The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)
  • 4.8 (132)
  • Video Games
  • Updated Weekly

Your weekly dose of retro gaming and technology news and interviews with industry veterans. New episodes released every Friday!

  1. 5d ago

    Netflix DIDN’T Kill Blockbuster — Here’s What Really Happened - The Retro Hour EP540

    This week, we’re joined by former Blockbuster franchisee Alan Payne, author of Built to Fail, for the inside story of the video & game rental giant’s spectacular collapse. Alan reveals why Netflix and streaming weren’t really to blame, how Blockbuster disastrously mishandled the switch from VHS to DVD, and why decisions such as scrapping late fees helped destroy the business from within. We also revisit the glory days of Friday-night rentals, Blockbuster’s video game business, Game Rush, the PlayStation 2 DVD boom and the  story of the final store. Built to Fail: The Inside Story of Blockbuster's Inevitable Bust: https://lnk.ua/zrymFBq2V Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories40:08 – Blockbuster Alan Payne 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! Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs PlayEXPO Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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 Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8 Website: 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/theretrohour Show notes Ghostbusters C64 Remastered: https://lnk.ua/GFpHqvMaYOriginal Version Comparison: https://youtu.be/VITLJsgXCUQGame Boy Camera Captures Jupiter: https://lnk.ua/3ar7dSylKDoom Ported to Obscure Console: https://youtu.be/nDe06uY5C40Johnny Castaway Comes to PS1: https://lnk.ua/AfZPCsfdNSuper Mario Maker GB: https://lnk.ua/QGBAQr7FiAgent 64 Launches Next Month: https://lnk.ua/mpbP6dcXG

    Netflix DIDN’T Kill Blockbuster — Here’s What Really Happened - The Retro Hour EP540

  2. Jul 10

    OctaMED, Amigas and Dark 80s Music - The Retro Hour EP539

    Synth musician, performer and self-described “bleakwave” artist Paulee Alex Bow joins us. We explore dark ’80s music and an love for the Commodore Amiga. Paulee reveals how OctaMED became the heart of a modern hardware-synth setup, why original machines can't be replaced, and what it takes to perform live with two Amigas in tow. We also hear about the Arcade Dreams soundtrack, haunted synths, Amiga MIDI, car-boot retro discoveries and why the Amiga community can sometimes feel almost spiritual. Magical Synth Adventure: https://www.youtube.com/@magicalsynthadventure3216Sonic State: https://www.youtube.com/@sonicstate/videos Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories48:21 - Paulee Alex Bow Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.com Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs London Gaming Market: https://www.londongamingmarket.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 Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8 Website: 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/theretrohour Show notes Worms Director’s Cut Expansion: https://lnk.ua/5kH00iGiRRomero Praises id Developers: https://lnk.ua/k0IOBSZGOPlayStation Ends Physical Releases: https://lnk.ua/lvs87s7ydGermany’s Preservation Project Collapses: https://lnk.ua/VFJe5qL8SCommand & Conquer on Atari ST: https://lnk.ua/aQhG7CrtNEmpire Interactive Quits 3DO: https://lnk.ua/aBXtA0qb6Android Becomes a Wii U: https://lnk.ua/7jYPe7vxJYouTube on Game Boy Color: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GlYnN9JK1k

    OctaMED, Amigas and Dark 80s Music - The Retro Hour EP539

  3. Jul 3

    Commodore 64: The Birth of a Cultural Icon - The Retro Hour EP538

    This week, we’re joined by legendary documentary makers Ant and Nic Caulfield, the team behind From Bedrooms to Billions, The Amiga Years and The Rubber-Keyed Wonder, as they return to celebrate one of the most iconic home computers ever made: the Commodore 64.  Commodore 64: The Birth of a Cultural Icon on Kickstarter: https://lnk.ua/TRJ0cmHX1 Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories56:23 – Commodore 64 Documentary Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.com Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs PlayEXPO Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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 Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8 Website: 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/theretrohour Show notes Commodore Phone Price Drop: https://lnk.ua/L9Jyk0HoHSonic Cartridges Return: https://lnk.ua/RbgJGWLALEcco Remaster Physical Edition: https://lnk.ua/1R9OKXgHbNeo Turbo Challenge Amiga: https://lnk.ua/Vl6vprJIbWolfenstein 3D On Lynx: https://lnk.ua/gaL5jitCm3DO Returns?: https://lnk.ua/hCMaWHfX6Meshtastic On Commodore 64: https://lnk.ua/XlABpzaBa

