The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

Hosted by The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

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500

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Your weekly dose of retro gaming and technology news and interviews with industry veterans. New episodes released every Friday!

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June 11, 2026Episode 5351 hr 49 min

535: The Game That Took 37 Years to Finish: Ocean Software's Colin Porch - The Retro Hour EP535

This week we’re joined by veteran programmer Colin Porch, whose career took him through some of the biggest names in British gaming history, including Imagine, Software Projects and Ocean Software. Colin shares stories of Imagine’s dramatic collapse, converting arcade hits like Dragon’s Lair, Operation Wolf and Gryzor to home micros, the infamous lost Parasol Stars C64 port, and the technical wizardry behind bringing Head Over Heels to the Commodore 64, Atari ST and Amiga. Plus, we hear the incredible story of Return to Blacktooth, the Head Over Heels sequel Colin began in 1989 and has finally completed 37 years later. Return To Blacktooth: https://thalamusdigital.itch.io/Contents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories48:17 – Colin Porch InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comCheck out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsLondon Gaming Market: https://www.londongamingmarket.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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesRGL Teases The A1200: https://lnk.ua/GqyeXdPJ5Commodore Teases June 16th Announcement: https://lnk.ua/OXRSP2jzOCrazy Taxi GenAI Response: https://lnk.ua/5JfoTfy1fAtari Toy Story Collection: https://lnk.ua/TJqoQuQ5jResident Evil Code Veronica: https://lnk.ua/EDTxG2iaSOcarina Of Time Remake: https://lnk.ua/6Two6Um7uCuphead Devs’ Master System Spin-Off: https://lnk.ua/KnkMouiRw

June 5, 2026Episode 5341 hr 40 min

534: How Games Like Wipeout and Tony Hawk Changed the Music Industry - The Retro Hour EP534

This week we’re joined by video game music expert Matt Ombler, head of music and gaming partnerships at Laced, to explore the incredible world of game soundtracks, from Sonic on the Mega Drive and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater shaping a generation’s music taste, to Wipeout, Halo 2, retro sound chips, vinyl reissues and the growing importance of preserving game music history. Matt also shares stories from his journalism days interviewing legends like Nile Rodgers and Nobuo Uematsu, plus how he helped bring metal heavyweights including Howard Jones, Trivium and Polyphia into Cult of the Lamb’s Hymns of the Unholy project. Laced Records: https://www.lacedrecords.com/Contents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories46:30 – Matt Ombler InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comCheck out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsPlayEXPO Blackpool tickets: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesSonic On ZX Spectrum Next: https://tinyurl.com/48fpsssyLegal Disc Ripping: https://tinyurl.com/2s4pufayVirtual OS Museum: https://tinyurl.com/2kz9r9awCastlevania Rondo of Blood On Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/3x8ukbxnAmiga CD32 ODE: https://tinyurl.com/3p93uuamFinal Fantasy XVI Demake: https://tinyurl.com/5yxeu5yp

May 29, 2026Episode 5331 hr 46 min

533: cyber.cafe: The 90s TV Show That Exposed the Internet's Wild Side - The Retro Hour EP533

This week, we’re joined by Wingham Rowan, creator and host of the pioneering ’90s ITV show cyber.cafe. Long before YouTube, Twitch, Tinder and social media, cyber.cafe explored the strange, funny and sometimes shocking human stories emerging from the early internet, from chat room romances and online communities to JenniCam, alien abductees, moral panics, bizarre websites and late-night web culture. Wingham shares brilliant behind-the-scenes stories from making one of the UK’s first TV shows to take the internet seriously, capturing a moment when the web was still mysterious, chaotic and full of possibility. cyber.cafe: https://www.ninetiesinternet.com/Contents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories49:52 – cyber.cafe InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comCheck out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsPlayEXPO Blackpool tickets: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesMegaWiFi Online Play: https://tinyurl.com/4dd76pruAdventure of Node: https://tinyurl.com/mwfvr62jElden Ring N64 Demake: https://tinyurl.com/3xjw88p2Spyro E3 Statue Rescued: https://tinyurl.com/ydtj225pWindows CE On N64: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGS9su_inBYSwitch GBA Link Cable: https://tinyurl.com/5n9bj8p7

May 22, 2026Episode 5321 hr 55 min

532: Elite Systems: Inside the 80s Arcade Conversion Powerhouse - The Retro Hour EP532

