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Early last summer, the Sonic the Hedgehog series celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. Sega hosted a live Sonic Central show in May and announced three new titles (Sonic Colors: Ultimate Edition, Sonic Origins, and an unnamed mainline piece), as well as a special 30th anniversary concert featuring a professional band playing the Sonic the Hedgehog series of classics.
Taking advantage of this series of celebrations, we interviewed five senior members of Sonic's group, including the series's directors, producers, composers, and art designers, to gain insight into each of their unique experiences with the Sonic the Hedgehog series and what the three decades have meant to them.
| Q: What was your first job experience in the Sonic the Hedgehog series?
Takashi Iizuka, Sonic Team Leader and Creative Executive: I first started out with Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and in order to get involved in the development of the game, I went to the United States and lived there for a year and a half. For a first-timer like me, it's a new and exciting experience.
Hiroshi Nishiyama, Art Director: I was initially responsible for creating a 3D version of Sonic World in Sonic Jam. It's very difficult to design a texture with new shapes and models, but it's because of this experience that I was able to create the cool designs from Sonic Adventures, so it's a good memory.
Kazuki Hoshino, Creative Director: I joined Sega in 1991 on a game show, and I had the privilege of working with Mr. Naoto Oshima, co-founder of Sonic the Hedgehog, and was introduced to another founder, Mr. Hiroshi Naka, who had just returned from the United States. That's where it all started.
Yuji Kamikawa, Character Design: The first work I worked on was Sonic Jam, which was also the first game in the history of the Sonic the Hedgehog series to use 3D technology for character and environment design, so everything in this experience was very novel, and I felt that I could do everything.
Jun Setami, Music Director, Crush 40 Guitarist: I was first involved in the music selection process for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, when the entire development process was in the United States. What we have to do in Japan is to make a sample tape for the song we have created, and then send the sample tape to the United States by ship, and then wait for the development team there to listen to it and reply to their comments and feedback, or reply by fax!
| Q: Did you suddenly realize that the Sonic the Hedgehog series and the Sonic character had become a global hit?
Iizuka: Over the years, I've felt several times that Sonic the Hedgehog has truly become a huge IP. The 1993 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (where the giant Sonic balloon appeared) made me feel this way for the first time, and then in 1998 we hosted a launch for Sonic Adventures with more than 10,000 fans, which made me feel the popularity of the Sonic the Hedgehog series again, and the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie adapted from Hollywood in 2020 also made me realize this.
Nishiyama: For me, the 1998 Sonic Adventure production launch and the 2020 Hollywood adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog movie gave me a first-hand taste of the popularity of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Until now I can't forget the excited fans.
Hoshino: My words, I probably think this way every time I meet a fan, but besides, it may be that a few years ago I saw a series of super-hot memes that went viral, and the characters looked very much like Sonic and Narus.
Kamikawa: This phenomenon is not uncommon in the gaming industry, but when we started working with other popular comics or movie IPs on different media platforms, I really felt the popularity of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and I also got the same feeling when I saw Sonic genuine merchandise getting hot sales around the world.
Setami: I only had this first-hand experience when I saw that Sonic was recognized by so many people. Men, women and children, when they see the word "Sonic", they can blurt out, "We know Sonic!" The image of this blue hedgehog will also appear in my mind instantly. Of course, the movies we launched in 2020 in collaboration with Hollywood have greatly expanded the audience of Sonic's IP, which is also one of the important sources of Sonic's popularity.
| Q: Which one is your favorite of the works you have been involved in developing?
Iizuka: Sonic Adventure 2, when our entire development team moved to the United States and did all the development work there. Our team size is actually very small, so we were able to bring all the good elements from the previous game together in this game, and ultimately brought a satisfactory game and story to players around the world.
Nishiyama: That's Sonic Adventure 2, which we went to the U.S. to develop. The experience of living in the U.S. and the new excitement gave me a lot of new ideas about the game, which led me to develop a really good game with the rest of the team.
Hoshino: The experience of designing characters for The Hedgehog Game was a lot of fun. I threw myself into and designed the robots created by Dr. Egghead, as well as the game's human warriors, weapons and vehicles from alien civilizations, resulting in a game that seemed to run counter to conventional wisdom at the time. Do you like this game?
Kamikawa: For me, it should be Sonic Adventure, and I was in charge of character design in this project, modeling and animating the characters. I've also designed various titles for the promotion of the game, so personally this game is of great significance.
