Chris Chapman
@retrohistories.bsky.social
Old videogames, cross stitch, and other nerdy pursuits. Occasionally makes short documentaries about stories from videogame history. Somehow they've had a million views?!
"Sound[s] bored and enthused at the same time" — YouTube commenter Hoodii
"Sound[s] bored and enthused at the same time" — YouTube commenter Hoodii
Twenty years ago this week, customers didn't yet have the Xbox 360 in their hands, but some journalists did!
On GameSpot’s HotSpot podcast, @jeffgerstmann.com gives one of the first descriptions of the new Xbox Live Arcade, and makes a prescient observation of the best thing about it.
On GameSpot’s HotSpot podcast, @jeffgerstmann.com gives one of the first descriptions of the new Xbox Live Arcade, and makes a prescient observation of the best thing about it.
November 15, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Twenty years ago this week, customers didn't yet have the Xbox 360 in their hands, but some journalists did!
On GameSpot’s HotSpot podcast, @jeffgerstmann.com gives one of the first descriptions of the new Xbox Live Arcade, and makes a prescient observation of the best thing about it.
On GameSpot’s HotSpot podcast, @jeffgerstmann.com gives one of the first descriptions of the new Xbox Live Arcade, and makes a prescient observation of the best thing about it.
I think this is about as good as I can get it. Fortunately Nintendo considered the feelings of future pixel artists/3D modellers and returned to making handheld devices with mostly straight lines after this.
November 12, 2025 at 12:18 PM
I think this is about as good as I can get it. Fortunately Nintendo considered the feelings of future pixel artists/3D modellers and returned to making handheld devices with mostly straight lines after this.
discovering they don't use one of these is the middle-aged version of finding out Santa isn't real
November 11, 2025 at 5:19 PM
discovering they don't use one of these is the middle-aged version of finding out Santa isn't real
Lazy Sunday afternoon
I've got no mind to worry
Run Aseprite and click away
I've got no mind to worry
Run Aseprite and click away
November 9, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Lazy Sunday afternoon
I've got no mind to worry
Run Aseprite and click away
I've got no mind to worry
Run Aseprite and click away
Latest distraction from meaningful work: figuring out what makes BeOS icons look like BeOS icons and how to draw pixel art in that style
November 7, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Latest distraction from meaningful work: figuring out what makes BeOS icons look like BeOS icons and how to draw pixel art in that style
The BeOS desktop, and especially its icons, gave it a unique look:
November 5, 2025 at 2:21 PM
The BeOS desktop, and especially its icons, gave it a unique look:
"how on earth did you find this extremely obscure game, chris?"
okay, so, you know how MobyGames has a search box at the top?
well, I used that.
okay, so, you know how MobyGames has a search box at the top?
well, I used that.
November 4, 2025 at 4:38 PM
"how on earth did you find this extremely obscure game, chris?"
okay, so, you know how MobyGames has a search box at the top?
well, I used that.
okay, so, you know how MobyGames has a search box at the top?
well, I used that.
Tired: Zelda II
Wired:
Wired:
November 4, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Tired: Zelda II
Wired:
Wired:
let's hope they at least rewrote this part
November 4, 2025 at 12:07 PM
let's hope they at least rewrote this part
Showing up to the party 24 hours late in full fancy dress
November 1, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Showing up to the party 24 hours late in full fancy dress
Worked some unanticipated overtime this month, so treated myself to the Geeks-Line PS2 Anthology. Three volumes (!) of history, layman's explanations of the hardware, details of every hardware iteration, and descriptions/screenshots of every game released in any region. A serious reference work.
October 27, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Worked some unanticipated overtime this month, so treated myself to the Geeks-Line PS2 Anthology. Three volumes (!) of history, layman's explanations of the hardware, details of every hardware iteration, and descriptions/screenshots of every game released in any region. A serious reference work.
Three options in two paragraphs.
October 25, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Three options in two paragraphs.
Giving morguefile.wiki a typography and colour refresh. (Didn't deliberately choose a Famicom-adjacent colour scheme; it was truly a happy accident.)
Font is the most videogamey font of all, Cartridge by SimpleBits.
Font is the most videogamey font of all, Cartridge by SimpleBits.
October 21, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Giving morguefile.wiki a typography and colour refresh. (Didn't deliberately choose a Famicom-adjacent colour scheme; it was truly a happy accident.)
Font is the most videogamey font of all, Cartridge by SimpleBits.
Font is the most videogamey font of all, Cartridge by SimpleBits.
