Best Retro Hour Retro Gaming Podcasts (2025)

1
498: “Arcade Lessons, Nintendo Secrets, and Omega 6” – Takaya Imamura & Junji Seki - The Retro Hour EP498 1:05:14

Play Pause

5d ago1:05:14

1:05:14

This week we hear part two of our chat with Nintendo legend Takaya Imamura and game director Junji Seki. We hear about the creation of Omega 6: The Triangle Stars, blending manga, classic adventure game engines, and even a rock-paper-scissors battle system. Imamura reflects on his decades at Nintendo, from the high-stakes launch of the Switch to br…

1
Mike McFeely (Forum of Fargo-Moorhead columnist) sizes up NDSU-USD, Wentz's chances of becoming QB1 for Vikings 40:36

24m ago40:36

40:36

Are we there yet? The first Missouri Valley Football Conference actual conference game is on Saturday, and it also happens to be one of the Top 5 "must see" matchups most FCS experts pegged before the season started. So, after a month of non-conference bludgeonings for No. 1 North Dakota State (by a combined 138-17) and slipping, sliding, and recov…

1
Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast: USD-NDSU, SDSU-Mercyhurst, USF, Augie, Metro preps 54:34

1h ago54:34

54:34

Are we there yet? The first Missouri Valley Football Conference actual conference game is on Saturday, and it also happens to be one of the Top 5 "must see" matchups most FCS experts pegged before the season started. So, after a month of non-conference bludgeonings for No. 1 North Dakota State (by a combined 138-17) and slipping, sliding, and recov…

1
FULL WEDNESDAY SHOW: Travis Johansen previews USD-NDSU and Iowa GOAT QB Chuck Long breaks down Mark Gronowski's first month with Hawkeyes 1:04:08

13h ago1:04:08

1:04:08

Let's just get down to business. No pussyfooting around. Happy Hour's weekly chat with South Dakota football coach Travis Johansen spends one opening question on the impressive 42-21 win over Drake — the Coyotes' second half defense after giving up just 87 total yards before halftime is a sore spot — and then barrels right into Saturday's showdown …

1
John-o-logue: SDSU's GOAT was never an Iowa goat. Just ask Iowa's GOAT. How good can Gronowski be? 7:38

13h ago7:38

7:38

Mark Gronowski could not have had a worse take-off as Iowa's quarterback. He stumbled and sputtered on the runaway when he was expected to soar immediately against FCS also-ran Albany, and that should be the expectation when you're Iowa's "Two Million Dollar Man." Then, after a 16-13 loss at Iowa when he didn't exactly fly smoothly through turbulan…

1
Iowa QB GOAT Chuck Long on Mark Gronowski's first four games, Iowa-Indiana, Ferentz era, Hayden Fry and the '85 Rose Bowl team 30:52

13h ago30:52

30:52

Iowa's all-time passing leader Chuck Long picks apart Gronowski's first four games in Iowa City. Long threw for over 10,000 yards for the Hawkeyes, culminating in a senior season where he guided the 1985 Hawkeyes to a win-for-the-ages over No. 1 Michigan en route to Hayden Fry's second Rose Bowl. After finishing second to Bo Jackson in Heisman Trop…

1
Travis Johansen previews what No. 1 NDSU has in store and how USD combats all of it 25:39

19h ago25:39

25:39

Let's just get down to business. No pussyfooting around. Happy Hour's weekly chat with South Dakota football coach Travis Johansen spends one opening question on the impressive 42-21 win over Drake — the Coyotes' second half defense after giving up just 87 total yards before halftime is a sore spot — and then barrels right into Saturday's showdown …

1
BONUS - L.A. Noire Game Club - Solving cases in 1940's post war Los Angeles 1:22:38

15h ago1:22:38

1:22:38

Join SityClicker, afk2chat (from afk2chat podcast), and VGHH community members Jairoe and ESP for a deep dive into the different cases, desks, and story of L.A. Noire. Find afk2chat here: https://www.youtube.com/@AFKtochat Join our Discord where you can chat with us about games and to join our gaming events: https://discord.com/invite/REvJr4wMjg Wa…

