We continue our celebrations of 40 years of the Amstrad CPC with part 2 of our chat with Roland Perry.  This episode dives into the Sinclair acquisition, the transformation of Amstrad after incorporating the Spectrum, the expansion of the CPC line into high-end models, and a peek at some intriguing unreleased prototypes.



Contents:



00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories

42:36 - Roland Perry Interview



Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:



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Show notes:



Infogrames revival announced: https://tinyurl.com/mtvjj6ar

Game Boy as FM Radio with new cart: https://tinyurl.com/y7xauz4t

Switch Arcade Racing Dock revealed: https://tinyurl.com/3j9hcnrt

Doom 64 coming to the Dreamcast: https://tinyurl.com/59zwawsf

Phoenix launches on Amiga: https://tinyurl.com/mk635zy3








426: Amstrad CPC with Roland Perry Pt 2: The Sinclair Takeover, Expanding the Range - The Retro Hour EP426

Your weekly dose of retro gaming and technology news and interviews with industry veterans.

New episodes released every Friday!

Technology

Tech News

Podcasting

Gadgets

Software How-To

Video Games

Games & Hobbies

Leisure

This week, we chat with legendary game developer David Jones, the creative mind behind the iconic Magic Knight series. David delves into the fascinating history of creating some of the most beloved 8-bit adventure games of the 1980s, from his innovative use of the TRS-80 Model III for Spectrum development to developing the storytelling and gameplay mechanics of titles like Finders Keepers and Spellbound. 



00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories

40:44 - David Jones Interview



David’s Links: https://davidxjonesauthor.com/retro-hour-podcast-links/



Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:



Get 3 months of ExpressVPN for FREE: https://expressvpn.com/retro



Bitmap Books https://www.bitmapbooks.com/



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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



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Show notes



Evercade arcade: https://tinyurl.com/2s4d359p

Resident Evil Zero & Code Veronica remakes: https://tinyurl.com/mw2seakj

8bit Do Keyboard and Numpad: https://tinyurl.com/mrj4jx6v

Aliens Neoplasma II: https://tinyurl.com/4um523x8

Zelda LEGO announced: https://tinyurl.com/bdhdyhbw








432: Finders Keepers to Stormbringer: The Magic Knight Story With David Jones - The Retro Hour EP432

We sit down with Paul Hartnoll of the legendary electronic duo Orbital. Paul takes us on a nostalgic journey, sharing his first gaming experiences and the early home systems that sparked his passion for technology. Plus the impact of Orbital's music featuring on classics like Wipeout, Test Drive 4 and creating music on the Atari ST. 



00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories

42:48 - Paul Hartnoll Interview



Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:



Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour



Bitmap Books https://www.bitmapbooks.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



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Twitter: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk

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Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour



Show notes



Atari purchase Intellivision: https://tinyurl.com/27n8vz93

Dreamcast PSU: https://tinyurl.com/3p43au66

Apple's Unreleased iPod Tetris Clone Has Been Discovered: https://youtu.be/q0c6SOP4CCo

Mario kart rom hack: https://tinyurl.com/yc6pmyd2

RIP ICQ: https://tinyurl.com/5ed3hb8m






431: Orbital: Paul Hartnoll on Rave Culture & Video Game Music - The Retro Hour EP431

This week, we're joined by legendary game designer and artist Mark Healey. From his early days with a Commodore 64, working on the classic KGB Super Spy, to his pivotal role in iconic Bullfrog titles like Theme Park and Dungeon Keeper, Mark shares the stories and inspirations behind his work. Hear about his experiences with industry giants like the Darling brothers and Peter Molyneux, his innovative approach to educational games with Fun School, and the creation of his own studio, Media Molecule.



Contents:



00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories

40:37 - Mark Healey Interview



Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:



Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour



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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



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Twitter: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour



Show notes



Mario Maker 64: https://tinyurl.com/mrxyhtrw

Cronela's Mansion: https://tinyurl.com/3tv6xaj5

The Glass Staircase PS2 Horror: https://tinyurl.com/t8y32zmb

Hack NES Tetris from inside the game: https://tinyurl.com/3svec93w

Play with classic Mac OS's in your browser: https://infinitemac.org/






430: Magic Carpet, Fun School & Theme Park with Mark Healey - The Retro Hour EP430

This week on the podcast, we sit down with the pioneering game designer Nicole Lazzaro, renowned for her work on iconic titles like The Sims, Myst, and Diner Dash. From playing Colossal Cave Adventure on shared computers to studying Psychology and Film at Stanford, and how these experiences shaped her understanding of emotions in games. 



Contents:



00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories

34:10 - Nicole Lazzaro Interview



Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:



Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour



Bitmap Books https://www.bitmapbooks.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



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Website: http://theretrohour.com

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour



Show notes



Incredible new N64 recomp tool: https://tinyurl.com/49s9sxsw

Ron Gilbert is creating a new Zelda-type game: https://tinyurl.com/yc5bkevd

Dread Delusion: https://tinyurl.com/ycy33e8h

Tomb Raider TV show: https://tinyurl.com/4bz8274h

Mario 64 on GBA: https://tinyurl.com/dv56mxnv






429: The Sims and Myst: Bringing Emotion To Games - The Retro Hour EP429

We catch up with the legendary Joe Bonar as he discusses his journey from the early days of the GameCube to developing on quirky systems like the Nokia N-Gage. Joe gives us an insider’s look into the creation of groundbreaking titles like Burnout, Tron 2.0, and Sonic Rivals.



Contents:



00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories

39:09 - Joe Bonar Interview



Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:



Get 3 months of ExpressVPN for FREE: https://expressvpn.com/retro



Bitmap Books https://www.bitmapbooks.com/



Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs



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/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour



Show notes



Super Mario Bros CD: https://tinyurl.com/35tbt53m

Gladmori for Dreamcast and Neo Geo: https://tinyurl.com/5byrnpbn

BASIC turns 60: https://tinyurl.com/5xsawmbj

Tricky Madness: https://tinyurl.com/2uj3v6zn

ZX Spectrum game broadcast on FM radio: https://tinyurl.com/4dzxdfdp






426: Amstrad CPC with Roland Perry Pt 2: The Sinclair Takeover, Expanding the Range - The Retro Hour EP426

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