomes.

[@EnchantedSmellyWolf]

(Calm voice) Elite (angry voice) DANGEROUS!

[@somegermantruly]

Old, old times(me: 42 years). Found back here.

[@Modighen]

I checked before and was shocked that no one seemed to have this up when the cold weather was driving me down memory lane. It's great to be able to share it with other nostalgia hunters.

[@saquist]

half the time I was sure the Docking Computer was trying to kill me!

[@DarkHypernova]

I'm sorry, Dave...

[@TheKurmon]

Seems like nothing has changed

[@sststr]

Every once in a while, it would.

[@AndrewCZ47]

Nice tribute to the docking sequence from 2001.

[@aaronwoodin7661]

My first "special mission" in that game came in with perfect timing - the docking computers got me into the port right as the music ended, then "incoming message" displayed on my screen.

[@TheFalcor]

Wow!! 1985 eh?? This brings back so many memories. I remember finally getting the upgrade so it auto-docked.

[@thekelvingreen]

DOCKING COMPUTERS ON

[@Mecknavorz]

I'm sorry Kelvin Green, but I'm afraid I can't do that.

[@JohnSmith-hl6jc]

+Mecknavorz fail. "Open the pod bay doors"

[@herisson663]

I played this game with my father when I was younger. I bought the new Steam version. You can hear the Blue danube when you take off.

[@hazmatbp]

Not just when you launch, but whenever you use the docking computer, be it for docking or takeoff

[@herisson663]

@@hazmatbp oh yes you're right

[@herisson663]

@@hazmatbp just i'm doing another thing when my ship is docking^^

[@izzy5500]

This song sounds wholesome^^

[@WRXcellent]

This game is about 4 years before I was born, but it's an awesome tribute and I am an addict ED Dangerous player so it's cool to have it in the new game too. I miss the days where these graphics were the norm. Your mind just fills in the blanks and that is why people complain about graphics these days. They are so realistic that we analyze it. Back when I was younger we used our imaginations which made games more realistic than they are now.

[@Mutrino]

I played this so much I could dock without a docking computer with my eyes closed (figure of speech). Loved that game

[@Ravenfellblade]

I loved playing Elite on the NES. I never found the game to purchase, but a local video store had it for rental. I rented it a LOT. While I do love Elite, for me the more memorable experience was the fanfare on docking in Privateer, which was especially mind blowing with the Speech Pak! "Now entering an automatic landing zone." Good times!

[@mrBlagstock]

Not quite as haunting as I remember it, but still a magical moment in gaming history

[@AudieHolland]

And it could still get you killed on occasion. Being able to purchase Docking Computers was really more a status symbol at that point though. Because you would have had to dock manually a few dozen times already. So after I got the Docking Computers and tired of waiting and waiting, I just did the same manual docking, only on the final few yards I engaged the thing so I didn't have to worry about rotating correctly. I believe a sure way to get killed with Docking Computers on was to approach the space station from the opposite side. Because the computer would think you were correctly lined up, which you were, only the back end of the station was in the way while trying to dock.

[@D4l4m4r]

I was SO disappointed! It took me ages to be able to afford a landing computer. But i thought, now i could just land instead of maneuvering for hours and hours until i docked.... but no, now i had to watch the computer maneuvering for hours and hours :D

[@SpartasEdge]

Oh my god! I'd forgotten how long it took the docking computer to dock on the original..lol

[@Modighen]

To be fair, if you positioned yourself right and close enough, you could dock in fifteen seconds or less, but it would have made the video a little awkward.

[@SpartasEdge]

Yeah i guess lol

[@SpartasEdge]

*****​​​ He meant the Original Elite game in general, rather the version it was first released on, as they were all the same game on BBC, C64 and Spectrum (i can't remember if it came out on Amstrad).

[@rafeharwood9667]

Actually, the colour version was a revamped version of the original black and white :) As for docking... zoom up to the station until it disappears from view, hard climb/dive in the opposite direction. check rear view. Swing around and welly it while keeping rotation. Docking was easier in the early versions than in ED because of the rear view :)

[@blake_ahn]

this is beautiful.

