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 amazin…

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 ga…

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 int…

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 i…

As the Commodore Amiga celebrates its 40th birthday, we hear stories from original developers Dale Luck, Jeff Porter, Andy Finkel, and others. Recorded live at VCF East in New Jersey, our Dan gets the story of this legendary machine direct from the people who made it happen. Thanks to Amiga Bill for recording the interview, and joining us for the n…

This week we’re joined by Neil Haldar, a pivotal figure behind the legendary Unreal Tournament. From dropping out of medical school to leading major projects at Sierra Online, GT Interactive, and MGM Studios, Neil shares incredible stories from his time shaping iconic games. Plus, we rewind to the 3DO era, and get the inside story on licensed games…

This week, we catch up with Richard Moss and welcome first-time guest Connor O’Keane, the creative minds behind the spine-chilling documentary series TerrorBytes. In this follow-up to our earlier chat with the TerrorBytes team, we explore the evolution of horror in video games, from lo-fi jump scares to controversial bans and accidental nightmares.…

This week, we’re joined by YouTuber Kari Lawler, who’s breathing new life into vintage systems! At 21 years old, Kari’s love for old-school computing spans BBC Micros, Apple IIs, and even programming from classic magazine listings. We chat about her early coding days, winning a space tech challenge at 15, the origins of her channel, and why treatin…

This week, we chat to the creators of RogueCraft, a stunning new Amiga title that recently won an award at the Debug Indie game awards. Ricki and Henning from Badger Punch Games tell us about their roots in Norway’s Amiga scene to developing for the MEGA65 and building procedural magic on vintage hardware, they share the journey of crafting one of …

This week, we hear about the origins of The Elder Scrolls with the legendary VJ Lakshman, co-creator and a key figure in Bethesda Softworks’ early days. From the D&D roots of Elder Scrolls, and how procedural generation shaped an RPG legend. VJ also shares stories from his work on The Terminator, Crash Bash, Spyro The Dragon, and his time at Warner…

We chat with Marcin Paczyński, Senior Business Development Manager at Good Old Game, and Adam Ziółkowski, Technical Engineer, to hear about their new Preservation Program. Launched in November 2024, this initiative is dedicated to ensuring classic games remain playable on modern and future systems. We hear about the challenges of maintaining compat…

In part two of our epic interview with Kelly Sumner, we move beyond Commodore and into his time at GameTek and Take-Two Interactive. Kelly shares behind-the-scenes stories from the launch of GTA 3 and his experiences working with the Houser brothers. We also dive into his time as CEO of RedOctane, where he helped turn Guitar Hero into a global phen…

In the first part of our epic two part interview, we sit down with Kelly Sumner, former Managing Director of Commodore UK, to hear the highs and lows of his 15-year journey at the legendary company. From starting as a trainee engineer in 1979 to marketing the iconic Amiga and C64, Kelly shares never-before-heard stories about selling the Amiga 1000…

We catch up with legendary games journalist Julian 'Jaz' Rignall about his epic new book, The Games of a Lifetime, which is a video game time machine that takes you on an incredible journey from the very dawn of the industry, through the decades to the present day. It’s essentially video game history from the inside, seen through the eyes of Jaz Ri…

This week, we chat to Harvey Smith, the legendary designer behind Deus Ex, System Shock, and Area 51! From his early days playing D&D and Ultima Underworld to working at Origin Systems on Super Wing Commander. We hear about the challenges of designing Deus Ex, working alongside Warren Spector, and the technical innovations that made it a classic! C…

This week, we chat to Dave from the wonderfully nostalgic Youtube channel Rose Tinted Spectrum. From growing up in the arcades of Blackpool to his love of ZX Spectrum budget games, his hilarious takedowns of classic gaming TV, and why he really isn’t a fan of The Bitmap Brothers! Rose Tinted Spectrum: https://www.youtube.com/@RoseTintedSpectrum Con…

Paul Carruthers, the programming wizard behind the Sega Mega Drive’s iconic Mortal Kombat port, joins us this week to share his incredible journey. From his early gaming memories and passion for puzzle games to the challenges of co-founding Astral and developing titles like Archipelagos, Paul delves into the intricacies of game development. He offe…

This week, we’re joined by Eugene Sandulenko, project lead of the legendary ScummVM, to explore how this essential tool preserves gaming history. From its origins to supporting classics like Blade Runner and lesser-known gems, Eugene shares fascinating stories about reverse engineering, community passion, and overcoming challenges like LucasArts’ l…

This week on The Retro Hour, we’re joined by gaming legend Jez San OBE, the mastermind behind classics like StarGlider, the groundbreaking SuperFX chip, and the much-loved Croc: Legend of the Gobbos. From his early days coding on a TRS-80 to working with Nintendo on Star Fox, Jez shares his journey through the golden age of gaming. Hear how he reve…

As we take an extended break for Christmas, we're treating everyone to a FREE bonus episode of our Patron's only podcast, The Retro Hour After Hours. In this special episode of The Retro Hour After Hours, Dan, Ravi, and Joe face a challenge that many gamers fear – giving some of the most notoriously awful video games of all time a fair shot! Will J…

It's our favourite episode of the year, we let our hair down and find out who will be crowned this year's Retro Hour Christmas Super Quiz champions! DJ Slopes from Slopes Game Room on Youtube sets the all important questions this year as regulars Paul Drury from Retro Gamer/Edge magazine and quiz extraordinaire Oliver Wilmot, take on Dan and Joe an…

Join us for an epic look back at 2024 as we celebrate some of the most incredible guests and legendary industry icons who’ve graced the podcast this year. From fascinating stories to behind-the-scenes tales, this bumper episode is packed with highlights you won’t want to miss. Have a very Merry Christmas, and don’t forget to join us next week for o…

We have a long overdue catch up with video game music legend Allister Brimble to discuss his illustrious career, from his early days composing for the Amiga to his recent work on the officially endorsed reboot of Team 17’s classic, Project-X. Discover the stories behind iconic soundtracks for games like Alien Breed and RollerCoaster Tycoon, and gai…

In this episode, we sit down with Adrian Stephens, the legendary developer behind the Mega Drive cult classic Comix Zone. Adrian takes us on a fascinating journey through his career, starting with early experiments on the BBC Micro, his chart-topping Killer Gorilla, and his work with Superior Software and Micro Power. Plus, hear about his move to 3…

In this episode, we sit down with Jon Bøhmer, the visionary behind Scala, the groundbreaking multimedia software for the Commodore Amiga. Jon shares his early experiences with computers, the inspiration behind creating dynamic information displays, and the journey from a small startup to a global influence in digital signage. We delve into the tech…