This week, we’re joined by Core Design artist and animator Billy Allison, whose incredible career spans hand-drawn children’s TV classics like SuperTed and The Forgotten Toys through to iconic 16-bit games including Chuck Rock, Wonder Dog, Bubba 'n' Stix and more. Billy shares how he went from experimenting with animation on a ZX Spectrum and Deluxe Paint to pushing early 3D on Shadow Man and revisiting Alien Breed years later. From sneaking into film school rostrum rooms to pioneering full-screen Amiga cutscenes.

Contents:

00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories
51:34 – Billy Allison Core Design Interview

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

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

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Show notes

N64 & PS2 Mario Co-Op Mod: https://youtu.be/gCza2KrstxE
Amiga Mario Kart Clone: https://tinyurl.com/2s4y92d4
Minecraft On Sega Saturn: https://tinyurl.com/fwcr2d3d
Best Way To Play Fan Translations: https://tinyurl.com/378jn4r2
Castlevania Silent Planet: https://tinyurl.com/bdhdn5z3
New bsnes Build Adds Multitap: https://tinyurl.com/yt4nwvj4

This week we’re joined by Hilary Goldstein and Dave Clayman, two of the voices behind IGN’s legendary Three Red Lights podcast, the loud, chaotic and gloriously irreverent Xbox 360 show that helped define mid-2000s gaming culture. From sleeping on office couches and playing Halo 2 before anyone else, to Don King promos, 50 Cent interviews and the early days of podcasting when you had to manually download episodes onto an MP3 player, they share wild behind-the-scenes stories from the golden age of online gaming media. 

Contents:

00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories
50:46 – Three Red Lights Podcast 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!

Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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

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Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour

Show notes

Rogue 7800 Roguelike: https://tinyurl.com/yc5dzbp6
Rayman 30th Anniversary: https://tinyurl.com/y9vufpyn
Super Mario 64 PDF: https://youtu.be/a0F08py5Z4M
Kula World 32X Port: https://tinyurl.com/4t957hxw
Computer History Collection Online: https://tinyurl.com/438nvhxw
Castlevania Belmont’s Curse: https://tinyurl.com/4s9abvum

Patrons news

Metal Gear Solid Collection: https://tinyurl.com/27458dp7
Wheeze Game Boy Release: https://tinyurl.com/bdchv5zn

This week we’re joined by Todd Hayes, original US CEO of GameShark, the device that changed how a generation played games. From arcade beginnings to building a $252 million video game empire, Todd shares the story of bringing Action Replay to America, battling Sony in court, navigating Nintendo’s lockout chips, and launching the ambitious SharkWire online service for the N64. We also hear aboutthe return of GameShark for the modern era and his new GameShark Cheat Code Compendium, preserving the secrets behind gaming’s most legendary cheats.

GameShark Kickstarter: https://tinyurl.com/4t6a96jb

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 
52:48 - GameShark Todd Hayes 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!

Play Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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

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Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour

Show notes

The Simpsons: Hit & Run Dreamcast Port: https://tinyurl.com/ystdsvx3
Dark Sci-Fi SNES Shooter: https://tinyurl.com/2smj37y5
Amiga Addams Family Secrets: https://tinyurl.com/3j356rep
New Wii Game Announced: https://tinyurl.com/4u4f2haz
ReStory: Console Repair Game: https://tinyurl.com/39a95ctm
Apple iPod Comeback Rumours: https://tinyurl.com/7u3xpd2p
New ScummVM Documentary: https://www.scummdoc.com/
 

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

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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

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 over 200 iconic (and sometimes downright bizarre) controllers from gaming history. From mushy Commodore joysticks to the ergonomic oddities of the N64 and beyond, Christian shares the nostalgic stories, design quirks, and sheer passion that fuelled his epic project. 

Trigger Happy: https://tinyurl.com/2s4nyfpc

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 
59:11 - Christian Wenk 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

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Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour

Show notes

PS3 Mod Breaks Limits: https://tinyurl.com/339xt3ky
Escape 2049 Hits Mega Drive: https://tinyurl.com/5n7n7npe
Atari ST Mini Teased: https://tinyurl.com/3af6pxhx
Yakuza Arcade Game Ported: https://tinyurl.com/dzx7neps
Atari Hotel Scaled Down: https://tinyurl.com/3j9atphj
New Saturn Console Successor: https://tinyurl.com/3nzbfn78
Artist Makes Wi-Fi Visible: https://youtu.be/moBCOEiqiPs

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 struggles behind QA on Karaoke Revolution, to rocking out with the stars at the Grammys, Sean reflects on how fan feedback shaped Rock Band, how social media changed the game, and why authentic engagement still matters more than ever.

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 
52:18 - Sean Baptiste 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

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Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour

Show notes

Dan's Escapist Column: https://tinyurl.com/35srz7e8
Mario 64 Dreamcast Port Impresses: https://tinyurl.com/chayc96w
Combo Portable TV Demo: https://tinyurl.com/mp5fy7ck
Lost PS2-Style RPG Revealed: https://tinyurl.com/4rb98wfn
Commodore Drive Turned PC: https://youtu.be/6loDwvG4CP8
7-Day Dark Souls Demake: https://tinyurl.com/2sp2bc57
Yie Ar Kung-Fu Genesis Port: https://tinyurl.com/yc7y5pmx

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 became the backbone of his workflow, powering Beats International, Freak Power and every Fatboy Slim track right up to Eat Sleep Rave Repeat. We talk step-time sequencing, floppy disks, crashing STs, pirate radio, bedroom studios and how a track made 25 years ago on an Atari is still charting today. 