    Commodore 64: The Birth of a Cultural Icon - The Retro Hour EP538

  4. Jun 26

    The Man Who Made Lemmings Work On Atari ST: DMA Design's Brian Watson - The Retro Hour EP537

    This week we’re joined by Brian Watson, formerly of DMA Design who worked on the Atari ST version of Lemmings 1 and 2, and porting it to the Atari Lynx.  He later worked for Iguana Entertainment, Acclaim, working on Turok, N64 audio drivers and clever memory systems used across dozens of games. Brian shares brilliant stories from the trenches of 16-bit and 32-bit development, the challenge of making ambitious games work on limited hardware, and what it was really like behind the scenes at DMA and Acclaim. Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories43:31 - Brian Watson Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.com Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs London Gaming Market: https://www.londongamingmarket.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 Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8 Website: 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/theretrohour Show notes Minecraft On PS2: https://lnk.ua/kNl3123pXGame Boy GTA: https://lnk.ua/LQySSpMoNApidya Remake Pre-Orders: https://lnk.ua/23bg38SjWDreamcast USB Controller: https://lnk.ua/MUJ4zS3JzRetro Warehouse Haul: https://lnk.ua/Lbd1kmKIfDiscord Social SDK: https://lnk.ua/6Wfh1bNoy

    The Man Who Made Lemmings Work On Atari ST: DMA Design's Brian Watson - The Retro Hour EP537

  5. Jun 18

    The 7th Guest: The Inside Story with Trilobyte's Rob Landeros - The Retro Hour EP536

    Rob Landeros joins us to share the incredible story behind Trilobyte and The 7th Guest, from discovering the Amiga and working at Cinemaware and Virgin, to teaming up with Graeme Devine and helping ignite the CD-ROM revolution with one of the most iconic FMV horror puzzlers of the 1990s.  The 7th Guest Remake: https://the7thguestremake.com/Diddly on Kickstarter: https://lnk.ua/9XeHAcgxM Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories47:15 - The 7th Guest Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.com Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs London Gaming Market: https://www.londongamingmarket.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 Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8 Website: 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/theretrohour Show notes Godzilla Remaster Challenges GTA: https://youtu.be/w-veMlH2L-APaulaNET Amiga Wi-Fi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhAg-fT83o8Jet Set Radio Divides Fans: https://lnk.ua/tdyOdTeYHN64 Controller Guitar Pedal: https://lnk.ua/9IWlFwXIzThief Remaster Announced: https://lnk.ua/XduraQixGCastlevania Mega Drive Port: https://lnk.ua/tOaxHv6waMetro Siege Hits Kickstarter: https://lnk.ua/RyOFar6cK Patrons news Final Fight 64 Homebrew: https://lnk.ua/awxAjBPf5Perfect Dark VR Port: https://lnk.ua/bKQAOFZqH

    The 7th Guest: The Inside Story with Trilobyte's Rob Landeros - The Retro Hour EP536

  6. Jun 11

    The Game That Took 37 Years to Finish: Ocean Software's Colin Porch - The Retro Hour EP535

