This Week in Retro

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

Welcoming back guest Iain Lee (www.iainlee.com)  after too long away, we revisit Nintendo's all-too-brief commitment to low-cost crowd-pleasing mini consoles, explore the surprising history of videoconferencing and remote collaboration for Microsoft NetMeeting's 30th anniversary, and find out what made an octogenarian game developer sit down at the keys and settle unfinished business.

00:00 - Show Opening

05:54 - Why A Mini?
Story Link: https://nintendoeverything.com/former-nintendo-exec-confirms-nes-and-snes-classics-were-made-to-sustain-the-companys-business/

18:38 - See You Online
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhay6VryyvE
Microsoft memo: https://sriramk.com/memos/CU-NET.pdf

40:25 - Housekeeping - News links found below

47:03 - Head Over Heels 2
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SwQKv36bEU
Game release: https://thalamusdigital.itch.io/return-to-blacktooth-amiga 

55:12 - Community Question of the Week

🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!
https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinretro

🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/

Follow your hosts!
Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social

Youtube:
Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMA
Jason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers

Audio Podcast:
https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/

Subscribe to the audio version of the show!
📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4
📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y
📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com
📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337
📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml
📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro

This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles.

News In Brief Links

Ultima Underworld Unity: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/after-10-years-of-work-modders-have-remade-classic-rpg-ultima-underworld-in-unity-with-3d-models-new-sound-effects-and-controller-support

UU project: https://kweepa.itch.io/unity-underground

Lenovo handheld: ​​https://www.t3.com/tech/gaming-consoles/lenovo-pulls-its-controversial-g02-retro-handheld-from-sale-starting-a-chain-reaction-that-could-decimate-the-retro-gaming-market

Anbernic handheld spec: https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/handheld-gaming/gaming-handhelds-are-quietly-losing-ram-vendors-aggressively-trim-memory-specs-as-supply-dries-up

War of the Worlds: https://michel-molenaar.itch.io/war-of-the-worlds-c64

PD-64 power supply: https://github.com/sideprojectslab/PD-64

Dan Wood on Commodore OS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Lw-Zl7tCM

Commodore OS homepage: https://commodoreos.net

Amiag Unix 2.02 found: https://hackaday.com/2026/05/25/lost-version-of-amiga-unix-suddenly-reappears/

Amstrad PPC640 US edition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tt874nkplo

Rob Smith PaulaNET video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhAg-fT83o8

PaulaNET project: https://github.com/caddy666/Nebula32

Episode Credits

Parts of "Microsoft NetMeeting was WAY more important than you think" courtesy of The Serial Port.
See the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhay6VryyvE

Exclusive hardware development news caps a retro kit roundup this week which includes news of a MiSTer handheld from Heber along with updates on the PicoCPC, PicoIDE, and PicoGUS projects. In other news we take a closer look at reimagined Atic Atac and Wolfenstein 3D, and explore the many wild and wonderful corners of operating systems in the Virtual OS Museum.

00:00 - Show Opening

03:54 - Give Us A Hand Mister?
Story Link: https://youtu.be/arSnNwDQS2k
Wide Boy: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YxGXvZRs4UI

20:22 - Run (Almost) Every Operating System!
Story Link: http://virtualosmuseum.org

39:11 - Housekeeping - News links found below

44:33 - From 2D To 3D And Back
Story Link: https://stephensmith.itch.io/atic-atac-3d
Additional link: https://www.moddb.com/mods/isowulf 

57:34 - Community Question of the Week

🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!
https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinretro

🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/

Follow your hosts!
Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social

Youtube:
Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMA
Jason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers

Audio Podcast:
https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/

Subscribe to the audio version of the show!
📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4
📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y
📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com
📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337
📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml
📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro

This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles.

News In Brief Links

Autodesk EAGLE end of support: https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Autodesk-EAGLE-Announcement-Next-steps-and-FAQ.html

386 microcode: https://nand2mario.github.io/posts/2026/z386/

Amiga 500 receipt: https://i.redd.it/dhez6wdhoq2h1.jpeg 

Atari ST clone "Raven": https://hackaday.com/2026/05/24/meet-the-raven-an-atari-clone-computer-based-on-the-motorola-68060/

S3 BIOS Snake: https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/pc-gaming/retro-enthusiast-injects-snake-game-into-vintage-s3-graphics-card-vbios-enjoy-some-serpentum-fun-while-your-old-pc-boots

Apple II clone laptop: https://8086cpu.com/Z80/6502/110.html

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

If you've had a hard time getting arcade cabinet purchases past "The Accountant" (as Chris affectionately calls Nicky) a new transformable design from furniture to fun on Kickstarter may be the solution. In addition to the marital politics of arcade ownership, this unprecedented episode of This Week in Retro also takes on the international politics of song through LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER's retro tech-themed contribution to Eurovision and the Australian politics of microcomputer innovation, which culminated in "The Matilda." All this, a Minty Cyberdeck, a replacement for the Atari POKEY, and more!

ERRATA: Jason accidentally says "Atari 2600" at 19:22. He of course meant to say "Atari 600XL," the 16k microcomputer.

00:00 - Show Opening

01:47 - Small Solutions To Big Tech Problems
Story Link: https://newatlas.com/games/swap-arcade-gaming-system-folds-into-cabinet/
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/amat/swap-arcade-full-arcade-that-turns-into-a-furniture-cabinet/description 
Swap Arcade Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/amat/swap-arcade-full-arcade-that-turns-into-a-furniture-cabinet
Minty Cyberdeck: https://hackaday.io/project/205598-altoids-tin-mini-cyberdeck

14:34 - From Beetles to Bees
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idt-g_UQbqw
Aussie JSW: https://jswcentral.org/jsw48-a-59_aussiecousin.html

23:06 - Housekeeping - News links found below

28:16 - Look Mum, One Point!
Story Link: https://news.sky.com/story/who-is-look-mum-no-computer-the-electro-frankenstein-hoping-to-end-uks-eurovision-drought-13544400
Furby Organ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYLBjScgb7o

34:30 - Community Question of the Week

🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!
https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinretro

🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/

Follow your hosts!
Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social

Youtube:
Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMA
Jason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers

Audio Podcast:
https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/

Subscribe to the audio version of the show!
📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4
📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y
📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com
📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337
📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml
📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro

This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles.

