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Looking for a real piece of Sonic the Hedgehog history to add to your collection? Then look no further! Currently up for auction on ebay are a couple of really unique items that will make any Sonic merch-mad fanatic salivate!
Continue reading Signed Original Uekawa Artwork & 10th Anniversary Wine Glass Up For Auction
“Modern Sonic isn’t as good as the classics! and here is my fifty billion reasons explaining why!” We’ve all seen threads like this, we’ll all seen youtube videos like this. It’s an old argument and even when the dislike is aimed at classic Sonic, usually the best reply is to ignore the random person…
However when a one Yuji Naka allegedly agrees with a journalist who put it to him that ‘Modern Sonic games are not as fun as past Sonic games.’ Suddenly, you take an interest in that discussion again.
Continue reading Yuji Naka “[Modern Sonic] games have become much easier”
Both Sonic Wrecks and TSSZ News recently reported that Yuji Naka may have spilled the beans on an upcoming Sonic movie. On his latest Facebook and Twitter posts, he mentions visiting the Marza Animation Studios (Night of The Werehog, and most Sonic game CGI) and that they are in the process of making a Sonic movie. Whether it’s just more CGI for an upcoming Sonic Game or a full blown movie is yet to be known. Until we get more confirmation, treat this as rumor.
Sources: Sonic Wrecks, TSSZ News
I tried to come up with a headline, but really, words can’t do this video justice. Just watch it for yourself.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nRTgLSSzhU
The Summer of Sonic may have taken place three weeks ago now but that’s not the end of my coverage of the event. Quite a lot happened on the day after the Stadium’s exclusive interview with Yuji Naka and Takashi Iizuka. If by some small chance you missed it click here and drink it in. if you’re already familiar with that then I suppose you should read on. A lot happened on the Summer of Sonic stage but few things could live up to Naka-sand and Iizuka-san appearing on stage for a rather lengthy chat with one Mr Joscelyne. Well if didn’t feel very long listening to it on the show floor but let me tell you it felt a hell of a long longer writing this up for you all! But enough of my moaning, here is the first stage interview transcribed in full.
Svend Joscelyne: Can you briefly describe how you both got into the games industry and what it was that really got you excited about working with video games?
Yuji Naka: I joined the games industry when I was 18 years old and the reason I joined was probably the same as everybody else; I really liked games! At the time I used to go to game centres (arcades) a lot and I really wanted to create the games I saw in them. I happened to take an interview with SEGA and they accepted my interview. I’ve now been in the industry 27 years and I’ve really enjoyed my time.
Takashi Iizuka: From a young age as a child I really enjoyed drawing and I used to draw Manga and staple the pages together and create my own little Manga book. So I really enjoyed coming up with new stories and the whole process of creating a Manga. I actually moved away from this for a time and during University I thought to myself I want to be in a job where I’m creating something and a story. That’s why I joined the games industry.
SJ: So Takashi Iizuka, how would you say it’s different to create games between modern and classic Sonic titles given that you’ve been involved in level design in Sonic 3 & Knuckles and also that you’ve been in charge of the modern games.
TI: Classic Sonic was first on Megadrive and we saw Sonic 1,2 and 3 in the Classic Sonic style. With that you just used the d-pad and a single button so it was very accessible and simple to pick up and play and get a taste of what Sonic is all about. With modern Sonic it’s all about the high speed action and the level design is created in such a way to allow the smooth and speedy sensation you are intended to get from the modern style Sonic. I think this is really Unique to Sonic, it’s the only game in the world where you can get that sort of sensation of speed in platform action. I think this is something we’ve built upon for the past 20 years.
SJ: So for Mr Yuji Naka, you worked closely with a US development team for Sonic The Hedgehog 2. Given that Sonic was designed for a western audience what was your experience working with SEGA Technical Institute as opposed to a domestic development team?
YN: In Sonic 1 we were a purely Japanese development team so all the staff were Japanese. In Sonic 2 we saw a mix of this, so we had some foreign staff and some Japanese staff working together. The difference I experienced was the overseas staff had a very different way in using colour and level design. So in Sonic 2 I think you see some very unique levels and these are really good levels. They tended to be created by the overseas staff. At the moment I’m here speaking in Japanese and I’m really sorry that I’m not speaking to you in English but as you may notice my English is not native! So we had some communication issues working with the overseas staff. In Sonic 3 we saw the arrival of Iizuka-san and the return of an all Japanese development team. This was due to the issues I mentioned earlier regarding communication. If the opportunity arises and if we have the time we would really like to work with overseas staff again on a Sonic title.
SJ: It’s a good thing you mentioned Sonic The Hedgehog 3 because I was just about to get onto that. Iizuka-san you were the level designer for Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and lot of kids remember that game for one specific thing; the Carnival Nights Zone Barrel (Queue laughter from Iizuka-san and the crowd) where the only way to proceed through the level was to press up, down, up, down many times to proceed through the stage. Were you involved in that part of the level design process and do you look back on that now and think “How many kids lives did I ruin by implementing that barrel?”.
TI: The short answer is no, that wasn’t me (The crowd laughs and applauds)! The person responsible for that level is the lead level designer for Sonic 1, 2 and 3. His name is Yasuhara.
YN: I presume people found that level quite difficult to understand and I would actually be the person responsible for programming it. I am so sorry! Thank you (The crowd laughs and applauds again)!
SJ: This next question really goes to the both of you. What was the feeling within the Sonic Team that made you decide to dramatically change Sonic’s appearance back in 1998. Was there a feeling that Sonic was becoming unpopular? What was the feeling there?
YN: This change came about when the game moved on from 2D to 3D. At this time the intention was for Sonic to be a loved character for many years like Micky Mouse. Micky Mouse has been loved over the many years he’s been in existence and he’s been completely redesigned around five times. So when we regarded it like that we wanted to change Sonic to continue his appeal. I think being here after 20 years of Sonic being around makes me extremely happy that people have continued to love and support Sonic.
