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Podcast Episode #64 - The 8-Bit Symphony with Rob Hubbard and Chris Abbott

Chris Abbott and Rob Hubbard are at it again! This time, they're working on the 8-Bit Symphony, a live concert featuring the Hull Philharmonic, celebrating the history of home computer gaming. They join AJ and Joerg for this special 64th episode to discuss bringing together this amazing project. (Interview starts at 22:27)

Posted by AJ on Apr 30, 2019 // Read more »

Video Interview with Paco Portalo

Paco Portalo is a computer games pioneer from Spain when he and his friends create the computer game "Bugaboo (The Flea)" in 1983 under "Indescomp". Originally done for the ZX Spectrum as this one was just released in UK. The game was published by Quicksilva and caused a kickstart of the "Golden Era of Spanish Software" in which Spain became the second largest 8 bit computer entertainment software producer in Europe (just behind UK). The game was also the first game to ever use animated non-interactive scenes (later coined as "cutscenes" by game designer Ron Gilbert in 1987 when this technique gained wide audience awareness due to his point & click adventure "Maniac Mansion") In this interview, Paco Portalo also talks about the beginning of computing in Spain, correcting Spanish computer game history in 2009 by writing the book Bugaboo, un hito en la Historia del software español by Francisco Portalo Calero.

Posted by Nafcom on Apr 22, 2019 // Read more »

Video Interview with John Mack

John Mack is the designer and graphic artist of the 1983 edutainment program "Operation:Frog" by Scholastic. It was the first of its kind in which you were tasked to either dissect or put together a frog. Learn all about this program and how it came to be.

Posted by Nafcom on Apr 19, 2019 // Read more »

Podcast Episode #63 - The Retro Hour with Dan Wood and Ravi Abbott

Dan Wood and Ravi Abbott host the amazingly popular Retro Hour Podcast, as well as having awesome YouTube channels of their own. AJ and Joerg talk to them about how they do it, keeping retro fresh, and we trade some fun podcasting stories. (Interview starts at 24:50)

Posted by AJ on Apr 08, 2019 // Read more »