Akinori Nishiyama

Akinori Nishiyama

Employment history: Sega of Japan^[1] Divisions: Sega R&D 2 Sega CS3 Sega Software R&D Dept. 8 Sonic Team (company) Sega of Japan Divisions: Global Entertainment R&D Dept. 1
Role(s): Tester, Designer, Director^[1], Producer

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Akinori Nishiyama (西山彰則), also known by the aliases Works Nishi and Locky★P, is a Japanese game designer and Sega Games Director of Online Administration^[1], most known for his long and notable history as a producer on a number of flagship Sega of Japan franchises like Phantasy Star and Puyo Puyo.

Career

Nishiyama was originally a test player (usually credited by his alias, Works Nishi) whose first title was the original Phantasy Star. He would become a major contributor to the series' fourth installment.

Nishiyama retained his position as a scenario writer through the Saturn era with Magic Knight Rayearth. He then served once more as scenario writer for Sonic Adventure and reacquainted himself with the Phantasy Star series with Phantasy Star Online. Additionally, he served as Director for the majority of the Sonic the Hedgehog series titles released for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS and Producer for the Puyo Puyo series.

He also acted as the managing head of Sonic Team between Yuji Naka's 2006 resignation and Takashi Iizuka coming on board in 2010. Afterwards he acted in general manager roles for titles from Sega. With Iizuka becoming the head of Sonic Team, Nishiyama would migrate the Phantasy Star Online franchise to Sega's CS3 division, acting as a Senior Producer for that series and allowing Sonic Team the freedom to focus entirely on further Sonic the Hedgehog & Puyo Puyo games.

Production history

Games

Phantasy Star (Master System; 1987) — Soft Check^[2] (as Works Nishi)
Space Harrier 3D (Master System; 1988) — Program Check (as Works Nishi)
Hoshi o Sagashite... (Master System; 1988) — テストプレイ (as わあくすにし)
Ys: Ancient Ys Vanished Omen (Master System; 1988) — Check (as Works Nishi)
Space Harrier II (Mega Drive; 1988) — Test Player^[3] (as Works Nishi)
Super League (Mega Drive; 1989) — Special Thanks (as Works Nishi)
Forgotten Worlds (Mega Drive; 1989) — Game Check^[4] (as Works Nishi)
Sorcerian (Mega Drive; 1990) — Special Thanks (as Works Nishi)
Ghostbusters (Mega Drive; 1990) — Designer^[5] (as Locky P)
Putter Golf (Mega Drive; 1990) — Designer (as Locky P)
Advanced Daisenryaku: Deutsch Dengeki Sakusen (Mega Drive; 1991) — Model Maker (as Locky★P)
Ikasuze! Koi no Doki Doki Penguin Land MD (Mega Drive; 1992) — Graphic Designer (as Locky P)
Tougi Ou King Colossus (Mega Drive; 1992) — Special thanks to (as LOCKY.P)
Honoo no Toukyuuji Dodge Danpei (Mega Drive; 1992) — Special Thanks (as Locky★P)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive; 1992) — Special Thanks to^[6] (as Locky P)
Panic! (Mega-CD; 1993) — グラフィックデザイン助っ人 (as 西山彰則)
Panic! (Mega-CD; 1993) — Graphic Design^[7]
Columns III: Revenge of Columns (Mega Drive; 1993) — Assistant Design (as Locky P)
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Mega Drive; 1993) — Script (as A.Nishiyama)
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Mega Drive; 1993) — Monster Graphic Design (as A.Nishiyama)
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Mega Drive; 1993) — System Plan (as A.Nishiyama)
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Mega Drive; 1993) — Mechanic Design (as A.Nishiyama)
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Mega Drive; 1993) — Map Design (as A.Nishiyama)
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Mega Drive; 1993) — Object Design (as A.Nishiyama)
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Mega Drive; 1993) — Font Design (as A.Nishiyama)
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Mega Drive; 1993) — Papet Event Plan (as A.Nishiyama)
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Mega Drive; 1993) — Planners^[8]
Magic Knight Rayearth (Saturn; 1995) — ゲームデザイン＆シナリオ (as 西山彰則)
Sonic Jam (Saturn; 1997) — Special Thanks
Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast; 1998) — Story event director
Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast; 1998) — Scenario writer
ChuChu Rocket! (Dreamcast; 1999) — パズルエディット (as にしやまあきのり)
ChuChu Rocket! (Dreamcast; 1999) — Puzzle Editors
Sonic Shuffle (Dreamcast; 2000) — Supervisors
Phantasy Star Online (Dreamcast; 2000) — City/Quest/Script Writer
ChuChu Rocket! (Game Boy Advance; 2001) — Normal Puzzles
Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 (Dreamcast; 2001) — City/Quest/Script Writer
Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast; 2001) — Recording Coordinator
Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast; 2001) — Product Support
Puyo Pop (Game Boy Advance; 2001) — Director
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube; 2001) — Tiny Chao Garden Product Coordinator
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube; 2001) — Recording Coordinators
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube; 2001) — Product Support
Sonic Advance (Game Boy Advance; 2001) — Director
Panic! (PlayStation 2; 2002) — グラフィックデザイン助っ人 (as 西山彰則)
Sonic Advance 2 (Game Boy Advance; 2002) — Director
Sonic Pinball Party (Game Boy Advance; 2003) — Director
Puyo Pop Fever (NAOMI; 2003) — Manager
Puyo Pop Fever (PlayStation 2; 2004) — Manager
Puyo Pop Fever (Dreamcast; 2004) — Manager
Puyo Pop Fever (GameCube; 2004) — Manager
Sonic Advance 3 (Game Boy Advance; 2004) — Director
Puyo Pop Fever (Game Boy Advance; 2004) — Manager
Puyo Pop Fever (Windows PC; No results?) — Manager
Sega Superstars (PlayStation 2; 2004) — Special Thanks
Puyo Pop Fever (Nintendo DS; 2004) — Manager
Puyo Pop Fever (PlayStation Portable; 2004) — Manager
The Rub Rabbits! (Nintendo DS; 2005) — Chief Manager
Sonic Rush (Nintendo DS; 2005) — Director
Puyo Puyo Fever 2 (PlayStation 2; 2005) — General Manager
Sonic and the Secret Rings (Wii; 2007) — Chief Producer
Puyo Puyo! (Wii; 2007) — Chief Producer
Sonic Rush Adventure (Nintendo DS; 2007) — Producer
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii; 2007) — General Producers
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Nintendo DS; 2008) — General Producers
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii; 2008) — Supervisors (Original Games)
Sega Superstars Tennis (PlayStation 3; 2008) — GE1
Sega Superstars Tennis (Wii; 2008) — GE1
The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return (Wii; 2008) — Chief Producers
Sonic and the Black Knight (Wii; 2009) — Chief Producers
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii; 2009) — Sonic Family Character Supervisors
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Nintendo DS; 2009) — Sonic Character Supervisors
Phantasy Star Portable 2 (PlayStation Portable; 2009) — Special Thanks
Valkyria Chronicles II (PlayStation Portable; 2009) — Special Thanks
K-On! Houkago Live!! (PlayStation Portable; 2010) — シニアプロデューサー (as 西山彰則)
Rise of Nightmares (Xbox 360; 2011) — Chief Producers
7th Dragon 2020 (PlayStation Portable; 2011) — Special Thanks (as 西山彰則)