TI: Those are the reasons that Naka-san mentioned earlier but from a technical point of view classic Sonic’s design was created so that he’d be seen from the side in 2D. So when we created the game in 3D we had to have the camera angle from behind Sonic. If we carried along with the old design his arms and legs would have been very difficult to see because the old design was only created to be seen from the side in 2D. So that is a technical reason why we decided to change the design.
SJ: and for Naka-san, when Sonic The Hedgehog 1 was released for the SEGA Megadrive, SEGA Japan and SEGA America and even SEGA Europe had their own different back-story for the reason for Sonic The Hedgehogs existence. Do you know much about the western storyline that SEGA created and what do you think about it?
YN: To be honest I’m quite surprised to hear this. I didn’t know there was such a big gap in the storyline between the Japanese Sonic The Hedgehog and the Western Sonic The Hedgehog. Were they that different?
SJ: There was a whole storyline that SEGA created on the American side that involved how Sonic went from a brown hedgehog to a blue hedgehog and involved a scientist called Dr Ovi Kintobor transforming into what we know as Dr Robotnik using the power of the chaos emeralds to turn him into a negative character. I believe it was slightly different to the Japanese back-story.
YN: I’m very surprised to hear this story, where is this written?
(The crowd laughs)
SJ: SEGA of America and SEGA Europe wrote it back in 1991! It’s not in game, it’s within comics, marketing, press and PR materials.
(Svend addresses the crowd)
SJ: You guys have heard the back story, right?
(The crowd replies with a unified “Yeah!”)
SJ: It exists, I didn’t make it up.
YN: Aaaaah! Back in the early days we didn’t have the internet or e-mail so communicating globally was extremely difficult. we were having to communicate over the telephone and with faxes so it was really hard to control what was going on globally and to keep a unified direction. Looking back now hearing this after 20 years I can laugh about it and think it’s great that this has happened. I think if I’d heard about it at the time I would have been very angry!
(The crowd laughs and applauds)
SJ: I’m glad I brought it up now and not back then! So Iizuka-san, it’s the 20th anniversary of Sonic The Hedgehog but it’s also the 10th anniversary of Shadow The Hedgehog (Queue cheering from the crowd!). We have some fans here! Clearly when you directed Sonic Adventure 2 he was only intended for that one game but were you surprised as to how popular he’d become?
TI: The Shadow character idea was something that we all had in our minds in the dev team when we were creating the first Sonic Adventure. When creating that game we had the intention of creating a rival character for Sonic Adventure 2 and we didn’t really talk about it that much but we were all thinking about it. When we were working on Sonic Adventure 2 we all did a bit of brainstorming and we brought this to the table and prepared the storyline for the Dark side and the Hero side. As you know in the story Shadow was only meant to appear in that single title. But because of the reaction of the fans we decided to bring him back in Sonic Heroes and eventually you saw him in his own title.
(The crowd responds with a mix of cheers and boos)
SJ: Don’t boo Shadow, he deserves some love too! That’s why he’s so angry. In some ways, well actually in many ways, Sonic has inspired a generation of, shall we say copycat animal mascots; Bubsy the Bobcat, Crash Bandicoot, Aero the Acrobat. Have you guys ever played any of those games and what do you think of them?
(As the translator repeats the question in Japanese Yuji Naka looks confused and asks for the names of the characters a second time. The crowd is amused).
YN: Of the those games I’ve only actually played Crash Bandicoot. When I was creating Sonic 2, my boss was called Mark Cerny and this person moved on from the team half way into development. He’s actually the guy responsible for creating Crash Bandicoot. As he worked really closely with us he could see the flow of how we created Sonic and what Sonic was all about so you may draw some similarities between these games. For example as he saw us placing rings and really putting a lot of effort and creativity in placing them in their locations I heard from him that he was putting a lot of effort into placing apples all over his levels as well.
And with that both Naka-san and Iizuka-san would exit the stage to a round of applause. Come back later though for the second stage interview where they would both field questions submitted by the fans, with the added bonus of Jun Senoue joining them.
This year’s Summer of Sonic convention had so much going on…competitions, Sonic Generations, music performances, guests and loads more – even if you attended, you no doubt missed some parts of the day.
But have no fear! Discoponies and the cyberwizards over at The Sonic Show have put together a 75-minute Summer of Sonic retrospective show, absolutely packed with all the events of the day!
Even if that doesn’t satisfy your appetite for Summer of Sonic or if you’re still feeling blue and missing hanging out with all your fellow Sonic fans…there is a whole heap of other bonus footage to catch including the Nevermind the Buzzbombers competition, all 40 minutes of Julien-K’s performance, and of the uncut, unedited Sonic Team Interview!
You have absolutely no excuse to be bored this weekend!
Meeting your heroes is a surreal thing indeed. It’s even more surreal if it’s at an event celebrating their main character’s 20th anniversary. And to think a few weeks ago I didn’t know any of this would happen at all… Continue reading TSS Exclusive Interviews: Yuji Naka & Takashi Iizuka
One of the most frequent questions we get asked every year is whether or not Summer of Sonic would ever be held in the United States, but due to many reasons “SoSUS” never come to fruition. Unsurprisingly though there has been a huge demand for a Sonic convention state-side, and it was really only a matter of time before one materialised.
With the Sonic’s 20th anniversary around the corner, SEGA of America spearheaded plans to create their own official convention, the appropriately named Sonic Boom. Aaron Webber, the newly appointed Sonic Brand Manager took on the role of chief coordinator for Sonic Boom and got in touch with Dreadknux and myself a few weeks back, and cordially invited us both to the event.
We didn’t need to be asked twice!
The convention had been carefully timed to coincide with the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles’ downtown convention centre venue. Sonic Boom was scheduled to take place in the moody and ambient environment of Club Nokia, a versatile bar come night club within walking distance of E3; a perfect site to celebrate twenty years of Sonic the Hedgehog.
I arrived at the venue early in the afternoon with Aaron, and before we’d even made our way upstairs we were greeted by fans queuing outside Club Nokia; some of them had been camped out since 6am that morning in order to score a place inside the venue as they had not been able to acquire a ticket. If that’s not dedication, I really don’t know what is! Kellie and Julian from the American community team (who you will know from the Free Stuff Friday videos!) were running around upstairs in the venue coordinating the setup of stands, pods and making sure everything was in place – a familiar scene to anyone who has been involved in the organisation of Summer of Sonic!
Even more familiar faces were up on stage as Jun Senoue, Johnny Gioeli and Alex Makhlouf (from Cash Cash, the band involved with the Sonic Colors soundtrack) were performing a dry run of the tracks they were going to be playing later on that evening. After a warm reunion with the guys I sat back to take some snaps and enjoy the privileged position of being an invited guest backstage at an event. I must have looked pretty dumb, but nevertheless I could not get rid of the huge grin on my face as the guys blistered through their fresh new set list, which included a brand new version of Sonic CD’s “Sonic Boom” and Sonic R’s “Super Sonic Racing”. What’s more, Alex’s accompaniment on synthesiser added another layer of ecstasy to the already monstrous set, and took the lead on the funky fresh new version of “Escape from the City” which will be gracing the in-game soundtrack for Sonic Generations!
I got an opportunity to briefly catch up with Johnny after rehearsals, and as always was up for a bit of laugh, as you can see from the picture (although I don’t think SEGA will be taking him on as their new mascot – stick to your day job, Johnny!). Another act rehearsing on stage before the doors opened was the cast of Needlemouse the musical. American fans will remember this bunch as the winners of the 19th anniversary competition last year, and were the lucky recipients of a trip to Japan to play Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode One. These guys were fantastic and incredibly animated on stage, so much so most of us assisting set up had to pause to watch and laugh at the jokes they were cracking. AJ and the bunch came to talk to me after their run-through, and were even kind enough to let me have my picture taken with them – an absolutely great bunch of guys and gals and well-deserving of the incredible ovation they received later in the evening (watch their performance here!).
By 5 o’clock the venue was taking shape, with the merchandise stands set up (each entrant received a Sonic hat, a special edition Sonic Generations T-Shirt and badge set) and nearly twenty gaming stations were primed and ready to give the throng of rabid Sonic fans outside a chance to play the demo of Sonic Generations. A number of photo booths had also been established to allow fans to record photographic postcards and video messages for Sonic’s birthday (you can check out Aaron and my postcard here, Dread’s postcard here and Yuji Naka’s here). Outside a huge queue of fans had formed, eagerly awaiting entry into the venue. Aaron and I went outside to rattle the crowd up a bit, and got to shake the hands of a few fans that had recognised Aaron and me.
At 6 o’clock sharp the doors opened and the mass of fans piled in. I took a brief trip upstairs to the VIP lounge, where the likes of Iizuka-san, Oshima-san and Naka-san were meeting other industry members at an exclusive VIP event. Unfortunately I was not introduced to Naka-san, but I was reintroduced to Iizuka-san, who smiled courteously as we had already met that week! Dreadknux appeared at the venue after his busy day at E3 (and was fashionably late as always!) and we proceeded downstairs to the main event floor.
A heap of guys came to greet Dread and I (there are far too many of you to mention!) and it really made our day – so if you came up and said hi, thanks loads; it really a pleasure to meet you all! TSS staffer, Sonic Retro writer and Sonic Show star Brad Flick was down on the time trial competition station hastily jotting down top scores on Green Hill Zone – you will have to keep an eye out for some hilarious pictures of Brad and Dreadknux in their bronik poses! Similarly to Summer of Sonic, there were a massive variety of cosplayers at the event too, including SSMB’s own mikeblastdude who came in an awesome Metal Sonic getup, and an excellent Charmy the Bee cosplayer. We also caught up with Scarred Sun from Retro and Shayne representing TSSZ news. I’ve never met either in reality before so we got to have a good chinwag and posed for a few photos for posterity – both are fantastic people and I certainly hope we get to all meet again in the near future.
Aaron appeared on stage to welcome all of the guests to Sonic Boom, and it wasn’t long before Jun, Johnny and Alex were on stage blowing the socks off all those in attendance. A lucky few spotted Naka-san on the event floor and managed to grab his autograph and a photo before he disappeared backstage once more. Jun, not one for passing up the opportunity to meet fans, came down off stage with the legendary Sonic guitar to sign autos and pose for pictures with a handful of fortunate fans.
Following Needlemouse: the Musical, the best of the cosplayers were invited on stage to participate in the cosplay contest, and Iizuka-san, Miyamoto-san and Senoue-san were all invited up to wish Sonic a happy birthday and to sing him a happy birthday song…and of course, Sonic was present too, along with his birthday cake! It wasn’t long before Dread and I found ourselves up on stage, telling the Los Angeles crowd all about Summer of Sonic. I had been really nervous beforehand about how the crowd would receive us on stage (especially considering the acts we were following!) but the audience were really receptive, and cheered us on – thank you all for letting us talk to you briefly, and hopefully we’ve enticed some of you to come to Summer of Sonic!
Naka-san and Miyamoto-san, along with Oshima-san joined the cast on stage at the end of the show once again and were presented with the graffiti artist’s drawing of classic and modern Sonic which had been created over the course of the evening. I’m sure most will agree the evening past all too quickly, and before long it was time to close up the evenings proceedings.
Dread and I pitched in to assist with the clean up, and ended up collapsing in the dressing room to have a chin-wag with Alex (who is also a massive Sonic nerd by the way!) After moving a precious cargo of guitars, we emerged on the street next to the Nokia theatre and ran into our good friend Richard Jacques, who was just as surprised to see us as we were to see him! Exhausted, we crashed for a few drinks at a local bar as well as a few last photographs of the day, and toasted the success of Sonic Boom.
I’d like to end by applauding the fantastic job Aaron and the team at SoA did putting together an event of this magnitude in such a short period of time, and all those involved in the stage entertainment over the course of the evening. America has now had a taste of a Sonic convention, and I’m sure this won’t be the last we hear of Sonic Boom. I’d also like to thank Aaron on behalf of Dread and myself for sponsoring our trip to Sonic Boom; I’m sure I also speak for both of us by saying we are both honoured and flattered to have been considered during the creation of this event to represent Summer of Sonic; we’ve had the time of our lives, and I’m sure I speak for hundreds of other fans when I say…
SONIC BOOM ROCKS!!!
You probably thought that most of the Sonic Team Old Guard don’t really get on. Well, today Yuji Naka proved that this was not the case, as he posted photos on his Twitter account about an encounter with Sonic the Hedgehog designer Naoto Oshima! The artist, who left Sega shortly after Sonic Adventure to form Artoon, visited Naka’s PROPE studio and brought with him a little gift.
I think it’s fair to say we all want that picture. Yuji Naka then posted a Tweet with the following photo, adding that current Sonic Team boss Takashi Iizuka joined the pair for some dinner in a local grilled chicken restaurant. Beers in hand as well, it seems like. The Japanese work hard and dine hard as well, it seems.
This funky meeting of minds most likely served absolutely no purpose other than to have old friends sit down and have a few drinks – but no doubt the topic of Sonic will come up. We can just imagine Naka-san asking Iizuka how work is like, with Iizuka throwing his hands up and jovially exclaiming “oh you know, the same old. That crazy fanbase, eh?” followed by chuckles around the table.
All three developers have had a big hand in shaping Sonic into the gaming icon he is today – Naka-san programmed the original Sonic games, and led Sonic Team during the Dreamcast era, while Naoto Oshima designed the Sonic characters themselves. Takashi Iizuka, although he largely oversees development on modern Sonic titles, began his tenure at the studio working as a level designer for Sonic 3 and Knuckles, and was the lead game designer for NiGHTS into Dreams.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmosxuw-h48[/youtube]
Although I have a fair amount of Sonic the Hedgehog loot sitting in the merch lair, there are some folks out there who I think could probably put my collection to shame. Some of you youtubers out there might know a channel called Pete’s Game Room, which is a fantastic showcase of video games and video games merchandise, old, new and rare.
Anyway, last week Pete reviewed an item which is probably known to all you serious collectors out there; the 10th anniversary wine glass – for those of you who want to know more about it and see it outside of the occassional photo online, this is your chance!
Do check out the other stuff on Pete’s Sonic Collectables Youtube channel – it’ll make even the most experienced merch hunter drool!
In an interview with ThisIsMyJoystick.com, Yuji Naka has revealed that the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise was created with environmental themes based around the impact mankind is having on the world, but says he couldn’t speak about it back in 1991 because it was a touchy subject at the time. Continue reading Naka: Sonic Created With Environmental Themes
Welcome to October. On the 24th of this month, this humble website will be ten years old. And what better way to celebrate that special anniversary than having the once-in-a-lifetime chance to sit down and chat to one of the men that made Sonic the Hedgehog – and in effect, this website – a reality.
Let me do my best Rolf Harris impression: “Can you guess who it is yet?”
That’s right. None other than Yuji Naka, one of the most inspirational developers to come out of Japan. During his time at Sonic Team, he was constantly referred to as Sega’s version of Nintendo’s own Shigeru Miyamoto. Alongside creating the physics and backbone of the Sonic the Hedgehog gameplay, Naka-san is also the mastermind behind NiGHTS Into Dreams, Burning Rangers, Phantasy Star Online and Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg.
He is in London right now, promoting the UK release of his latest work, Ivy The Kiwi? On Monday, I will be sitting right next to him to chat about the game, and all things Sonic besides (talk about dream come true).
If you have a burning question that you’ve always wanted to ask Naka-san – about Sonic, his work at Prope, Ivy The Kiwi?, anything – here’s your chance! Post your questions in the comments box below and I’ll have a look through them and pick out some of the best ones for the ultimate Sonic Stadium interview. You guys have until Sunday night – have a think about some really unique and interesting questions!
Of course, I’ve got more planned for TSS’ 10th Anniversary, but this pretty much cranks the proceedings up from ‘exciting’ to ‘freaking awesome!’ Stay tuned for more excellent celebrations this month – October 2010 is all about The Sonic Stadium!
UPDATE: The interview has been cancelled. Yuji Naka has had to leave for Japan early due to “unforeseen circumstances.” There may still be an opportunity to ask some questions via alternative methods, so sit tight. We’d like to thank Premier PR and Rising Star Games for the opportunity up until the event’s cancellation.
Two people considered to be celebrities in the NiGHTS community are now ready to wow you once again. DiGi and TRiPPY of nightsintodreams.com recently scored an interview with Sonic and NiGHTS into Dreams creator Yuji Naka, which has been published on their site today. This interview proves to be very significant among NiGHTS fans, as Mr. Naka reveals the truth behind quite a few rumours regarding development, concepts and characters that have been circulating the internet for years. Also, of note is some interesting info about inspiration behind the game’s setting, a second platform, a special guest demo tester (you’ll never guess who it is) and support for DiGi and TRiPPY’s latest campaign. It’s a great read and I won’t spoil it for you here. Head on over to nightsintodreams.com to read it.
If you haven’t already taken part in DiGi and TRiPPY’s latest campaign (which is currently at 1,724 votes), you can sign the petition to get a digital NiGHTS into Dreams port on current console services (such as PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade and WiiWare) at nid15.com. You just have to click the ‘Fans’ button. Simple!
Thanks to Indigo Rush via SSMB pm and TRiPPY via e-mail for the heads up!
1UP have posted up an interview today with a man the entire Sonic fanbase may have heard of, the legendary Yuji Naka who brought our favourite blue hedgehog into the lives of gamers worldwide. The interview has a big focus on Naka’s Prope studio and their most recent game Ivy the Kiwi? but in the 3rd and 4th pages 1UP bring out some questions about classic Sonic title Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and it’s multiplayer feature aswell as development with SEGA Saturn titles NiGHTS into Dreams, Sonic Jam, Sonic Xtreme and how time restraints resulted in development for Sonic’s first true 3D jump shifting from Saturn to Dreamcast.
The interview is an interesting read into Sonic 2’s production and the struggle inside SEGA and Sonic Team during the Saturn era, you can check that section of the interview out below but if you want to read about Yuji Naka’s creative Ivy the Kiwi? title too you can read the whole interview at 1UP.
Sega Days
1UP: I’d like to do a bit of time traveling, now, and go back through your career at Sega. I have a small list of games that you were involved in, and I’d like to ask for at least one memory from your time making them that stands out. First is Girl’s Garden, your very first game for the SG-1000 console.
YN: Yeah, it was the first one I created after I joined Sega. Back then, the [SG-1000] hardware wasn’t really selling to girls, so my boss at the time came up to me and said, “come up with a game that can relate to the female audience,” so I started making it. I thought it was just a little test for me, but my boss really liked it and was like, “OK, we’re going to make this into a product.” Altogether it took four months to make that game, but the first two months were just me nonchalantly putting it together, since I was still in that “test” phase. The next two months were really hectic, since I had to finish it all up. Looking back, I really don’t want anybody to go in there and look at the programming, because as a game, it looks like it’s working, but inside it’s just awful. [Laughs]
1UP: Well, we were all young once.
YN: I was 18, in fact. That’s when I joined Sega. I wasn’t that bright, so I couldn’t get into college, but I was able to join Sega.
1UP: It worked out, though.
YN: Indeed. I was lucky. [Laughs]
1UP: Next is Phantasy Star, certainly the first one on Master System, but even all the early 2D installments. Since it was from a more innocent time, and this was a relatively large-scale game, an RPG, I’d imagine there might be some good memories.
YN: Actually, the very first Phantasy Star only took four and a half months to create, so it was in no way a big title.
1UP: Well, compared to Girl’s Garden…
[Laughs]
YN: That’s true. Girl’s Garden was the first, and then I had a little more experience, a few more games under my belt, so in that case, Phantasy Star was a big title. [Before that,] there was a Commodore 64 game called 3D Dungeon, and the motion and animation was very smooth, and I was blown away by how that worked. I wanted to create something similar on the Mark III/Master System. Maybe a dungeon or maze you could fly through to communicate a sense of speed, but the only problem was that it was moving too smooth and people started getting motion sick. So we decided to make it a little slower and maybe put an RPG around it, like Phantasy Star.
Back then, when we were making a 3D dungeon, we thought we could turn it into an arcade game, because that was when everything was 2D, and to see a big 3D dungeon on [a monitor] was pretty refreshing.
1UP: But making an arcade game of it never got past being an idea.
YN: Right, they [the arcade division] didn’t consider it.
1UP: Next is Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which I bring up especially because it turned into such a big deal at the time, and you were making it in America.
YN: The main reason we had the team over here [in America] was to figure out how to best appeal to the U.S. Sega also wanted to make the Mega Drive a bigger hit in Japan, so we wanted to put a label on Sonic 2 saying it was a huge hit in America. We were starting to create Sonic 2 in Japan, but were kind of guessing; “maybe they’d like something like this, maybe we can do it this way.” I decided the best way was to go to America and get their feedback directly. We went to San Francisco, and watching the kids in the focus groups play it and see their reactions was really helpful. And that certainly changed my game creation style — my concept of game design was on a more worldwide scale, and that was a really important highlight of my life.
Another thing I thought of: In Sonic 1, it was all about how fast you could move, and so one thing we wanted to add was a race where you could compete against someone else. We made the two-player mode with a split screen, but the only problem was the screen was too small back then. So, after we started on Sonic 2, I thought we really needed a two-player mode as part of expanding on the original. We did a lot of fine adjustment in the speed and such, but I think it turned out how we envisioned it.
1UP: The split screen was pretty impressive back then.
YN: Especially with the Genesis resolution, all the games are usually 320×224, but for Sonic 2, it’s in the 400 range, so programming-wise, it was a lot more difficult [to pull off the split screen]. There’s a lot of hurdles that we had to go through, but when it worked, it was something I was really proud of, and as a programmer, I’m really happy about that title.
1UP: I’d like to jump forward in time, with a little more obscure title: Sonic Jam on Saturn, the collection of the Genesis Sonic games. Basically, I just want to know what was the idea in making that at that time.
YN: We were actually creating a 3D Sonic for the Sega Saturn, but right when we were in the thick of development, Sega was getting ready for the next console, Dreamcast. It was at a crucial point where, if we were going to move ahead with the project, we’d better move it to Dreamcast, or else we wouldn’t be able to finish it [for Saturn] in time. But we did have a certain amount of 3D graphics for the Saturn version, so we decided to [keep that and] pull in and emulate the Genesis games. For the Sega Saturn users back then, I’m sorry we couldn’t create a 3D Sonic for them, but [in Jam] you were able to have a glimpse.
1UP: Right, and there were other Saturn games from Sonic Team like NiGHTS and Burning Rangers that had clear passion behind them, so maybe it wasn’t a great loss. But regardless, is there part of you that regrets not making a “real” 3D Sonic for Saturn?
YN: Honestly, I was making so many Sonics, I wanted to make something new. But after NiGHTS, we were making Sonic, but it just would have been too late for that period. Because there’s only me, there’s no other Yuji Naka, I could only be the main programmer for NiGHTS, I couldn’t do many projects at once. But after NiGHTS, Sega wanted me to oversee more projects, so that was the last game on which I was main programmer.
Every hardware launch, there’s those crucial moments of timing. Saturn didn’t have Sonic, and the GameCube had Luigi’s Mansion; no Mario at the beginning. But Dreamcast did have Sonic from the beginning, and I think that’s why it did well. Now that I’ve grown and can look back at those days, yeah, I think I should have thought more about the company, but back then I didn’t care. I just wanted to create what I wanted to create.
But it’s the same with Nintendo: There are times when Mr. Miyamoto isn’t involved with [all] projects. And with 3DS, I’m surprised they’re using Kid Icarus for launch, and not Mario. [Of course,] at the booth, you can see Mario Kart and Paper Mario, and maybe the public will view it differently, but in my opinion, I thought it would be better to have [a traditional] Mario with 3DS.
1UP: Speaking of Dreamcast, how did you feel about the Dreamcast years and the games you produced for it? It really seemed like a time when Sega was at its most creative, and I was wondering if maybe you felt “renewed” as a game creator in those days?
