

Video Game History Hour
Video Game History Foundation
Industry expert Frank Cifaldi, Executive Director of the Video Game History Foundation, brings on fellow content creators, game developers, video game historians, and storytellers to teach us a little bit about video game history. Our casual, “chatting over coffee” style interviews let us see the true life of a researcher: bang-your-head-against-a-wall dead-ends, “I can’t believe no one’s told this story before” moments, the thrill of sharing incredible history with the world, and more. Pull up a chair and join us!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 29, 2022 • 1h 1min
Ep. 86: Super Mario World
Gaming Historian Norm Caruso returns to share The Story of Super Mario World | Gaming Historian: his newest YouTube documentary. In this episode we get to see behind the curtain, so to speak, and witness industry strategies for psyching out your competitors; hear the swan song(s) of 8-bit cartridge games from Nintendo; see some ‘fishy’ early sprites; claim plausible deniability; get excited about dated files; and have our minds blown with new information on our beloved Yoshi.
See more from Norm Caruso:
YouTube: /gaminghistorian
Twitter: @gaminghistorian
Website: thegaminghistorian.com
Patreon: /gaminghistorian
Video Game History Foundation:
Podcast Twitter: @gamehistoryhour
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Twitter: @GameHistoryOrg
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Jun 15, 2022 • 1h 9min
Ep. 85: Video Game Libraries
Henry E. Lowood, Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections in the Stanford University Libraries and Co-Editor of ROMchip: A Journal of Game Histories, gets deep into the weeds of library science around video games with VGHF Library Director Phil Salvador comparing and contrasting our two organizations. In this episode: we plan to be around in 100 years, Henry gives us a homework assignment, battleships and destroyers both play important roles in Library Land, spreadsheet enthusiasts get a shout out, and only the most hardcore historians will know about this special collection at Stanford.
See more from Henry E. Lowood:
Twitter: @Liebenwalde
Website: https://lowood.people.stanford.edu/about
Video Game History Foundation:
Podcast Twitter: @gamehistoryhour
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Twitter: @GameHistoryOrg
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Jun 1, 2022 • 1h 1min
Ep. 84: The Zeebo
Derek Alexander and Cassidy recently collaborated on Zeebo: Brazil's Bizarre Delisted Console | Past Mortem [SSFF], a mini documentary on possibly the most ill-conceived video game console, ever. In this cutest episode of the VGHH, we meet the Zeebo Gringo, a beautiful mutant system is born, we claim diplomatic immunity, and Uncle Zeebo and Kelsey both overstay their welcome.
See more from Derek Alexander:
Twitter: @stopskeletons
YouTube: /StopSkeletonsFromFighting
Twitch: /stop skeletons from fighting
Patreon: /StopSkeletonsFromFighting
See more from Cassidy:
Twitter: @BadGameHOF
Website: badgamehalloffame.com
Video Game History Foundation:
Podcast Twitter: @gamehistoryhour
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Twitter: @GameHistoryOrg
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

May 18, 2022 • 42min
Ep. 83: Mario Artist Paint Studio
Returning guest Jack Yarwood recently wrote about this Mario Paint sequel in his article How a British Developer Made a Japan-Exclusive Sequel to Mario Paint: the Super Nintendo utility to create art, animation, music, etc. Published in 1999, Mario Artist Paint Studio was a direct sequel in everything but name. Being exclusive to Japan and exclusive to the N64 floppy disk add-on 64DD is just the beginning of this odd tale.
See more from Jack Yarwood :
Twitter: @JackGYarwood
Video Game History Foundation:
Podcast Twitter: @gamehistoryhour
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Twitter: @GameHistoryOrg
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

May 13, 2022 • 2min
Fewer, Better, Super, Stronger
We have a quick announcement about the podcast this week - Frank explains: we're changing our publishing frequency, why, and what it means moving forward. We'll be back at it next week; see you then!

