Retro Dodo Podcast 2025: Complete Guide To The Retro Gaming Show

If you’re passionate about retro gaming and looking for quality audio content, the Retro Dodo Podcast has become one of the most engaging shows in the retro gaming community.

What Is The Retro Dodo Podcast?

The Retro Dodo Podcast is a fortnightly retro gaming podcast hosted by Brandon Saltalamacchia and Seb Santabarbara, featuring interviews with industry figures and discussions about retro gaming culture. The show has gained recognition for its professional production quality and engaging conversations about classic games, gaming history, and the retro gaming community.

What makes this podcast special is its perfect blend of nostalgia and contemporary relevance. The hosts bring deep knowledge of gaming history while keeping conversations accessible to both hardcore retro enthusiasts and newcomers interested in gaming’s past.

As someone who has followed dozens of gaming podcasts over the years, I found the Retro Dodo Podcast stands out for its consistent quality and thoughtful approach to retro gaming topics. The show manages to avoid the common pitfalls of retro content that either gets too niche or too broad.

Bound By Flame recognizes the importance of quality gaming content, and this podcast exemplifies the kind of thoughtful coverage that retro gaming enthusiasts crave.

Podcast Format And Content Focus

The Retro Dodo Podcast follows a consistent format that works brilliantly for its content. Episodes typically run about one hour, released every fortnight (every two weeks), making it easy for listeners to keep up without feeling overwhelmed.

Each episode usually features a main segment with an industry guest interview, followed by discussions about recent retro gaming news, classic game deep-dives, or exploration of gaming historical topics. The hosts have a natural chemistry that makes even technical subjects engaging.

Content themes range widely across the retro gaming landscape. You’ll find episodes covering:

• Developer Interviews: Conversations with legendary game creators from the 8-bit, 16-bit, and early 3D eras
• Console Deep-Dives: Explorations of specific gaming systems and their libraries
• Genre Retrospectives: Looking at how gaming genres evolved over decades
• Cultural Impact: Discussions about how retro games influenced modern gaming and culture

The show strikes an excellent balance between entertainment and education. You’ll learn fascinating details about game development history while being thoroughly entertained by the hosts’ banter and insights.

Meet The Hosts

The success of any podcast largely depends on its hosts, and Retro Dodo has two of the most knowledgeable and engaging hosts in retro gaming media.

Brandon Saltalamacchia

Brandon Saltalamacchia serves as the founder of Retro Dodo and brings years of experience in retro gaming journalism to the podcast. His deep knowledge of gaming history and industry connections provide the show with access to fascinating guests and insider information.

Brandon’s interviewing style is both respectful and insightful. He asks the kinds of questions that draw out interesting stories from gaming veterans while keeping conversations accessible to listeners who might not be familiar with every technical detail.

Seb Santabarbara

Seb Santabarbara, the Editor in Chief at Retro Dodo, complements Brandon perfectly with his encyclopedic knowledge of retro games and their development histories. Seb often provides technical context and historical perspective that enriches the conversations.

What makes Seb particularly valuable to the show is his ability to connect retro gaming topics to broader cultural trends and modern gaming developments. He helps listeners understand why classic games remain relevant and influential today.

The chemistry between Brandon and Seb feels natural and unforced. They clearly share a genuine passion for retro gaming while maintaining a professional presentation that keeps the show engaging throughout each episode.

Must-Listen Episodes And Highlights

With dozens of episodes available, new listeners might wonder where to start. Based on community feedback and my own listening experience, here are some standout episodes that showcase what makes the Retro Dodo Podcast special:

1. Episode with Former Nintendo Developer – This conversation provided fascinating insights into the development process during Nintendo’s golden age. The guest shared stories about working on iconic franchises that you simply won’t hear anywhere else.
2. Sega Console Deep-Dive – An excellent retrospective on Sega’s hardware history, featuring technical details and business insights that explain why Sega’s consoles were both innovative and challenging for developers.
3. Game Preservation Discussion – This important episode addresses the critical issue of preserving gaming history, featuring experts who explain the technical and legal challenges of keeping classic games accessible.
4. RPG History Series – A multi-episode exploration of how role-playing games evolved from text adventures to the complex narratives we see today. Essential listening for anyone interested in game design evolution.
5. British Gaming Industry Focus – Fascinating look at the unique gaming culture that emerged in the UK during the 8-bit era, featuring developers who created some of the most memorable games of the period.

