517: From Zzap!64 to Thalamus: How a C64 Legend Came Back - The Retro Hour EP517

517: From Zzap!64 to Thalamus: How a C64 Legend Came Back - The Retro Hour EP517


This week we’re catching up with Andy Robert of the legendary Thalamus Software, for a chat about one of the most fascinating careers of the 8-bit era. From discovering computers via library games and typing in listings, to writing for Zzap!64 and Commodore Format, Andy shares incredible stories from the golden age of the Commodore 64. We dig into Creatures, Mayhem in Monsterland and that infamous 100% review score, the realities of magazine bias, late-night map drawing, and the risks of going indie before “indie” was a thing. Plus, we fast-forward to the modern Thalamus revival, deluxe boxed releases, Amiga hits like Roguecraft, and why nostalgia still needs to be done properly.

Thalamus: https://www.thalamus.shop/

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
41:26 - Andy Roberts Thalamus Interview

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

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

Go to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

Leeds Gaming Market: https://leedsgamingmarket.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

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 R Platformer Mod: https://tinyurl.com/mu6e538j
Lemmings Reloaded On C64: https://tinyurl.com/hh856em2
Lost Beavis & Butt-Head Game: https://tinyurl.com/h8wt9um9
The Last Of Us Demake: https://tinyurl.com/2abjtn6c
Gamebox For Classic Mac: https://manticore.nz/gamebox

Jaksot(500)

516: Celebrating the Best (and Worst) Video Game Controllers - The Retro Hour EP516

516: Celebrating the Best (and Worst) Video Game Controllers - The Retro Hour EP516

This week on The Retro Hour, we’re getting hands-on with the unsung heroes of gaming: video game controllers! We’re joined by Christian Wenk, author of Trigger Happy, a stunning visual celebration of ...

30 Tammi 1h 47min

515: "We Felt Like Part of the Beatles" - Rock Band with Sean Baptiste - The Retro Hour EP515

515: "We Felt Like Part of the Beatles" - Rock Band with Sean Baptiste - The Retro Hour EP515

What makes a truly great gaming community? Sean Baptiste, who helped grow Harmonix’s forum from a dozen diehards to hundreds of thousands of fans, shares what it really takes. From the secret struggle...

23 Tammi 1h 55min

514: Fatboy Slim and the Atari ST: How a 1980s Computer Made Chart History – The Retro Hour Podcast EP514

514: Fatboy Slim and the Atari ST: How a 1980s Computer Made Chart History – The Retro Hour Podcast EP514

This week we welcome Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, for a chat about the retro tech behind his biggest hits. From discovering MIDI to refusing upgrades for decades, Norman explains how the Atari ST bec...

16 Tammi 1h 45min

513: Terminator 2D No Fate: The Inside Story – The Retro Hour Podcast EP513

513: Terminator 2D No Fate: The Inside Story – The Retro Hour Podcast EP513

This week we’re joined by Mike Tucker and Quang DX from Bitmap Bureau to talk about the making of Terminator 2D: No Fate. We hear how their lifelong love of Terminator 2 turned into a three-year obses...

9 Tammi 1h 47min

512: The Top 5 Tech & Gaming Innovations of 1994-2024 - The Retro Hour 512

512: The Top 5 Tech & Gaming Innovations of 1994-2024 - The Retro Hour 512

Happy New Year!  As we kick off 2026, we’re treating everyone to something special: a FREE episode of The Retro Hour: After Hours, our podcast that’s usually exclusive to our Patreon supporters. Aft...

5 Tammi 1h 20min

511: Retro Gaming Christmas Quiz 2025 – The Retro Hour EP511

511: Retro Gaming Christmas Quiz 2025 – The Retro Hour EP511

It’s our absolute favourite episode of the year once again, the Retro Hour Christmas Quiz is back! 🎄🎮This year, Paul Drury and Oliver Wilmot are taking on hosting duties, armed with festive cheer an...

22 Joulu 20252h 8min

510: “We Hid Gabe Newell in Our Game!” – Powerhoof - Making Retro Point & Click Adventures – The Retro Hour Podcast EP510

510: “We Hid Gabe Newell in Our Game!” – Powerhoof - Making Retro Point & Click Adventures – The Retro Hour Podcast EP510

We go Down Under with Powerhoof’s David Lloyd, the brain behind award-winning indie hits like The Drifter and Crawl. From hiding DOS games as a kid to creating their own game engine and scooping Game ...

12 Joulu 20251h 51min

Suosittua kategoriassa Vapaa-aika

nikotellen
antin-matka
the-harlin-show
ihan-oikeesti
sita
unicast
rss-nikotellen
eturivi
tahtitehdas
mutsiputki
everypodi
mysteeripodcast
terkuin-jenna
oral-sex
kaikkea-hyvaa
himocast
20-30-40-podcast
kasper-ja-mikko
teen-spirit
rss-radio-novan-aamun-jalki-istunto