May 4, 2022 • 1h 3min
Ep. 82: MOTHER 3 for Nintendo 64
Jonathan piqued the interest of our co-hosts with his recent video EarthBound 64/MOTHER 3 N64 Spaceworld ‘99 breakdown/analysis, a detailed account of everything we know about the Spaceworld demo of MOTHER 3, a game well documented as our ‘holy grail’ in preservation. In this episode Kelsey and Jonathan must defend Cabbage, Frank pleads with you, a time traveler saves our life, Frank is haunted by what could have been, and Jonathan puts out a call for two missing magazines.
See more from Jonathan:
Twitter: @DaEgg123
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBPo8kqM51sBD0USOjouTrQ/featured
Video Game History Foundation:
Podcast Twitter: @gamehistoryhour
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Twitter: @GameHistoryOrg
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

7 snips
Apr 27, 2022 • 1h 2min
Ep. 81: Ghosts ‘N Goblins… ’N Ghouls… ’N Demons
Chris Baines shares his recently published documentary, The History of Ghosts 'n Goblins (and Makaimura 魔界村) - Full Series Retrospective | ChrisB Crisps, covering the extensive (if confusingly titled) franchise and its creator Tokuro Fujiwara. In this episode: cringing from ‘go,’ clout is expensive, women are hard to find, we visit Kelsey’s WonderSwan Corner, and Frank ruins Chris’ video. Oh, and a “Woooooow” moment from a beautiful evolution line through history.
See more from Chris Baines:
Twitter: @ChrisBCrisps
YouTube: /ChrisBCrisps
Instagram: @ChrisBCrisps
Video Game History Foundation:
Podcast Twitter: @gamehistoryhour
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Twitter: @GameHistoryOrg
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Apr 20, 2022 • 1h 6min
Ep. 80: The Strong National Museum of Play
Jon-Paul Dyson, the Director of the International Center for the History of Electronic Games at The Strong, where he is also the VP of exhibits, shares all about the museum and its 2022 World Video Game Hall of Fame finalists. In this episode Disneyland is one of the best level designs ever made, collectors make a whole greater than the sum of their parts, potted palms and vending machines bring a new perspective, and Moon Patrol gets left out in the cold.
See more from Jon-Paul Dyson:
Twitter: @jpdysonplay
See more from The Strong National Museum of Play:
Twitter: @museumofplay
Instagram: @museumofplayroc
Facebook: /TheStrongMuseum
YouTube: /MuseumofPlay
International Center for the History of Electronic Games Facebook: /ICHEG
Video Game History Foundation:
Podcast Twitter: @gamehistoryhour
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Twitter: @GameHistoryOrg
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Apr 13, 2022 • 44min
Ep. 79: Nintendo’s Page Boy
Gaming historian Liam Robertson returns as almost a sequel to Ep. 16 to share how Nintendo’s Page Boy was almost a sequel to their unreleased Work Boy, as shown in his recent video Page Boy: Nintendo's LOST Game Boy Add-on | Game History Secrets. Man, that’s a lot of boys! We stack add-ons to get an operating system, find the origin of the selfie, assign Nintendo employees a scavenger hunt item, and Liam brings Kelsey a new secret - all at 400 characters a minute.
See more from Liam Robertson:
Twitter: @Doctor_Cupcakes
Game History Secrets series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO9mxFELVbbHM1dR6VumpP60zBENfQr0b
Video Game History Foundation:
Podcast Twitter: @gamehistoryhour
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Twitter: @GameHistoryOrg
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Apr 6, 2022 • 1h 18min
Ep. 78: Fan Culture Through Final Fantasy V
Author Chris Kohler explores the evolution of niche fan culture from analog to digital through stories from his book Final Fantasy V (Boss Fight Books Book 18). “Young Chris” learns uploading to America Online makes it live forever, all the cool games stay in Japan, you can use Mario Paint as a Rosetta Stone for Japanese, and searching the internet for information about Final Fantasy has no results. “Now Chris” manifests Frank into existence with his thoughts and will always have his back.
See more from Chris Kohler:
Twitter: @kobunheat
Website: www.chriskohler.biz
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Kohler/e/B001IOFJPI%3F
Video Game History Foundation:
Podcast Twitter: @gamehistoryhour
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Twitter: @GameHistoryOrg
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg