The Retro Collective

Who didn't want a talking computer in the '80s? I know I did. It seemed so futuristic and enticing to imagine your machine chatting to you, what would it sound like, would it have a personality, would it be my friend? Today we face a bump back to reality.... it really wasn't that good!

Tony Warriner is one of the Co-Founders of Revolution Software, the team behind Beneath a Steel Sky, Lure of the Temptress and the Broken Sword series among many more AAA games. Today Tony shares with us is memories of getting into game development and making the games we loved.

The Toshiba Libretto was the smallest, full fat Pentium PC of its day. Part of a range launched in 1996, today we take a look at it, see if it worked and consider just how far we've come with portable devices since the '90s.

Today we chat with the team lead of SCUMMVM, a wonderful bit of sofware designed to preserve adventure games, recreating the engines and enhancing the games we love with patches, bug fixes and improvements to make them playable on modern platforms.

Steve Furber was the Principal Engineer on the BBC Micro computer as well as the ARM processor. Landmarks in computer history as well as a collosus in present day technology thanks to the adoption of ARM in most mobile devices. Today we have the pleasure of learning a little more about his contribution to technology.

You can find the Ultimate Joystick Interface here: https://backofficeshow.com/shop/ultim... This is not an affiliate or sponsored link/video, I'm just supporting the development of a device I like! Today we convert a Thrustmaster F22 Pro joystick from DB15 to USB using a new joystick interface developed by Dr Andrew Armstrong of the Back Office Show.

Hail to the King baby! Jon St. John is a professional voice actor who is best known in our circles as the voice of Duke Nukem. Today we learn about how he got the job and the impact of "being Duke" on his life.

The PSIO is a mod for your Playstation (PS1) which enables you to load games from an SD Card. Today we review the device and look at the installation method as well as it's features and suitability.

We're rounding off the BBC Micro Series with a live hang out and charity auction. Lets put the machine through its paces with a selection of games and educational titles while raising money for the charity MIND. A BBC Micro is up for auction with 100% of the sale going to MIND: Bid here - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333514032503 You can donate to MIND if you're watching after the stream using this link: https://www.mind.org.uk/donate/

Today we go back to 1992 and try to bring an Apple Powerbook 160 back to its former glory. Part of Apple's first laptop range this deserves some TLC rather than ending up in landfill so lets see what we can do.

We have raided the Swindon Museum of Computing and grabbed five rare British micro computers to show you today.

The dark ages of mobile technology were tough. We knew we wanted portability and convenience but the monolithic tech firms of the time were slow to deliver and left the door open for much needed competition from Apple, Samsung and Google to give us what we wanted. The Asus R2H is a relic from that period before the dawn. It is, the tablet Homer Simpson might have built.

Let's break the seal on this brand new copy of IBM PC DOS 2000, get it installed and learn all about the history of the software along the way! Was it just MS-DOS with a different name? Did IBM go the extra mile? And what on Earth was Microsoft Xenix? Time to find out!

The Memotech MTX512 is the rare british micro you wanted to see the most, so Keith and I spent the day taking one for a test drive and learning everything we could about it.

The PC Engine is a gloriously compact little machine, and its abilities could so easily be dismissed for being "just an 8bit machine", but it offers so much. I'm keen to get this repaired so that I can explore the exotic library of games for it and get better aquanted with a system that was never on sale in the UK. We had the TurboGrafx later.

Eben Upton of the Raspberry Pi Foundation (https://www.raspberrypi.org/) joins us today to tell us about the story of the Pi. From inception to launch and beyond. Grab a cuppa, it's time for a tea break.

We continue our PC Engine restoration today, focussing on the CD ROM2 unit and discovering more about the little 8-bit wonder console.

Richard Garriott is the man behind the legendary RPG series, Ultima. His part in the industry goes all the way back to 1979 with his first title Akalabeth. He went on to found Origin Systems with his brother Robert which gave us such titles as Wing Commander and System Shock. Today we learn about Richards history and his contribution to the video game industry.

