The comments box for asking questions is now CLOSED. Thank you for all your submissions – we will try and ask as many as we can on the day!
- Have you ever wanted to say thank you to Yuji Naka?
- Have you ever wanted to ask Takashi Iizuka about his favourite character apart from Sonic?
- Do you need Jun Senoue’s signature on your copy of [Insert CD Name Here]?
Then I have good news for you, not only will Naka-san, Iizuka-san and Senoue-san be signing and saying hello in our specific signing area they will also be answering YOUR questions in a special Sonic Team panel.
In fact the good news is we’ve been asked by SEGA if we could perhaps arrange TWO panels, a morning and an afternoon session to answer all your questions and give both the early birds and the later arrivals a chance to see them – that’s fine by us!
We’ll have more on when these will be nearer the event itself. For now though we’re after your questions for Naka-san and Iizuka-san.
So now’s your chance to have your questions asked, submit your question via the comments and the very best ones will be chosen to be answered on the day in front of everybody.
If there’s something you really wanted to know, now’s the time to get asking!
Here’s some hints as to how to make your question more
likely to be selected.
- Make sure you make leave your question HERE. It’s all very well leaving it in a forum, on Twitter or on the Facebook group/page but we’ll be looking here.
- Make sure you put who the question is to and who you are – we will try and find some of you on the day so you can ask your questions directly to the panel!
- Try and be original and creative in your questioning. “Why did you call Green Hill Zone ‘Green Hill Zone” will likely not get picked.
- Likewise please try and ask a question that might actually be able to be answered – “what levels are in Sonic Generations” and “what are you working on at the moment that we don’t know about” are examples of questions that you’re not going to get an answer to. Sonic Team (or Prope in Naka-san’s case) aren’t going to spill the beans to you are they?
- It goes without saying, but we know how unpredictable things can get on the day; these guys are essentially your gaming heroes. Please ask respectful questions.
Best of luck!
After Sonic’s design process was done how did you go about creating a landscape for Sonic to run around in? What were the main obstacles in programming them?
Who’s that question directed at, please? Naka-san? Iizuka-san? Both of them?
It might be directed at Naka-san, although this is both a question on programming and level design. Naka-san wasn’t the designer for the level aesthetics and layouts of the original games… So only about half the question can be answered, and only if he remembers.
Okay I’ll tweak the question a bit. Just simply after getting Sonic as a final design what were the main obstacles in programming. Things like physics have now been mastered by fans of the series, what made this winning combination of speed and platforming what it is? Was there any problems when starting?
There should be a bit better now.
Naka-San
Got another very important question:
Madonna at some point was included in Sonic’s line up as well as a Music Band. These seemed to be nearly final ideas, why were they removed? And was the reason anything to do with the fact that you were aiming this product at children?
Naka-San
Which game in the Sonic series did they enjoy working on the most?
That’s to both of them, forgot to mention that.
For Takashi Iizuka: Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles were both parts of one game. Through level select menus, the redundant Bubble Shield in S&K (as there was no water) and several other factors, it shows that this was not always going to be the case. When in the design period did you decide to split the two games up and what troubles did you face having chosen to do so?
To both of them,
Who is your personal favourite character and why?
To Jun Senoue
Some of my favourite tracks are your songs from Sonic 3D: Flickie’s Island. Which I know in Japan, didn’t get released until the Sega Saturn version, which had a different soundtrack by Richard Jaques.
Sonic Adventure also borrows a few of the well known song from Sonic 3D, is this because you wanted fans in Japan to hear those tracks? If the Megadrive version of Sonic 3D had gotten a Japan release sooner, would you have thought of different music for Windy Valley and Twinkle Ride in Sonic Adventure?
(Sorry if this question is too long, I’m trying to think of a better way to word it) o_o;
Naka-san:
Have you ever thought about returning to Sonic Team?
Iizuka-san:
Why was decided that Dimps should do Sonic Generations 3DS, even though a lot of people were not really satisfied with their work on Sonic 4 Ep 1? (Physics, uncurling, etc)
This question is for Naka-san.
What is your opinion of the Green Hilll Zone that appears in Sonic Generations and how do you think both modern and classic Sonic versions, compare to the original?
To Iizuka-san~
‘Was there any part in development of any sonic game which was hard to progress forward, for example City Escape in SAB2, or an earlier episode of Sonic Spinball?’
This is for Senoue-san:
“When it came to finding a vocalist for Open Your Heart, how did you hear of Johnny’s voice and how did you get hold of him to start recording the song?”
