Episodes

  • 504: “I’d Never Even Seen a Computer Until I Worked at Sierra!” – Mark Crowe on Space Quest - The Retro Hour Podcast EP504

    504: “I’d Never Even Seen a Computer Until I Worked at Sierra!” – Mark Crowe on Space Quest - The Retro Hour Podcast EP504
    Oct 31 2025
    This week we're joined by Sierra legend Mark Crowe, co-creator of the Space Quest series and one half of the iconic Two Guys from Andromeda. Mark reveals how he went from never touching a computer to helping define the golden age of adventure gaming, working alongside Roberta Williams, Disney, and a hapless space janitor named Roger Wilco. Plus, we hear about the long-awaited reunion that brought Space Venture to life.


    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    58:10 - Mark Crowe Interview


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

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    Show notes

    Sugar Ghouls: https://tinyurl.com/4kjjxvw2
    Amiga Addict Amiga Format issue: https://tinyurl.com/53vsfmtd
    The A1200: https://tinyurl.com/538trdxx
    MD Engine: https://tinyurl.com/yea8r8fn
    New Barcode Battler cards: https://tinyurl.com/y33362mk
    Intellivision Amico prototype sold: https://tinyurl.com/9ze43yf8
    Deep Sea Horror Shooter Inspired By Star Fox 64: https://tinyurl.com/ymn9je3r
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 40 mins
  • 503: “The Demo Scene Taught Us to Do the Impossible” – Erik Simon of Thalion - The Retro Hour EP503

    503: “The Demo Scene Taught Us to Do the Impossible” – Erik Simon of Thalion - The Retro Hour EP503
    Oct 24 2025
    This week's show features Erik Simon, co-founder of the legendary Thalion Software, the minds behind Lionheart, Ambermoon, and No Second Prize. Erik shares hilarious and jaw-dropping tales from the golden age of Amiga development, how the demo scene shaped Thalion’s “make the impossible happen” ethos, why Lionheart used every Amiga graphics mode. Recorded live at Amiga 40 in Germany.

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    46:59 - Erik Simon Interview

    Amiga Report Archive: https://bigbookofamigahardware.com/amigareport/
    This Week In Retro: https://www.rmcretro.com/this-week-in-retro

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

    Cardiff Gaming Market: https://www.cardiffgamingmarket.com/

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

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    https://theretrohour.com/support/

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    Show notes

    This ‘In The Hunt’ Tech Demo Shows What the 16-Bit Generation Lost: https://tinyurl.com/mw94hsup
    Cambridge University Rescues Data from Old Floppy Disks: https://tinyurl.com/yc6tse6u
    Vampire’s Veil – A New Castlevania-Inspired Indie: https://tinyurl.com/ycx3n3zh
    Ymir Emulator Hits 90% Sega Saturn Compatibility: https://tinyurl.com/3a9c6z23
    Fear Effect Returns with New Features: https://tinyurl.com/mttcdftj
    Bubble Bobble Remastered for C64: https://tinyurl.com/5ftruknf
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 13 mins
  • 502: “From Modems to Headlines” – Jason Compton on the Amiga Report Revolution - The Retro Hour EP502

    502: “From Modems to Headlines” – Jason Compton on the Amiga Report Revolution - The Retro Hour EP502
    Oct 16 2025
    This week, we’re joined by former Amiga Report editor, writer, and This Week in Retro host Jason Compton, who takes us into the golden age of 90s computing news. From chasing stories during Commodore’s dramatic collapse (“we may not make more chips, but we can sell the floor scrubber!”) to the birth of one of the first online tech magazines, Jason recalls the chaos, creativity and sheer enthusiasm that kept the Amiga community alive long after the headlines faded.