1
NLA: Zim on Yotes-Bison, SDSU post-bye week, Wentz & Vikings QB controversy coming?, NFL Today retro show, Canaries "choked" 1:03:01

1d ago1:03:01

1:03:01

Missouri Valley Conference football play starts with a bang. We think. No. 17 South Dakota's visit to No. 1 North Dakota State was a definite Top 5 "circle this on the calendar" in the offseason, considering the Coyotes' "we have arrived" comeback win over in last season's finale to share the MVFC title with the Bison and South Dakota State. Plus, …

1
FULL MONDAY SHOW: Dan Jackson, Canaries veterans Jabari Henry & Mike Hart, and Monday Afternoon QB Kurtiss Riggs on all things Wentz/Vikings, NFL, USD-NDSU, and prep football 1:48:04

3d ago1:48:04

1:48:04

Has Carson Wentz wedged himself into any quarterback controversy in Minnesota after the Vikings throttled the Bengals? Are the South Dakota Coyotes in any shape to even threaten steamrolling No. 1 North Dakota State after a sharp, convincing 42-21 win over the same Drake team that gave South Dakota State fits? How did SDSU coach Dan Jackson spend a…

1
Canaries veterans Jabari Henry and Mike Hart after thrilling championship series, heartbreaking Game 5 loss 19:48

3d ago19:48

19:48

It was a roller coaster of emotions for the Sioux Falls Canaries and their thunderous throng of Birdcage faithful over three nights of league championship baseball in Sioux Falls. The Birds undoubtedly won over Sioux Falls sports fans with three rock 'em, sock 'em games and being so close to their first title in 17 years, they could taste it. Then,…

1
John-o-logue: Maybe USD's timing is right for NDSU, Wentz Fever needs a reality check, and how to process Canaries' title heartbreak with veterans Jabari Henry and Mike Hart 35:34

3d ago35:34

35:34

Has Carson Wentz wedged himself into any quarterback controversy in Minnesota after the Vikings throttled the Bengals? Are the South Dakota Coyotes in any shape to even threaten steamrolling No. 1 North Dakota State after a sharp, convincing 42-21 win over the same Drake team that gave South Dakota State fits? How did SDSU coach Dan Jackson spend a…

1
Kurtiss Riggs on Wentz, NFC North, sputtering Chiefs, USD-NDSU, Gronowski/Iowa, Augie/USF, HSFB 55:44

3d ago55:44

55:44

Lifelong fan Carson Wentz starting for the Vikings and throwing a couple touchdown passes in 48-10 win in Minneapolis was an awesome story on Sunday. But what do we actually make of Wentz as an NFL quarterback after that performance, and if he is regular starting material? Should Kevin O'Connell bring back J.J. McCarthy when the franchise QB is rea…

1
Dan Jackson on watching CFB during bye week, analytics vs gut, "Improvement Week," and Mercyhurst 16:46

3d ago16:46

16:46

So, how does a college football head coach spend his Saturday on a bye week? The answer is likely as different as the personalities of hundreds of coaches all over the country, but you'll get the flavor of a Dan Jackson Saturday in our weekly chat with South Dakota State's head coach. Among the topics: Favorite podcasts Which CFB games he watched o…

1
Xbox Raises Prices, Borderlands 4 Performance Controversy, VGHH One Year Anniversary, and more! 1:32:44

3d ago1:32:44

1:32:44

Join the full Video Game Happy Hour crew as we celebrate our one-year anniversary! We're talking about everything we've been playing lately—from Skate to Borderlands 4 and the new Indiana Jones: The Order of Giants DLC. Plus, we're diving deep into the Borderlands 4 performance controversy and discussing the latest Xbox price hike. 00:00:00 Intro a…

1
FULL THURSDAY SHOW - USD RB "Mr. 300" L.J. Phillips, Huskers legend & Augie football dad Rob Zatechka, and Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast from Orion Pub 2:07:18

7d ago2:07:18

2:07:18

Where did that come from? L.J. Phillips burst seemingly out of nowhere to rumble for 301 yards in South Dakota's absolutely-had-to-have-this overtime win over Northern Colorado on Saturday. The backup running back to All-American Charles Pierre, Jr., to start the 2025 campaign came within seven yards of breaking Amos Allen's 18-year-old school reco…

1
Huskers football legend/podcaster & Augustana football dad "Dr. Rob" Zatechka on Nebraska's big game, the Rhule era, and how Augie's culture reminds him of Tom Osborne's teams 59:03

7d ago59:03

59:03

It's time to talk Augustana and Nebraska football with an Augie parent and Husker legend, "Dr. Rob" Zatechka, an Omaha anesthesiologist who blocked for Big Red legends Tommie Frazier and Lawrence Phillips on NU's 1994 national championship team and hosts the wildly popular "Husker Doc Talk" podcast. Zatechka marvels at both the talent and culture a…

1
Thirsty Thursday (local) Football Forecast with Trent Singer! 33:51

6d ago33:51

33:51

Will Drake give the Coyotes the same fits the Bulldogs gave the Jackrabbits last week? Are Augustana and USF Vikings on a collision course for a "battle of undefeateds" in the Key to the City Game in two weeks? And can the Jefferson Cavaliers — now head coached by the man who called plays for Lincoln's back-to-back state championship juggernaut off…

1
USD's "Mr. 300" L.J. Phillips on seizing the moment, his Big 12 recruitment, going from "chubby" OL to RB, bond with Charles Pierre, and his famous NFL cousin 34:26

7d ago34:26

34:26

Where did that come from? L.J. Phillips burst seemingly out of nowhere to rumble for 301 yards in South Dakota's absolutely-had-to-have-this overtime win over Northern Colorado on Saturday. The backup running back to All-American Charles Pierre, Jr., to start the 2025 campaign came within seven yards of breaking Amos Allen's 18-year-old school reco…

1
Canaries legend Jabari Henry on chasing a title, clutch "Bari Bombs," Birds' big turnaround 26:41

8d ago26:41

26:41

He doesn't want to think about it. But how can he not? Over the next two games at The Birdcage on Thursday and Friday (maybe Saturday), the Canaries all-time GOAT and American Association's career home run king Jabari Henry has a chance to deliver Sioux Falls its first American Association league championship in 17 years, and second ever in the mos…

1
Travis Johansen on "resilient" win, Mr. 300 L.J. Phillips, passing game struggles, O-line, defense Drake 32:41

8d ago32:41

32:41

Do the South Dakota Coyotes look like the national championship contender they plainly stated they wanted to be — and many FCS experts thought they would be — before this 2025 season started? Nope. Far from it, as anyone who has watched their offensively-challenged 1-2 start can plainly see. Why? Head coach Travis Johansen joined Happy Hour host Jo…

1
NLA: Zim on "underwhelming" Jacks win, Yotes' season-saving (?) win, Wentz starting for Vikings, Canaries title chase, Sanford International 1:13:29

9d ago1:13:29

1:13:29

So far in this young football season, the Jackrabbits, Coyotes, and Vikings offenses — to varying degrees — continue to struggle to explode for big plays and satisfying full-game performances. At times, they implode. In the Yotes and Vikings cases, for full games. Gee, if only there was a local team to watch right now, in-person!, that has provided…

1
FULL MONDAY SHOW: Dan Jackson, Kurtiss Riggs, and the offensive issues of the Jacks, Yotes, and Vikings 1:28:27

10d ago1:28:27

1:28:27

Dan Jackson loves a good fight, and even more so loves one particular all-time world boxing champion. The first-year South Dakota State football coach made it home from Saturday's underwhelming 37-21 win over Drake on Saturday night to watch fellow Omaha native Terrance "Bud" Crawford capture another world title via 12-round decision. Before the Ja…

1
John-o-logue: McCarthy out vs Bengals / Jacks, Yotes, Vikings in same situation / Canaries playing for league title / Another successful Sanford International 25:09

10d ago25:09

25:09

Wait, what? Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is ruled out (sprained ankle) for Minnesota's game on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Head coach Kevin O'Connell cited an ankle sprain. Can we take this injury at face value or is it a "soft benching" as Minnesota picks up the pieces from a brutal loss to Atlanta and faces a Bengals squ…

1
Kurtiss Riggs on SDSU, USD, NDSU, UND, Gronowski, DeBoer/Alabama, McCarthy 37:23

9d ago37:23

37:23

Every Monday during the football season, Happy Hour host John Gaskins will be joined for a breakdown of local football at all levels with veteran local college and prep TV analyst Kurtiss Riggs — the well-connected director of the Sanford Academy's football program and 11-time professional indoor championship coach of the Sioux Falls Storm. This we…

1
Dan Jackson on Drake win, finding more offensive explosion, Mason, defense, "improvement week" 25:56

10d ago25:56

25:56

Dan Jackson loves a good fight, and even more so loves one particular all-time world boxing champion. The first-year South Dakota State football coach made it home from Saturday's underwhelming 37-21 win over Drake on Saturday night to watch fellow Omaha native Terrance "Bud" Crawford capture another world title via 12-round decision. Before the Ja…

1
Borderlands 4, Nintendo Direct, Indiana Jones: The Order of Giants DLC, and more! 1:38:14

10d ago1:38:14

1:38:14

Ready for the hot takes? The Video Game Happy Hour crew is back with their initial impressions on Borderlands 4 and the new Indiana Jones: The Order of Giants DLC. Plus, we've got the lowdown on the latest Nintendo Direct, and you'll hear Savral's wild defense for his latest GameStop trip! 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:43 Borderlands 4 00:29:49 Gunfire Rebo…

1
FULL THURSDAY SHOW: John Stiegelmeier & the Local Football Forecast 2:10:16

13d ago2:10:16

2:10:16

It's good to be South Dakota State football legend John Stiegelmeier these days, now in his third football season as a retiree. And it's a treat to spend an hour with him to catch up. The football program he toiled for 35 years and eventually turned into an FCS national champion celebrated a monster road win at Montana State on Saturday, and he is …

1
497: “We Wanted Ocarina’s Opposite - That’s Why Majora’s Mask Got So Dark” - Takaya Imamura Interview - The Retro Hour EP497 1:25:30

13d ago1:25:30

1:25:30

This week we welcome Nintendo legend Takaya Imamura, the visionary artist behind F-Zero, Star Fox, and Majora’s Mask. We hear some incredible stories from his three decades at Nintendo: from being interviewed by Shigeru Miyamoto, to creating Captain Falcon on a whim, to the wild one-year crunch that gave birth to Majora’s Mask. He reveals how a shr…

1
Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast (local college & prep) with John & Trent from Orion Pub! 1:07:03

14d ago1:07:03

1:07:03

What didn't look like a big game on the schedule before the season kicked off is all of a sudden a massive game for the South Dakota Coyotes. Now 0-2 after an ugly road loss at unranked Lamar in which USD mustered just three second half points, the Coyotes finally get a home game in the comfy confines of the Dakota Dome against an unranked FCS team…

1
John Stiegelmeier (FULL) on Jacks' 2-0 start, Jackson, Mason, Nate White, Eck (New Mexico), Jimmy Rogers' (WSU), SD Sports Hall of Fame induction 1:03:14

14d ago1:03:14

1:03:14

It's good to be South Dakota State football legend John Stiegelmeier these days, now in his third football season as a retiree. And it's a treat to spend an hour with him to catch up. The football program he toiled for 35 years to eventually turned into an FCS national champion celebrated a monster road win at Montana State on Saturday, and is he e…