I should point out that’s 2 questions if you read it carefully
To Iizuka-san,
What has made you stick with the Japanese voice actors for so long , where-as we in the West have had three different sets?
To Naka-san,
Why are there only 6 Chaos Emeralds in Sonic 1 and 7 in the 2nd one?
good questions, i’d ask that too :pp
Here is a question directed toward Yuji Naka and Takashi Iizuka.
As technology and gameplay have evolved over time, we have seen Sonic in a variety of different settings and situations, and each have been received in different ways. The evolution of Sonic has been something of an adventure within itself. My question is, out of all the Sonic Games you have thus far released, which has been the most rewarding to work on/with?
And here’s one for Jun Senoue.
Is there any chance of some kind of Soundtrack Compilation to celebrate Sonic’s 20th Anniversary?
Are there any plans for future games to include characters like Shadow, Silver, Rouge, E-123 Omega etc after Sonic Generations?
This one’s for both Naka-san and Iizuka-san.
To be honest I’d be over the moon if these guys signed my 2010 SoS drawstring bag, managed to catch Jun at the end of last year’s show for a signature, and a photo with all three
Q1. Are we going to see Sonic the hedgehog 4 Episode 2 sometime and if so when can we expect it?
Q2. Will there be a brand new stage in sonic generations which has never been in a sonic game before?
Thanks
To Iizuka-san
Will we ever see the return of Mighty the Armadillo?
For Naka-san. Now that you’ve left Sonic Team and have been successfully managing your own company for some years now, how do you look back on your time working on the Sonic series and with the team? Is there a part of that misses the days of old?
For Jun Senoue:
After over a decade how does it feel to go back to City Escape and adapting it for both eras?
Naka-san: In all the years you were involved in the Sonic franchise what was your favourite title to work on and why?
Iikuza-san:When working on Sonic 3& Knuckles, how did you tackle the problem of the wide range of locales used as zones in Sonic 1 +2 and manage to come up with entirely new ones?
Jun-san: When composing the music for Sonic Generations, how did you manage to keep the balance of a familiar tune and a new remix in both the classic and modern levels?
Feel free to reword/condense
This is to Jun Senoue,
With Sonic Generations using rearranges of old tracks for levels in game, have you had to approach rearranging them differently in comparison to composing new original material, and if so is it something you’d be willing to do again?
@ Takashi Iizuka: Did Shadow ever go through a phase of having other possible designs that could of been used instead back when you were designing him 10 years ago? If yes, will the community ever get to see what could have been Shadow someday?
@ Jun Senoue: Of all the stages that you created music for, which piece of music is your favorite?
Naka San even though you no longer program the sonic games if you could would you make new sonic games
# Takadhi Izuka: I am hooked on Sonic Chronicles, the Dark Brotherhood. I’ve yet to finish the game but have heard it ends on a cliffhanger. Is there gonna b a sequal? It just seems the right time now the 3Ds is out or the original game could be remastered to be released on 3Ds… Just a thought…
To Naka and Iizuka,
“As technology moved forward, did the design process become easier or harder, especially as games moved towards 3D. How do you think technology in the future will affect gaming?”
(If the second part is too probing into potential future stuff, feel free to drop it)
These questions are both for Jun Senoue:
Last year in the Q&A you and Johnny were talking about a follow up album to the Crush 40 album. What happened?
Also last year you remembered me (at least my name and where I come from), the question here is if you still remember me.
dear izuka/naka
due to the turbulance in the fan base regarding the werehog,is there anychance of its return(presumably being linked to the bracelet sonic was given by chip at the end of the game)
To Naka-san and Iizuka-san
Apart Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, which Sonic title do you wish to go back to and make changes to?
To Iizuka-san. Sonic generations combines both classic and modern gameplay. And I was wondering which gameplay style do you like the most?
To both:
What do you think of Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 today? How could it come to such a bad game?
1.Are we going to see Sonic the hedgehog 4 Episode 2 in the future?
2.Are we going to see a never before seen stage in Sonic Generations?
To Iizuka-san.
My question is to Iizuka.
You have worked on the Sonic series for a long time, which has meant that games have always been changing and developing. What is it about the Sonic The Hedgehog games that have kept you at Sonic Team and always wanting to create new Sonic experiences, what sustains your passion and drive to create Sonic games?