YN: Yeah. From whatever failures came from the Saturn, we didn’t want to repeat our mistakes, so we had a lot of executives and software creators get together and figure out what to do; how to sell the next console. There were sooo many meetings, and we had inside advisors and outside advisors all giving us comments. But more than anything, I think [former Sega presidents] Irimajiri and Okawa had a lot of passion back then, and they were really pushing ahead to make a new console, and all the employees really felt that. So we wanted to meet their expectations, and I think as a team we worked really well.
I was remembering the “dream team” meetings that happened every week. We were deciding what kind of hardware to do, what kind of software, the specs… all of that was done in those weekly meetings.
1UP: Those were the same collaborative meetings between the hardware and software teams?
YN: Yeah. Usually when you talk about hardware and software, there are different teams that don’t really communicate with each other, but back then, I think that was one of the things that really worked well for our company. And on top of the business team [joining], there were the outside advisors, and another thing that was interesting is that we often changed the venue of the meeting rooms. We used the advisors’ offices, basically to stimulate inspiration, because when you’re in the same meeting room every time, you can’t think too differently.
1UP: Well, thank you for time traveling with me. I have one last big question, from one of our readers. Gixman asked: if you had the chance, what classic Sega franchise would you like to work on again for a next-gen system?
[Naka thinks for a moment]
1UP: Did you have a favorite Sega game that wasn’t one of your own?
YN: I really like Yu Suzuki’s games, because I feel like I want to play his games again.
1UP: Yeah, a lot of people do. I loved it when OutRun 2 came out.
YN: He might be able to use his talents more on the arcade side. Well, I’m not sure I want to make Sonic again, but… Girl’s Garden! It’s a really fun game. Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I was using an emulator to play it recently, and I was really surprised how much fun it was. [Laughs]
1UP: Even though you weren’t completely satisfied with the programming?
YN: Well, I was young, and it was one of those projects where we all put our minds together and were joking around, just having a good time making it. One other thing is that, because I was so young back then, I had so much flexibility and ideas. And it goes back to Ivy the Kiwi?, where it was the young employees bringing their ideas together. As you get older as a creator, your thinking tends to be one-sided, or not as flexible as it used to be. So when I hear what the young creators are coming up with, it really inspires me, and I want to expand that as much as possible. And I’ve been called a “game creator” for a long time, but it’s not like I come up with everything. It’s all a team effort, and saying “that’s a good idea, how can we use that?” and putting all the good parts together into a good game. My thinking isn’t necessarily making something new and moving forward from there, but based on my experience, I get to see what has potential and can expand it from there.
1UP: So to answer the original question: You’d remake Girl’s Garden?
YN: Yeah, maybe with a super hot girl! [Laughs] The game itself was about a girl trying to win this guy’s heart, and all these other girls are trying to get him, so you bring him flowers while he’s waiting at his house. Doesn’t that sound like a fun game to you? From a guy’s point of view, all you have to do is stay at home and all these girls are fighting over you, so what else could you want?
1UP: Yeah, it’s a nice idea. Sounds like it reflected your youth.
YN: I guess so, huh? [Laughs]
Source: 1UP via GoNintendo
A double dose of simplicity hits the Wii today in North America with the retail and download releases of Prope’s “Let’s Tap” and “Let’s Catch.” “Let’s Tap” is going at a $29.99 price tag, while “Catch” is worth 1,000 Nintendo Points on WiiWare. A European release date has yet to be announced for either title, as many outlets list it as “Summer 2009” or “To Be Announced.” Check out some video of the two titles below:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR4dQxQEaIo[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO7XmN8On_4[/youtube]
Are you interested in picking up either of Naka’s new projects? Let us know in the comments below.
Sonic Adventure 2 was a big deal back in 2001. Hype was at fever pitch among the Sega faithful, the game had very positive reviews (remember when that happened?) and countless merchandise was released for the game that was to coincide with Sonic’s 10th Anniversary. There were limited edition statues, glass cubes, CD soundtracks and booklets… we even discovered goblets most recently! One of the biggest and most sought after of the bunch though, was an ultra-rare blue Sega Dreamcast in Sonic’s name. Signed by Yuji Naka, the only one actually seen in the wild was on an episode of Thumb Bandits, given away as part of a contest.
Now, you can obtain that very console for your collection. If you have a spare grand and a half.
On everyone’s favourite backyard sale, a chap is letting go of this very rare item – which includes a white and blue Sonic themed controller, a copy of Sonic Adventure 2, the usual bits that came with a Dreamcast and of course the blue console with a Sonic imprint and Naka signature – for £1,500. What recession?
Sega Dreamcast Sonic the Hedgehog 10th Anniversary Rare – eBay (ta, Jemnezmy)
Is that Morph you’re holding there, Mr. Naka?
What is it with all this Yuji Naka talk lately? We may as well rename ourselves to ‘Naka News’ from now on. Gaming website Kikizo managed to catch up with the man behind such masterpieces as NiGHTS and Burning Rangers for a short interview on his new company, Prope. Looking pretty swarve, Naka turned up to the interview suitably dressed with ‘Let’s Tap!’ figurine in hand all set to promote his new game- however, Kikizo had other ideas in mind.
Naka was asked a series of questions consisting of his opinions on SEGA leaving the hardware market, what his current relationship with SEGA is at and why his socks are the colour orange. They even threw in the question always on a Sonic fan’s mind, did Michael Jackson really compose the music to Sonic 3?
Naka slyly replied:
Naka: [laughs] It’s best that you ask Sega!
Kikizo: Well, er, it was your game, Naka-san… nobody at Sega would even know any more…
Naka: It’s a mystery [laughs]. This information is on a need-to-know basis! [laughs more] One day, when the time comes, I will give you the information!
The inevitable question regarding Naka’s company ‘Prope’ (pronounced Pro-Pay for all those wondering) developing a character based game similar to Sonic quickly came around, to which Naka confirmed that the title has spent a very small time in development and he cannot confirm whether or not the idea will be approved by SEGA. He’ll tell media when the time comes.
You can read Kikizo’s interview with the man himself on their website here. Oh, and if you are still wondering on the question of his orange socks, they’re to match the Prope company logo which is reminiscent of the US orange Dreamcast logo colour. Awesome.