This week, we’re joined by Elite Systems co-founder Steve Wilcox for a journey through one of the most important names in British gaming history. Steve shares how a family business in the West Midlands evolved from mail-order cassette games into a major force of the 8-bit era, publishing hits like Airwolf, Commando, Ghosts ’n Goblins, Bomb Jack and Paperboy. Chuckie Egg for iOS: https://tinyurl.com/2hpsvj7aContents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories48:26 – Elite Systems InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comCheck out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsPlayEXPO Blackpool tickets: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesMyst And Riven Remakes: https://tinyurl.com/mt76kcn6Dr Mario Plus/4 Fan Game: https://tinyurl.com/2ztwvy6bDreamcast Wii Remote Support: https://tinyurl.com/4nsapkf5Veins Of Iron: https://veinsofiron.com/Taxi Boy Released: https://tinyurl.com/5b4bdjxsTime Crisis Returns: https://tinyurl.com/3hvrjfusFootball Manager On Spectrum: https://tinyurl.com/usdu5bvx

May 15, 2026Episode 5311 hr 45 min

531: Inside Psygnosis: WipEout, PlayStation and the Rave Generation - The Retro Hour EP531

Inside Psygnosis: WipEout, PlayStation and the Rave Generation - The Retro Hour EP531This week we’re joined by former Psygnosis PR manager Glen O’Connell for a brilliant journey through one of the most exciting eras in British gaming. Glen shares stories from Liverpool’s arcade and computer shop scene, his move from rave music promotion into games, and his time at Psygnosis during the huge shift from Amiga and Atari ST to CD-ROM, Saturn and PlayStation. We hear how WipEout fused club culture, cutting-edge design and licensed music to help define the PlayStation generation, plus memories of Destruction Derby, G-Police, Formula One, Rage, EA, Burnout, Need for Speed and plenty more.Stuart's current project: https://www.wireadmin.comContents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories43:38 – Glen O'Connell InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comCheck out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsPlayEXPO Blackpool tickets: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesNeo Geo Crossplay Revival: https://tinyurl.com/33xx8nahBomberman Online Returns: https://tinyurl.com/mwk7xeppBloodstone For ZX Spectrum: https://tinyurl.com/zn677unxBioCreeps For NES: https://tinyurl.com/ytd9zuawSwitch As Wii U GamePad: https://tinyurl.com/4c58vbcbStar Fox 64 Remake: https://www.youtube.com/live/ePZeyh5q9R8

May 8, 2026Episode 5301 hr 47 min

530: Inside Gargoyle Games: Stuart Cox on Light Force, Scooby-Doo and ThunderCats - The Retro Hour EP530

This week, we’re joined by Stuart Cox, artist at the legendary Midland studio Gargoyle Games, for a brilliant trip through the golden age of British 8-bit development. Stuart shares how he went from the Dragon 32 and early arcade obsessions to working on Scooby-Doo, Light Force, Shockway Rider, Hydrofool, ThunderCats and more, with stories of rapid-fire development, clever tricks to push the ZX Spectrum, digitised graphics, Rob Hubbard’s incredible turnaround times, the truth behind the “Wolf” and “Samurai Dawn” confusion, and even the lost ThunderCats NES port. A proper behind-the-scenes look at one of the UK’s most fascinating 1980s game studios.Stuart's current project: https://www.wireadmin.comContents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories50:41 – Gargoyle Games InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comCheck out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsWe 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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesA1200 Delayed: https://tinyurl.com/yfzd3wddTomb Raider Side-Scroller: https://tinyurl.com/msn72sabTomb Raider On N64: https://tinyurl.com/bdfz8zdsC64 And Spectrum Handhelds: https://tinyurl.com/mwv2bj88Zapped To The Past: https://tinyurl.com/2rvzth58Cancelled Simpsons Game Revealed: https://tinyurl.com/4444m3aaAsk.com Shuts Down: https://tinyurl.com/mr467ybyResident Evil Teaser Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJPu1spHqfk

May 1, 2026Episode 5291 hr 50 min

529: Nightdive, Stardock and the Business of Saving Classic Games: Larry Kuperman - The Retro Hour EP529