Naka-san and Iizuka-san:
Is there any characters that faded into obscurity,never made it past the idea/concept stage or from other parts of the sonic universe (ie comics,artwork,fanfiction,flashes/animations etc) you would like to see become apart of the main sonic franchise
Jun Senoue:
Out of all the sonic games you’ve worked on,which one in particular was the most challenging to create and compose music in order to fit the style,characters,story,environment,atmosphere of the game
with the signing, will they sign anything to do with sonic?
Naka-san and Iizuka-san: Which of Sonic’s friends was the funnest/most difficult to design?
Question to Yuji Naka
You’re considered the “Daddy of Sonic” and after you left Sonic Team there were a few years where Sonic was in a bit of decline when it came to critical reception. In the last year or so Sonic 4 and Sonic Colours have been received really well. Have you enjoyed seeing new commercial and critical success for Sonic The Hedgehog, and are you a fan of the direction Sonic The Hedgehog is going in?
Here is my qustin, to Mr. Iizuka.
With the announcement of no game gear games for SG 3DS it led me to pondering about the other Spinoff games like the Storybook games,Riders and Sonic Battle.
Will those games be represented in any fashion in SG?
To Naka and Lizuka: Will we ever see a theatrical Sonic movie?
Are there any plans for a new Sonic cartoon series?
or mabe volume 2 of sonic underground even….
…They’re… not really the guys who can field this one…
@Iizuka-san
Will Knuckles and Tails be playable again in future games?
If so would you have to create a new engine for them?
Question for Takashi Iizuka:
After criticisms made of Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 and Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Team made the brave decision of listening to the fan base and answering some of the fans requests; such as a Sonic only title, being only 2D; or a Sonic Unleashed ‘Daytime Stage’ only game. With Sonic 4 – Episode 1 past, and Sonic Generations coming up, do you feel that this went well, and how did it change the design process?
Feel free to re-word! ^^
I have a few questions:
1: How long do you think the Sonic series will go on for?
2: Will there be ever be a sonic adventure 3?
3: Will there be any new characters in the future? or come backs of older characters such as Mighty and Fang/ Nack?
Something for Jun Senoue…
The community discovered after some digging that the Sonic 4 boss theme actually came from an unused track from Sonic 3D Blast/Flickies’ Island. Can you explain what this theme was originally for and why you decided to use it in Sonic 4 instead of composing something new?
For Takashii Iizuka…
There are dozens of level themes (Carnival, ruins, futuristic etc) which have been visited in Sonic’s history. Is there a theme you feel you HAVEN’T touched on which you would like to in the future?
For Yuji Naka…
Firstly, I would like to deeply and personally thank Yuji Naka and Sonic Team for creating the biggest role model I had and could look to for help when growing up as a child.
In terms of a question…
When Sonic was being originally developed, Sonic was redesigned for western territories and you were not at all keen on how he looked. what aspect of it did you dislike so much? What effect did you think it would have on the consumer?
Wow that’s a lot… =P Fingers crossed these (or at least 1 of) get asked!
Are the classic/past characters in Sonic Generations gonna be quiet or they gonna have voice actors? I’m hoping they’ll be speaking!
To Iizuka-san,
The 3DS version of Sonic Generations contains the same physics’ problems and uncurling as Sonic 4 Episode 1. Considering that it is currently being developed primarily by Dimps, who is also developing future episodes for Sonic the Hedgehog 4, what makes you trust Dimps’ ability to listen and act upon improving the quality of future episodes?
Another question for Iizuka-san,
During Sonic 4 Episode 1′s development, you stated that the classic model could not return because Sonic 4 was a new game, and that all new games had to stick to new designs. That being said, why is the classic model back in Sonic Generations despite the fact that Sonic Generations is a new game as well?
To Jun Senoue,
How do you respond to fan reaction and feedback regarding the music quality of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1?
Another couple of questions, this time for Senoue-san,
Getting ahold of your music is difficult for us international fans. We have to import the CDs from Japan or America and that can be expensive. Have you considered putting your music on a digital music service like iTunes?
Also, I saw footage of your performance at Sonic Boom and your cover of Sonic Boom for Sonic CD was amazing! Are you planning on releasing it commercially?
Naka-san and Iizuka-san:
What do you believe defines a Sonic game? are there any specific elements that must be present? for example, the tone of seriousness in the story for some of the games, must Sonic try to be cartoonish and innocent? how do you go about pleasing fans who all want a different taste?
Jun Senoue:
As a huge fan of your work on the Adventure series, how was the overall experience? did you have a hard time deciding what music would go with what?
Feel free to reword any of those to make them shorter. I would really like the first one to be answered though.
