Phil Salvador introduces the new Andrew Nelson papers collection with guest, you guessed it, Andrew Nelson, himself. Guest-host Alex Greenberg joins to chat with Nelson, co-founder and creative director of CyberFlix, known for its 1996 title Titanic: Adventure Out of Time. Andrew discusses his transition from magazine journalism to game development, the creation of CyberFlix, and the development of Titanic, which included extensive research and character development. Nelson also reflects on the impact of the game and his subsequent career, including work at Britannica and National Geographic.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
Mentioned in the show:
Andrew Nelson Collection: https://archive.gamehistory.org/folder/5dcf7309-5e3f-4609-b264-62f44da8e79f
VGHF Blog post: https://gamehistory.org/andrew-nelson-papers/
See more from Andrew Nelson:
Book: Here Not There: 100 Unexpected Travel Destinations
Instagram: @andrewtyrrellnelson
See more from Alex Greenburg:
Website: alexgreenberg.net
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
It’s another quarterly update! Host Robin Kunimune talks with Frank Cifaldi and Phil Salvador about our recent work. From Chicago travel to launching Computer Entertainer, from our new Booth-in-a-Box to 4,000 magazines archived, from NES’s 40th to building Lego; come find out just how many new collections we've added in the last few months.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Phil Salvador interviews Dr. Stephanie Harkin, lecturer at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) School of Design Games Program in Australia, about her research on femininity in gaming, particularly in girls' lifestyle magazines. Dr. Harkin discusses her journey from media studies to focusing on feminine games. She highlights her findings on the lack of representation of feminine games in traditional gaming magazines and her discovery of Girl Gamer magazine, which promoted Nintendo games in a lifestyle format. We explore the coverage of games in magazines like Total Girl and the broader cultural context of game representation.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
Mentioned in the show:
Girl Gamer cover: https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/e6beceaa-f36f-46d7-bc2a-f4599773e10e
MCV pink issue: https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/39c2181c-d395-44b7-9e64-2f1c8333a922
Pokémon Personality Quiz: https://gamehistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Pokemon-personality-quiz-1200x847.jpg
Pac-Man Nail Art: https://gamehistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Stephanie-Harkin-Pac-man-nail-art.jpg
Big Bowser House (mistakenly referred to as "Donkey Kong Big Brother House"): https://gamehistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Big-Bowser-House-cropped.jpg
K-Zone: https://archive.org/details/K-ZoneJanuary2006
Imagine Magazines: https://archive.gamehistory.org/folder/6187132e-315c-4be5-8498-8c55ac478ebe?sortField=date&sortDir=asc
See more from Dr. Stephanie Harkin:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/saharkin.bsky.social
Games Exhibition: https://www.feminineplay.org/
Upcoming book: https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/isbn/9783111560939/html
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Host Frank Cifaldi is joined by documentarian, historian, hacker, and all around cool guy SynaMax to talk about their documentary Resurrecting Sinistar: A Cyber-Archaeology Documentary. The 1983 top-down space shooter arcade game’s unique 49-way joystick allowed players to pilot their spaceship to prevent a giant skull, Sinistar, from forming. SynaMax interviewed developers, restored cut content, and emulated the game itself to better explore the challenges the development team faced due to limited storage and to highlight the importance of source code preservation. SynaMax recently hosted a panel with said developers at the annual classic arcade game show California Extreme - a panel Frank, sadly, missed!
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
See more from SynaMax:
YouTube: youtube.com/synamax
Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/synamax.bsky.social
Patreon: patreon.com/synamax
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
We’re joined by pioneer video game historian Leonard Herman, author and publisher of several video game history books including the first comprehensive book chronicling the history of the videogame industry, Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Home Videogames, and its subsequent series. We touch on Leonard’s early career, the challenges of self-publishing, and the evolution of his Phoenix series through various editions, including his most recent Phoenix Five. Leonard also highlights his collaborations with Ralph Baer and his efforts to correct historical misconceptions, particularly those around the co-founders of Atari.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
See more from Leonard Herman:
Website: thegamescholar.com
Facebook: Leonard Herman
Facebook (book): Phoenix 5 - The History of the Videogame Industry
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Host Phil Salvador is joined by Derek Alexander, of the YouTube channel Stop Skeletons From Fighting, and Zarithya, of the YouTube channel Zarithya, to talk about the fan-restored 16-player mode for the 1991 Game Boy game Faceball 2000 as laid out in My 2 Year Journey to Solve the 30-Year Myth of Faceball 2000 | SSFF. In this bit of video game archeology, Derek and Zari take us through the collaborative effort, the technical expertise required to create custom adapters and controllers, and the investigation into historical claims to execute this endeavor. But in the end, did it even work?