You may remember these PC's from last year when I picked them up for a ridiculous £1.60 each and then didn't quite know what to do with them all. Well, now I have an idea! But first they are going to need some serious cleaning.

How can I buy one of these PC's or help the cause? 1. Check the ebay listings at: https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/retrobattlestations 2. The PC's will appear over the next 10 days as staggered auctions 3. Read the listing description carefully 4. Place your bids! And if you'd like to make a contribution to the cause then you can drop a donation to paypal.me/RMC. Leave a note to make it clear that it's for the charity pot and I'll donate 100% of donations, profit and ad revenue from these videos to the charity. The charity is Brighter Futures, they support the NHS (National Health Service) here in the UK including patients and staff. Thank you for supporting the cause!

The time has FINALLY come for me to get into 3D printing, I've been putting it off for so long, but now...it has arrived....and I have no idea what I'm doing. So I decided to make a video about my experience of setting up the Creality Ender 3 Pro, figuring out the software and getting my first 3D print out of it.

Now that I have a 3D printer, and have figured out how to use it....let's wrap up the PC Engine T2T series with a tasty RGB mod and some custom printing to finish it up.

Today Aaron Fothergill shares his history with us including creating games on the Amiga and Atari range of computers, how he broke into the industry, and where those experiences in the early days took him today. Grab a cuppa it's time for a teabreak!

What were the first games ever released on CD? Today we explore the technology, the games and the approaches taken to putting them on CD.

Following on from last weeks adventure in early CD Gaming today we test out the Codemasters CD Games Pack. How does it work, what's on it and is it any good!? Let's take it for a test drive.

Sam Battle shot to fame when he launched his YouTube channel in 2016 with creations such as the Furby Organ and flame throwing synth. It propelled his music and his personality into the spotlight and now allows him to tour the world making music with his mad creations. Today we chat with him about life on the channel @LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER

It's time to give some TLC to another old Micro in a Trash to Treasure series and this time I'm lucky enough to have an Amiga 4000. It doesn't look to be in too bad condition but we can still make it a whole lot better and use the opportunity to learn all about it along the way, so join me in a new T2T series. This is the Commodore Amiga 4000.

We resume our T2T series today by diving further into the history of the Commodore Amiga 4000 with the help of David Pleasance, former MD of Commodore UK, and turn our eye to the PSU to ensure our Amiga is fit and healthy for years to come.

Today we look at my new file server for The Cave, and what a glorious machine it is! Sent in by Ralph from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjUMKswgxj6MPeGs3a76DIw - He has combined a modern server build with a 1993 PC case with wonderful results.

Amazingly today former Senior Engineer at Commodore @Dave Haynie joins us to share his memories of the A4000, how it came to be developed and what it was like working for C=. We also recap the machine, give it a clean and see it in its final, restored form.

The NetVista auctions come to a close with this episode and what a great fundraiser it has been. We've raised over £3000 for local hospitals here in Wiltshire and some of the machines have made their way to LGR and CTRL-ALT-REES who have been showing them off on their own channels. These machines have given a lot of people a lot of joy. Today I upgrade the final *special* NetVista machine and take a trip down memory lane to enjoy the 3DFX games that wowed me back in the day.

The Husky FC486 is designed to take anything you can throw at it, or even throw it at. This rugged field computer feels indestructible, but what's it like to use? Today I look at, and, once we figure out how to actually make it work, take it for a test drive.

Lee Jackson is responsible for the theme tune to Duke Nukem 3D as well as many more video game music greats. Today he tells us of his unusual route into the industry. Sometimes, perseverance pays off!