@Iizuka-san
-Why is so hard to make a game like S3K in HD, with the same characters, same gameplay and same physics? Sonic fans would die for it, and non Sonic fans would enjoy that game equally for sure.
-Innovation is not always the best way to go. Improve what needs to be improved is. What do you think?
To Yuji Naka: What was the best experiences you’ve had of working with Sonic Team?
To Takashi Iizuka: Any thoughts on Sonic Generations 3DS with the HD versions receiving more praise, & What influence will it have on future episodes of Sonic 4′s originality & level design?
To Jun Senoue: Besides Rock, what are your other favorite music genres?
This one is to Yuji Naka:
You and the games you’ve developed at Sonic Team were one of the main reasons I decided to work with Software/Game Development; that is, I learned to program by trying to replicate what I saw on these games. Even though you now manage your own company, (Prope) are you still interested in the technical aspects of video-games? Do you still write code, even if as a hobby? What’s your favorite programming language?
Thanks.
For Takashi Izuka as the director of Generation would there be any chane you could Include Sonic’s longest voices Jason Griffith and Ryan Drummond in the game my self as well as a ton of Sonic fans feel that it’s unfair not to include these two talented people who for half of Sonic’s years entertained fans with there voice talent and are just being left out in favor of a guy who was just offered this role and yes has brought disappointment if you could put a feature that let’s you choose which English voice you want for sonic that would be great and also Griffith is leading the polls for best sonic on voice comparison websites.
Hey Iizuka, will each zone have only one classic and one modern version, or will there be more acts for both? Also, I won’t ask for the levels in Generations, but which levels in Sonic History did you consider (whether axed from Generations or not) for remake?
Actually i forgot to ask another important question.
Iizuka (again, sorry) will the modern City Escape have the exact Dreamcast version of “Escape from the City” or will it be a completely new mix?
Here I personally always wondered: when events occur specifically game Sonic CD?
ONE MORE TIME. Sorry i keep forgetting
To both Iizuka and Naka, while working on any Sonic game, what was the funniest thing to happen to the game while developing it? (i.e. a glitch)
my questions:
1) Since you’ve ported a successful Dreamcast game called Sonic Adventure over to the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, will you be planning to port Sonic adventure 2 in the near future?
2) will you ever make a new IP for future sonic games or are you planning to stick with the same engine?
oh! if you wanna know these question is for Takashi Iizuka. lol sorry forget to put that in.
P.S. i just want to say a big thanks to Yuji Naka for creating this franchise, so far I’m enjoying it and i hope for the best.
Naka-san:
The First 2005 project was a perfect! I mean Sonic Next. Not Sonic’06.
Sonic 06 it good game on 15th of hedgehog. It’s a perfect game!
After 2006 years all game was for children and bad.
Say please first idea create Sonic NEXT was on 2004, yes? how it been?
And who work on Mephiles?
Who create he style and how he get name Mephiles? I know only story about “Evil Shadow” =D
This question goes to Iizuka-san:
You said once you want to get Sonic Generations arrive to the most public possible, but there’s no Wii or WiiU port. There will be a PC port as i saw in some leaks? (deleted some time later of course) i’ll be happy to buy a PC version apart from the Xbox so i can make my friends play too, because they dont have any HD consoles.
Im glad to see Iizuka-san, Yuji Naka, Jun Senoue and Naoto Oshima (if he comes to Summer of Sonic too) together, you’re the real old Sonic Team everyone loved.
To Iizuka-san: The recent games have taken a more nostalgic tone, due to the fans’ requests. Would you say that this nostalgia will be a constant part of Sonic as the franchise continues to move on into the future?
To all: What is your favourite thing about the Sonic fanbase?
And of course, a big thank you to all three for making Sonic what he is today.
I have some questions.
I love Tails and Sonic brotherhood. Tails and/or Knuckles will be playable in future games? It would be really awesome to see, maybe a cooperative mode like the classic games.
Will we ever see new movies or cartoons? A movie with Sonic X graphics would be so cool. But, a movie with Colors or Generations graphics would be pure awesome.
20 years, and still going strong? What’s the future of Sonic? Will we see classic Sonic action minus the twists in all new worlds?
To Naka-san: I heard that Steven Spielberg was one of the first people to play NiGHTS back in 1996. How did that come about? Did he have anything interesting to say about the game?
To Iizuka-san: Do you think Sonic Team will ever do a remake or a new Burning Rangers game? It’s ever so undereated!
To Senoue-san: You have worked with the cream of the crop of the melodic-rock world. Is there anyone else you would like to collaborate with? And will you ever work with Eric Martin again? (Pleeeease <3!!)