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
See more from Derek Alexander:
Bluesky: @stopskeletons.bsky.social
YouTube: /StopSkeletonsFromFighting
Twitch: /stop skeletons from fighting
Patreon: /StopSkeletonsFromFighting
See more from Zarithya:
YouTube: @Zarithya
Twitch: /Zarithya
Bluesky: @zarithya.online
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Frank Cifaldi is joined by Marylou Badeaux to discuss the history of the vitally important Computer Entertainer, also known as The Video Game Update: a monthly newsletter which covered video game availability information and reviews in the 1980’s. Co-created with Marylou’s sister Celeste Dolan, this publication has helped provide historians with game information found from no other source, especially during the time of the 1983 game crash. Marylou reflects on the challenges they faced running a mail-order video game business as well as how they were able to gather such detailed information at the time. Marylou also touches briefly on her career working closely with Prince.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
See more from Marylou Badeaux:
Website: www.memories4you.com.au
Book: Moments - Remembering Prince
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
It’s time for a little review of what we’ve been up to, so far, this year. With the official launch of our digital library archive, livestreams of game magazine unboxing and EPROM dumping, the newest collections of Craig Stitt and Kirk Henderson, an upcoming Trade Magazine Week special event, and teasing some special new acquisitions we have SO much to catch you up on!
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Veteran game designer and author Lawrence Schick shares stories from his early 80's work with the ColecoVision, Atari 2600, and Intellivision. With over four decades of experience in the industry, Schick details how he helped pioneer a multi-discipline, team-based approach to game development designing games like Smurf: Rescue and Tarzan while pulling from a wealth of experience in pen-and-paper RPGs.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
See more from Lawrence Schick:
Website: https://swashbucklingadventure.net/
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Host Phil Salvador and guest host Colleen Barrett, Rare Books Librarian at UK Libraries, chat with David Carter, Video Game Archivist and Comic Librarian at University of Michigan Library Computer and Video Game Archive, about the work he does in archiving video game material within such a large and academic institutions. We discuss what tools are available, what problems typically arise, the pros and cons of institutional preservation, and so much more.
Mentioned in the Show:
MIDSAC Pool: https://www.masswerk.at/nowgobang/2019/michigan-pool
U-M Video Game Studies: https://guides.lib.umich.edu/videogamestudies (particularly the “Other Resources” section)
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
See more from David Carter:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/umcvga.bsky.social
U-M CVGA Website: https://www.lib.umich.edu/locations-and-hours/computer-and-video-game-archive
See more from Colleen Barrett:
Bluesky: Colleenlovesbks https://bsky.app/profile/colleenlovesbks.bsky.social
Institution Instagram: UK Libraries (@uklibraries)
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
On this special video episode of the Video Game History Hour, we sat down with Craig Stitt, retired game artist and designer. Craig worked on games including Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Kid Chameleon, Ratchet & Clank, and Spyro the Dragon. He gave us a tour of his portfolio and talked about working at Sega in America, creating Spyro, dealing with burnout, and what it means for fans to connect with his work.
Access the Craig Stitt art and design papers at the VGHF Library: https://archive.gamehistory.org/folder/cbcc6ed2-324c-43f0-9002-8e07455484bc
*This episode was recorded as a video, with visual components, available on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAN6AD2_fs0.You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Frank Cifaldi and Phil Salvador host a discussion with Jez San, Jason Smith, and Mike Arkin from Argonaut Games about the development and remastering of the 1997 game Croc: Legend of the Gobbos. We touch on what went into the original game - incorporating 3D technology and character design influences from traditional animation - as well as enhancements for the remaster, improved controls and a virtual museum of bonus content showcasing the game's history and development process. The team’s discussion centers on the challenges and efforts in game preservation and the personal dedication of researchers who meticulously uncovered and documented game history for the sake of this remaster. Finally, we mention the potential for future updates and expansions in game preservation projects.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
See more from Argonaut Games:
Linktree: linktr.ee/argonautgames
Website: argonautgames.com
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Hosts Frank Cifaldi and Phil Salvador chat with Mark and Michelle Flitman, a father-daughter duo, about Mark’s career, his donated collection at the VGHF, and his autobiography: "It’s Not All Fun and Games." As a semi-retired video game and toy producer, Mark shares his career highlights as a publisher producer throughout the 90’s and into the early 2000’s at Konami, Acclaim, Mindscape, Midway, and later, Atari. Most of his titles were licensed properties including The Simpsons (Bart's Nightmare, Virtual Bart), WWF (Royal Rumble and RAW), and several Marvel properties (Maximum Carnage). Michelle shares her efforts to preserve her father's collection, which includes concept art, design documents, and prototypes. You’ll hear highlighted notable items like the Eclipse demo by Argonaut and the Monster Dunk project. The conversation also touches on the importance of trust in producer-developer relationships and the challenges of managing licensed properties.
