The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

545: Region Locked: The Untold Story of Australian Video Games – The Retro Hour EP545

The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

Show Notes

Australia gave the world pioneering adventures, cult classics and global hits,but much of its gaming history has been left out of the story. This week, we're joined by Region Locked creative lead Michael Refalo and veteran game designer John Passfield-co-creator of Halloween Harry, Flight of the Amazon Queen and TY the Tasmanian Tiger, to explore bedroom coding, cassette-tape publishing, The Hobbit’s groundbreaking parser, Beam Software reverse-engineering the NES, the infamous Power Glove and the games you never realised were Australian. Plus, discover how the new Region Locked documentary series plans to preserve these stories before bit rot, and time, erase them for good. Region Locked Kickstarter: https://lnk.ua/ueFZbW6cf Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories 53:42 – Region Locked 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! Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs PlayEXPO 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/retrohour Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8 Website: http://theretrohour.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/ X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour CeX Revisits Retro-Only Stores: https://lnk.ua/LT8x2d9DI Zeewolf Spiritual Successor Revealed: https://lnk.ua/vGAlWUAcE Lara Croft Statue in Derby: https://lnk.ua/yBaKkiM3R Fan-Made Donkey Kong Country 4: https://lnk.ua/0nxUrpxQ9 Multi-Mega Flash Cart Mod: https://lnk.ua/HsC93CDQr

More from The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

Oct 16, 2026

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Oct 10, 2026

GamesMaster legend Dominik Diamond joins us for a brand-new conversation recorded live at PLAY Expo in Blackpool. From landing the presenting job and meeting Patrick Moore just once to backstage rivalries, celebrity guests and the infamous Dave Perry fallout, Dominik shares hilarious and candid stories from the show that defined gaming TV in the ’90s. Plus, audience questions, his return to stand-up and an honest look at the pressures of overnight fame. Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories 49:54 – Dominik Diamond 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! Glasgow Gaming Market: https://lnk.ua/qa16qr9Yf 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 Website: http://theretrohour.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/ X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour Show notes Oliver Twins announce new Dizzy: https://lnk.ua/foh1kzQQA New Dizzy game announcement video: https://lnk.ua/IAR5e7mU3 House of the Dead VR: https://lnk.ua/z4Nyg4K1v Doom-style action on Commodore 64: https://lnk.ua/weBSRgtNS Doom64 gameplay video: https://lnk.ua/1fEmPhS0S Croc 2 remaster arrives soon: https://lnk.ua/hVVW7FEH0 RetroAchievements reach real PS2 hardware: https://lnk.ua/e640i6vy3

Oct 2, 2026

This week we’re joined by legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro, recorded live at Retromessa in Norway, for the story behind the iconic Streets of Rage soundtracks. From the club music that inspired those unforgettable beats to getting the most out of the Mega Drive, Yuzo shares how he helped shape the sound of Sega—and reveals his role designing moves and voicing characters in Streets of Rage 2! Plus, we talk Revenge of Shinobi, Sonic and his return to Mega Drive development with Earthion. Plus, Modern Vintage Gamer joins us for the news! MVG: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernVintageGamer/videos Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories 50:27 – Yuzo Koshiro 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! 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 Website: http://theretrohour.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/ X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour Show notes C64 and Spectrum handhelds delayed: https://lnk.ua/Y92W4t1J7 Super Mario 64 SNES port: https://lnk.ua/IzOyma94q Amiga Addams Family backgrounds edition: https://lnk.ua/guzIbbISR GoldenEye 007 goes third-person: https://lnk.ua/mPTCUlTqm Binky launches on C64: https://lnk.ua/My9oxsebG Lost SNES Railroad Tycoon footage: https://lnk.ua/hwttaGmyJ Real coin slot for emulators: https://lnk.ua/fxCnlQe5C

Sep 25, 2026

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/vLieP7PVA Contents: 00:00 – The Week’s Retro News Stories 55:50 – Yuzo Koshiro 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! Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com for all your PCB needs PlayEXPO 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/retrohour Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8 Website: http://theretrohour.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/ X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour Show notes Gun.Smoke Comes to Amiga: https://lnk.ua/9VVzy7Q1w Pixar vs Nintendo: https://lnk.ua/gtcZcmiay The Return of Motion Gaming: https://lnk.ua/jFAg9AEnd Crazy Taxi Netflix Film Announced: https://lnk.ua/AhvVYnhYS Matthew Smith Spectrum Collection: https://lnk.ua/0L1SD3zv3 Star Wars Trilogy on Dreamcast: https://lnk.ua/4KpQVGPUT

Sep 18, 2026

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/N6GM8pALm

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