Video Game History Hour

Host Frank Cifaldi is joined by documentarian, historian, hacker, and all around cool guy SynaMax to talk about their documentary Resurrecting Sinistar: A Cyber-Archaeology Documentary. The 1983 top-down space shooter arcade game’s unique 49-way joystick allowed players to pilot their spaceship to prevent a giant skull, Sinistar, from forming. SynaMax interviewed developers, restored cut content, and emulated the game itself to better explore the challenges the development team faced due to limited storage and to highlight the importance of source code preservation. SynaMax recently hosted a panel with said developers at the annual classic arcade game show California Extreme - a panel Frank, sadly, missed! You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.See more from SynaMax:YouTube: youtube.com/synamaxBluesky: bsky.app/profile/synamax.bsky.socialPatreon: patreon.com/synamaxVideo Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

We’re joined by pioneer video game historian Leonard Herman, author and publisher of several video game history books including the first comprehensive book chronicling the history of the videogame industry, Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Home Videogames, and its subsequent series. We touch on Leonard’s early career, the challenges of self-publishing, and the evolution of his Phoenix series through various editions, including his most recent Phoenix Five. Leonard also highlights his collaborations with Ralph Baer and his efforts to correct historical misconceptions, particularly those around the co-founders of Atari.You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.See more from Leonard Herman:Website: thegamescholar.com Facebook: Leonard HermanFacebook (book): Phoenix 5 - The History of the Videogame Industry Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Host Phil Salvador is joined by Derek Alexander, of the YouTube channel Stop Skeletons From Fighting, and Zarithya, of the YouTube channel Zarithya, to talk about the fan-restored 16-player mode for the 1991 Game Boy game Faceball 2000 as laid out in My 2 Year Journey to Solve the 30-Year Myth of Faceball 2000 | SSFF. In this bit of video game archeology, Derek and Zari take us through the collaborative effort, the technical expertise required to create custom adapters and controllers, and the investigation into historical claims to execute this endeavor. But in the end, did it even work?You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.See more from Derek Alexander:Bluesky: @stopskeletons.bsky.socialYouTube: /StopSkeletonsFromFightingTwitch: /stop skeletons from fightingPatreon: /StopSkeletonsFromFightingSee more from Zarithya:YouTube: @ZarithyaTwitch: /ZarithyaBluesky: @zarithya.onlineVideo Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Frank Cifaldi and guest-host Kate Willaert (of A Critical Hit) are joined by Marylou Badeaux to discuss the history of the vitally important Computer Entertainer, also known as The Video Game Update: a monthly newsletter which covered video game availability information and reviews in the 1980’s. Co-created with Marylou’s sister Celeste Dolan, this publication has helped provide historians with game information found from no other source, especially during the time of the 1983 game crash. Marylou reflects on the challenges they faced running a mail-order video game business as well as how they were able to gather such detailed information at the time. Marylou also touches briefly on her career working closely with Prince.You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.See more from Marylou Badeaux:Website: www.memories4you.com.auBook: Moments - Remembering PrinceSee more from Kate Willaert:Bluesky: @katewillaert.bsky.socialYouTube: /a critical hitWebsite: acriticalhit.comPatreon: /acriticalhitVideo Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

It’s time for a little review of what we’ve been up to, so far, this year. With the official launch of our digital library archive, livestreams of game magazine unboxing and EPROM dumping, the newest collections of Craig Stitt and Kirk Henderson, a Trade Magazine Week special event, and teasing some special new acquisitions we have SO much to catch you up on!You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Veteran game designer and author Lawrence Schick shares stories from his early 80's work with the ColecoVision, Atari 2600, and Intellivision. With over four decades of experience in the industry, Schick details how he helped pioneer a multi-discipline, team-based approach to game development designing games like Smurf: Rescue and Tarzan while pulling from a wealth of experience in pen-and-paper RPGs.You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.See more from Lawrence Schick:Website: https://swashbucklingadventure.net/Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Host Phil Salvador and guest host Colleen Barrett, Rare Books Librarian at UK Libraries, chat with David Carter, Video Game Archivist and Comic Librarian at University of Michigan Library Computer and Video Game Archive, about the work he does in archiving video game material within such a large and academic institutions. We discuss what tools are available, what problems typically arise, the pros and cons of institutional preservation, and so much more.Mentioned in the Show:MIDSAC Pool: https://www.masswerk.at/nowgobang/2019/michigan-poolU-M Video Game Studies: https://guides.lib.umich.edu/videogamestudies (particularly the “Other Resources” section)You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.See more from David Carter:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/umcvga.bsky.socialU-M CVGA Website: https://www.lib.umich.edu/locations-and-hours/computer-and-video-game-archiveSee more from Colleen Barrett:Bluesky: Colleenlovesbks https://bsky.app/profile/colleenlovesbks.bsky.socialInstitution Instagram: UK Libraries (@uklibraries) Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

On this special video episode of the Video Game History Hour, we sat down with Craig Stitt, retired game artist and designer. Craig worked on games including Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Kid Chameleon, Ratchet & Clank, and Spyro the Dragon. He gave us a tour of his portfolio and talked about working at Sega in America, creating Spyro, dealing with burnout, and what it means for fans to connect with his work.Access the Craig Stitt art and design papers at the VGHF Library: https://archive.gamehistory.org/folder/cbcc6ed2-324c-43f0-9002-8e07455484bc*This episode was recorded as a video, with visual components, available on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAN6AD2_fs0.You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Frank Cifaldi and Phil Salvador host a discussion with Jez San, Jason Smith, and Mike Arkin from Argonaut Games about the development and remastering of the 1997 game Croc: Legend of the Gobbos. We touch on what went into the original game - incorporating 3D technology and character design influences from traditional animation - as well as enhancements for the remaster, improved controls and a virtual museum of bonus content showcasing the game's history and development process. The team’s discussion centers on the challenges and efforts in game preservation and the personal dedication of researchers who meticulously uncovered and documented game history for the sake of this remaster. Finally, we mention the potential for future updates and expansions in game preservation projects.You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.See more from Argonaut Games:Linktree: linktr.ee/argonautgames Website: argonautgames.com Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Hosts Frank Cifaldi and Phil Salvador chat with Mark and Michelle Flitman, a father-daughter duo, about Mark’s career, his donated collection at the VGHF, and his autobiography: "It’s Not All Fun and Games." As a semi-retired video game and toy producer, Mark shares his career highlights as a publisher producer throughout the 90’s and into the early 2000’s at Konami, Acclaim, Mindscape, Midway, and later, Atari. Most of his titles were licensed properties including The Simpsons (Bart's Nightmare, Virtual Bart), WWF (Royal Rumble and RAW), and several Marvel properties (Maximum Carnage). Michelle shares her efforts to preserve her father's collection, which includes concept art, design documents, and prototypes. You’ll hear highlighted notable items like the Eclipse demo by Argonaut and the Monster Dunk project. The conversation also touches on the importance of trust in producer-developer relationships and the challenges of managing licensed properties.Mentioned in the show:Mark Flitman's development papers: https://archive.gamehistory.org/folder/205c628c-5d0a-4de8-a5a5-782f31706ac0.You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.See more from Michelle Flitman:Website: www.flitman.siteSee more from Mark Flitman:Book - Hardcover (Limited Run - Collector’s Edition): “It’s Not All Fun And Games”Book - Hardcover (Amazon): “It’s Not All Fun And Games”Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg