The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

This week we chat with designer Kev Harrison, whose career began at Eurocom working on Duke Nukem 64 and Duke Nukem: Zero Hour. Kev shares what it was like adapting Duke’s outrageous world for Nintendo, from cutting bikini girls to sneaking in Simpsons gags, as well as why his team saw Duke as a tongue-in-cheek Bruce Campbell figure while publishers insisted he was a deadly serious hero. We also cover his years bringing Bond, Star Wars, Predator and Hellboy to consoles, packed with stories from one of the UK’s busiest studios of the late 90s and 2000s. Leave us a message for Episode 500: https://theretrohour.com/message/ Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  43:47 - Kev Harrison Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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 Sega Recreates Blast Processing Ad to Take on Mario Kart: https://youtu.be/CYOfP1a7xjc Lost Scooby Doo Computer Cartoon May Be Resurrected: https://tinyurl.com/yeu64w28 Mute Crimson: https://tinyurl.com/5d9b7xf8  Vampire Apollo A6000: https://a6000.net/ Golden Axe Ported to the Atari 2600: https://tinyurl.com/4dfy5dsw

This week we hear part two of our chat with Nintendo legend Takaya Imamura and game director Junji Seki. We hear about the creation of Omega 6: The Triangle Stars, blending manga, classic adventure game engines, and even a rock-paper-scissors battle system. Imamura reflects on his decades at Nintendo, from the high-stakes launch of the Switch to breaking free with new creative freedom, while Seki shares stories of arcades, founding his studio Happy Meal, and keeping the spirit of physical releases alive.  Leave us a message for Episode 500: https://theretrohour.com/message/ Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  43:18 - Takaya Imamura & Junji Seki Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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 Virtual Boy Coming To Switch Online: https://tinyurl.com/4epef4dk iPod Clickwheel Games Preserved: https://tinyurl.com/5c9tsk8k Acclaim Hosts First ‘Play Acclaim’: https://youtu.be/bckTJ7o8xdk ‘The Ark’ Horror For Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/mpwu5u7x Indiana Jones Atlantis On ZX Spectrum: https://tinyurl.com/ybd32fpd

This week we welcome Nintendo legend Takaya Imamura, the visionary artist behind F-Zero, Star Fox, and Majora’s Mask. We hear some incredible stories from his three decades at Nintendo: from being interviewed by Shigeru Miyamoto, to creating Captain Falcon on a whim, to the wild one-year crunch that gave birth to Majora’s Mask. He reveals how a shrine in Kyoto inspired Fox McCloud, why Tingle was born out of pure exhaustion, and the surprising comic book roots of his latest project Omega Six.  This chat was recorded live at Retromessa in Norway. Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  44:22 - Takaya Imamura Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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 Dreamcast Wireless Controller: https://tinyurl.com/yzr5kwdx Fallout 1 3D: https://tinyurl.com/476fu3b4 Vectrex Mini Updates: https://tinyurl.com/3hs2sphw Limited Run FMV Games: https://tinyurl.com/yc23t2fu Clive Sinclair Comedy: https://tinyurl.com/56s3hyhr Wolfhound Trailer: https://youtu.be/bBVXgchDEXk

This week we catch up with legendary C64 composer Jeroen Tel of Maniacs of Noise fame. Jeroen takes us back to the early days of programming music directly in machine code, pushing the SID chip to its limits, and soundtracking classics like Cybernoid, Hawkeye, Supremacy, and Turbo OutRun. From cracktros and demo parties, we hear the story of some of the most iconic game music of the 8-bit era.  This episode was recorded live at Retromessa in Norway Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  43:56 - Jeroen Tel Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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 LAN Party Adventures: https://tinyurl.com/h3kuyevt Xbox 360 Softmod Is Coming: https://youtu.be/0gRHubim8DI Llamasoft & Activision Evercade Collections: https://tinyurl.com/4fpcjtzb Analogue 3D Updates: https://tinyurl.com/3hzc9mky M64: https://tinyurl.com/yxea37te JRPGs Getting Pulled Off Switch Store: https://tinyurl.com/yc4kruea

We're joined by games journalist and author Aaron Potter to chat about his new book, 50 Indie Games That Changed the World. From the roots of the Indie scene with the 80's bedroom coders, the revival of lost genres like FMV games, and how modern indie titles are keeping classic computers and consoles alive. 50 Indie Games That Changed The World: https://tinyurl.com/4s3y5p27 Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  37:29 - Aaron Potter Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Liverpool Gaming Market: https://www.liverpoolgamingmarket.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 Vectrex Mini Prototypes Showcased At Gamescom: https://tinyurl.com/mu798csw The A1200 Revealed At Gamescom: https://tinyurl.com/2zydz45m He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe: https://tinyurl.com/2udcvjjf Cubix: 3D Platformer For The Spectrum: https://yrgb.ru/ Bubsy 4D: https://tinyurl.com/2r9pa3vy