To Naka-San:
If SEGA were to make an agreement with you about giving you more time to spend with the games you designed. Would you go back to SEGA? Meaning, that you are going to be able to play the game, and being able to enjoy the game, while making sure it’s feels great.
Even tho you already made PROPE…which I love Let’s Tap by the way~<3
To Iizuka:
Giving how great Sonic Colors was for the Nintendo Wii and Sonic Generations already feels like a great game. Would there ever be a chance that we can see a "Sonic Adventure 3" ? It'll be nice to play with all the characters and being able to raise your Chao but all in HD glory.
I have some questions directed at both Yuji Naka and Takashi Iizuka.
What exactly was the inspiration behind making the Wisps for Sonic Colors? I mean, what exactly inspired the actual designs of the Wisps such as the shapes and the eye placements? Aside from the love for the popular series Dragon Ball Z, what exactly was the inspiration for the creation of the Chaos Emeralds all that time ago? Why is Super Sonic important to begin with? Why is Super Sonic important when all he had to do was to defeat Dr. Eggman just as himself and not as a Super version of himself? What does Chaos itself represent? What are your opinions on Black Arms and Black Doom and what exactly was the inspiration behind their creations? What exactly was the inspiration behind the creation of Shadow the Hedeghog? When a Sonic game is released out to the fans, what exactly should the message be? What’s the main purpose behind characters such as Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Shadow? What are both of your opinions on secret societies in general? What are your opinions on the Illuminati?
If my questions are asked and answered, then thank you.
Sincerely,
codeorange
Wow, that’s… a lot of questions! ^_^;
I have some more questions to ask Yuji Naka and Takashi Iizuka,
What are the long term goals for characters such as Sonic’s friends, Tails, Knuckles and Amy, as in within these next ten years? Will they become playable characters again on a consistent basis or will they continue to be cameo appearance characters who will only be irrelevant cheerleaders for Sonic? Since Amy Rose has already experienced this, is there any chance of Miles “Tails” Prower receiving a boost in his official age? What’s the message that Sega/Sonic Team is sending out to the gamers who happen to be little brothers and they want to have the same fun that their big brothers are having when Sonic games are released? What exactly was the main inspiration behind the creation of Chip from Sonic Unleashed? Why did he turn out to be Light Gaia? What exactly was the main inspiration behind the creation of Silver the Hedeghog? Why did Silver need to have telekinesis as his main feature? What exactly was the main inspiration behind using checkers as a staple for the grounds of zones such as Green Hill Zone, Emerald Hill Zone, Seaside Hill and the like? What advice would you two have for people in the video game business who are wanting to create a video game character that could be as iconic as Sonic the Hedgehog? Just the basics.
I’ll be watching.
Sincerely,
codeorange
New Question for Yuji Naka
How does it feel to see Sonic alongside Mario? Does he feel they belong together?
Does he want to see a action game with both universes in?
To Takashi Iizuka:
In the past there have been many characters that have been cancelled or have only appeared once. If you had the chance to bring back one of these characters, who would it be and why?
I have a question. So far this has been a fantastic 20th anniversary for sonic the hedgehog. Sonic generations is going to be one of the best sonic games to have come out in the past ten years. How is sega and sonic team planning to top sonic generations?
To Yuji Naka
How big a role did you play in Sonic X? Do you see Sonic X as the definitive Sonic animated show?
For Iizuka-sama:
It has been mentioned that characters besides Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic will appear in the console versions of Sonic Generations. I believe Tails and Knuckles and Shadow have all been mentioned. Are characters such as Mighty the Armadillo and Nack the Weasel from the 90′s going to appear as well? Also, if Amy is appearing in Sonic Generations, do you plan on having her act mature like in Sonic World Adventure or rather like in Sonic Free Riders, more of a fangirl?
Heart, Micheal
To Iizuka-San: you said in one interview that if you have a sonic colours stage you will have the wisps in generations does that mean both classic and modern will have the wisps.
To Naka-San: how come hidden palace or other beta stages never made it into sonic 2?
For Yuji Naka: What’s your view on the werehog from sonic unleashed?
For Iizuka : Which sonic would you choose as your favourite Classic sonic or Modern sonic?
Takashi Iizuka
Is Sonic Team ever going to make a Sonic Adventure 3?
When are you planning to include other playable character in Sonic games like shadow, Amy, ect?
Will there be a Shadow The Hedgehog 2?
Are you ever going to bring back the Adventure style in Sonic games?