Setami: My favorite was Sonic Adventure 2, when the whole team was small and did development work in the United States. It was a new experience for everyone on the team and a lot of motivation, so the stoic development process was actually a lot of fun.
| Q: What is your favorite game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series?
Iizuka: I recommend Sonic: Carnival the most because it combines all the classic fun elements of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. If you like 3D games, Sonic Colors: Ultimate Edition is the first choice.
Nishiyama: I was involved in the development of Sonic Heroes, which is very informative, requires players to use the unique skills of different characters strategically, and also requires a high degree of teamwork, which is why I love this game.
Hoshino: My friends and I spent a lot of fun in Sonic Heroes because we were able to be a real team and use strategy to complete the game. Each team has its own finishing skill, so it's a lot of fun to cleverly match each team member's special abilities.
Kamikawa: I think it should be the first version of Sonic the Hedgehog. This game is simple to operate, the picture quality is vivid, and it can be called an extremely pure game.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2, developed on the Genesis engine. While I also love the original Sonic the Hedgehog, the recently launched Sonic the Hedgehog 2 not only has an improved performance, but also has a large number of new elements that can bring players full fun. As a fan of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, this is the one that impresses me the most and likes it the most.
| Q: Aside from Sonic, which of your favorite characters in Sonic the Hedgehog is?
Iizuka: My favorite is Chartreuse. I chose him not only because I was involved in the creation and setting of the character, but also because I really liked his backstory as a villain hero.
Nishiyama: Before I joined Sega, I played games from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and my favorite was Narus in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. I love his mysterious background, and I love the character of the lone guardian of the King's Emerald. After I joined Sonic, I was involved in the design of the character of Schatt, so he was another character I really liked.
Hoshino: I think Dr. Egghead's passion for creating inventions is remarkable, and he perseveres no matter what challenges he encounters. I couldn't help but wonder how much time he had to spend working every day to create so many inventions.
Kamikawa: I really like Bick the fat cat. I like his laid-back and laid-back attitude and slow-paced lifestyle, which is in stark contrast to Sonic, who is busy all the time.
Setakami: Shatt. Part of what I like about him is that I was involved in the character's development team, and I really liked his lines (especially in the Japanese version), and the red and black color schemes were also very good.
| Q: When you first started working on the Sonic the Hedgehog series, did you ever think that the series would celebrate its 30th anniversary and have such a high popularity?
IIIZKA: I was 21 when I first started with Sonic the Hedgehog, and I didn't even think about what it would be like thirty years from now. But I did hope that Sonic the Hedgehog would go on.
Nishiyama: I've always just done my best to do what I should do now, and I haven't thought too much about the future. I remember I always had an impression: Sonic was cool, and the games we made were fun.
Hoshino: As Sonic Adventure introduces many new characters to the Sonic the Hedgehog series, I'm deeply aware that we still have a lot of stories to tell, but also many challenges. As long as this remains the same, Sonic the Hedgehog will continue to evolve.
Kamikawa: To be honest, I don't even think about what it will be like in a few years. One of the reasons is that we are constantly launching new games and officially licensed products, and Sonic's IP should be able to continue to grow. I think it is precisely because we are constantly working hard to move forward that we have created what we are today thirty years later.
Isakami: I was only in my twenties and couldn't imagine what I would be like in my fifties, and likewise, I couldn't imagine what Sonic would be like at thirty. It was Sonic who first took us on this amazing adventure, but today, thirty years later, we celebrate the milestones of Sonic the Hedgehog.
| Q: What does Sonic the Hedgehog's thirties mean to you?
Iizuka: Iitsuka: I'm very pleased that our entire team has worked hard over the past three decades to bring joy and excitement to players around the world. I'm also very happy that Sonic has been able to get the support of so many fans over the past three decades.
Nishiyama: I'm very happy to hear that the Sonic the Hedgehog series has left a strong mark on the lives of fans. I also hope to bring more interesting games to players in the future.
Hoshino: I've been in the game industry for almost thirty years. Looking back at my experiences over the years, I realized that I had come so far. I hope to continue to think new ways and continue to bring interesting games to fans for the next three decades.
Kamikawa: Thirty years is a long time, but it's no exaggeration to say that the love and support that Sonic the Hedgehog received will be evidence of the efforts of all members of the Sonic team. I want to share the joy of this moment with my fans while continuing to move together towards a more interesting future.
Sakae: I believe that the past three decades have been inseparable from the company of fans, and I would like to celebrate this moment with everyone, who contributed to this moment. Happy 30th Birthday Sonic!
Translation: Brexit Admiral
Edit: Tonkotsu ramen
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