Last summer, I put together a video about R.P.M. Racing,a somewhat disappointing Super NES racing game that, despite its flaws, demonstrated a few genuine standout elements. Perhaps the most interesting thing about it, all told, was the fact that it was the only American Super NES release to run entirely in the system's double-resolution mode.
Shortly after that video went live, the programmer behind the game, Rebecca Heineman, reached out to me to discuss the unusual tech behind the game in further detail. We were able to meet up with each other to record an hour-long conversation at Portland Retro Gaming Expo a few months back. The result is one of the most fascinating and freewheeling interviews ever to appear on Retronauts, a brisk tour of a self-taught programming prodigy's lengthy career that begins with winning a national high-score contest with Centipede and covers a gamut of computers and consoles, including feats like converting Minecraft to 3DS.
So please do enjoy this conversation, and be sure to follow Rebecca's work on her website and on Twitter!
Retronauts Episode 211: A Conversation with Rebecca Heineman
MP3, 28 MB | 58:39
Direct download | Retronauts on iTunes | Retronauts on Libsyn
Episode description: Legendary game programmer Rebecca Heineman discusses her journey to becoming a game developer, her most interesting projects through the years, and what comes next.