This Week in Retro

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We celebrate the launch of PicoIDE, the all-in-one replacement for ATAPI CD-ROM and IDE hard drives by welcoming creator Ian Scott (polpo) to the show! Ian personally guides us through the underpinnings of PicoIDE, available for crowdfunding order now. Then we transition to tricky challenges in software preservation through the lens of Little Computer People and Alternate Reality: The City, and wrap up with a discussion on the charms of VHS videotape and CRT display, including the design of the all-in-one TV/VCR combo. We then share your top picks for new tech documentaries before sharing our latest Community Question of the Week!

00:00 - Show Opening

02:52 - High Quality CD Emulation Is Here! The PicoIDE
Story Link: https://picoide.com/
Additional link: https://www.crowdsupply.com/polpotronics/picoide

23:35 - Software Preservation Tough Truths
Story Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1qhx9z1/is_this_the_only_game_you_cant_really_emulate/
Additional links: https://archive.org/details/apple_ii_library_4am
https://www.hvsc.c64.org

46:21 - Housekeeping - News links found below

54:02 - Story Redacted
Story Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1qiso5v/a_new_vhs_combo_tv_thats_perfect_for_retro_gaming/
Additional link: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1qesxv3/retrobox_are_bringing_back_the_vhs_combo_crt_with/

01:05:23 - Community Question of the Week

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https://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social

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

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
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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

Amigathon 2026: amigathon.com

EB Aussie Stores News: https://press-start.com.au/news/2026/01/22/a-small-number-of-aussie-eb-games-stores-are-closing-but-theres-no-reason-to-worry/

EB Games Shovels Money Overseas: https://www.channelnews.com.au/real-concerns-as-eb-games-shovels-millions-offshore-as-losses-mount-and-stores-close/

The Retro Hour Interviews Norman Cool (Fatboy Slim): https://youtu.be/1-UOBjJjGuM

Atari ST Mini: https://preview.redd.it/pmh955lbypeg1.png?width=1363&format=png&auto=webp&s=42a33326774858870fe81b32bb06127339c42adc

More Atari ST Mini: https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/retro-gaming/atari-st-enthusiast-announces-the-minist-with-fpga-misterynano-core-and-black-tkl-case-priced-at-around-usd400-each-but-the-initial-run-is-a-mere-five-units

New TWIR Viewer Posts Message: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1qk8xlo/greetings_from_an_avid_watcher_and_twir_fan/

IBM Mwave: https://youtu.be/v1RmAd9iwwA?si=hNymBS4IFxpJJK-g

Australia's rich history of technological innovation gets the spotlight this week as Chris explores The State of Electronics, a channel dedicated to computing Down Under. Jason looks through the history of Leader Board golf and a comprehensive analysis of the "sunset-and-grids" aesthetic which has come to symbolise the 1980s, poking fun at international interpretation of the iconic Trapper Keeper along the way. And a treasure trove of Amiga Format magazines shared on the This Week in Retro subreddit sparks a discussion led by Dave of the golden age of tech publications. We conclude with listener submissions for the best era of Sega and wrap up with a brand new Community Question of the Week.

You can order the latest issue of Pixel Addict fresh and wrinkle free, with the optional physical cover-disk, direct from the source by visiting https://www.addict.media/

00:00 - Show Opening

01:57 - Australian Computer History Docos
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/@StateofElectronics/videos

14:50 - Golf & Grids
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_bBkKo8b74

Additional links:
https://bit.ly/TWIRGuide

31:46 - Housekeeping - News links found below

39:25 - Amiga Doormat
Story Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1qdulaa/an_unexpected_find_during_my_evening_run_in/

50:02 - 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/@jpcompton

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

Diego 500: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv5Qtoq5rqs

Win 98 NVME Driver: https://youtu.be/YUoJS2xXRmQ

GOG & Linux: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/its-such-poor-quality-software-gog-owner-criticises-windows-says-it-will-support-linux-better-in-the-future/

Floppy Drive Remote: https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/12/danish_dev_floppy_drive_remote/

Nintendo Virtual Boy: https://youtube.com/watch?v=jW7M8H99x7Y&si=9G2boXwsEB5j17DG

