Episodes

  • 484: The Man Who Tried To Save the Amiga: Petro Tyschtschenko - The Retro Hour EP484

    484: The Man Who Tried To Save the Amiga: Petro Tyschtschenko - The Retro Hour EP484
    Jun 13 2025
    This week we hear about the turbulent post-Commodore years with former Amiga Technologies President, Petro Tyschtschenko. From scrambling to find buyers after Commodore’s collapse to selling Amiga 1200s out of a warehouse in India, Petro shares his story, from the courtroom battles, the backroom deals, and the community spirit that refused to let the Amiga die.

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    41:51 - Petro Tyschtschenko Interview

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

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

    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/

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    Show notes:

    The Story Behind Resident Evil 2 Cover Art: https://tinyurl.com/muhvzmz4
    The G'aime: https://tinyurl.com/bkspfsbw
    Let’s Buy Commodore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN8r4LRcOXc
    MK Collection: https://tinyurl.com/226ty4tj
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    1 hr and 37 mins
  • 483: Last Action Hero to Chronicles of Riddick: Cos Lazouras Tells All - The Retro Hour EP483

    483: Last Action Hero to Chronicles of Riddick: Cos Lazouras Tells All - The Retro Hour EP483
    Jun 5 2025
    This week we welcome Cos Lazouras, a true veteran with over three decades in the games industry. From blagging his way into Bits Studios to working with Vin Diesel on The Chronicles of Riddick, Cos shares incredible stories from working on Spider-Man, The Simpsons, Wolverine and Last Action Hero including why that one remains his most ‘disastrous’ game. And his incredible new 80's themed point & click adventure.

    VICE Undercover: https://tinyurl.com/476ucjzb

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    32:47 - Cos Lazouras Interview

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

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

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

    Show notes

    The Bagman for Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/8scuchxj
    Game Boy Camera Manager: https://tinyurl.com/5n78v92s
    Atari ST turns 40: https://tinyurl.com/mwbzf2v2
    Azaran Island: https://tinyurl.com/msphwu2h
    New Contra arcade: https://youtu.be/5FX6HJl9uZ8
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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • 482: Medal of Honor: The Inside Story with Chris Cross - The Retro Hour EP482

    482: Medal of Honor: The Inside Story with Chris Cross - The Retro Hour EP482
    May 29 2025
    This week we’re joined by Chris Cross, the original lead designer of Medal of Honor, who cut his teeth at Blizzard on Warcraft II and Diablo, worked on Small Soldiers: Squad Commander, survived Trespasser: The Lost World, and brought us gritty realism in Homefront. Chris shares some amazing behind-the-scenes stories, from Spielberg’s influence and arcade obsessions, to why he loved PS1 development and what went wrong (and right) on some of the most ambitious projects of the '90s and early 2000s.


    Brain Arcade Podcast: https://coffeewithcross.com/brainarcade

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    38:59 - Chris Cross Interview

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

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

    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
    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

    Wii U Game Pad replacement: https://tinyurl.com/264vu8rn
    OutRun on Game Boy Colour: https://tinyurl.com/4z7mdtbe
    Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun - Words of Vengeance: ttps://tinyurl.com/3v2b4t36
    Retro ruler: https://tinyurl.com/yvp8vbu3
    AROS Live USB: https://tinyurl.com/2b2bu3ae
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    1 hr and 38 mins
  • 481: Tony Warriner & Stoo Cambridge’s UrbX Warriors: A Masterpiece for the ZX Spectrum Next - The Retro Hour EP481

    481: Tony Warriner & Stoo Cambridge’s UrbX Warriors: A Masterpiece for the ZX Spectrum Next - The Retro Hour EP481
    May 23 2025
    This week, we chat with two legends of the British gaming scene, Tony Warriner (Revolution Software) and Stoo Cambridge (Sensible Software), who’ve teamed up to create UrbX Warriors, an incredible new title for the ZX Spectrum Next.

    UrbX Warriors Kickstarter: https://tinyurl.com/yvhw43et

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    32:29 - Tony Warriner & Stoo Cambridge Interview

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

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

    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
    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

    Mario 64 Trigger Found: https://tinyurl.com/52ffytrb
    Metal Gear for Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/47fdc9uw
    Microsoft Revives Edit: https://tinyurl.com/3z56yt3b
    Visit 1975 Microsoft: https://tinyurl.com/58nupxu4
    Sega Saturn New Fighter: https://tinyurl.com/2wpf4cxs
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • 480: Diablo, StarCraft & Comix Zone: Stieg Hedlund Reveals All - The Retro Hour EP480

    480: Diablo, StarCraft & Comix Zone: Stieg Hedlund Reveals All - The Retro Hour EP480
    May 15 2025
    This week we hear about the incredible career of game designer Stieg Hedlund! From his early days tinkering with BASIC on a Bally Astrocade to shaping some of the most iconic titles of the '90s like Comiz Zone, The Ooze, and the legendary Diablo.

