468: What Really Killed Commodore? UK MD Kelly Sumner Tells All - The Retro Hour EP468
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:
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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
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1:34:19
467: The Games of a Lifetime with Jaz Rignall - - The Retro Hour EP467
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
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1:38:00
466: Deus Ex, System Shock & Origin Systems: Harvey Smith Tells All - The Retro Hour EP466
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/
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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
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1:39:46
465: ZX Spectrum, GamesMaster & Retro Nostalgia with Rose Tinted Spectrum - The Retro Hour EP465
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
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1:29:16
464: Bringing Mortal Kombat Home: The Crazy Story of the Mega Drive Port - The Retro Hour EP464
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
France