In this episode of Retro Titans, we dive into the colourful world of one of gaming's most original creators: Jeff Minter. Joining us is filmmaker and C64 pixel artist Paul Docherty, whose new documentary Heart of Neon chronicles Minter's remarkable four-decade journey from the VIC-20 era to becoming one of the industry's most fiercely independent creative voices.

Paul's own story is deeply intertwined with gaming history. Known to many as "Doc" from the Commodore 64 scene, he created iconic loading screens for classics such as The Last Ninja, Druid II and Flying Shark before embarking on a successful career in documentary filmmaking. Now, he's brought those two passions together in a labour of love that celebrates the games, artistry and philosophy of Llamasoft founder Jeff Minter.

Together, we explore the making of Heart of Neon, the challenges of documenting a gaming icon, and why Minter's unique blend of arcade action, psychedelia and artistic expression continues to resonate with players today.

In this episode, we cover:

1️⃣ The making of Heart of Neon
How Paul Docherty went from Commodore 64 pixel artist to documentary filmmaker, and why Jeff Minter became the subject of his most ambitious project.

2️⃣ Jeff Minter's extraordinary legacy
From Gridrunner and Llamatron to Space Giraffe and beyond, we discuss the games, ideas and innovations that shaped a four-decade career.

3️⃣ Video games as art
Why Minter's work challenges conventional ideas about game design and continues to inspire developers, artists and creators.

4️⃣ The golden age of home computing
Paul reflects on the Commodore 64 era, the UK games industry of the 1980s, and the creative opportunities that helped launch his career.

5️⃣ Preserving gaming history
The role documentaries play in capturing the stories behind the games, people and movements that shaped retro gaming culture.

Whether you're a lifelong Llamasoft fan, a lover of retro gaming history, or simply curious about one of the medium's most distinctive creative minds, this is a fascinating conversation about imagination, technology and the enduring power of independent game development.

🔗 Guest links

• Heart of Neon documentary
• Paul Docherty
• Llamasoft

🎙️ Credits

Retro Titans is sponsored by Thalamus Digital Publishing

Produced by Rocket Media, with voiceover from Mark Silk

Music: "8 Bit Skyway" © Piotr Pacyna

Used under licence from shockwave-sound.com

In this episode of Retro Titans, Phil sits down with coder, musician and game porter Ian "Hoffman" Ford — a veteran of the Amiga demoscene whose work has helped bring classic games to new audiences across modern retro platforms.

From creating tracker music as a teenager during the UK home computer boom to porting iconic titles like Metal Gear, Shinobi, Golden Axe and Turrican, Ian has spent decades combining technical expertise with a passion for retro gaming. Equally at home composing soundtracks, designing sound effects and writing low-level code, he occupies a unique place in the modern retro scene.

Together, Phil and Ian explore the worlds of game porting and retro game music, discussing what it takes to faithfully bring classic games to new hardware, how vintage systems shape the creative process, and why preserving the look, feel and sound of these games remains so important today.

In this episode, we explore:

1️⃣ The art of porting classic games
What really happens when a game moves from one platform to another — and why understanding both the original hardware and the destination system is only the beginning.

2️⃣ From the Amiga demoscene to modern retro development
How a teenage passion for music, coding and creativity evolved into a career spanning decades of retro gaming projects.

3️⃣ Music, sound and atmosphere in retro games
From tracker music and game soundtracks to sound design and audio production, Ian explains how he creates music that enhances the retro gaming experience.

4️⃣ Head Over Heels: Return to Blacktooth
A behind-the-scenes look at one of the most anticipated modern retro releases, and the work involved in bringing the Atari ST project to the Amiga.

5️⃣ Preserving gaming history for new generations
From Metal Gear on the MSX to modern Neo Geo projects, Ian discusses why classic games still matter and how they continue to inspire today's developers and players.

Ian also shares stories from the Amiga demo scene, explains how a chance discovery of the Metal Gear source code sparked his first major porting project, discusses his work on Seekanoid and Roguecraft DX, and reveals the games that shaped his life — from Tetris and Journey to the Neo Geo classic Neo Turf Masters.

🔗 Guest links

GitHub: https://github.com/h0ffman

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/h0ffman

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/h0ffman.bsky.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@h0ffman

🎙️ Credits

Retro Titans is sponsored by Thalamus Digital Publishing

Produced by Rocket Media, with voiceover from Mark Silk

Music: "8 Bit Skyway" © Piotr Pacyna

Used under licence from shockwave-sound.com

In this episode of Retro Titans, Phil sits down with Sam Dyer, founder of Bitmap Books — the publisher behind some of the most beautifully crafted retro gaming books ever produced.

From the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum to the NeoGeo and N64, Bitmap Books has become synonymous with premium retro gaming preservation, celebrating the art, culture and history of the games we grew up with. But Sam's journey started much like many of ours — with a beige computer under the TV and a lifelong fascination with games.

Together, Phil and Sam explore how nostalgia, graphic design and a love of gaming history combined to create one of the most respected retro gaming publishers in the world today.

In this episode, we explore:

1️⃣ The origins of Bitmap Books
How a passion project inspired by the Commodore 64 grew into a globally recognised retro gaming publisher.

2️⃣ Designing books for retro fans
Why presentation, print quality and visual storytelling matter just as much as the words on the page.

3️⃣ Preserving gaming history
From arcade classics and point-and-click adventures to SNK and Neo Geo, Sam explains why these games deserve to be documented and celebrated.

4️⃣ Nostalgia, community and modern retro culture
Why retro gaming continues to resonate with new generations, and how the meaning of "retro" keeps evolving.

Sam also shares stories about launching books through Kickstarter, working with legendary developers and publishers, creating collector's editions with built-in sound effects, and why games like Sensible Soccer, Monkey Island and Metal Slug still matter today.

🔗 Guest links – Sam Dyer / Bitmap Books
Bitmap Books Website https://www.bitmapbooks.com/
Bitmap Books on X/Twitter https://x.com/bitmap_books
Bitmap Books on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bitmapbooks

🎙️ Credits
Retro Titans is sponsored by Thalamus Digital Publishing

Produced by Rocket Media, with voiceover from Mark Silk

Music: "8 Bit Skyway" © Piotr Pacyna
Used under license from shockwave-sound.com