This week, we’re joined by Larry Kuperman, former VP of Business Development at Nightdive Studios, former Business Development Manager at GameStop, Stardock veteran, and co-founder of the IGDA Ann Arbor Chapter. Larry shares incredible stories from the business side of games, from discovering Wolfenstein 3D on a mighty 486, selling custom PCs in the ’90s, and Stardock’s early digital distribution gamble, to GameStop’s attempt to compete with Steam and Nightdive’s mission to bring classics like Turok, System Shock, Star Wars: Dark Forces and more back to life. We also dig into DRM, lost source code, game preservation, and why classic games are art worth saving.Contents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories49:20 – Larry Kuperman InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Nottingham Gaming Market: https://www.nottinghamgamingmarket.com/Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsWe 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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesVCF Bomb Scare: https://tinyurl.com/c4k2kb27Resi 4 On Dreamcast: https://tinyurl.com/ud4v8t69Commodore 64C Returns: https://commodore.net/GoatBeat Hits C64: https://tinyurl.com/4cebch5bMajora’s Mask On Vita: https://tinyurl.com/8dzxj937Warhammer Classics Return: https://youtu.be/crVfMM3by_k

April 23, 2026Episode 5281 hr 39 min

528: The Man Behind the Atari Jaguar: John Mathieson- The Retro Hour EP528

This week, we’re joined by John Mathieson, the hardware designer best known as the father of the Atari Jaguar. John takes us through an extraordinary career that began at Sinclair Research on the ZX Spectrum, before moving through ambitious and often misunderstood projects including Loki, the Konix Multisystem, Atari’s Panther and Jaguar, and later the Nuon. Along the way, he shares brilliant behind-the-scenes stories about working with Clive Sinclair, Jeff Minter and the Tramiel-era Atari team, and reflects on the technical ideas, challenges and missed opportunities behind some of gaming’s most fascinating machines. Contents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories53:08 – John Mathieson InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Nottingham Gaming Market: https://www.nottinghamgamingmarket.com/Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsWe 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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesStunt Car Racer 60FPS Update: https://tinyurl.com/48auryjzStunt Car Racer Multiplayer: https://tinyurl.com/4juw2a99Pokémon Adventure Demo: https://tinyurl.com/2bcntp4uCrystian And The Lost Crystals: https://tinyurl.com/4ju936w9DS And PSP Screen Fix: https://tinyurl.com/4mphcth5SuperSega Creator Returns: https://tinyurl.com/5eezr29vSega RPG Returns: https://tinyurl.com/nw8jupxa

April 16, 2026Episode 5271 hr 41 min

527: The Untold Story of the Amstrad Scene PD Libraries, Magazines and More - The Retro Hour EP527

On this week’s podcast, we celebrate 42 years of the Amstrad CPC with special guest Jo Cook, who takes us deep inside the Amstrad scene of the late 80s and 90s. From growing up with a CPC 464 and helping run the legendary King Arthur’s Domain PD library and Merlin-Serve, to writing for Amstrad Action and seeing the community evolve into the modern day, Jo shares a warm, funny and fascinating insider’s view of one of Britain’s most beloved computer scenes.UK Amstrad Group: https://www.ukag.org.uk/Contents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories49:16 – Amstrad Group InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Nottingham Gaming Market: https://www.nottinghamgamingmarket.com/Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsWe 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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesNew Neo Geo Hardware?: https://tinyurl.com/n8eheyw9Mac OS X on Wii: https://tinyurl.com/4rzxpk76Eclipse Blade Emerges: https://tinyurl.com/23eewcuaMiracle Boy on Atari ST: https://tinyurl.com/453duhkeGround Zero Terror: https://tinyurl.com/42me5wh8Mario on Master System: https://tinyurl.com/4bn4zzpx

April 10, 2026Episode 5261 hr 44 min

526: Galloping Ghost: The Story of America’s Biggest Arcade - The Retro Hour EP526

On this week’s podcast, we’re joined by Galloping Ghost Arcade owner Doc Mack and filmmaker Craig Bass to explore the story behind one of the most legendary arcades on the planet. From Doc’s earliest memories of Pong and the golden age of the arcade, to rare prototypes like Primal Rage 2 and the making of Craig’s upcoming documentary Ghostlord and the Quest for Dark Presence, this is a fascinating look at arcade history, preservation, and the passion that keeps these classic games alive.Ghostlord movie: https://www.ghostlordsquest.com/Galloping Ghost arcade: https://www.gallopingghostarcade.com/Contents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories46:30 – Galloping Ghost InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.com/Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsWe 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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesDVD on Dreamcast: https://youtu.be/ntj_tUHKAaECastle Adventure for Amstrad: https://tinyurl.com/29dt5k46PS1 Emulator Adds VR: https://tinyurl.com/2hzn7e6xPond Versus Bond: https://tinyurl.com/yau26n3jC64 Impossible Mission Sequel Announced: https://youtu.be/lMvGh1azQ7oDolphin Adds Game Boy Player: https://tinyurl.com/ycy3rdnp