This week, we’re joined by YouTuber Kari Lawler, who’s breathing new life into vintage systems! At 21 years old, Kari’s love for old-school computing spans BBC Micros, Apple IIs, and even programming from classic magazine listings. We chat about her early coding days, winning a space tech challenge at 15, the origins of her channel, and why treating viewers with intelligence is the key to her fast-growing fanbase. 

Kari's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@karilawler

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 

39:46 - Kari Lawler 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

Sensi Soccer on NES found: https://tinyurl.com/4mdu5bp3

Another Nintendo PlayStation: https://tinyurl.com/yhw79w7x

Wipeout Dreamcast: https://youtu.be/01MuoxLTQ9o

Full Size Amiga 1200 delayed: https://tinyurl.com/y7e9jhet

This week, we chat to the creators of RogueCraft, a stunning new Amiga title that recently won an award at the Debug Indie game awards. Ricki and Henning from Badger Punch Games tell us about their roots in Norway’s Amiga scene to developing for the MEGA65 and building procedural magic on vintage hardware, they share the journey of crafting one of the most exciting modern Amiga games. 

Badger Punch Games: https://www.badgerpunch.com/

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 

44:48 - Badger Punch Games 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

Sega Saturn games streamed from Wi-Fi: https://tinyurl.com/4jft5txa

You can now order CEX from JustEat: https://tinyurl.com/3cdhfxew

Cancelled SNES title ‘Mortal Kombat Nitro’: https://youtu.be/n8ovAVUZroU

USB hyper hack for Xbox 360: https://youtu.be/IUK__yGXmds

Counter-Strike remake: https://tinyurl.com/44axx4nk

This week, we hear about the origins of The Elder Scrolls with the legendary VJ Lakshman, co-creator and a key figure in Bethesda Softworks’ early days. From the D&D roots of Elder Scrolls, and how procedural generation shaped an RPG legend. VJ also shares stories from his work on The Terminator, Crash Bash, Spyro The Dragon, and his time at Warner Bros. & Turbine, working on Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online. 

VJ on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07B3T9RLG

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 

40:53 - VJ Lakshman 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

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Remakes Announced: https://tinyurl.com/3vje2vhr

Spectrum Next Gets 3rd Kickstarter: https://tinyurl.com/4nbfst6p

SNES Is Getting Faster, Nobody Knows Why: https://tinyurl.com/ms8dfj62

Acclaim Rises from the Ashes: https://tinyurl.com/yrtuw56v

PS3 Gets an Update: https://tinyurl.com/4ucx5enu

We chat with Marcin Paczyński, Senior Business Development Manager at Good Old Game, and Adam Ziółkowski, Technical Engineer, to hear about their new Preservation Program. Launched in November 2024, this initiative is dedicated to ensuring classic games remain playable on modern and future systems. We hear about the challenges of maintaining compatibility, the process of updating and bug-fixing classic titles, and GOG’s commitment to DRM-free gaming.

GOG Preservation Program: https://www.gog.com/en/gog-preservation-program

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 

44:05 - Good Old Game 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

Terminator 2D No Fate: https://tinyurl.com/2jcsa8mn

RIP Skype: https://tinyurl.com/3ahrj2cp

Lost PC game Big Brother archived online: https://tinyurl.com/33kt64td

Sonic Unleashed 360 Recomp: https://tinyurl.com/pe34prja

Bandai Namco want to license out classic IPs: https://tinyurl.com/4ez98jhn

In part two of our epic interview with Kelly Sumner, we move beyond Commodore and into his time at GameTek and Take-Two Interactive. Kelly shares behind-the-scenes stories from the launch of GTA 3 and his experiences working with the Houser brothers. We also dive into his time as CEO of RedOctane, where he helped turn Guitar Hero into a global phenomenon. 

Recreational Music: https://reactionalmusic.com/

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 

41:18 - 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

Sonic & The Moon Facility playable demo: https://tinyurl.com/2yjjezte

MSX laptop: https://tinyurl.com/3e5rzs44

Samurai Pizza Cats game: https://youtu.be/jErZx5DekeI

Nightmare Busters: https://tinyurl.com/3njnctrs

Official WinRAR bag: https://in.tern.et/en-gb

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