501: “Michael Jackson Just Said ‘Okay, I’ll Do It All’” – SEGA's Roger Hector Tells the Inside Story of Sonic 3

The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

The Retro Hour

Technology, Leisure, Video Games

4.9 • 558 Ratings

🗓️ 10 October 2025

⏱️ 93 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For years, it’s been one of gaming’s biggest urban legends, how much did Michael Jackson really work on the music for Sonic the Hedgehog 3? In part two of our exclusive chat with Roger Hector, former Director of the Sega Technical Institute, we get the full story. Roger reveals how Jackson’s unexpected visit to STI turned into hands-on involvement with Sonic 3’s soundtrack. Plus, we explore Roger’s time leading the legendary Sonic team, the cross-cultural chaos of 1990s Sega, and the pressure of delivering a new Sonic game every Christmas.

Contents:

00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
42:20 - Roger Hector Interview

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Show notes

Blood – Nightdive Studios: https://tinyurl.com/3kmam6e8
Lego Game Boy Modded: https://tinyurl.com/5fnjxb4p
Kraken ZX Multiclone: https://tinyurl.com/pbukjp
Unofficial GBA Port of an SNES Horror Classic: https://tinyurl.com/mspschwa
Sega Saturn Tomb Raider 2: https://tinyurl.com/y5m77rsc

Transcript

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0:00.0	Coming up on this week's show, a legendary FPS returns.
0:04.2	An amazing new spectrum clone.
0:06.4	And we go inside the world of Sega with Roger Hector.
0:18.6	And the Retro Hour podcast is brought to you every Friday with our friends, our sponsor
0:23.2	at Bitmap Books.
0:24.5	Now, have you seen their incredible latest title, 50 indie games that change the world?
0:29.7	Now, this is the ultimate celebration of what it takes to get a video game made outside
0:34.5	of the typical AAA studio system, including pixelated classics
0:39.6	like Shovelmite and Dead Cells to masterpieces like Super Meat Boy and Limbo all covered
0:44.2	in here as well, and weighing in at a massive 450 plus pages.
0:48.4	You can check it out on the rest of their retro gaming collection at bitmapbooks.com.
0:52.8	And with our friends at replay events
0:54.5	who are bringing the UK's biggest
0:56.1	retro games market to Cardiff
0:57.9	this month on Sunday, October
1:00.2	the 19th at the Utiliter Arena.
1:02.9	So go along, grab yourself some great
1:04.3	retro gaming bargains, meet like-minded
1:06.2	people, doors open at 11am
1:08.1	and under 16s go free
1:09.9	with an adult after one.
1:11.6	Get your tickets right now at Cardiffgamingmarket.com.
	...

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