449: System 3: The Last Ninja Story with Mark Cale - The Retro Hour EP449

This week, we’re joined by the brilliant Tobias Kopka—aka Melkor of Haujobb—as we explore the importance of the demo scene. We explore how this underground digital art movement went from C64 crack intros to global recognition through the ‘Art of Coding’ UNESCO initiative. From the days of 2,000 sweaty kids attending events like The Gathering to international cultural bids, Tobias shares some amazing stories, including running demos on ATMs and sending them into space!  Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  39:49 - Tobias Kopka 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 Wii Homebrew Channel closes: https://tinyurl.com/yy32spc4 Frontier Force: https://tinyurl.com/53uy5u54 Breakspace Spectrum magazine – Issue 1 released: https://breakspace.itch.io/issue-1 Toys R Us – the movie: https://tinyurl.com/48trvmhm Linecraft for Pico-8: https://tinyurl.com/5cbyrynu

2 Maj 1h 31min

We’re joined by legendary game developer American McGee, who takes us on a journey from his humble beginnings on the Timex Sinclair and Commodore 64 to designing iconic levels for Doom II and Quake. He shares behind-the-scenes stories from iD Software, reveals how a Ferrari-driving neighbour turned out to be John Carmack, and discusses the gothic inspirations behind American McGee’s Alice. Plus, we hear about his time at EA, and why being fired from iD turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him! Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  35:28 - American McGee 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 YouTube Turns 20: https://tinyurl.com/mrx88ybs Windows on Game Boy: https://tinyurl.com/25mkwpdp OutRun the Movie: https://tinyurl.com/5n6r8ntk Neon Hearts City: https://tinyurl.com/yvezebcn Upcoming events RetCon 2025 – https://retconfestival.co.uk/ PT1210 – https://www.ptweekender.com/ RetroMessa – https://www.retromessa.no/

25 Apr 1h 27min

As the Commodore Amiga celebrates its 40th birthday, we hear stories from original developers Dale Luck, Jeff Porter, Andy Finkel, and others. Recorded live at VCF East in New Jersey, our Dan gets the story of this legendary machine direct from the people who made it happen. Thanks to Amiga Bill for recording the interview, and joining us for the news this week! 🌟 Twitch: twitch.tv/AmigaBill 📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@AmigaBill 🌐 Website: AmigaBill.tv VCF Event: https://vcfed.org/ Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  45:00 - Amiga 40th Panel 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 New Sega Saturn homebrew racer: https://tinyurl.com/2sn87by7 Compute’s Gazette returns: https://tinyurl.com/yc7km7yn Limited Run DOOM I & II collection: https://tinyurl.com/yyw46vhc AmigaOS update released: https://tinyurl.com/4fzbs2d8 Mechanoids 2 – The Final Conflict: https://tinyurl.com/3mkh48rs

18 Apr 1h 56min

This week we’re joined by Neil Haldar, a pivotal figure behind the legendary Unreal Tournament. From dropping out of medical school to leading major projects at Sierra Online, GT Interactive, and MGM Studios, Neil shares incredible stories from his time shaping iconic games. Plus, we rewind to the 3DO era, and get the inside story on licensed games like 007 Racing and Rocky. Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  42:36 - Neil Haldar 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 AI-generated Quake mixes reactions: https://tinyurl.com/tcevvphu John Carmack defends AI Quake II level: https://tinyurl.com/55kne3rm New N-Gage release: https://tinyurl.com/28rzes4x The World Is Not Enough prototype: https://tinyurl.com/54vwzw6p GameCube comes to Switch 2: https://tinyurl.com/3v7cujsc

11 Apr 1h 42min

This week, we catch up with Richard Moss and welcome first-time guest Connor O’Keane, the creative minds behind the spine-chilling documentary series TerrorBytes. In this follow-up to our earlier chat with the TerrorBytes team, we explore the evolution of horror in video games, from lo-fi jump scares to controversial bans and accidental nightmares. Plus, why horror in games is more than just guts and gore, and what really makes a game scary… TerrorBytes website: https://terrorbytesdoc.com/ Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories  35:09 - TerrorBytes 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 Long Lost NES Populous Found: https://tinyurl.com/y434kfzw Ghosts ’N Goblins Tribute Gladmort: https://tinyurl.com/ymr98anx Krogharr – New Amiga Slasher: https://tinyurl.com/79xfph5p Exploding PSPs Warning: https://tinyurl.com/mvj9msph

4 Apr 1h 27min

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

28 Mars 1h 26min

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

21 Mars 1h 37min

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

14 Mars 1h 41min