[@jasonmunslow]

Great memories - Thanks - Will play this video all day.

[@dennismoore2752]

Even for a 1985 64k ram computer, this music still has a haunting quality...

[@pryletoncyo]

Long enough to get a docking computer. And military laser. And Elite rank.

[@akmaru]

This is beautiful!

[@flyingfotosbykramer5070]

I PLAYED THIS GAME... for hours... so long ago... sad that I sold my C=64

[@beeblbrox1687]

Man that was awesome and took me back! The only nit-pick i have is that this was not the BBCMicro! (which if I'm not mistaken was the original port?) Other than that - Great Work Arch-Angel! (and i know not many will understand THAT reference - and tbh i'm not sure myself if it was a legit title from experience but Google has just confirmed its existence so hey, I learned something for sure today!)

[@Amarand]

Oh man...arm hair hackles up! Great job!

[@danskmacabre]

Thanx for the refresh of old and fond memories

[@Operator_Pirate]

o7 cmdr stay safe out in the black

[@me4901]

Docking computers? That's doing it the easy way. :)

[@sakatababa]

i used to play this like crazy with my dad on amstrad cpc 6128 ah, the 80s

[@lerenardfantome2647]

1984 ! We're back to the future. ^^

[@listershat]

I had it on the Electron and docking without the computer was a royal pain in the arse.

[@Shadowkey392]

Ok, color me impressed that they put "The Blue Danube" in this game.

[@MikeKye200]

Ah, memories :)

[@christianschneider4926]

Lyrics: Dun DUN DUN dun Dun DUN DUN dun Dun DUN DUN dun

[@aldoskyz8]

"WARNING: Can cause severe cases of nostalgia if you've played this game long enough to get a beam laser. " ME : 🤧🥴😭😩

[@cutterbacon]

Docking computer destroyed :( oh shit.

[@MJRSoap]

New Apple Idock. For all your docking needs. It will successfully land your ship whiten 50 meters of the landing pad! With only a 76% failure rate Idock is the best docking computer out there!

[@michaeltansley6879]

I used to fly as fast as i could at the station and then press docking computer at the last second, then watch it do a 180 degree turn round

[@leftcoaster67]

Wimp. Go in full speed!!!!

[@lerenardfantome2647]

The new game Elite Dangerous Odyssey will release on may 19th 2021, absolutely one of the best games ever. ;)

[@BigTedsBoogieBox]

And after all that mucking around the docking computer still made a mess of it :)

[@candygarden5029]

Some things never change I suppose

[@PiwyLC]

I feel the difficulty

[@leftcoaster67]

Ahh...when friends would say. So what happens when I do this? And hits the space bar and you dive in full speed!!!

[@merlin4574]

i love it! :-)

[@xuhuiyuanxu]

grandpa of elite dangerous?

[@JerseyLostRingMetalDetecting]

I used to tank in at full speed

[@1978sjt]

Beam laser? I had Military lasers front and rear :D

[@inthaniak]

LOOOOL dat ending. pwned =)

[@janrdoh]

2021 and the minute it takes to auto dock seems to long.

[@QuiriumCascade]

6581

[@cabal74]

Typo: VICE , not UICE! VLC Media Player, not ULC Media player!

[@xenophon8746]

bullshit, the docking computer worked quite well. It got you on a perfect axial inflight vector and syncronized your turn rate well. This here is a bad imitation...

[@Modighen]

I find it interesting that you never had the misfortune of activating your docking computer in a bad spot, because I certainly did. It is possible to have it make several adjustments to your flight path, although once you learn to set up your ship properly, it can do it for you painlessly in less than 15 seconds

[@alphalunamare]

Only cissy's used the docking computer! :-)

[@jake_the_british_dyde]

What’s the name of the sonf

[@N8crafter]

Read the title of the video...

[@krishx007]

New Version:- kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6fYnmWEatWXd7c

[@krishx007]

And here comes new generation of same scene kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6fYnmWEatWXd7c

[@fud1238]

Never saw this one.. Reminds me a tiny bit of Space Rogue.

[@davidjkelly1971]

o lol! xD

[@Stedman75]

this is beautiful.