This week we’re catching up with Andy Robert of the legendary Thalamus Software, for a chat about one of the most fascinating careers of the 8-bit era. From discovering computers via library games and typing in listings, to writing for Zzap!64 and Commodore Format, Andy shares incredible stories from the golden age of the Commodore 64. We dig into Creatures, Mayhem in Monsterland and that infamous 100% review score, the realities of magazine bias, late-night map drawing, and the risks of going indie before “indie” was a thing. Plus, we fast-forward to the modern Thalamus revival, deluxe boxed releases, Amiga hits like Roguecraft, and why nostalgia still needs to be done properly.

Thalamus: https://www.thalamus.shop/

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
41:26 - Andy Roberts Thalamus Interview

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Show notes

Sonic R Platformer Mod: https://tinyurl.com/mu6e538j
Lemmings Reloaded On C64: https://tinyurl.com/hh856em2
Lost Beavis & Butt-Head Game: https://tinyurl.com/h8wt9um9
The Last Of Us Demake: https://tinyurl.com/2abjtn6c
Gamebox For Classic Mac: https://manticore.nz/gamebox

This week on The Retro Hour, we’re getting hands-on with the unsung heroes of gaming: video game controllers! We’re joined by Christian Wenk, author of Trigger Happy, a stunning visual celebration of over 200 iconic (and sometimes downright bizarre) controllers from gaming history. From mushy Commodore joysticks to the ergonomic oddities of the N64 and beyond, Christian shares the nostalgic stories, design quirks, and sheer passion that fuelled his epic project.

Trigger Happy: https://tinyurl.com/2s4nyfpc

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
59:11 - Christian Wenk Interview

Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:

Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com

Go to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

Leeds Gaming Market: https://leedsgamingmarket.com/

Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs

We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://theretrohour.com/support/

https://www.patreon.com/retrohour

Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8

Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour

Show notes

PS3 Mod Breaks Limits: https://tinyurl.com/339xt3ky
Escape 2049 Hits Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/5n7n7npe
Atari ST Mini Teased: https://tinyurl.com/3af6pxhx
Yakuza Arcade Game Ported: https://tinyurl.com/dzx7neps
Atari Hotel Scaled Down: https://tinyurl.com/3j9atphj
New Saturn Console Successor: https://tinyurl.com/3nzbfn78
Artist Makes Wi-Fi Visible: https://youtu.be/moBCOEiqiPs

What makes a truly great gaming community? Sean Baptiste, who helped grow Harmonix’s forum from a dozen diehards to hundreds of thousands of fans, shares what it really takes. From the secret struggles behind QA on Karaoke Revolution, to rocking out with the stars at the Grammys, Sean reflects on how fan feedback shaped Rock Band, how social media changed the game, and why authentic engagement still matters more than ever.

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
52:18 - Sean Baptiste Interview

Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:

Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com

Go to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

Leeds Gaming Market: https://leedsgamingmarket.com/

Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs

We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://theretrohour.com/support/

https://www.patreon.com/retrohour

Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8

Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour

Show notes

Dan's Escapist Column: https://tinyurl.com/35srz7e8
Mario 64 Dreamcast Port Impresses: https://tinyurl.com/chayc96w
Combo Portable TV Demo: https://tinyurl.com/mp5fy7ck
Lost PS2-Style RPG Revealed: https://tinyurl.com/4rb98wfn
Commodore Drive Turned PC: https://youtu.be/6loDwvG4CP8
7-Day Dark Souls Demake: https://tinyurl.com/2sp2bc57
Yie Ar Kung-Fu Genesis Port: https://tinyurl.com/yc7y5pmx