    This week we’re joined by veteran programmer Colin Porch, whose career took him through some of the biggest names in British gaming history, including Imagine, Software Projects and Ocean Software. Colin shares stories of Imagine’s dramatic collapse, converting arcade hits like Dragon’s Lair, Operation Wolf and Gryzor to home micros, the infamous lost Parasol Stars C64 port, and the technical wizardry behind bringing Head Over Heels to the Commodore 64, Atari ST and Amiga. Plus, we hear the incredible story of Return to Blacktooth, the Head Over Heels sequel Colin began in 1989 and has finally completed 37 years later.    Return To Blacktooth: https://thalamusdigital.itch.io/ Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories48:17 – Colin Porch Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.com Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs London Gaming Market: https://www.londongamingmarket.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 Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8 Website: 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/theretrohour Show notes RGL Teases The A1200: https://lnk.ua/GqyeXdPJ5Commodore Teases June 16th Announcement: https://lnk.ua/OXRSP2jzOCrazy Taxi GenAI Response: https://lnk.ua/5JfoTfy1fAtari Toy Story Collection: https://lnk.ua/TJqoQuQ5jResident Evil Code Veronica: https://lnk.ua/EDTxG2iaSOcarina Of Time Remake: https://lnk.ua/6Two6Um7uCuphead Devs’ Master System Spin-Off: https://lnk.ua/KnkMouiRw

    The Game That Took 37 Years to Finish: Ocean Software's Colin Porch - The Retro Hour EP535

  7. Jun 5

    How Games Like Wipeout and Tony Hawk Changed the Music Industry - The Retro Hour EP534

    This week we’re joined by video game music expert Matt Ombler, head of music and gaming partnerships at Laced, to explore the incredible world of game soundtracks, from Sonic on the Mega Drive and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater shaping a generation’s music taste, to Wipeout, Halo 2, retro sound chips, vinyl reissues and the growing importance of preserving game music history. Matt also shares stories from his journalism days interviewing legends like Nile Rodgers and Nobuo Uematsu, plus how he helped bring metal heavyweights including Howard Jones, Trivium and Polyphia into Cult of the Lamb’s Hymns of the Unholy project.    Laced Records: https://www.lacedrecords.com/ Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories46:30 – Matt Ombler Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.com Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs PlayEXPO Blackpool tickets: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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 Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8 Website: 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/theretrohour Show notes Sonic On ZX Spectrum Next: https://tinyurl.com/48fpsssyLegal Disc Ripping: https://tinyurl.com/2s4pufayVirtual OS Museum: https://tinyurl.com/2kz9r9awCastlevania Rondo of Blood On Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/3x8ukbxnAmiga CD32 ODE: https://tinyurl.com/3p93uuamFinal Fantasy XVI Demake: https://tinyurl.com/5yxeu5yp

    How Games Like Wipeout and Tony Hawk Changed the Music Industry - The Retro Hour EP534

  8. May 29

    cyber.cafe: The 90s TV Show That Exposed the Internet's Wild Side - The Retro Hour EP533

    This week, we’re joined by Wingham Rowan, creator and host of the pioneering ’90s ITV show cyber.cafe. Long before YouTube, Twitch, Tinder and social media, cyber.cafe explored the strange, funny and sometimes shocking human stories emerging from the early internet, from chat room romances and online communities to JenniCam, alien abductees, moral panics, bizarre websites and late-night web culture. Wingham shares brilliant behind-the-scenes stories from making one of the UK’s first TV shows to take the internet seriously, capturing a moment when the web was still mysterious, chaotic and full of possibility.   cyber.cafe: https://www.ninetiesinternet.com/ Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories49:52 – cyber.cafe Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.com Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs PlayEXPO Blackpool tickets: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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 Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8 Website: 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/theretrohour Show notes MegaWiFi Online Play: https://tinyurl.com/4dd76pruAdventure of Node: https://tinyurl.com/mwfvr62jElden Ring N64 Demake: https://tinyurl.com/3xjw88p2Spyro E3 Statue Rescued: https://tinyurl.com/ydtj225pWindows CE On N64: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGS9su_inBYSwitch GBA Link Cable: https://tinyurl.com/5n9bj8p7

    cyber.cafe: The 90s TV Show That Exposed the Internet's Wild Side - The Retro Hour EP533
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4.8
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Your weekly dose of retro gaming and technology news and interviews with industry veterans. New episodes released every Friday!

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