Retro Titans - the giants of retro and indie gaming in conversation

Phil Szomszor

Retro Titans: the podcast dedicated to the epic world of retro and indie gaming. Interviews with the people who brought us the games, computers and consoles we love - and those who are bringing it all back.

  1. Pico-8, gaming music, and moving to Nova Scotia, with Chris Donnelly aka Gruber

    10月12日

    Pico-8, gaming music, and moving to Nova Scotia, with Chris Donnelly aka Gruber

    Chris Donnelly — better known in the Pico-8 community as Gruber — is a professional pianist, Steinway Artist, and former jazz player and tutor at the University of Toronto who's taken his love of music in an unexpected direction: composing soundtracks for tiny retro-styled games on the fantasy console Pico-8. His chiptune soundtracks have graced fan-favourite titles like Alpine Alpaca, Golf Sunday, and Pico Pirates, blending musical sophistication with 8-bit charm. In this episode, Chris joins me from Nova Scotia to talk about his journey from the jazz world to retro game music, how Pico-8's strict limitations inspire new forms of creativity, and what the experience taught him about community, creativity and learning. But behind the creativity lies a more personal story. After years in academia and performing, Chris faced burnout that led him to step back from the piano - even selling his most cherished instruments. He has come out the other side and has an amazing, inspirational story to tell.  And of course, we wrap up with a visit to the Retro Rocket Museum, where Chris chooses his one must-have retro device, two treasured games, and a track to send drifting through the cosmos.   🔗 Links: YouTube – @Gruber_Music Pico-8 www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php 🎵 Music: Intro – Neon Gaming, by Dope Stuff Kind of Bloop, by Andy Baio Fez, by Disasterpeace Ghouls 'n Ghosts, by Tamayo Kawamoto

    1 小时 17 分钟
  2. From Amiga demo scene to Evercade hit — the story of Roguecraft DX, with Badger Punch Games' Ricki Sickenger & Henning Ludvigsen

    9月26日

    From Amiga demo scene to Evercade hit — the story of Roguecraft DX, with Badger Punch Games' Ricki Sickenger & Henning Ludvigsen

    Badger Punch Games — the duo of Ricki Sickenger and Henning Ludvigsen — have been creating games together since their Amiga demo scene days in the early '90s. Their breakout title Roguecraft first made waves on the Amiga in 2024, later winning the Debug award and quickly earning a devoted following. Now the game has been reimagined and released as Roguecraft DX on Evercade, bringing their retro-inspired roguelike adventure to a whole new audience. In this episode, Ricki and Henning join me to talk about their journey from humble beginnings in the demo scene, to building games as a side hustle, to becoming part of the Evercade family. We discuss the origins of Roguecraft, the challenges of bringing it to life on classic hardware, and the process of enhancing it for Evercade — from new features to the community support that helped make it happen. Along the way, they share insights into procedural generation, design choices like the lack of save states, and what they'd love to add in the future. As always, we wrap up with a trip to the Retro Rocket Museum, where Ricki and Henning pick their all-time favourite retro device and two games to preserve for future generations, and finish with a music pick to play us out. It's a must-listen for fans of Amiga, Evercade, and indie retro development.   🔗 Links: Website – www.badgerpunch.com Facebook – @BadgerPunch Discord - @BadgerPunch Evercade - evercade.co.uk/cartridges/roguecraft-dx 🎵 Music: Intro – Neon Gaming, by Dope Stuff Outro – Driller C64 Loading Tune, by Matt Gray

    1 小时 8 分钟

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Retro Titans: the podcast dedicated to the epic world of retro and indie gaming. Interviews with the people who brought us the games, computers and consoles we love - and those who are bringing it all back.

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