This week’s episode comes live from Retromessa 2025 in Norway, where we were joined on stage by legendary video game composer Richard Jacques. From creating music on a ZX Spectrum at age 11 to scoring iconic titles like Sonic R, Jet Set Radio, Headhunter, and Mass Effect, Richard shares his incredible journey through Sega’s golden years, live orchestras at Abbey Road, and the unexpected afterlife of a song that became a meme.  Richard's website: https://www.richardjacques.com/home Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  54:42 - Richard Jacques Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Liverpool Gaming Market: https://www.liverpoolgamingmarket.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 Sega Laserdisc Emulation Has Just Taken a Major Leap Forward: https://tinyurl.com/yc3t492v The Settlers II Finally Settles on Amiga 29 Years Late: https://tinyurl.com/y5xjjyvh Modder Builds Windows 98 Handheld Using Original Hardware: https://tinyurl.com/2v7j2y37 Happy 30th Birthday to Internet Explorer: https://tinyurl.com/452j77md Parenting Like It’s 1999: https://tinyurl.com/2etae5m7

This week we are joined by award-winning experimental designer, educator and game maker Alex Johansson of ALYO Games. He is the mind behind wild alt-controller creations like Muppet Boxing, syringe-powered co-op games and his new Morse code-based strategy title Morse. We dive into the wonderfully strange world of odd inputs, discuss why Flash games should have been preserved, explore how gaming can reach older and underserved communities, and hear how Alex’s love for tactile play has taken him from cardboard-box cockpits to the heart of the ham radio scene. Alex's website: https://alexvscoding.itch.io/ Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  43:13 - Alex Johansson Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Crawley Gaming Market: https://www.crawleygamingmarket.com/ 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 Heretic and Hexen remasters: https://tinyurl.com/k6ueyunb PS1 clone will also play Sega CD and Sega Saturn: https://tinyurl.com/fvd37ypa Monty Mole games: https://tinyurl.com/mtskfsxh AOL is turning off its dial-up after 34 years: https://tinyurl.com/4f95wrf6 40 years of the Amiga as an album tribute by Allister Brimble: https://tinyurl.com/2d4a5c85

This week, we chat with Andy Davidson, the creator of the legendary game Worms. Andy shares how a quirky artillery game made on a school Amiga evolved into one of the most recognisable franchises in gaming history. From ripping sprites out of Lemmings for a laugh, to a five-minute pitch that landed him a publishing deal with Team17, plus some updates on the upcoming Worms Director's Cut 1.5 for the Amiga!  Andy Davidson on X: https://x.com/totalwormage Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  35:31 - Andy Davidson Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Crawley Gaming Market: https://www.crawleygamingmarket.com/ 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 Rare's 40th Anniversary Blue Plaque: https://tinyurl.com/yfvut7sc Rare Evercade Collection: https://tinyurl.com/bdd3emcb Rare Vinyl Set: https://tinyurl.com/4puzktvw Rick Dangerous Mega Drive Port: https://tinyurl.com/ydr25k9f Zelda Homage NES-Style Spin-Off: https://tinyurl.com/4ahudfru Groundbreaking Game Descent’s Anniversary: https://tinyurl.com/tddfybfa

This week we’re joined by Matt Porter, former programmer at Argonaut Software and one of the key developers behind Croc: Legend of the Gobbos. Matt shares inside stories from the development of titles like Creature Shock, Scooby-Doo Mysteries, and SWAT: Global Strike Team, delves into the challenges of porting games across wildly different platforms, and teases some fascinating lost betas and unreleased gems he’s been finding on 30-year-old hard drives. Dovetail Games: https://dovetailgames.com/ Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  37:40 - Matt Porter Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Sheffield Gaming Market: https://www.sheffieldgamingmarket.com/ 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 James Pond Revival and AI Campaign: https://tinyurl.com/9wafa3zx Bitmap Bureau Terminator Game Delay: https://tinyurl.com/yry357hp Game Gear Camera Mod Using GBC Hardware: https://tinyurl.com/msrus64r Rare 3DO M2 Console Withdrawn from Sale: https://tinyurl.com/4z6hv5h7 Super Mario Bros. Remastered Coming to PC: https://tinyurl.com/4dmy62vk

This week’s guest is Rob Smith: the mad‑scientist of the retro scene. Rob takes us on a tour of his wild inventions—from a disco‑themed floppy‑disk cleaning workstation that actually plays tunes, to a full‑scale whack‑a‑mole game controlled by an Amiga via Arduino and AMOS, and his glowing levitating Boing Ball built with magnets and LEDs. He also talks about the Retro Directory, disc backup stations, and his journey from VIC 20 BASIC to making modern retro PD titles. Rob Smith's website: https://robsmithdev.co.uk/ Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  47:48 - Dave Isherwood Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Sheffield Gaming Market: https://www.sheffieldgamingmarket.com/ 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 Atari Classics in Volkswagen Vehicles: https://tinyurl.com/wfner8j2 Paprium Flash Cart Release: https://tinyurl.com/2ucerftm Metro’s Top 20 Amiga Games: https://tinyurl.com/ftz5y86h Grant Sinclair Gamercard: https://tinyurl.com/nzc9uuem Atari x Pac-Man Collection – Limited Edition 2600+: https://tinyurl.com/47ar835w Atari 50 Namco DLC: https://tinyurl.com/bd8xczzs Modern SNES Handheld in Development: https://tinyurl.com/45c8u3jn