The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast) 503: “The Demo Scene Taught Us to Do the Impossible” – Erik Simon of Thalion - The Retro Hour EP503
Oct 24, 2025
01:12:45
This week's show features Erik Simon, co-founder of the legendary Thalion Software, the minds behind Lionheart, Ambermoon, and No Second Prize. Erik shares hilarious and jaw-dropping tales from the golden age of Amiga development, how the demo scene shaped Thalion’s “make the impossible happen” ethos, why Lionheart used every Amiga graphics mode. Recorded live at Amiga 40 in Germany.
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
46:59 - Erik Simon Interview
Amiga Report Archive: https://bigbookofamigahardware.com/amigareport/
This Week In Retro: https://www.rmcretro.com/this-week-in-retro
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Cardiff Gaming Market: https://www.cardiffgamingmarket.com/
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs
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
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Show notes
This ‘In The Hunt’ Tech Demo Shows What the 16-Bit Generation Lost: https://tinyurl.com/mw94hsup
Cambridge University Rescues Data from Old Floppy Disks: https://tinyurl.com/yc6tse6u
Vampire’s Veil – A New Castlevania-Inspired Indie: https://tinyurl.com/ycx3n3zh
Ymir Emulator Hits 90% Sega Saturn Compatibility: https://tinyurl.com/3a9c6z23
Fear Effect Returns with New Features: https://tinyurl.com/mttcdftj
Bubble Bobble Remastered for C64: https://tinyurl.com/5ftruknf
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
46:59 - Erik Simon Interview
Amiga Report Archive: https://bigbookofamigahardware.com/amigareport/
This Week In Retro: https://www.rmcretro.com/this-week-in-retro
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Cardiff Gaming Market: https://www.cardiffgamingmarket.com/
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs
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
This ‘In The Hunt’ Tech Demo Shows What the 16-Bit Generation Lost: https://tinyurl.com/mw94hsup
Cambridge University Rescues Data from Old Floppy Disks: https://tinyurl.com/yc6tse6u
Vampire’s Veil – A New Castlevania-Inspired Indie: https://tinyurl.com/ycx3n3zh
Ymir Emulator Hits 90% Sega Saturn Compatibility: https://tinyurl.com/3a9c6z23
Fear Effect Returns with New Features: https://tinyurl.com/mttcdftj
Bubble Bobble Remastered for C64: https://tinyurl.com/5ftruknf