News In Brief Links

Isometric Wolf3D: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S59w7Qeu9D4

Atic Atac 3D: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EofGuoLeSrQ

Vacuum tubes: https://hackaday.com/2026/05/11/the-vacuum-tubes-last-stands/

ThamesTV 1980s Computers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_IzLdfVK2k

Windows CE on Nintendo 64: https://hackaday.com/2026/05/17/running-windows-ce-on-the-nintendo-64/

Digital Press forums offline: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/05/thanks-for-destroying-your-own-legacy-quarter-century-of-online-gaming-history-vanishes-as-digital-press-forum-goes-dark

JUST_POKEY: https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=431

Infocom novels online: https://www.reddit.com/r/zork/comments/1tbv4cb/classic_zork_novels_now_in_ebook_format/

We take on a Sega myth, an Amiga delay, and debate the merits of the latest games enshrined in the Hall of Fame at The Strong Museum of Play. We're joined this week by Jo Cook of the UK Amstrad Group, holding its inaugural live user event next month. 

See https://www.ukag.org.uk/index.php/2026/01/08/more-info-on-the-june-uk-amstrad-group-meet for more information on the UKAG meet, and visit https://www.addict.media/ for your copy of Pixel Addict magazine.

00:00 - Show Opening

03:54 - Hall Of Fame Games
Story Link: https://www.museumofplay.org/exhibits/world-video-game-hall-of-fame/inducted-games/
Board games: https://www.ukag.org.uk/index.php/2026/05/09/retro-games-leave-the-screen-play-pac-man-level-ten-and-8bit-box-at-ukag/

27:19 - Old Masters Never Give Up
Story Link: https://www.xda-developers.com/the-sega-master-system-is-still-being-made-and-sold-in-brazil-37-years-later/

40:31 - Housekeeping - News links found below

44:44 - Merry Christmas Amigans
Story Link: https://www.facebook.com/THEC64andMoreByRetroGamesLtd

57:56 - Community Question of the Week

🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!
https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinretro

🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/

Follow your hosts!
Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social

Youtube:
Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMA
Jason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers

Audio Podcast:
https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/

Subscribe to the audio version of the show!
📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4
📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y
📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com
📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337
📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml
📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro

This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles.

News In Brief Links

Wolfenstein docs: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1t5jzp6/as_a_german_this_is_very_funny_to_me/

Melbourne House archives: https://old.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1t7zg94/former_melbourne_house_developer_surfaces_with/

Sierra game upscaling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Yp9S23ICo

AMD K5 support: https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/amds-legendary-k5-its-first-independently-designed-processor-is-being-removed-from-the-linux-kernel-4-3-million-transistor-chip-gets-the-axe-because-it-lacks-time-stamp-counter-tsc-support-making-it-a-coding-burden

Atari acquires Wizardry: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260506151146/en/Atari-Acquires-Rights-to-the-Legendary-Wizardry-RPGs

IcePi FPGA C64: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1t76ofv/icepizeroc64_tiny_and_fully_opensource_fpgabased/

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

Sports sim pioneer Kevin Toms (Football Star* Manager) is in the guest chair as we talk about the incredible staying power of 1982's blockbuster computer launches, the Commodore 64 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum, soon to be released in handheld format. We also look at the incredible R&D legacy of Xerox PARC, the impact of the BBC Computer Literacy Project, the latest from Commodore and FujiNet, a surprising workstation on FPGA, and a great deal more!

 

Check out Kevin's website for the latest Football Star* Manager info: https://kevintoms.games/

 

00:00 - Show Opening

06:40 - 1982 In The Palm Of Your Hand
Story Link: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/04/the-c64-and-zx-spectrum-are-being-reimagined-as-nintendo-style-clamshell-handhelds
C64C Ultimate: https://commodore.net/c-you-soon-commodore-64-ultimate-line-up-expands-with-c64c-edition-later-this-year/

33:27 - Zero For Xerox
Story Link: https://dfarq.homeip.net/how-xerox-invented-the-gui-and-lost-it/
Dramatization: https://youtu.be/VpY2fBitQcw

43:16 - Housekeeping - News links found below

48:58 - The Trojan Mouse
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZjNHnYFqOA

01:05:39 - Community Question of the Week

🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!
https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinretro

🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/

Follow your hosts!
Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social

Youtube:
Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMA
Jason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers

Audio Podcast:
https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/

Subscribe to the audio version of the show!
📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4
📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y
📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com
📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337
📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml
📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro

This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles.

News In Brief Links

Open source PC-DOS 1.0: https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-open-sources-dos-1-0-much-more-than-the-code/

The end of Ask: https://mashable.com/article/ask-jeeves-shut-down

FujiNet firmware update:  https://fujinews.substack.com/p/major-firmware-update-from-the-fujinet

The 7th Guest remake trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwA5q-oDT3k

Windows 9x Subsystem For Linux: https://codeberg.org/hails/wsl9x

Apple Lisa on FPGA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jNQDcpHc68

Lego Sega Genesis: https://segabits.com/blog/2026/05/01/lego-sega-releasing-sega-genesis-console-on-june-1/

Galaxian3 emulator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH3uyB_WhEo

Episode Credits

"Commodore 16" by Marcin Wichary is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.