The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

520: The Graphics of Core Design - The Retro Hour EP520

This week, we’re joined by Core Design artist and animator Billy Allison, whose incredible career spans hand-drawn children’s TV classics like SuperTed and The Forgotten Toys through to iconic 16-bit games including Chuck Rock, Wonder Dog, Bubba 'n' Stix and more. Billy shares how he went from experimenting with animation on a ZX Spectrum and Deluxe Paint to pushing early 3D on Shadow Man and revisiting Alien Breed years later. From sneaking into film school rostrum rooms to pioneering full-screen Amiga cutscenes.Contents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories51:34 – Billy Allison Core Design InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.com/Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsWe 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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesN64 & PS2 Mario Co-Op Mod: https://youtu.be/gCza2KrstxEAmiga Mario Kart Clone: https://tinyurl.com/2s4y92d4Minecraft On Sega Saturn: https://tinyurl.com/fwcr2d3dBest Way To Play Fan Translations: https://tinyurl.com/378jn4r2Castlevania Silent Planet: https://tinyurl.com/bdhdn5z3New bsnes Build Adds Multitap: https://tinyurl.com/yt4nwvj4

519: Three Red Lights: The Wild Story of IGN’s Xbox 360 Podcast - The Retro Hour EP519

This week we’re joined by Hilary Goldstein and Dave Clayman, two of the voices behind IGN’s legendary Three Red Lights podcast, the loud, chaotic and gloriously irreverent Xbox 360 show that helped define mid-2000s gaming culture. From sleeping on office couches and playing Halo 2 before anyone else, to Don King promos, 50 Cent interviews and the early days of podcasting when you had to manually download episodes onto an MP3 player, they share wild behind-the-scenes stories from the golden age of online gaming media. Contents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories50:46 – Three Red Lights Podcast InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.com/Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsWe 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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesRogue 7800 Roguelike: https://tinyurl.com/yc5dzbp6Rayman 30th Anniversary: https://tinyurl.com/y9vufpynSuper Mario 64 PDF: https://youtu.be/a0F08py5Z4MKula World 32X Port: https://tinyurl.com/4t957hxwComputer History Collection Online: https://tinyurl.com/438nvhxwCastlevania Belmont’s Curse: https://tinyurl.com/4s9abvumPatrons newsMetal Gear Solid Collection: https://tinyurl.com/27458dp7Wheeze Game Boy Release: https://tinyurl.com/bdchv5zn

518: GameShark: The Rise, Fall & Return with Todd Hayes – The Retro Hour EP518

This week we’re joined by Todd Hayes, original US CEO of GameShark, the device that changed how a generation played games. From arcade beginnings to building a $252 million video game empire, Todd shares the story of bringing Action Replay to America, battling Sony in court, navigating Nintendo’s lockout chips, and launching the ambitious SharkWire online service for the N64. We also hear aboutthe return of GameShark for the modern era and his new GameShark Cheat Code Compendium, preserving the secrets behind gaming’s most legendary cheats.GameShark Kickstarter: https://tinyurl.com/4t6a96jbContents:00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 52:48 - GameShark Todd Hayes Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.com/Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsWe 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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesThe Simpsons: Hit & Run Dreamcast Port: https://tinyurl.com/ystdsvx3Dark Sci-Fi SNES Shooter: https://tinyurl.com/2smj37y5Amiga Addams Family Secrets: https://tinyurl.com/3j356repNew Wii Game Announced: https://tinyurl.com/4u4f2hazReStory: Console Repair Game: https://tinyurl.com/39a95ctmApple iPod Comeback Rumours: https://tinyurl.com/7u3xpd2pNew ScummVM Documentary: https://www.scummdoc.com/ 

517: From Zzap!64 to Thalamus: How a C64 Legend Came Back - The Retro Hour EP517

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 Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo 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 needsWe 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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesSonic R Platformer Mod: https://tinyurl.com/mu6e538jLemmings Reloaded On C64: https://tinyurl.com/hh856em2Lost Beavis & Butt-Head Game: https://tinyurl.com/h8wt9um9The Last Of Us Demake: https://tinyurl.com/2abjtn6cGamebox For Classic Mac: https://manticore.nz/gamebox

516: Celebrating the Best (and Worst) Video Game Controllers - The Retro Hour EP516

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/2s4nyfpcContents: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.comGo 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 needsWe 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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesPS3 Mod Breaks Limits: https://tinyurl.com/339xt3kyEscape 2049 Hits Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/5n7n7npeAtari ST Mini Teased: https://tinyurl.com/3af6pxhxYakuza Arcade Game Ported: https://tinyurl.com/dzx7nepsAtari Hotel Scaled Down: https://tinyurl.com/3j9atphjNew Saturn Console Successor: https://tinyurl.com/3nzbfn78Artist Makes Wi-Fi Visible: https://youtu.be/moBCOEiqiPs