BBC Explains Digital TV: https://youtu.be/pWTvplkBeNM?si=JAd5xzU5C0D8xiK8

Acorn Electron Plus 1 Mini : https://www.tindie.com/products/ramtopretro/plus-1-mini-expansion-for-acorn-electron/

EB Stores in New Zealand To Close: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/584037/all-eb-games-stores-in-nz-to-close-at-end-of-month

It's a bonanza of stand-up arcade feature stories this week. Will Basic Fun! give Arcade1Up a powerful next stage? We also remember the life and career of Sega legend David Rosen and look at the latest in miniature cabinets from My Arcade including Sonic the Hedgehog, Galaga, Pac-Man, and Atari hits. In other news a Sega racer achieves a rare trifecta on the show, the origins of PCMCIA are discussed, and we follow up on Stunt Car (Track) Racer and Freescape from last week's show.

You can order the latest issue of Pixel Addict fresh and wrinkle free, with the optional physical cover-disk, direct from the source by visiting https://www.addict.media/

00:00 - Show Opening

02:15 - Arcade2Up
Story Link: https://insider-gaming.com/arcade1up-reportedly-closing-operations-very-soon/

18:18 - Sad Duties To Inform
Story Link: https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jan/05/sega-co-founder-david-rosen-dies

Additional links:
https://bsky.app/profile/playhistory.bsky.social/post/3mbwx2gijrc27
https://memoritree.com/memorial/david-m-rosen
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/console/obituary-sega-co-founder-david-rosen-has-passed-away-at-age-95
https://www.replaymag.com/segas-dave-rosen-passes-on-christmas-day-in-l-a/
https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/05/hpux_end_of_life/
https://www.osnews.com/story/144094/hp-ux-hits-end-of-life-today-and-im-sad/

29:46 - Housekeeping - News links found below

39:03 - Is Bigger Better?
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0tjYCw4yjM

50:35 - 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/@jpcompton

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

PicoPCMCIA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-04EoGlayY

GX4000 One Good Game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlfarIWjfGQ

1972 Computer Giveaway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRc5BXn_SsE

Amiga Mouse Pointers: https://heckmeck.de/pointers/ 

1999 Retro Consoles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3p76ryEb_c

Amiga Sprite Trick: https://www.techeblog.com/amiga-sprite-mechanics-snes-hardware/

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

In this milestone 250th episode of This Week in Retro, we celebrate that the more things change, the more they stay the same. A revival of Geoff Crammond's Stunt Car Racer is our top story. That's just the tip of the iceberg in what was a very big week for fans of his game design work. In other news the set-top boxes of the 1990s and early 2000s get another look: the lost treasures of The Sega Channel have been preserved for modern-day Mega Drive/Genesis players, and recent developments have helped WebTV users but hurt those who get their websites from the Sega Dreamcast's PlanetWeb browser. And we remember Stewart Cheifet, the long-time producer and host of The Computer Chronicles.

00:00 - Show Opening

03:07 - Hump Back Is Back
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rFJUb7GQyM - Stunt Car Racer Remake
on The New Retro Show

16:17 - New Life For Old Browsers
Story Link: https://hackaday.com/2025/12/30/microsofts-webtv-is-being-revived-by-fans/

30:37 - Housekeeping - News links found below

38:16 - Cable TV Relics Restored
Story Link: https://gamehistory.org/segachannel/

49:38 - 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/@jpcompton

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

Stewart Cheifet obituary: https://computerchronicles.blog/post/stewart-cheifet-1938-2025

Commodore 64 Ultimate experiences: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1ppdwec/c64u_is_here/

Ben Versteeg passage notice: https://www.reddit.com/r/zxspectrum/comments/1pqubkw/sad_news_good_bye_ben/

Amiga Desktops Worth Seeing: https://www.datagubbe.se/wbshots/

Geoff Crammond F1GP news: https://www.gamespress.com/MicroProse-and-Geoff-Crammond-Reunite-to-Revive-a-Racing-Legend

Mark Moxon's disassembly of Geoff Crammond's The Sentinel: https://github.com/markmoxon/the-sentinel-source-code-bbc-micro

As per tradition, here are some of the unseen bits and out-takes from This Week In Retro in 2025. Audio only listeners, you might get more from this by heading over to the video version on YouTube!

 

Thanks for watching, your support continues to humble and amaze us. 

We will be back with episode 250 soon. 

🏆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/@jpcompton

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.