Hirokazu Yasuhara

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Not to be confused with Yasuhiro "Yas" Takagi.

Hirokazu Yasuhara

Date of birth: 1965-10-12 (age 59)
Employment history: Sega Enterprises (1988-04^[1] – 1991-06^[1]) Divisions: Sega R&D 2 Sega of America (1992^[1] – 1996^[1]) Divisions: Sega Technical Institute Sega Europe^[2] (1997 – 1997) Sega Enteprises (1998^[1] – 1999^[1]) Visual Concepts (2000^[1] – 2002^[1]) Naughty Dog (2002^[1] – 2008-03^[1]) Namco Bandai America (2008-05^[1] – 2012-03^[1]) Nintendo Software Technology (2012^[1] – 2016-02^[1]) UUnity Technology (2016-09^[1] – )
Role(s): Designer, director
Education: Tokyo University of Science (Engineering)

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Hirokazu Yasuhara (安原広和) was game and level designer for Sega. He first worked there as an arcade cabinet engineer, due to his engineering degree, but was soon after reassigned to Mega Drive development as a game designer^[3]. He remained the chief map designer for the early Sonic the Hedgehog games all the way through Sonic R in 1997, and the shelved Sonic X-treme. He continued to give his design expertise to Sega of America projects, such as the 2001 Floigan Bros.. Between Sonic R and Flogain Bros. he got money from Sega of Japan to be involved in Disney rides and attractions.

In 2002, Yasuhara left Sega and joined fellow former members of the Sega Technical Institute at Naughty Dog, where he worked on the Jak & Daxter series as well as the first installment of Uncharted.

In 2008, Yasuhara departed Naughty Dog to take up a job at Namco Bandai America, where he worked on Pac-Man Party, which released in 2010.

In 2012, Yasuhara was hired by Nintendo Software Technology Corporation, a US-based division of the company of the same name best known for developing the Mario vs. Donkey Kong games.

He has worked with the Education team of Unity Technology Japan to create game-design educational materials since 2016.

Quotes

“	I was opposed to [Sega's] decision to create games that use 'Sonic-something' so that they can sell it easily. I wanted to make good games, not any games that used the Sonic character in a haphazard way.	„
— Yasuhara on his work on the Traveller's Tales-developed Sonic titles

Production history

Games

Altered Beast (System 16; 1988) — Cabinet Engineer
Fatal Labyrinth (Mega Drive; 1990) — Planner^[4] (as Carol)
Pyramid Magic (Mega Drive; 1991) — Special Thanks to (as Carol)
Pyramid Magic Special (Mega Drive; 1991) — Special Thanks to (as Carol)
Advanced Daisenryaku: Deutsch Dengeki Sakusen (Mega Drive; 1991) — Model Maker^[5] (as Carol Akitsu)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive; 1991) — Game Plan^[6] (as Carol Yas)
Wondermega Collection (Mega-CD; 1992) — Special Thanks to (as Carol)
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball (Mega Drive; 1993) — A Special Bow To^[7]
Game no Kanzume Vol. 2 (Mega-CD; 1994) — Planner^[4] (as Carol)
Game no Kanzume Vol. 1 (Mega-CD; 1994) — Special Thanks to^[8] (as Carol)
Sonic & Knuckles (Mega Drive; 1994) — Director^[9]
Sonic & Knuckles (Mega Drive; 1994) — Lead Game Designer^[9]
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (Mega Drive; 1996) — Playfield Design (SOJ)^[10]
Sonic & Knuckles Collection (Windows PC; 1997) — Special Thanks To^[11]
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (Windows PC; 1997) — Playfield Design (SOJ)
Sonic R (Saturn; 1997) — Map Design Director^[12]
Sonic R (Windows PC; 1998) — Map design director
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (Saturn; 1996) — Playfield Design (SOJ)^[13]
Sega Smash Pack 2 (Windows PC; 2000) — Special Thanks
Floigan Bros. Episode 1 (Dreamcast; 2001) — Game Designers^[14]
Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis (Game Boy Advance; 2006) — Game Plan^[15] (as Carol Yas)
Sonic X-treme (Saturn; unreleased)

Videos

Sonic 30th Anniversary Symphony () — Special Thanks

Music

Comix Zone: Roadkill (CD; 1995) — Special Thanks^[16]
Virtual Sonic (CD; 1996) — Special Thanks^[17]

Interviews

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

Hirokazu Yasuhara interview by Gamasutra (August 25, 2008)

Photographs

Main article: Photos of Hirokazu Yasuhara

External links

References

[https:.2F.2Fwww.linkedin.com.2Fin.2Fhirokazu-yasuhara-4555133.2Fdetails.2Fexperience.2F-1] 1.00 ^1.01 ^1.02 ^1.03 ^1.04 ^1.05 ^1.06 ^1.07 ^1.08 ^1.09 ^1.10 ^1.11 ^1.12 ^1.13 ^1.14 https://www.linkedin.com/in/hirokazu-yasuhara-4555133/details/experience/

[https:.2F.2Fwww.gamedeveloper.com.2Fdesign.2Fgame-design-psychology-the-full-hirokazu-yasuhara-interview-2] ttps://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/game-design-psychology-the-full-hirokazu-yasuhara-interview

[https:.2F.2Fnote.com.2Fnidan_jump.2Fn.2Fn6897d791751b-3] ttps://note.com/nidan_jump/n/n6897d791751b

[:File:Fatal_Labyrinth_MCD_credits.pdf_p-4] 4.0 ^4.1 File:Fatal Labyrinth MCD credits.pdf

[:File:Advanced_Daisenryaku_MD_credits.pdf_p-5] File:Advanced Daisenryaku MD credits.pdf

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

[:File:SonicSpinball_MD_US_manual.pdf_p21-7] File:SonicSpinball MD US manual.pdf, page 21

[:File:Pyramid_Magic_MCD_credits.pdf_p-8] File:Pyramid Magic MCD credits.pdf

[:File:Sonic_.26amp.3B_Knuckles_MD_credits.pdf_p-9] 9.0 ^9.1 File:Sonic & Knuckles MD credits.pdf

[:File:Sonic_3D_Blast_MD_credits.pdf_p-10] File:Sonic 3D Blast MD credits.pdf

[:File:S.26amp.3BKC_US_manual.pdf_p14-11] File:S&KC US manual.pdf, page 14

[:File:Sonic_R_Saturn_credits.pdf_p-12] File:Sonic R Saturn credits.pdf

[:File:Sonic_3D_Blast_Saturn_credits.pdf_p-13] File:Sonic 3D Blast Saturn credits.pdf

[:File:FloiganBrosDCUSManual.pdf_p25-14] File:FloiganBrosDCUSManual.pdf, page 25

[:File:SonicGenesis_GBA_US_manual.pdf_p18-15] File:SonicGenesis GBA US manual.pdf, page 18

[:File:SegaTunesComixZone_Album_JP_Box_Back.jpg_p-16] File:SegaTunesComixZone Album JP Box Back.jpg

[:File:VirtualSonic_CD_US_back.jpg_p-17] File:VirtualSonic CD US back.jpg

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