In 2017, Sonic Mania introduced the collection again to its 2D roots in a method not seen in many years. Whereas handheld titles, the poorly acquired Sonic the Hedgehog 4, and different video games like Sonic Generations and Sonic Colours contained 2D gameplay, Sonic Mania felt just like the true successor to the beloved titles that appeared on Genesis and Sega CD all through the Nineties. A sequel felt all however inevitable, however when Sega and Sonic Mania mastermind Christian Whitehead determined to amicably go in creatively completely different instructions (learn the total story right here), Sonic Workforce inventive officer Takashi Iizuka nonetheless wished to construct on the success skilled with Sonic Mania.
“Throughout Sonic Mania’s growth, I did not anticipate this degree of fan response or success,” Iizuka says. “That success created the chance to consider the subsequent era of Basic Sonic and led to Sonic Superstars. Sonic Mania helped us notice that followers nonetheless wished and loved the Basic collection.”
The street to Sonic Superstars started in the course of the COVID-19 lockdown. Iizuka acquired a message from Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator and president of Japanese growth studio Arzest Naoto Ohshima. Ohshima, who had labored for Sega from 1987 to 1999 and created the unique character designs for each Sonic and Dr. Eggman, wished to have a name with Iizuka. However this wasn’t a enterprise pitch or some type of assembly request. As an alternative, it was an invite to do what many people did in the course of the locked-down months.
“Ohshima-san stated, ‘Hey, Iizuka-san, we should always get on Zoom and have a ingesting celebration collectively,” Iizuka recollects. “We did, and we began ingesting and chatting and had the dialog of, ‘Hey, we need to carry again a Basic Sonic sport,’ and in that ingesting celebration, Ohshima-san stated, ‘I actually, actually need to become involved. Let’s get collectively and make this occur,’ and that is the way it all kicked off.”
Ohshima had been maintaining with the Sonic franchise, regardless that his final involvement with the collection was previous to the flip of the century with Sonic Journey on Dreamcast. He has a powerful appreciation for video games like Sonic Colours, Sonic Mania, and Sonic Frontiers. Nevertheless, his favourite is Sonic Generations, due to its lovely visuals and the intersection of Trendy and Basic Sonic – an intersection that maybe made the pitch of Sonic Superstars, a Basic Sonic sport with modernized visuals and mechanics, extra interesting to him.
Although Ohshima has labored on many video games within the 24 years since leaving Sega to discovered his personal studio, unsurprisingly, his status as the person who designed probably the most iconic characters on the planet has adopted him almost two and a half many years later.
“Lots of people who observe me on social networks help Sonic,” Ohshima says. “I have been pondering for some time that I wished to indicate how a lot I respect them, so I actually wished to participate in growing the sport.”
Iizuka knew that Ohshima was the best option to collaborate with on Sonic Superstars due to his lengthy historical past of engaged on the Basic Sonic video games. Along with his work on character design for video games like Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles Chaotix, Ohshima additionally directed Sonic CD, probably the most beloved entries within the collection. In the meantime, Iizuka has been at Sega since 1992, engaged on almost each Sonic title since 1994’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Along with heading up Sonic Workforce’s growth efforts for a lot of his time there, many view him as the person accountable for ushering the Sonic franchise into the Trendy period because the director of the Sonic Journey video games.
“Ohshima-san’s data is type of, I would not say ‘caught,’ but it surely’s type of preserved in that Basic Sonic mindset, so his mind-set about issues, the best way of designing issues, the best way of getting issues look… all that design and inventive potential are within the Basic mindset,” Iizuka says. “However all of his know-how and the best way he is constructing issues at the moment are within the present processes, so he could make these present video games utilizing trendy know-how however nonetheless apply the entire Basic design sensibilities to it.”
Although Arzest and Ohshima led growth efforts on Sonic Superstars, Sonic Workforce collaborated ceaselessly, with Iizuka and Ohshima continuously sharing concepts and manufacturing duties. As soon as the course of the title was decided, a lot of the event fell to Arzest, however Sonic Workforce was removed from hands-off. Members of Sonic Workforce, together with Iizuka, even traveled from Burbank, California, to Yokohama, Japan, to work collectively on growing Sonic Superstars.
With each Ohshima and Iizuka filling the position of producer, they might divvy up the duties in a more practical method than after they had labored collectively within the ’90s. “After I was a part of Sonic Workforce, I used to be a sport director whereas additionally engaged on participant specs and mannequin animations,” Ohshima says. “I additionally did a variety of producer-like work, like character product rollouts and negotiations with the advertising division. Iizuka-san took care of that half this time, so I may deal with sport growth.”
From the sounds of it, issues have gone nicely. Although Ohshima hints in a few cases that the event cycle was shorter than anticipated, Sonic Workforce – and specifically, Iizuka – has impressed him. “I declare to be an concept particular person, however Iizuka-san is an concept one who all the time wows me,” Ohshima says. “Sonic Workforce was simply as spectacular as anticipated. Folks I knew way back have change into tremendous succesful, and it was nice working with them.”
Likewise, Iizuka loved the reunion as nicely. “He is an excellent inventive thoughts, and he is actually simply enjoyable to speak to,” he says. “And he all the time has plenty of concepts to enhance the sport, and it brings plenty of inspiration. He is very completely different to work with than plenty of different builders.”
With each Iizuka and Ohshima seemingly glad with the collaborative association, the 2 had been capable of focus wholly on their major goal of making a sport not just for followers of probably the most beloved 2D Sonic video games but additionally a sport for a completely new era of gamers. Sonic Superstars arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Sequence X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Change, and PC this fall. For extra unique protection, together with hands-on with never-before-seen zones and a rundown of all of the Emerald Powers, click on on the banner beneath.