Videos

Sonic - Night of the Werehog (??; No results?) — Special Thanks

Music

Seven Rings in Hand: Sonic and the Secret Rings Original Sound Track (CD; 2007) — Chief Producer^[9]
Sonic Rush Adventure Original Soundtrack (CD; 2007) — Producer^[10]
Face to Faith: Sonic and the Black Knight - Vocal Trax (CD; 2009) — Special Thanks To^[11]
Tales of Knighthood: Sonic and the Black Knight Original Soundtrax (CD; 2009) — Special Thanks To^[12]

Sonic X (2003) — Supervisor
Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 32: Phantasy Star Complete Collection (2008) — Special Thanks
Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA 2nd (2010) — Special Thanks
Resonance of Fate (2010) — Chief Producer (Sega of Japan)
Shining Hearts (2010) — Development Support
Crush 3D (2012) — Special Thanks (Sega Corporate)
Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Extend (2010) — Special Thanks
7th Dragon 2020 (2011) — Special Thanks
Valkyria Chronicles III (2011) — Chief Producer
Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit (2012) — Special Thanks
Shining Blade (2012) — Chief Producer
ToeJam & Earl Collection — Senior Producer (Sega of Japan)
Nights Into Dreams (Sega Heritage Version) (2012) — Senior Producer (Sega of Japan)

Interviews

Some or all of the following content should be mirrored on Sega Retro (or Retro CDN).

Akinori Nishiyama & Takashi Yuda interview by Kikizo (November 30, 2005)

Photographs

Main article: Photos of Akinori Nishiyama

External links

Akinori Nishiyama at LinkedIn

References

[https:.2F.2Fwww.linkedin.com.2Fin.2F.E5.BD.B0.E5.89.87-.E8.A5.BF.E5.B1.B1-0156a716b.2F-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 https://www.linkedin.com/in/彰則-西山-0156a716b/

[:File:Phantasy_Star_SMS_credits.pdf_p-2] File:Phantasy Star SMS credits.pdf

[:File:Space_Harrier_II_MD_credits.pdf_p-3] File:Space Harrier II MD credits.pdf

[:File:Forgotten_Worlds_MD_credits.pdf_p-4] File:Forgotten Worlds MD credits.pdf

[:File:Ghostbusters_MD_credits.pdf_p-5] File:Ghostbusters MD credits.pdf

[:File:Sonic_the_Hedgehog_2_MD_credits.pdf_p-6] File:Sonic the Hedgehog 2 MD credits.pdf

[:File:Panic_MCD_credits.pdf_p-7] File:Panic MCD credits.pdf

[:File:Psiv_md_us_manual.pdf_p42-8] File:Psiv md us manual.pdf, page 42

[:File:SevenRingsInHand_CD_JP_booklet.pdf_p11-9] File:SevenRingsInHand CD JP booklet.pdf, page 11

[:File:SRAOST_CD_JP_booklet.pdf_p3-10] File:SRAOST CD JP booklet.pdf, page 3

[:File:FacetoFaith_CD_JP_booklet.pdf_p11-11] File:FacetoFaith CD JP booklet.pdf, page 11

[:File:TalesofKnighthood_CD_JP_booklet.pdf_p10-12] File:TalesofKnighthood CD JP booklet.pdf, page 10

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