Source: Kikizo.
As we write this, print and major online journalists are most likely awaiting (or on their way, no thanks to the snow) to become an audience with Yuji Naka, famed programmer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Now the leader of part-SEGA funded studio PROPE, he will visit the European headquarters of the publisher to talk about Let’s Tap. So it can be assumed there will be a European release.
From what we gather, there may be some announcements or two on top of this, but it’s not certain whether said news will relate to the inevitable EU release of the future tapping game or be something else entirely. Other high profile SEGA games, such as Madworld and Sonic and the Black Knight, will be playable for the press today as well, so you can expect some previews appearing in your favourite magazines soon, along with interviews of Naka-san.
Unfortunately, TSS couldn’t make the trip today – we’re washing our hair. But keep an eye out as we will be on the trail for all the news that trickles out of this very exclusive event.
Yuji Naka’s proving he nicked the best part of Sonic Team when he formed Prope by showing off more of his first project, Let’s Tap. I’ll be honest, I’ve had enough of pointless Wii party games, but this one intrigues me. Mostly because, having Yuji Naka on board and doing some grass-roots programming and stuff, it won’t suck.
Watch this five minute trailer of all the minigames you can tap your way along. The music is spot on too, and the whole style is just classic Sonic Team. Only, they’re not anymore. But, you know what I mean. If you’re wondering where the heart of Iizuka’s studio’s gone, Prope’s probably where it is now.
Future Tapping Game.
I am sure lots of you are wondering what Yuji Naka has been working on these days. Ever since Yuji Naka left his position at SEGA to form the SEGA funded Prope Studio, we’ve been given very little in the way of details in regards to what he is doing. All that has been revealed so far is that his team is developing some sort of Wii games. Now, finally, it appears Prope is about ready to shed some light on it’s new project. They have updated their website with a teaser image, which you can view here.
The teaser appears to have a countdown. Originally, it appeared to be counting down to the first day of TGS, but it has since been pushed back a week. Whatever this project is, we should be finding out in about 16 days. Heres hoping that the fact that this will be the first game penguins can play is a good thing for the project.
Ex-SEGA America President Peter Moore has revealed to Esquire Magazine that he has crossed the nasty path with Sonic programmer Yuji Naka, telling him “F*** you” during a Tokyo boardroom meeting. The tirade came as Moore was presenting the results to SEGA Japan of a consumer focus group, asking gamers what they thought of the SEGA brand.
At this point in time, the Dreamcast was sorely getting its arse handed to it by the Sony upstart, PlayStation 2, and the EA Sports head recollects asking people “If these brands were people, who would they be?” SEGA, unfortunately, was the “granddad with dementia who used to be cool but you couldn’t remember why”. Something familiar with that reaction there regarding today’s gaming climate, but that might just be me. Says Gamesradar:
Moore had tapes of the focus group dubbed in Japanese and headed to Tokyo to report the doddering image of Sega to the company’s board. However, when he arrived, Yuji Naka – who Moore describes as being “a tad conceited” – accused Moore of tampering with the dialogue. “I lost it,” remembers Moore. “I turned to the interpreter and said, ‘Tell him, “F*** you”.”
Although the translator refused to convey Moore’s feelings, he was pretty sure that his message got across. “Naka had lived in the US for three years, so I knew he understood. I walked out and never returned.” What a badass.
I guess Naka’s uncomfortable nature outside of programming awesome code rings even more true, what with his part in the whole Sonic X-Treme tragedy now urban legend. Power can sometimes make a guy arrogant, even Peter in his Xbox 360 days. But we have to agree with Gamesradar… man, what a badass. I’d like to buy him a beer.
When Peter Moore said “F*** you” to Yuji Naka – Gamesradar, via Kotaku
SEGA grows a spine to go with Sonics’ set of balls; Naka gives a Proper introduction, while death brings life to the Sonic franchise. It’s all happening; Sonic News catches up with Sonic developers past and present.
Backbone Entertainment
Backbone Entertainment (the company behind the upcoming PSP game Sonic Rivals) has finished a reconstruction of their official website which began during the E3 Consumer Electronics Expo (perhaps in anticipation to the attention the event would generate toward the studio).
The site features its own Sonic Rivals page, and although that offers no new information, if you navigate to the Vancouver studios blog entry, studio head Joe Bonar reveals that the game will be running on the internally developed Reaper Engine. Continue reading Studio a-go-go
Rumours of Yuji Naka’s imminent departure from SEGA seemed greatly exaggerated when SEGA’s Sonic Channel (the Japanese Sonic mini site) seemed to imply it was all part of an elaborate prank, devised to convince swarms of fans into believing Naka was leaving to set up is own restaurant titled ‘Yumeshiya’.
The prank was part of SEGA’s April fool, which due to time differences had occurred a day earlier than other parts of the world which led many a western fan to believe it was true. The joke did however serve another purpose: To draw people’s attention away from the growing concern that Naka was leaving SEGA to found his own development studio, and that SEGA would own a small stake in the company. Now it seems these rumours have indeed been confirmed. Continue reading Yuji Naka leaves Sonic Team
Earlier this month Sonic News reported that Yuji Naka (often attributed to the creation of the Sonic franchise) was to leave SEGA and form his own development studio. While some of the rumours surrounding Naka’s resignation have been confirmed, he will not however be leaving SEGA to setup his own development studio, instead he plans to persue a career in the catering business. Naka has used his available finances to setup a Japanese Tea House.
Yumeshiya, as his restaurant is known, sells a variety of dishes, which unfortunately I’m unable to name as I don’t speak Japanese. However if you’re ever in Japan and fancy some Miso Soup and rice then Yumeshiya is the place to go.
Just minutes ago news has broken (VIA a next-gen.biz update) that Yuji Naka, head of Sonic Team throughout the Sonic the Hedgehog series, is planning to leave SEGA/Sonic Team shortly. Details are uncertain at this point, however it is understood Naka will be forming new game development studio, which according to rumours, will still be in alliance with SEGA.