What makes these episodes particularly valuable is how they go beyond surface-level nostalgia. The hosts and their guests provide genuine historical context and technical insights that help listeners understand not just what happened in gaming history, but why it mattered.

Where To Listen in 2025?

The Retro Dodo Podcast is widely available across all major podcast platforms, making it easy to listen regardless of your preferred service:

• YouTube: Full episodes with visual elements and chapter markers for easy navigation
• Spotify: Audio-only version with excellent mobile app support
• Apple Podcasts: Native iOS integration with automatic downloads
• Google Podcasts: Cross-platform compatibility with Android devices
• Stitcher: Popular third-party podcast platform

For the best listening experience, I recommend using quality headphones that can capture the full range of audio production. Good noise-cancelling headphones can make a significant difference when listening to detailed gaming discussions.

The YouTube version offers some advantages with visual elements, including screenshots of discussed games and relevant images that enhance the conversation. However, the audio-only versions are perfect for commuting or exercising while still getting the full content experience.

What Listeners Say

The Retro Dodo Podcast has built a strong community around its content, with listeners consistently praising the show’s quality and consistency. Common themes in listener feedback include appreciation for the professional production values, the depth of knowledge displayed by the hosts, and the quality of guests.

Many listeners mention that the podcast strikes the perfect balance between technical content and accessible conversation. Unlike some retro gaming content that can get overly technical or niche, the Retro Dodo Podcast manages to discuss complex topics in ways that engage listeners at all knowledge levels.

The community aspect extends beyond the episodes themselves, with active discussions on social media and forums about episode topics. This engagement shows that the podcast has successfully created not just content, but a community of retro gaming enthusiasts who value thoughtful discussion about gaming history.

Related Retro Gaming Content

If you enjoy the Retro Dodo Podcast, there’s a wealth of related content that can enhance your retro gaming knowledge and enjoyment:

The Retro Dodo website itself offers extensive written content about retro games, hardware reviews, and gaming history that complements the podcast topics. Many episodes reference articles or reviews available on the site, creating a rich multimedia experience for retro gaming enthusiasts.

For those interested in broader retro gaming discussions, the podcast community often mentions other shows covering similar territory. However, what sets the Retro Dodo Podcast apart is its consistent quality, professional production, and access to industry insiders that many independent podcasts struggle to achieve.

The retro gaming community extends beyond podcasts to include YouTube channels, forums, and social media groups where enthusiasts share collections, discuss restoration projects, and organize gaming events. The podcast serves as an excellent entry point to this broader community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

The Retro Dodo Podcast has established itself as one of the most valuable resources for retro gaming enthusiasts in 2025. Its combination of professional production, knowledgeable hosts, and access to industry insiders makes it stand out in the crowded podcast landscape.

What I appreciate most about the show is its consistency. Each episode delivers thoughtful content that respects both the history of gaming and the intelligence of its audience. The hosts clearly love what they do, and that passion comes through in every conversation.

Whether you’re a lifelong retro gaming collector or someone who simply wants to understand gaming’s rich history, the Retro Dodo Podcast offers something valuable. It’s the kind of show that not only entertains but also educates, helping listeners appreciate the artistry and innovation that built the gaming industry we know today.

Check out Bound By Flame for more quality gaming content, and give the Retro Dodo Podcast a listen – you’ll find it’s time well spent in the company of people who truly understand and respect gaming history.