The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

This week, we’re joined by legendary game designer Warren Spector to explore the stories behind Ultima, Deus Ex and Epic Mickey. From the Dungeons & Dragons session that changed his life to John Romero’s offer to make his dream game, Warren shares how he championed player freedom, why Deus Ex almost became a Command & Conquer RPG, and what working with Mickey Mouse meant to him.Paul Drury's The Arcade book: https://lnk.ua/vLieP7PVAContents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories55:50 – Yuzo Koshiro InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsPlayEXPO Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesGun.Smoke Comes to Amiga: https://lnk.ua/9VVzy7Q1wPixar vs Nintendo: https://lnk.ua/gtcZcmiayThe Return of Motion Gaming: https://lnk.ua/jFAg9AEndCrazy Taxi Netflix Film Announced: https://lnk.ua/AhvVYnhYSMatthew Smith Spectrum Collection: https://lnk.ua/0L1SD3zv3Star Wars Trilogy on Dreamcast: https://lnk.ua/4KpQVGPUT

Recorded live at Retromessa in Norway, we sit down with legendary video game composer Yuzo Koshiro for part one of our conversation, exploring his Nintendo years. From his earliest piano lessons to the orchestral sounds of ActRaiser, the infectious grooves of Super Adventure Island and the worlds of Etrian Odyssey and Super Smash Bros., Yuzo shares the stories and influences behind his music. Plus, audience questions uncover his favourite games, the origins of his YK2 alias and a contribution to Terranigma he’d forgotten he made!Slope's Book Kickstarter: https://lnk.ua/N6GM8pALmContents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories54:46 – Yuzo Koshiro InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsPlayEXPO Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesNeo Geo AES+ Delayed: https://lnk.ua/lorIBnZ5QNew Lotus Trilogy Remake: https://lnk.ua/NbvwYx8suRPCS3 Adds Physical Disc Support: https://lnk.ua/xkdGOKL4zRare’s Project Dream Leaks Online: https://lnk.ua/15LPiFgPBOcarina of Time Remake: https://lnk.ua/Z0YTZRr2ZMetal Slug Collection Hits Switch: https://lnk.ua/nXKpK6iQA

How do you turn a handful of pixels into one of gaming’s most recognisable characters? Recorded live at RetroMessa 2026, Dan and Joe meet illustrator Duncan Gutteridge, whose hand-painted artwork helped define Sonic’s European image during SEGA’s 16-bit glory years. Duncan recalls reimagining Sonic 2, creating artwork for Sonic 3 and Knuckles, working with airbrushes, phones and fax machines, and enjoying a level of creative freedom that would be almost unthinkable today. He also reveals the fate of his long-lost original Sonic paintings.Amiga Bill Links: Twitch.tv/AmigaBillhttps://YouTube.com/@AmigaBillhttps://AmigaBill.tvTwitch.tvContents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories1:06:00 – Duncan Gutteridge InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsPlayEXPO Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesNew Doom-Style Shooter for 3DO:  https://lnk.ua/znInXLNwMGTA Arrives on Amiga:  https://lnk.ua/ERRtnHKLkPortrait Ridge Racer Port:  https://lnk.ua/m0xu68aPxNew 4:3 Retro Gaming Monitor:  https://lnk.ua/PZX3RS7zKLEGO PlayStation 1 Set Revealed:  https://lnk.ua/fAPHMgWXiPortal Demake Arrives on GBA:  https://lnk.ua/QqQkLQGr5

It's Ravi's final episode of the podcast, we give him a good send off!  Plus, we bring you our Best of British panel from RetroMessa, featuring Mike Dailly (DMA Design), Glen O'Connell (Psygnosis), Duncan Gutteridge (Sega UK) and Brian Watson (DMA Design) for a panel discussion about British gaming history, iconic games and the moments that helped shape an entire era.Contents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories1:05:50 – Best of BritishPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsPlayEXPO Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesSonic Demo Lands on Amiga: https://lnk.ua/Ifux6frxr  Terranigma Returns to Modern Hardware: https://lnk.ua/6ciLNoEyo  Cyberpunk 2077 C64 Coming Soon: https://lnk.ua/snpuA7Lj0  Fall From Space Features Arita: https://lnk.ua/6l5mCdvCs  Atari and Activision Reunite: https://lnk.ua/0V34uriWa  New Mega Drive Arcade Controller: https://lnk.ua/DAfat7AK3  Zool Collection Coming to Jaguar: https://lnk.ua/P4xQT4jFNPillow Fort Album Hits GBA: https://lnk.ua/zxB3hMk3R  

Veteran game designer Richard Rouse III joins us to revisit his journey from Bungie’s early Macintosh games to Centipede 3D and The Suffering. He reveals how the horror classic found its prison setting, blended action with psychological storytelling, and remembered players’ moral choices, plus the stories behind its lost sequel and unmade movie.Contents:00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories39:42 – Richard Rouse III InterviewPlease visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:Bitmap Books – https://www.bitmapbooks.comGo to https://surfshark.com/retrohour or use code RETROHOUR at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needsPlayEXPO Blackpool: https://www.playexpoblackpool.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/retrohourJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8Website: http://theretrohour.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/X: https://twitter.com/retrohourukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.comTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohourShow notesAlien Breed 35th Anniversary: https://lnk.ua/95kg65oJqGolden Axe TV Trailer: https://youtu.be/sStbBtfGaLACar Park Capital Arrives: https://lnk.ua/4ctQBSKZhMr. Nutz Gets Physical Reissue: https://lnk.ua/GnfzOfOeKTransformers-Style Fighting Game: https://lnk.ua/dDrswhf0C