Dude, 3 of those questions reffered back to Adventure-style gameplay. XD
Yuji Naka Rouge love Shadow? why you do not play on a computer console, because not everyone has and they are not profitable? Just do not say piracy iza I do not believe such nonsense piracy on consoles more than on the computer!
To whomever it may concern, perhaps Takashi Iizuka:
“Are you aware of Modern Sonic’s rather PERFECT physics? That is, do you know that his physics scheme in Sonic Colors is spot-on when compared to his classic version? What I am getting at is that I discovered – through gameplay investigation – that Modern Sonic doesn’t need any form of boost-pad or scripting to travel through loops. Since this has been a longtime-complained about subject, would you ever consider removing boost-pads from the gameplay with this new info?”
Sorry for my wordiness, but this is indeed a topic that I would like to see addressed.
These are more general questions:
1.) It’s Important for me to know what time will the panel be with Yuji Naka and Takashi Iizuka?, i have to leave SOS early at 8.00pm latest and it would put me a ease knowing i would get to see them before i have to go/
2.) Will there be a chance to take photos?, and would I be able to have my photo taken with them?.
Questions for Yuji Naka:
1.) How do you feel about the gaming modern gaming industry compared to when you started?.
2.) What do you enjoy most about what you do?.
Questions for Takashi Iizuka:
1.) If sonic generations is successful, can we look forward to more old style sonic themed games?.
Hope I’m not too late to indulge my fan-obsession. X~X
To Takashi Iizuka;
When you decided to redesign the Chaotix from the ground up for Heroes, what was the thought process behind some of the new personality traits introduced (eg them being a detective team, Espio being a ninja etc)?
To Yuji Naka;
Which Sonic game that you worked on in the past was the most interesting and fun for you to work on and why?
This is to Yuji Naka:
1. When you first helped began the franchise, what were your inspirations to developing the momentum-based physics of Sonic 1 on the Genesis? What led you into gearing towards that type of gameplay that has helped immortalize the Classic Sonic Era?
2. Regarding Sonic Adventure, what were your initial inspirations for the game and the Mayan concept? What led you and Iizuka to going forward with the game, and how long did you and Iizuka research before beginning to design the stages?
To Iizuka:
1. When did Sonic Team first begin developing Generations on the 360 and PS3?
2. How many projects does each team work on at one time? Is it only one project, or do they work on multiple ones simultaneously?
3. Regarding the robots chosen for Sonic 4: Episode 1, how were they selected? Did you have multiple ones, and then you dwindled them down via process of elimination from your staff, or did you and Dimps choose them from the get-go?
4. Prior to working on Sonic 3, what other projects did you work on before becoming a part of Sonic Team/Sega Technical Institute?
5. I read that one of your former employees, Yoshihisa Hashimoto, state the Hedgehog Engine was scaled down in Sonic Unleashed (PS3 and 360) in order for the game to fit into a 360 DVD without causing the consoles to malfunction. How powerful really is the Hedgehog Engine, and how are you using the limitations to your advantage when developing Sonic Generations (PS3/360)?
To Senoue:
1. Prior to 3D Blast/3D Flickies Island, what music projects outside the Sonic series did you work on previously? Were they orchestral, vocal, or something else?
2. How did you, Johnny Gioeli, and many of the other vocalists come up with the lyrics for the main character and/or game themes for Sonic Adventure 1 and 2? What drove you and the rest of your crew into composing the lyrics and make sure they fit into their respective tunes?
For Yuji Naka:
1) Do you have any plans in the future to contribute for the Sonic franchise despite your departure from Sonic Team?
For Jun Senoue:
1) Can we expect other composers from previous Sonic titles to also contribute for Sonic Generations?
For Takashi Iizuka:
1) Is Sonic 4 still in development? If so, then when can we expect Episode 2 to be released?
For Senoue, Naka, and Iizuka:
1) What stage would you want to be in Sonic Generations? (I’m not even sure if this will even be answered)
To Yuji Naka
Rodea the Sky Soldier look fun to play and you can see Night was a big inspiration to the game. So do you take some inspiration from the Sonic series when you make the games you make today?
To Takashi Iizuka and Yuji Naka
Have you two played a game ore game’s together?
If you have wits game is most fun to play together?
To Takashi Iizuka
Is there plans to make a game for each character like Shadow had is own game and Tails had in the 90?
To Jun Senoue
You are a genius when it comes to music but have you ewer feet like doing ore try something else?