Fatboy Slim: https://www.fatboyslim.net/

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 
47:59 - Fatboy Slim Interview 

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

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

Make this the year you finally learn a new language and save up to 60% while you’re at it by heading to https://babbel.com/RETRO and getting started today  

Leeds Gaming Market: https://leedsgamingmarket.com/

Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs

Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour

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

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Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour

Show notes

My Arcade Mini Sega Arcades: https://tinyurl.com/bderxanv
Road Rash Gets a Spiritual Successor: https://tinyurl.com/yc266zz7
Final Build of Cancelled Resident Evil Game Boy Color Port Discovered: https://tinyurl.com/2rfetz22
Roguecraft DX Comes to Retro Platforms: https://tinyurl.com/4pa8nc8j
Long-Lost Mega Drive Sequel to Pit Fighter Found: https://tinyurl.com/3knexpjd
The Sega Saturn Gets a New Miami Vice-Style Game in 2026: https://tinyurl.com/53nc55jj

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 obsession, why so many classic T2 games missed the mark, and how this project set out to put that right. From painstakingly recreating iconic film moments in pixel art, to difficulty balancing, licensing hurdles, hidden Easter eggs, and expanding the Future War beyond the film, this is the story of how the Terminator game fans always wanted finally became reality.  

Bitmap Bureau: https://www.bitmapbureau.com/

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 
55:33 - Terminator 2D: No Fate Interview 

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

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

Leeds Gaming Market: https://leedsgamingmarket.com/

Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs

Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour

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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https://www.patreon.com/retrohour

Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8

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Show notes

Sonic Lands on the Amiga: https://tinyurl.com/4rckwhvw
Celebrate 50 Years of Jaws: https://tinyurl.com/348uw48e
CES Retro Tech: https://tinyurl.com/3fwpynyh
Modder Creates Switch-Style Dock for the Nintendo 3DS: https://youtu.be/Kqn9QqYMQOM
The Iconic QuickShot II Joystick Returns in 2026: https://tinyurl.com/2p9pr8k9
Support for the Sega Dreamcast Web Browser Ends After 25 Years: https://tinyurl.com/4c9ppapc
Streets of Rage 2 New Era v3 Out Now: https://tinyurl.com/3xd8jrx3

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.

After Hours is where Dan, Ravi, and Joe loosen the ties a bit and go deeper into retro gaming and technology. Longer chats, more personal opinions, and plenty of nostalgia that doesn’t always fit into the main show.

This episode is a taste of what you get by joining our Patreon:
• Loads of extra perks
• A great way to support the podcast
• Gold members get instant access to 50+ After Hours episodes, with new episodes every month

👉 To sign up, head to theretrohour.com

In this episode:
Dan, Ravi, and Joe look back over the last three decades of gaming and tech, sharing their personal top 5 innovations that truly changed the game forever.

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

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

PLAY Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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:

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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 and plenty of tricky questions. Meanwhile, Dan, Ravi and Joe have each drafted in some of our wonderful Patrons to join their teams, because what’s Christmas without a bit of friendly competition and chaos?

Expect laughs, questionable answers, retro knowledge put to the test, and the all-important bragging rights as everyone battles it out to be crowned this year’s Retro Hour Christmas Super Quiz champions.

So grab a mince pie, pour yourself something festive, and settle in for a proper Christmas treat with the Retro Hour gang.

Merry Christmas to all our amazing listeners, we'll see you in 2026!

Paul Drury co-hosts The Ted Dabney Experience podcast – interviews with the leading lights and supporting cast of the Golden Age of Arcades: https://www.teddabneyexperience.com/

Check out Oliver Wilmot’s regular Yet Another Video Games Quiz at: https://www.facebook.com/anotherquiz

Namcos Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/namcos

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

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

PLAY Expo Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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:

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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 of the Year at the Australian Game Developer Awards. From swapping floppies in the schoolyard to creating retro-inspired adventures, and why the Sierra era still casts a long shadow over indie devs today. 

Powerhoof games: https://www.powerhoof.com/

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 
1:00:00 - Powerhoof Interview 

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

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

Leeds Gaming Market: https://leedsgamingmarket.com/

Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs

Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour

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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https://www.patreon.com/retrohour

Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8

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Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour

Show notes

My UFO Youth Book: https://tinyurl.com/42wdhyy7
Retrobrighting Causes More Harm Than Good?: https://youtu.be/_n_WpjseCXA
New Robin Hood Game for the C64 Impresses: https://tinyurl.com/rb7nj3ts
Rare Sonic Arcade Machine Goes to Auction: https://tinyurl.com/mfmd8c8f
Spectrum Gets a New FPS: https://tinyurl.com/wha2ztrd
M64 – A 4K FPGA Nintendo 64 Clone: https://tinyurl.com/5hcwhadn
Acorn RiscOS Classic Returns on Steam: https://tinyurl.com/4akjdct5
Windows 3.x Hotdog Stand Colour Scheme Origins: https://tinyurl.com/39x9nr7e