1
FULL WEDNESDAY SHOW: Travis Johansen (USD), Mike Meyer (Canaries) and why it's not Mark Gronowski's fault (it's Kirk Ferentz's fault) 1:04:17

15d ago1:04:17

1:04:17

Poor Mark Gronowski. South Dakota State's two-time national championship, Walter Payton Award quarterback is getting dragged through the mud by Iowa fans and national pundits alike. The "Two Million Dollar Man" has thrown for the fewest passing yards (127) by a Big Ten quarterback through his first two games. Ever. By 50 yards. He pilots a Hawkeye …

1
John-o-logue: Blame Ferentz for Gronowski's record ineptitude, a challenge for USD football fans, and is this it for Canaries legend Jabari Henry? 24:25

15d ago24:25

24:25

Poor Mark Gronowski. South Dakota State's two-time national championship, Walter Payton Award quarterback is getting dragged through the mud by Iowa fans and national pundits alike. The "Two Million Dollar Man" has thrown for the fewest passing yards (127) by a Big Ten quarterback through his first two games. Ever. By 50 yards. He pilots a Hawkeye …

1
Canaries manager Mike Meyer on EPIC playoff series comeback & being two wins away from the league championship series 17:49

15d ago17:49

17:49

Sports do not get much sweeter, if not sappier, than the too-corny-for-movies way the Sioux Falls Canaries took down their league's best team, the Sioux City Explorers, on the road in the first round of the playoffs. Having been flattened 5-0 at home in Game 1 and then nine outs away from their season coming to a crushing end (down 5-2 in the seven…

1
Travis Johansen on USD's loss at Lamar, "growth in the building," and urgency for a win (and big crowd) in home opener 22:03

15d ago22:03

22:03

It is one thing to field 20 minutes of questions about your football team if it has started 2-0 and scored a dramatic, massive road win against one of the top programs and most hostile environments in the country. It is another thing to field over 20 minutes of questions after a mistake-filled, offensively sputtering 20-13 road loss to an unranked …

1
NLA: Zim on SDSU's Montana conquest, J.J. McCarthy's debut win, Gronowski/Hawkeye hiccups, USD's struggles, "Phillies Karen" 1:01:16

16d ago1:01:16

1:01:16

Winners win, because that's what winners do. That has been the slogan for University of Sioux Falls football ever since Bob Young started the 30-year tradition of winning seasons — with only one exception — 30 years ago. It is a slogan Kalen DeBoer, then a USF star receiver, carried into his 67-3 head coaching stint after replacing Young in 2005 an…

1
FULL MONDAY SHOW - Dan Jackson, Sam Herder (FCS HERO Sports), and John on why SDSU's win was all-timer while Bouman & Gronowski look lost 1:37:38

17d ago1:37:38

1:37:38

Welcome to college football head coaching, Dan Jackson! Or, perhaps we should say, "Welcome to Dan Jackson, college football!" The No. 2-ranked Jackrabbits' new field boss is 2-0 after a thrilling, "gritty" gut check double overtime win at No. 3 Montana State on Saturday night, a game he says he and SDSU players will remember the rest of their live…

1
John-o-logue: SDSU & Canaries score two of the greatest wins in team history, while Bouman and Gronowski struggle again 44:49

17d ago44:49

44:49

Why does John call the Jacks' win in Bozeman one of the greatest in SDSU history, and consider Chase Mason already a "star?" What boxes did the Jacks check to be considered a national title contender again? What do we make of two struggling quarterbacks of local interest — USD's Aidan Bouman and Iowa's Mark Gronowski — after they and their offensiv…

1
Sam Herder (FCS Hero Sports) on SDSU's win at MSU, USD's Lamar loss, FCS big picture, end of spring transfer portal 33:54

17d ago33:54

33:54

While it was a thrilling, inspiring win for SDSU, how does an objective observer of the FCS view the Jackrabbits' journey to Bozeman? Veteran FCS reporter, writer and podcaster Sam Herder of HERO Sports made the trip and describes the atmosphere, how both teams played, and what the victory means going forward for SDSU and the entire subdivision. Ho…