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    50:34 - Jason Compton Interview

    Amiga Report Archive: https://bigbookofamigahardware.com/amigareport/
    This Week In Retro: https://www.rmcretro.com/this-week-in-retro

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

    Cardiff Gaming Market: https://www.cardiffgamingmarket.com/

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

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

    Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour

    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

    Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd

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    Show notes

    New Atari Jaguar 3D shooter announced: https://tinyurl.com/yc2adedu
    Street Racer retro collection coming to Steam: https://tinyurl.com/ta65wv33
    deadmau5 teams with Atari for new 7800 game: https://tinyurl.com/9tjfdftb
    NightVein gothic run-and-gun for Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/3jd9j4tk
    Flashback unofficially ported to Sega Saturn: https://tinyurl.com/4psmpxtf
    The Old Blue Workbench: https://triumph.no/oldblue/
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 54 mins
  • 501: “Michael Jackson Just Said ‘Okay, I’ll Do It All’” – SEGA's Roger Hector Tells the Inside Story of Sonic 3

    501: “Michael Jackson Just Said ‘Okay, I’ll Do It All’” – SEGA's Roger Hector Tells the Inside Story of Sonic 3
    Oct 10 2025
    For years, it’s been one of gaming’s biggest urban legends, how much did Michael Jackson really work on the music for Sonic the Hedgehog 3? In part two of our exclusive chat with Roger Hector, former Director of the Sega Technical Institute, we get the full story. Roger reveals how Jackson’s unexpected visit to STI turned into hands-on involvement with Sonic 3’s soundtrack. Plus, we explore Roger’s time leading the legendary Sonic team, the cross-cultural chaos of 1990s Sega, and the pressure of delivering a new Sonic game every Christmas.

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    42:20 - Roger Hector Interview

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

    Cardiff Gaming Market: https://www.cardiffgamingmarket.com/

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

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

    Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour

    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

    Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd

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

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    Show notes

    Blood – Nightdive Studios: https://tinyurl.com/3kmam6e8
    Lego Game Boy Modded: https://tinyurl.com/5fnjxb4p
    Kraken ZX Multiclone: https://tinyurl.com/pbukjp
    Unofficial GBA Port of an SNES Horror Classic: https://tinyurl.com/mspschwa
    Sega Saturn Tomb Raider 2: https://tinyurl.com/y5m77rsc
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 33 mins
  • 500: "No One Had Storyboarded Games Before - So I Did!" - Atari Legend Roger Hector - The Retro Hour EP500

    500: "No One Had Storyboarded Games Before - So I Did!" - Atari Legend Roger Hector - The Retro Hour EP500
    Oct 3 2025
    This week marks our milestone 500th episode, and we’re celebrating in style with part one of an epic two-part chat with industry legend Roger Hector. From working under Nolan Bushnell and Al Alcorn in the very earliest days of Atari, to helping bring classics like Super Breakout and Battlezone to life, Roger shares incredible behind-the-scenes stories of arcades, coin-ops, and pioneering design that shaped the future of video games. From overflowing Pong machines to storyboarding games before anyone else thought to do it.

    Thanks for all your messages of support, here's to 500 more episodes!

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    44:12 - Roger Hector Interview
    1:29:01 - Listener Messages

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

    Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.com/

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

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

    Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour

    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

    Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd

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

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    Show notes

    Raspberry Pi 500+: https://tinyurl.com/3xzyzbku
    Lost Sega 1970s Game Blueprints Found: https://tinyurl.com/43wm6drf
    Imagine’s Infamous ‘Megagame’ Revived: https://tinyurl.com/3xzyzbku
    Wizordum Retro FPS Hits Consoles: https://tinyurl.com/2t7urusc
    Silent Hill Game Boy Remake: https://tinyurl.com/4bxk5jhp
    Sunsoft’s City Hunter Returns After 35 Years: https://tinyurl.com/mvcr4sr8
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 49 mins
  • 499: "Nintendo Made Us Cut the Bikini Girls from Duke Nukem 64" - Eurocom's Kev Harrison - The Retro Hour EP499

    499: "Nintendo Made Us Cut the Bikini Girls from Duke Nukem 64" - Eurocom's Kev Harrison - The Retro Hour EP499
    Sep 26 2025
    This week we chat with designer Kev Harrison, whose career began at Eurocom working on Duke Nukem 64 and Duke Nukem: Zero Hour. Kev shares what it was like adapting Duke’s outrageous world for Nintendo, from cutting bikini girls to sneaking in Simpsons gags, as well as why his team saw Duke as a tongue-in-cheek Bruce Campbell figure while publishers insisted he was a deadly serious hero. We also cover his years bringing Bond, Star Wars, Predator and Hellboy to consoles, packed with stories from one of the UK’s busiest studios of the late 90s and 2000s.

