The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

This week, Kelly Sumner, the former CEO of RedOctane and an executive at Take-Two Interactive, shares thrilling behind-the-scenes stories about the launch of GTA 3 and working with the Houser brothers. He recounts how he transformed Guitar Hero into a global sensation, discussing the innovative controller that changed music gaming. Sumner also reflects on navigating the highs and lows of the gaming industry, revealing insights that shaped iconic franchises. His experiences bring a unique perspective on the intersection of gaming and music.

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, the infamous C64GS flop, CDTV’s retail struggles, and his surprising appearance on GamesMaster!  Recreational Music: https://reactionalmusic.com/ Kelly Sumner on GamesMaster: https://youtu.be/oZ4XbkJ2sIA Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  43:35 - Kelly Sumner Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: 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 The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.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 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 cloud save support: https://tinyurl.com/stk3vu65 1 in 4 Gen Z Brits owns a retro gaming console: https://tinyurl.com/2emuu7cv Flesh Made Fear: https://youtu.be/_n55OCtkM4U E-Reader handheld console: https://inkconsole.com/ The new Shinobi: https://tinyurl.com/46xpav7u

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 Rignall, a hardcore gamer, who ended up becoming a journalist who launched iconic game magazines like ZZAP!64, CVG and Mean Machines. Buy Jaz's book here: https://jazbook.com/ Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  40:17 - Jaz Rignall Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: 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 The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.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 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 Programming language for making NES games: https://tinyurl.com/mrx7jvzt Doomlings on the MSX: https://tinyurl.com/msyn3c38 Balatro C64 sad update: https://tinyurl.com/mrxftszr Combined Arms RTS: https://tinyurl.com/yrxrysr7 14% of Americans retro game: https://tinyurl.com/4huhnfz7

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! Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  37:43 - Harvey Smith Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: 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 The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.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 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 Mortal Kombat II for 3DO: https://tinyurl.com/mjf9hewr PS2 memory card that can run your entire library: https://youtu.be/mdxDRtfEXNg Dream Ride – a new Skidmarks style game for the Dreamcast: https://tinyurl.com/vnysuarv Tang FPGA console: https://tinyurl.com/pp3jhzun

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 Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  39:45 - Rose Tinted Spectrum Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.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 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 New AVGN game: https://youtu.be/ffmrpIeHLzU The Retro Tap: https://tinyurl.com/3etpych9 Heavy Recoil Mega Drive port: https://tinyurl.com/3ew6zcr8 The end for Blu-ray/Minidisc?: https://tinyurl.com/ycyerkv3 Atari Karts re-run: https://tinyurl.com/575jhu6c

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 offers an insider’s perspective on bringing the arcade phenomenon Mortal Kombat to home consoles, discussing the hurdles of limited hardware and the origins of the famous blood code.  Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  38:01 - Paul Carruthers Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.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 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 online Half-Life & Counter-Strike: https://tinyurl.com/4ajujn88 Amiga F-Zero style racer: https://youtu.be/Z9-Z79e2t_c Atari Jaguar Livewire: https://youtu.be/E1mRvi8qzE0 Doomguy swaps weapons for wine: https://tinyurl.com/ybpy399f Broken Sword for Evercade: https://tinyurl.com/3j58ftn8

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’ legal battles. Plus, we discuss how ScummVM adapts to modern trends, supports countless platforms, and even improves the retro gaming experience without losing its charm.  Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  41:03 - Eugene Sandulenko Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: 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 The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.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 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 Capcom and Bandai Namco handheld: https://tinyurl.com/3nnvwms3 Atari handheld: https://tinyurl.com/2j95myyk Kero Quest 64: https://tinyurl.com/wnb8ay3b House of the Dead 2 remake: https://tinyurl.com/4kjjx8uc Atari prototype found: https://tinyurl.com/5xeszd5s

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 reverse-engineered the Game Boy, created stunning 3D experiences, and built Argonaut into a pioneering powerhouse. Plus, exciting insights into the upcoming Croc remaster and the rebirth of Argonaut! Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  44:05 - Jez San Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: 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 The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.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 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 The Spectrum outsells the Xbox: https://tinyurl.com/tu6bu6c3 Snes version of Batman Returns now on Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/nupwkx8x Secret hidden in Majora’s Mask found: https://youtu.be/W1x6XnTaN28 New FPGA PS1: https://x.com/TakiUdon_/status/1877179623026397528 Soviet bots: https://youtu.be/GdLLPRsgsV8

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 Joe have anything positive to say about Shaq Fu? How did Ravi react to the sleazy BMX XXX? And Dan revisits his 1994 Christmas present and gives Rise of The Robots a proper work out, is it really as bad as we all remember? Normal podcasts will resume next Friday. Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.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 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

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 and Ravi and Ashley to find out who will be crowned this year's champ. Grab a mince pie, and enjoy! Merry Christmas to all our amazing listeners, we'll see you in 2025! Slopes Game Room on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@slopesgameroom Paul Drury co-hosts The Ted Dabney Experience podcast - interviews with the leading lights and supporting cast of the Golden Age of Arcades: https://www.teddabneyexperience.com/ Check out Oliver Wilmot's regular Yet Another Video Games Quiz at: https://www.facebook.com/anotherquiz Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: 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 The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.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 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