Further details are still yet to be revealed, but stay with SONIC NEWS to find out as it breaks.
Rumour has it that a Sonic game is in development for Nintendo’s next-gen console: the ‘Revolution’.
The large videogaming site ‘IGN’ recently revealed that ‘Sources’ close to SEGA had confirmed that SEGA are indeed creating a new Sonic game for the unusual little console.
SEGA have given no confirmation that such a game exists, but reports place Yuji Naka as director on the project; if this is the case then Yuji is certainly stretching himself thin, what with the development of ‘Fifth Phantom Saga’ and the next-gen Sonic title for PS3 and XBOX360. Continue reading It’s a Sonic Revolution
Remember back in October, when SEGA of Europe held a charity auction to raise money for provisions needed to perform a sponsored climb of the mountain Kilimanjaro, for the video games ‘Entertainment Software Charity’?
Well if you do then you should also remember the ‘one of a kind’ signed Sonic and Shadow images that were auctioned off for over £100 ($200) each.
Well as it turns out the images, signed by Yuji Naka, are not so original after all. In yet another one of SEGA of Europe’s spectacular (SEGA City exclusive) competitions, a duplicate copy of the signed images are being offered up to those that can answer this simple question: Continue reading SOE offer signed Shadow and Sonic images
The popular and renowned UK games publication ’Games TM’ has conducted an interview with none other than Yuji Naka. The interview, and other indications within the 37th October issue, suggests that the interview took place after the German games convention to which Yuji Naka attended.
The interview makes reference to Yuji Naka taking part in a mad flurry of signings, where he ‘scrawled’ his name on various Sonic merchandise. Indeed Yuji Naka can be seen creating such ‘Scrawlings’ on this page of the Sonic website: ‘SONICFANS.DE’. Continue reading gamesTM Interview With Yuji Naka
The focus of this articles is on the secretes revealed about Hidden Palace, if you wish to read the full interview then please use the links provided in the ‘media links’ section of Sonic News.
On September 30th 2005 Heidi Kemps of the games site ‘Gamespy’ conducted an interview with Yuji Naka.
The interview’s true purpose was to discuss the many Sonic games that Yuji Naka and Sonic Team were currently working on, and to give Yuji the chance to have his say on the next generation of videogames consoles. The interview, however, soon lost its original focus, the curiosity of Heidi lead to some interesting revelations on the subject of the original Sonic Mega drive games, particularly the Hidden Palace level of the Sonic 2 Beta. Continue reading Yuji Naka talks about Hidden Palace
Next-Gen Sonic is up and running. Early on the 17th, IGN and Gamespot released game play videos of the next generation Sonic the Hedgehog game, from the Tokyo Game Show. Three short videos of game play show most of what we need to know to get a good idea, along with a few new details.
Yuji Naka revealed that the new game shall be self-titled “Sonic the Hedgehog” to mark the Blue Blur’s 15th Anniversary. There is also a new engine used in this game. The engine called Havok, used in games like Halo 2 and Half-Life 2, is being used for the making of Sonic the Hedgehog. After showing how boxes at different weights move differently, Naka praised the flexibleness of the new engine for allowing simple details like these to be done. Naka-san also said that his theme while creating the games is “What if Sonic actually existed in real life?”. His theme is certainly living it up to what it stands for. Continue reading Next-Gen Sonic is Running
UK Resistance, a simple website revolved around gaming news, was anonymously e-mail high-res photos of Yuji Naka at a Hedgehog Sanctuary in Germany, on the 16 of August.
Having not been given any information other then pictures, we’re left with nothing but to assume what’s happening.
Here, Yuji Naka presents a large check for 1,500 Euros to “NABU”. With that, those hedgehogs should be able to live in paradise for a few months. Continue reading Yuji Naka Visits Hedgehog Sanctuary in Germany
The Games Convention in Leipzig was host to a special day of Yuji Naka signage, as SONIC NEWS reported some days ago. Naka-san used the event to showcase Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Rush and Sonic Gems Collection, but he has also revealed that a next generation Sonic the Hedgehog game is in development.
Nothing else has been mentioned, other than the fact that the title exists. First details will pop up at the upcoming Tokyo Games Show in September. Continue reading ‘Sonic Next’ in development
Everyone’s favourite Ferrari fanatic, Yuji Naka, will be attending a European Games Convention, held in Leipzig, Germany. SEGA-Europe’s German website has revealed details of his special appearance during two days of the event.
August 17th will be a special developer’s-only day which Naka-san will attend, to present the three latest Sonic the Hedgehog titles in the saga (that’s Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Gems Collection and Sonic Rush in case you haven’t been catching up). The event would be perfect for European fans to learn more about the upcoming games (and perhaps on secret projects too) but we assume this pleasure will be reserved for the Tokyo Games Show commencing mid-September instead. Continue reading Yuji Naka in Leipzig
Yuji Naka (the self-titled “Father of Sonic”) and Richard Jacques (music composer for Sonic 3D and Sonic R) are listed to appear in person at the Video Games Live touring concert, during a pre-show event alongside many other top brass game developer superstars.
To kick off the Stateside tour in the US, the VGL team are preparing a special “pre-show” event on July 6th 2005, taking place from 5:30pm – 8:00pm. It will be held at the LA Hollywood Bowl, the venue for the debut concert, and will be free for all who have purchased a ticket. Continue reading Meet Yuji Naka & Richard Jacques!
If there’s anyone in the industry who has an eye for new gadgets and consoles like some sort of deranged magpie, it’s Yuji Naka, head of Sonic Team. The last few years has had his team shift Sonic and Puyo Pop onto almost every console imaginable, and certainly every new one. He’s also one to be quite close to Nintendo, being tea chums with Miyamoto-san.
In the latest issue of Famitsu, Naka-san has gone on record to comment on the next generation line of consoles, not surprisingly. He admits he is very interested with the Nintendo Revolution, expressing excitement over the surprise the controller may bring, and even the downloads aspect: Continue reading Yuji Naka – Loves Everyone
![Yuji Naka “[Modern Sonic] games have become much easier”](https://archive.sonicstadium.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/177359-yuji-620x200.jpg)