Holy shit, this is the exact street my partner lives on! I know it was mostly filmed in Bergen but this is the east side of Oslo, clocked it immediately. Going to have to get this and play it together as a couple. Thanks for the link!
October 17, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Holy shit, this is the exact street my partner lives on! I know it was mostly filmed in Bergen but this is the east side of Oslo, clocked it immediately. Going to have to get this and play it together as a couple. Thanks for the link!
3. Shannon from Olivet in France, the Northern capital of Centre. Her entire family likes Knapping, a word I had to look up. It means smashing rocks apart.
October 16, 2025 at 7:07 PM
3. Shannon from Olivet in France, the Northern capital of Centre. Her entire family likes Knapping, a word I had to look up. It means smashing rocks apart.
2. Meagan, a teenager from Prebuch who inexplicably has the email address 'sebastiangee'. Like all Austrian gen-alphas, her favourite TV show is Modern Family.
October 16, 2025 at 7:07 PM
2. Meagan, a teenager from Prebuch who inexplicably has the email address 'sebastiangee'. Like all Austrian gen-alphas, her favourite TV show is Modern Family.
I turned on the bio requirement for new account requests on morguefile.wiki. Which means the spambots are now generating hilarious fake bios.
1. Manuel from the Netherlands (email address: leslieomalley) married at age 3, but after that rocky start in life managed to get a job at the the office.
1. Manuel from the Netherlands (email address: leslieomalley) married at age 3, but after that rocky start in life managed to get a job at the the office.
October 16, 2025 at 7:07 PM
I turned on the bio requirement for new account requests on morguefile.wiki. Which means the spambots are now generating hilarious fake bios.
1. Manuel from the Netherlands (email address: leslieomalley) married at age 3, but after that rocky start in life managed to get a job at the the office.
1. Manuel from the Netherlands (email address: leslieomalley) married at age 3, but after that rocky start in life managed to get a job at the the office.
2009: the panel brainstorms names for 1UP's new RPG podcast. They don't mention the one they'll end up using, but two of their suggestions sound kinda familiar for other reasons…
Active Time Babble on archive.org: archive.org/details/ActiveTim...
Or in your podcast app: savestate.site/podcasts/
Active Time Babble on archive.org: archive.org/details/ActiveTim...
Or in your podcast app: savestate.site/podcasts/
October 15, 2025 at 3:11 PM
2009: the panel brainstorms names for 1UP's new RPG podcast. They don't mention the one they'll end up using, but two of their suggestions sound kinda familiar for other reasons…
Active Time Babble on archive.org: archive.org/details/ActiveTim...
Or in your podcast app: savestate.site/podcasts/
Active Time Babble on archive.org: archive.org/details/ActiveTim...
Or in your podcast app: savestate.site/podcasts/
thanks, steam discovery algorithm. you know me too well.
(honestly a little disappointed, given I've just rolled credits on Promise Mascot Agency, that it didn't offer me more 'tofu games')
(honestly a little disappointed, given I've just rolled credits on Promise Mascot Agency, that it didn't offer me more 'tofu games')
October 13, 2025 at 8:41 PM
thanks, steam discovery algorithm. you know me too well.
(honestly a little disappointed, given I've just rolled credits on Promise Mascot Agency, that it didn't offer me more 'tofu games')
(honestly a little disappointed, given I've just rolled credits on Promise Mascot Agency, that it didn't offer me more 'tofu games')
Exists already.
October 11, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Exists already.
New resurrected podcast feeds, and it's a special RPG drop in honour of @katbailey.bsky.social!
1UP's Active Time Babble and GamePro's Roleplayers' Realm can once again be added to your podcast apps: savestate.site/podcasts/
(Their successor, @bloodgodpod.bsky.social, is essential listening!)
1UP's Active Time Babble and GamePro's Roleplayers' Realm can once again be added to your podcast apps: savestate.site/podcasts/
(Their successor, @bloodgodpod.bsky.social, is essential listening!)
October 10, 2025 at 12:11 PM
New resurrected podcast feeds, and it's a special RPG drop in honour of @katbailey.bsky.social!
1UP's Active Time Babble and GamePro's Roleplayers' Realm can once again be added to your podcast apps: savestate.site/podcasts/
(Their successor, @bloodgodpod.bsky.social, is essential listening!)
1UP's Active Time Babble and GamePro's Roleplayers' Realm can once again be added to your podcast apps: savestate.site/podcasts/
(Their successor, @bloodgodpod.bsky.social, is essential listening!)