Mentioned in the show:
Mark Flitman's development papers: https://archive.gamehistory.org/folder/205c628c-5d0a-4de8-a5a5-782f31706ac0.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
See more from Michelle Flitman:
Website: www.flitman.site
See more from Mark Flitman:
Book - Hardcover (Limited Run - Collector’s Edition): “It’s Not All Fun And Games”
Book - Hardcover (Amazon): “It’s Not All Fun And Games”
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Phil Salvador hosts Polygon’s Clayton Ashley and Simone de Rochefort to discuss a documentary they produced last year called The Great Game: The Making of Spycraft | Full Polygon Documentary about the 1996 FMV CD-ROM game, Spycraft.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
A full transcript of this episode is available on our website: https://gamehistory.org/episode-130-spycraft/
See more from Polygon:
Website: polygon.com
YouTube: /polygon
Clayton Ashley’s Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/temporalculturewar/
Simone de Rochefort’s social handle: @doomquasar
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Phil Salvador and Robin Kunimune chat with Chloe Appleby, games curator at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia, who shares how she turned her passion for games into a dream role blending community, culture, and quirky preservation. From Sydney’s post-COVID game scene revival to tracking down lost media and organizing a free indie games festival, Chloe shows how playful curiosity can power serious cultural impact. She emphasizes the importance of community engagement and the museum's efforts to preserve Australian game history, including notable games like Untitled Goose Game and Nightmare.
Mentioned in the show:
Nightmare: Nightmare Presenter Video
Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future 87/697-3 and Shogun 87/697-6 (specifically the leaflet)
Sega World audio: Sonic Live in Sydney (Full & Complete CD - 1997 - Sega World Sydney)
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
A full transcript of this episode is available on our website: https://gamehistory.org/episode-129-powerhouse-chloe-appleby/
See more from Chloe Appleby:
Linktree: @chloeappleby
Instagram: @c.appleby_
Bluesky: @chloeappleby.bsky.social
X: @AppleBee180
See more from Powerhouse:
Website: powerhouse.com.au
Instagram: @powerhousemuseum
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Phil Salvador and Kendra Albert, a partner at Albert Sellars LLP, digest, discuss, and dissect the 2024 DMCA exemption petition to make it easier for libraries and archives to preserve video games and the subsequent ruling by the US Copyright Office.
*This episode has a follow-up bonus episode available to our paid tier Patreon members.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
See more from Kendra Albert:
Bluesky: @kendraserra.bsky.social
Mastodon: @kendraserra@dair.community
Law firm website: albertsellars.law
Software Preservation Network: https://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
In this episode of Video Game History Hour, Michael Mendheim joins host Frank Cifaldi and guest-host John Rairdin to reflect on his career, from early work on Fester’s Quest to cult favorites like Mutant League Football and Sarge’s Heroes. Mendheim shares stories about creative risks, industry shakeups, and the challenges of keeping games alive — with Rairdin diving deep into his personal love for Sarge’s Heroes, expanding the definitive Vikki Grimm lore, and discussing the development materials Mendheim saved along the way.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
A full transcript of this episode is available on our website: https://gamehistory.org/episode-127-sarges-heroes/See more from Michael Mendheim:
Twitter/X: @mmendheim
Website: https://www.digitaldreamsentertainment.com/
Website: mutantfootballleague.com
See more from John Rairdin:
Twitter/X: @jtsknight92
YouTube: /ninwrtv
Website: nintendoworldreport.com
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Gail Tilden, Nintendo of America’s marketing mastermind, takes Frank Cifaldi on a trip down memory lane in a panel at the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo, reminiscing about everything from the early days of NES branding to the explosive rise of Pokémon. She shares behind-the-scenes stories about marketing mishaps (hello, Zelda Rap), strategic pivots like the iconic "Nintendo Seal of Quality," and how a quirky Game Boy RPG took over the world. From robotic flops to Pikachu-branded cars parachuting into Topeka, her journey is a testament to the creativity and unpredictability that helped shape the gaming world.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
A full transcript of this episode is available on our website: https://gamehistory.org/episode-126-a-fireside-chat-with-gail-tilden/
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
Laine Nooney, an associate professor at NYU and managing editor of ROMchip: A Journal of Game Histories, joins Phil Salvador on The Video Game History Hour to chat about the journal’s mission to make game history more than just timelines. ROMchip is an open-access, independent journal that brings together academics, enthusiasts, and industry pros, supported by community fundraising instead of traditional academic publishing. They discuss ROMchip's success, its growing community, and dreams of what the future holds for the journal.
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
A full transcript of this episode is available on our website: https://gamehistory.org/episode-125-romchip-whats-next/
See more from Laine Nooney:
Linktree: linktr.ee/lainenooney
See more from ROMchip:
Website: romchip.org/
Socials, Events, Blog: donate.romchip.org/
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
It’s finally arrived: our digital library archive is now open in early access! Our library team: library director Phil Salvador, director of technology Travis Brown, and artist and engineer Amanda Cifaldi all join foundation director Frank Cifaldi and show producer Robin Kunimune to celebrate and discuss the years-long project sampling just a portion of our physical collection. We highlight the library’s role in facilitating video game research, the importance of fair use, the novel tools and infrastructure we created in this process, legal and ethical considerations, and future plans for and potential of this digital archive.
*This episode has a follow-up bonus episode available to our paid tier Patreon members.
Digital Archive: archive.gamehistory.org
Library Catalog: library.gamehistory.org
You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.
Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