Back the Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/retroteabreaks/retro-tea-breaks-vol-1-a-book-by-RMC

David Pleasance shares his story of the fall of Commodore from his position on the inside of the company, soon to be published in his new book "From Vultures to Vampires". https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/469255657/from-vultures-to-vampires David's first book 'Commodore the Inside Story' is available here: https://downtimepublishing.com/collections/commodore-books

A new Trash to Treasure series is upon us, this time it's the Atari 800XL - A machine with a history that laid the foundation for many others that we loved, familiar names, and a battle for supremecy at the height of the 8bit micro wars.

It's about time my MiSTer got the love it deserved, and so I present to you my ultimate FPGA Desktop machine. An attempt to get the absolute most out of the MiSTer experience.

We've met the Atari 800XL, now lets make it look as good as new with a full cosmetic restoration. It's time for the murder gloves and the peroxide, let's go!

The MiSTer FPGA desktop gets its finishing touches today as I complete my ultimate build.

Today we take a virtual road trip to Estonia to explore the rise of video gaming and the LVLUP! video game museum, with thanks to Andrejs who gives us a tour today.

You can find this record and more in the RMC shop at: https://rmcretro.store/h0ffman-the-cave-sessions-double-vinyl-record/ Join legenday Amiga musician h0ffman and I for the launch of our collaboration, a double vinyl record album "h0ffman - The Cave Sessions". This is a limited run of 250 pressings which will go on sale during this stream, and will be shipped next week. This is not a Kickstarter, these are ready to ship.

The upgrade the world has been waiting for, a 5.25" tape deck! Can this cheap novelty item offer us anything more than a reminder as to why we moved on from cassette tapes? Let's find out!

Stephen Jones returns to The Cave this week to share his latest projects with us and give us a demonstration of his Ami-Hybrid system. Find out more at Stephens website https://checkmate1500plus.com/

Let's finish up the Atari 800XL restoration and take it for a test drive! What does this machine have to offer?

Nvidia or AMD - That's pretty much what your video card choice comes down to now, safe in the knowledge that your choice will be supported by all games and restricted only by your budget. Things weren't always so clear cut however as I discover when I fall into a trap of marketing promises in '96 when trying to create my dream 1996 PC.

The Thrustmaster T2 was out of reach for me as a teenager, far too expensive for my pot washing job to afford me, but now, after 25 years of saving up that pot washing money I now own one. If I'm to experience it as new it's going to need some work though, and more than you might think at first glance.

A special thank you goes to the Museum of Computing in Swindon for loaning machines today. If you'd like to help them out through these difficult times then you can visit their website at: https://www.museumofcomputing.org.uk/ And you can make a donation to the museum using donate button on the website. Check out Dress Code Shirts at: https://dresscodeshirts.co.uk

Support RMC Time is the most valuable thing we have. Patrons create a reliable monthly income that allows to give my all to this channel. If you'd like to support this, and help me make it the very best I can then please visit: https://www.patreon.com/RMCretro

The Yamaha CX5M is a curious machine full of promise, but also with plenty of shortcomings as I discover with my very limited musical abilities.

Today I race an flsun Q5 delta printer against an Ender 3 Pro - At the entry level do the speed promises of delta printing offer us any advantages or is it just a gimmick. Let's find out with a drag race.

Today we have an incredibly interesting chat with Mark Ferrari, an artist who stumbled into the world of video games and did a phenominal job of bringing us scenes in Lucasfilm games such as Loom and Monkey Island. Mark gives us an insight into his life, Lucasfilm and the games industry and it's attitudes towards pixel art over the decades.

DCHDMI Original project source: https://www.black-dog.tech/

The Commodore Amiga 600 is a machine that, unusually, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The retro system I've always shunned as a computer that should never have existed. But perhaps it's time to revisit my relationship with the A600. Perhaps in the modern day it can deliver an experience that surpasses others in the range. Perhaps time heals. There's only one way to find out.

Orpheus Homepage: http://orpheus-soundcard.eu/ Development VLOG: https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=807212 Dreamblaster X2: https://www.serdashop.com/DreamBlasterX2

Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/checkmate1500mini/amiga-3000-inspired-mini-itx-computer-case