    Leave us a message for Episode 500: https://theretrohour.com/message/

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    43:47 - Kev Harrison Interview

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

    Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.com/

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

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

    Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour

    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

    Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd

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

    Website: http://theretrohour.com
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    Show notes

    Sega Recreates Blast Processing Ad to Take on Mario Kart: https://youtu.be/CYOfP1a7xjc
    Lost Scooby Doo Computer Cartoon May Be Resurrected: https://tinyurl.com/yeu64w28
    Mute Crimson: https://tinyurl.com/5d9b7xf8
    Vampire Apollo A6000: https://a6000.net/
    Golden Axe Ported to the Atari 2600: https://tinyurl.com/4dfy5dsw
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 43 mins
  • 498: “Arcade Lessons, Nintendo Secrets, and Omega 6” – Takaya Imamura & Junji Seki - The Retro Hour EP498

    498: “Arcade Lessons, Nintendo Secrets, and Omega 6” – Takaya Imamura & Junji Seki - The Retro Hour EP498
    Sep 19 2025
    This week we hear part two of our chat with Nintendo legend Takaya Imamura and game director Junji Seki. We hear about the creation of Omega 6: The Triangle Stars, blending manga, classic adventure game engines, and even a rock-paper-scissors battle system. Imamura reflects on his decades at Nintendo, from the high-stakes launch of the Switch to breaking free with new creative freedom, while Seki shares stories of arcades, founding his studio Happy Meal, and keeping the spirit of physical releases alive.

    Leave us a message for Episode 500: https://theretrohour.com/message/

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    43:18 - Takaya Imamura & Junji Seki Interview

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

    Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.com/

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

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

    Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour

    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

    Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd

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

    Website: http://theretrohour.com
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    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
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    Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour

    Show notes

    Virtual Boy Coming To Switch Online: https://tinyurl.com/4epef4dk
    iPod Clickwheel Games Preserved: https://tinyurl.com/5c9tsk8k
    Acclaim Hosts First ‘Play Acclaim’: https://youtu.be/bckTJ7o8xdk
    ‘The Ark’ Horror For Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/mpwu5u7x
    Indiana Jones Atlantis On ZX Spectrum: https://tinyurl.com/ybd32fpd
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 5 mins
  • 497: “We Wanted Ocarina’s Opposite - That’s Why Majora’s Mask Got So Dark” - Takaya Imamura Interview - The Retro Hour EP497

    497: “We Wanted Ocarina’s Opposite - That’s Why Majora’s Mask Got So Dark” - Takaya Imamura Interview - The Retro Hour EP497
    Sep 12 2025
    This week we welcome Nintendo legend Takaya Imamura, the visionary artist behind F-Zero, Star Fox, and Majora’s Mask. We hear some incredible stories from his three decades at Nintendo: from being interviewed by Shigeru Miyamoto, to creating Captain Falcon on a whim, to the wild one-year crunch that gave birth to Majora’s Mask. He reveals how a shrine in Kyoto inspired Fox McCloud, why Tingle was born out of pure exhaustion, and the surprising comic book roots of his latest project Omega Six. This chat was recorded live at Retromessa in Norway.

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    44:22 - Takaya Imamura Interview

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

    Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.com/

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

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

    Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour

    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

    Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd

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

    Website: http://theretrohour.com
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    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
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    Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour

    Show notes

    Dreamcast Wireless Controller: https://tinyurl.com/yzr5kwdx
    Fallout 1 3D: https://tinyurl.com/476fu3b4
    Vectrex Mini Updates: https://tinyurl.com/3hs2sphw
    Limited Run FMV Games: https://tinyurl.com/yc23t2fu
    Clive Sinclair Comedy: https://tinyurl.com/56s3hyhr
    Wolfhound Trailer: https://youtu.be/bBVXgchDEXk
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 26 mins