I hope my English is ok! Well this is all from me! Have a nice day^^
To Yuji Naka:
1. Is Rodea the Sky Soldier planned for release in the United States?
2. How far did Sonic’s 15th anniversary game (Sonic the Hedgehog, originally released in 2006 for Xbox 360) get into development before you left Sonicteam?
To Takashi Iizuka:
1. Are there any plans to bring back hub worlds in mainstream Sonic games?
2. Are there any plans to port NiGHTS into Dreams to Xboxlive arcade and Playstation Network?
3. Are there any plans for a Sonic Colors sequel?
4. Are there any plans for full 3D action Sonic games on handheld game consoles?
5. Can you say what the balance of 2.5D and 3D gameplay will be like in Sonic Generations?
To Jun Senoue:
1. What is your favorite of your tunes used in Sonic games?
To Yuji Naka, Takashi Iizuka and Jun Senoue:
1. What are your favorite Sonic games?
I have a few more questions for Iizuka:
1. In Sonic’s 15th anniversary game for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, does Sonic really get killed by Mephiles or does he survive Mephiles’ attack? Elise seemed to imply that he wasn’t dead.
2. Are there any plans to release a compilation featuring Sonic Advance, Sonic Advance 2, Sonic Advance 3, Sonic Battle, Sonic Pinball Party and Sonic Pocket Adventure?
My question to Yuji Naka:
In Sonic Jam, in the movies section of Sonic World there were 2 movies, Sonic: Main of the Year and Sonic Ride. In Sonic: Man of the Year, it said “To Be Continued” at the end, but we never saw what happened. Can you explain the story behind this?
For Sonic Ride, can you explain the story behind this as well? Was this meant to be a concept for a theme park simulation ride or something else?
Lizuka – San,
Why did you leave a title that the fans have been craving for all these years to dimps, and when will you finally relise that sonic belongs in the hands of the sonic team, give us the sonic 4 we truly want. Sonic 4 must be a continuation of sonic 3 and knuckles and build on what that game was, it needs to be scrapped and started from scratch. What we received from Dimps is no more than sonic advance 4, a totally different game than the classics that made sonic king of video game mascots all so many years ago.
Just thought of another question for Naka-san and Iizuka-san:
Whatever happened to Sonic Extreme (the skateboarding game), and was it an inspiration for the Sonic Riders series?
Here are my questions:
1. To Iizuka: When you do make a Sonic game for the Wii U, will it indeed be a ground-up, AAA exclusive and not a port ala Sonic Colors?
2. To Naka: What’s the word about Rodea? Have you thought about perhaps moving it to the Wii U?
3. To Senoue: Have you ever thought about going back to your Sonic Adventure series style of music? That was your best work in my opinion.
I hope these can be answered, thanks.
To Senoue: Whatever happened to Crush 40 coming to Rock Band?
I have a question for Yuji Naka (presuming someone is willing and able to show an image as part of the question, as there’s really no way I can ask the question without it; I’ll bring a copy along with me on the day if necessary):
During the development of the very first Sonic the Hedgehog game, it appears that lots of ideas were put forward which ended up being very different to the final product. One piece of concept art in particular is rather unusual: http://info.sonicretro.org/images/9/9a/Sonic_Gems_300.jpg Do you remember seeing this image during the game’s development? If so, can you give us any information about it at all, such as who or what these unusual characters are and how they would have fitted into the gameplay?
For Jun Senoue:
Which Sonic character has been your favourite to write the music/theme songs for?
For Takashi Iizuka:
Story has always been a much debated topic within the Sonic franchise. In your mind, what is the ideal tone that the storyline of a Sonic game should have?
Shooting a few questions here. You can use them if you want to.
For Jun Senoue:
With the usage of the Endless Mine music from Sonic 3 & Knuckles for the Classic remix for City Escape, it puts a good question to use that I believe has not been answered fully. How many songs did you actually produce for the game altogether and would you be able to say any specific tracks that you worked on?
For Yuji Naka:
I’m not sure if you could answer this, but in the original Sonic the Hedgehog Mega Drive game, the spike behaviour (or Spike Bug for those people who want to call it by that name, it’s not a combination of the Motobug and Yadrin by the way) worked in which Sonic would die without any few seconds of invincibility. Would you be able to provide an insight into why this was changed in later releases?
For Takashi Iizuka:
Considering that the usage of Dimps in some titles have caused some controversy, especially Sonic 4 and Sonic Generations 3DS, does Sonic Team not have the manpower to produce everything in-house, instead of exporting some titles to another company or is this done just to ease pressure and allow all members of Sonic Team to work on the more-important titles?