1
Dan Jackson on Montana State win, overcoming 8 months of adversity, Mason, defense, special teams 18:55

17d ago18:55

18:55

Welcome to college football head coaching, Dan Jackson! Or, perhaps we should say, "Welcome to Dan Jackson, college football!" The No. 2-ranked Jackrabbits' new field boss is 2-0 after a thrilling, "gritty" gut check double overtime win at No. 3 Montana State on Saturday night, a game he says he and SDSU players will remember the rest of their live…

1
Hollow Knight Silksong, Hell Is Us, Cronos The New Dawn, and more! 1:49:17

18d ago1:49:17

1:49:17

Want the scoop on this weeks most hyped new games? The Video Game Happy Hour crew gives their initial impressions on Hollow Knight Silksong, Hell Is Us, and Cronos The New Dawn. Tune in to hear about Savral's epic GameStop visit and see if w0nda has sold his soul to Xbox! 00:00 Intro 00:05:03 W0nda gets an Xbox? 00:19:45 Hell is Us 00:49:55 Hollow …

51
496: "The SID Chip Was My First Love” - Jeroen Tel: Maniacs of Noise - The Retro Hour EP496 1:24:09

19d ago1:24:09

1:24:09

This week we catch up with legendary C64 composer Jeroen Tel of Maniacs of Noise fame. Jeroen takes us back to the early days of programming music directly in machine code, pushing the SID chip to its limits, and soundtracking classics like Cybernoid, Hawkeye, Supremacy, and Turbo OutRun. From cracktros and demo parties, we hear the story of some o…

1
FULL THURSDAY SHOW: Chase Mason, USF's Coach Glo & The Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast from Orion Pub 1:54:59

21d ago1:54:59

1:54:59

Ask Chase Mason about his performance in his first career South Dakota State start, or about his cohesion with a lot of other new starters on his offense, or Montana State's defense — you know, standard game week interview fare — and he gives thoughtful yet concise answers. Ask the Jackrabbits' uber-talented quarterback about what new head coach Da…

1
Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast Week 2 with Trent Singer 58:11

20d ago58:11

58:11

Happy Hour host John Gaskins and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer saddle up at The Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls to sink their teeth into this local college and high school football matchups and make predictions: South Dakota State at Montana South Dakota at Lamar Northern State at Sioux Falls Jamestown at Augustana Iowa at Iowa State…

1
Chase Mason on MSU showdown, his first start, gelling with offense, Dan Jackson, and Nate White's legacy & impact on Jacks 26:54

21d ago26:54

26:54

Ask Chase Mason about his performance in his first career South Dakota State start, or about his cohesion with a lot of other new starters on his offense, or Montana State's defense — you know, standard game week interview fare — and he gives thoughtful yet concise answers. Ask the Jackrabbits' uber-talented quarterback about what new head coach Da…

1
USF coach Jim Glogowski on opening win, QB Camden Dean, things to improve, Northern State 29:21

21d ago29:21

29:21

It was no Mona Lisa, that University of Sioux Falls 27-21 season-opening victory at Black Hills State last Thursday. As third-year USF head coach Jim Glogowski puts it, the win was more like your little kid's finger painting. Messy, but it makes you proud enough to hang on the refridgerator. That is a classic glimpse into "Coach Glo." He had a few …

1
FULL WEDNESDAY SHOW: Travis Johansen, SDSU-MSU a future FBS showdown(?), Jeff Fylling on 40 years as the Voice of Augie 2:03:38

22d ago2:03:38

2:03:38

Hooray! A premier Top 5 FCS showdown on Saturday — No. 3 South Dakota State at No. 2 Montana State! The best of what FCS has to offer will be on display in Bozeman, Montana: Two regular national title contenders locking horns in the latest chapter of a heated rivalry with recent playoff history. But are the days of this being an FCS game numbered? …