The Retro Hour - Episode 23 (Lotus 2 and Top Gear with Barry Leitch)

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/ 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 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

6 Juni 20241h 31min

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 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 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

30 Maj 20241h 38min

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 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 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 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/

23 Maj 20241h 43min

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 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 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

17 Maj 20241h 29min

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

10 Maj 20241h 35min

This week, we're joined by Sam Dicker, a pioneer who helped shape the sound and fury of iconic games like Defender and Sinistar. We explore his time at Williams Electronics and joining the early Amiga crew, Sam shares his stories behind the creation of game-changing sounds and making the legendary Amiga 'boing ball' demo that wowed CES in 1984. Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 40:48 - Sam Dicker 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/ 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: Xbox 360 store to close this summer: https://tinyurl.com/6hs6suxj SummerCart64: https://tinyurl.com/yc6mjuzr Dr Robotnik ring racers: https://tinyurl.com/43x9466s Fallout excel: https://tinyurl.com/2ktmw25t 30 years since Commodore went bust: https://tinyurl.com/m573sxhx

3 Maj 20241h 25min

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: 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/ 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: 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

25 Apr 20241h 18min

Join us on a special journey back in time with Roland Perry, the visionary tech consultant behind the legendary Amstrad CPC, as we celebrate 40 incredible years of this iconic machine. In this not-to-be-missed episode, Roland takes us from his early days tinkering with electronics in school, through the founding of Ambit International, right up to his crucial role in steering the Amstrad CPC to success against heavyweights like the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64.  Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 45:20 - Roland Perry Interview Amstrad Addict Magazine: https://www.pixel.addict.media/shop/amstrad-addict-magazine 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/ 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: Golden Axe TV Show: https://tinyurl.com/3abhf8sr Xbox Launch Dedicated Team to Backwards Compatibility: https://tinyurl.com/bdujbj55 New Atari ST Racer: https://tinyurl.com/y5c6b8zr Tomb Raider Coming to Evercade: https://tinyurl.com/hefukt8w Control Your Switch Using Your GBA: https://tinyurl.com/mwdkpa9r

19 Apr 20241h 28min