To Naka-San and Iizuka-San
1) I know that In the western hemisphere, Sonic’s world was considered to be called Mobius, A world inhabited by Anthropomorphic lifeforms. This, supported by books, cartoons, official stratergy guides and the like, made for the insinuations that this was what people call “Canon” My question is this, Why, after all the media supporting Mobius, Did you decide to suddenly chance it back to a nameless planet loosely based on earth that has on multiple occasions been refereed to as “Sonic’s world” or Our world” as said by Sonic and his friends on Sonic X. Didn’t you think that it would be the equivalent of sticking a giant middle finger to the whole of that market? And was there any members of the staff that thought to change the original Japanese story to fit the rest of the worlds view?
2) Mobius or Earth
3) Robotnik or Eggman
4) Have you considered using the “Clasic sonic” Gameplay Engine for Sonic the hedgehog 4 episode 2?
5) Have you ever considered using the Warehog Gameplay style for other characters in the series? Example, taking away stretchy arms, speeding up the running, adding more sonic style loops and stuff for the levels and adding kicks and energy projectile based attacks for a Shadow style hybrid, or adding gliding and climbing for a Knuckles style Engine, etc.
6) Back in the Day Tails was the player 2 character that many a sibling/friend didn’t mind playing as, just to get in on some sonic action. Even to the point in sonic 3 where sonic couldn’t have survived without tails being there. (I’m referring to marble garden zone’s act 2 boss). Recently however Tails has been through a redesign, he’s more yellow, he’s become completely dependable to sonic, relying more on technology. He’s shrunk from being just a few years younger than sonic in the older games to have actually shrunk in age in between Sonic Adventure 2 and Heroes and recently in sonic unleashed and colors, has been reduced to being sonic’s chauffeur and translator.
My question is this, Is there any point during the development of “Modern Tails” That you started to regret Redeveloping him in the first place? What was wrong with the little fox who was sonic’s brother from another mother, who acted like him in almost every way, but had the brains to think past a situation while sonic had the intuition to cope with any danger?
To Iizuka-san only
1) In Generations, Is there any plans to have Classic Tails, follow classic sonic through sonic 2, 3, and knuckles classic stages?
2) It’s well known in sonic and tails’ back story (well in the western hemisphere anyway) That he is an orphan. And with no memory of where they came from. Will there be any plans to have a sonic main series game where they try to trace the steps of their parents/ancestors. Proving who they descended from?
3) If (Heaven forbid) Prope goes under and Naka san finds himself without a Job, Will there be an open seat ready and waiting for him to fill it at sonic team?
To Senoue-San
1) What was your reason for remixing Angel Island Act 1 for Super smash bros brawl? Were there any other candidates?
2) Was there any sonic song you composed that you felt needed improving, changing or completely replacing before it’s release but never got the chance? If so what song and what would the changes/improvements/new song have sounded like?
Also i Would like to say a giant THANK YOU to Naka-San and Iizuka-san for making the wonder that is Sonic the Hedgehog, and although it felt like Yuji-san, along with sonic himself had died the day he left sonic team, I’ve never been happier to hear he’s found new success in prope, and that the blue blur will forever hold a place in his heart as it still does mine. I’ve been Alive for 23 Years and 24 days, and come June 23rd, It will mark the 20th year Not since I played sonic the hedgehog, but the first time i ever puck up a video games controller, flipped the on switch, and heard that immortalized sega jingle that would change my life forever
To either Naka or Iizuka:
Sonic 3. Carnival Night Zone, Act 2. Who was responsible for that barrel? Were you surprised that so many people had difficulty with it?
To Iizuka-san: I won’t ask what levels in specific will be featured in Sonic Generations, but from the way things are looking, will SG feature only one level per canon Sonic title? Not that it will bother me from playing it, but this is what I was thinking since seeing, on the HD console version, the obvious Green Hill Zone standing for Sonic 1, City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2 [Battle] and Spagonia – Rooftop Run for Sonic Unleashed. Will it only be one level a title or will we be seeing multiple stages?
For Naka – San.
What was the motivation for changingRobotnik/Eggman’s design to the Sergeant Pepper jacket? Was it inspired by the Beatles?
To Iizuka-san & Naka-San:
Could you tell us the story behind the Chaos Emeralds.
In Sonic 3 & Knuckles we see that they undergo a transformation and change shape. Could you tell us a bit about this.
Could you also tell us about the continuity of the Sonic series story line. E.g. Which games belong to the main storyline and what order do they come in?