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    42:26 - Stieg Hedlund Interview

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

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

    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
    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

    Ecco The Dolphin Remastered: https://tinyurl.com/37hdwzw3
    Lost Lynx game is revived: https://tinyurl.com/58nav3y3
    Fallout 1 and 2 Lost Source Code Found: https://tinyurl.com/297mzhec
    Batman on the Sinclair QL: https://tinyurl.com/2wttffa4
    Bubsy The Purrfect Collection: https://tinyurl.com/5n98dbxy
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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • 479: Psygnosis, G-Police & Writing FPS History with Stuart Maine - The Retro Hour EP479

    479: Psygnosis, G-Police & Writing FPS History with Stuart Maine - The Retro Hour EP479
    May 9 2025
    This week, we’re joined by game designer and author Stuart Maine, whose 28-year career spans iconic titles like Theme Hospital, Dungeon Keeper, and G-Police: Weapons of Justice. Stuart shares stories from the heyday of Bullfrog and Psygnosis, reflects on the golden era of first-person shooters, and reveals the wild behind-the-scenes of cancelled games and dev kit coffee tables. Plus, we dive into his latest book Hurt Me Plenty which explores the blockbuster FPS era of 2003–2010.

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    37:15 - Stuart Maine Interview

    Pre-order Hurt Me Plenty: The Ultimate Guide to First-Person Shooters 2003–2010: https://tinyurl.com/mwtf8juz

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

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

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

    The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/

    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
    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

    Sega opens first shop: https://tinyurl.com/44mb6amr
    Sega HQ relocating: https://tinyurl.com/38eyzs3t
    New Vectrex shooter from Alan Wake dev: https://tinyurl.com/buup3kwp
    WavePhoenix revives classic controller: https://tinyurl.com/ra7a8y9c
    Fan remake of Altered Beast: https://tinyurl.com/5n8kn8rs
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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • 478: Why The Demo Scene Is Now a Cultural Treasure - The Retro Hour EP478

    478: Why The Demo Scene Is Now a Cultural Treasure - The Retro Hour EP478
    May 2 2025
    This week, we’re joined by the brilliant Tobias Kopka—aka Melkor of Haujobb—as we explore the importance of the demo scene. We explore how this underground digital art movement went from C64 crack intros to global recognition through the ‘Art of Coding’ UNESCO initiative. From the days of 2,000 sweaty kids attending events like The Gathering to international cultural bids, Tobias shares some amazing stories, including running demos on ATMs and sending them into space!

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    39:49 - Tobias Kopka Interview

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

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

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

    The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/

    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
    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

    Wii Homebrew Channel closes: https://tinyurl.com/yy32spc4
    Frontier Force: https://tinyurl.com/53uy5u54
    Breakspace Spectrum magazine – Issue 1 released: https://breakspace.itch.io/issue-1
    Toys R Us – the movie: https://tinyurl.com/48trvmhm
    Linecraft for Pico-8: https://tinyurl.com/5cbyrynu
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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • 477: American McGee - From Doom to Dark Wonderland - The Retro Hour EP477

    477: American McGee - From Doom to Dark Wonderland - The Retro Hour EP477
    Apr 25 2025
    We’re joined by legendary game developer American McGee, who takes us on a journey from his humble beginnings on the Timex Sinclair and Commodore 64 to designing iconic levels for Doom II and Quake. He shares behind-the-scenes stories from iD Software, reveals how a Ferrari-driving neighbour turned out to be John Carmack, and discusses the gothic inspirations behind American McGee’s Alice. Plus, we hear about his time at EA, and why being fired from iD turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him!

    Contents:

    00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
    35:28 - American McGee Interview

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

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

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

    The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/

    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
    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

    YouTube Turns 20: https://tinyurl.com/mrx88ybs
    Windows on Game Boy: https://tinyurl.com/25mkwpdp
    OutRun the Movie: https://tinyurl.com/5n6r8ntk
    Neon Hearts City: https://tinyurl.com/yvezebcn

    Upcoming events

    RetCon 2025 – https://retconfestival.co.uk/
    PT1210 – https://www.ptweekender.com/
    RetroMessa – https://www.retromessa.no/
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    1 hr and 28 mins