Yoji Ishii

Yoji Ishii (石井 洋児) is a producer and project manager who worked on various Sega titles. Joining the company in 1978, Ishii designed and directed '80s arcade titles such as Fantasy Zone, Hang On and OutRun and produced Saturn titles such as NiGHTS, Panzer Dragoon and Sakura Wars. Common colleagues include Noriyoshi Oba, Yutaka Sugano, Makoto Oshitani and Hiroshi Aso.

Ishii has since left Sonic Team for Naoto Ohshima's Artoon, having held the title of Executive Producer until 2005, when he was appointed C.E.O and President of AQ Interactive (currently Marvelous AQL Inc.) into which Artoon was absorbed. Following Artoon's disbandment in 2010, he is now the C.E.O. and President of Arzest, another video game development company he founded with Ohshima.

Production History

• Flicky (Arcade Version) (1984) — Game Designer
• Hang-On (Hang-On Hardware Version) (1985)
• Teddy Boy Blues (1985) — Game Design
• Hang-On (Arcade Version) (1985) (as Mr. Ishii) — Sound effects
• Fantasy Zone (System 16 Version) (1986)
• OutRun (OutRun Hardware Version) (1986)
• Flicky (Mega Drive Version) (1991) — Designer
• Teddy Boy Blues (Mega Drive Version) (1991) — Original Game Design (as Ici)
• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Mega Drive Version) (1993) — Producer
• The Mansion of Hidden Souls (1994) — Producer
• Gale Racer (1994) — Producer (as Youji Ishii)
• Clockwork Knight (1994) — Producer
• Victory Goal (1995) — Producer
• Ristar (Mega Drive Version) (1995) — Producer
• Panzer Dragoon (1995) — Producer
• Cyber Speedway (1995) — Producer (Sega Side Staff)
• Blazing Heroes (1995) — Producer (as Youji Ishii)
• Sega International Victory Goal (1995) — Producer
• World Series Baseball (Saturn Version) (1995) — Producer (Sega of Japan Team)
• Sega Rally Championship (Saturn Version) (1995) — Special Thanks (as Youji Ishii)
• Guardian Heroes (1996) — Executive Producer (SEGA Staff) (Staff)
• Dragon Force (1996) — Producer (Japan Team) (as Youji Ishii)
• Victory Goal '96 (1996) — Executive Producer
• NiGHTS into Dreams (1996) — Project Manager (as Youji Ishii)
• Christmas NiGHTS (1996) — Project Manager (as Youji Ishii)
• Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (1996/1997) — Producer (SOJ) (Sega)
• Sonic Jam (1997) — Project Manager (as Youji Ishii)
• Sonic R (Saturn Version) (1997) — Project Manager (Sega Enterprises Ltd.) (as Youji Ishii)
• Burning Rangers (1998) — Project Manager (as Youji Ishii)
• Deep Fear (1998) — Executive Producer (as Youji Ishii)
• Sonic Adventure (1998) — Project management (as Youji Ishii)
• Blue Stinger (1999) — Sega Enterprises (Special Thanks) (as Youji Ishii)
• Pinobee: Wings of Adventure (2001) — Producer (Development Staff)
• The King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood (2002) — Director
• Ghost Vibration (2002) — Producer (Development)
• Blinx the Time Sweeper (2002) — Development Producer
• Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space (2004) — Development Producer
• Yoshi Topsy-Turvy (2004) — Senior Producer
• Bullet Witch (2006) — Executive Producer (Production)
• Blue Dragon (2006) — Executive Producer (Artoon Co., Ltd.)
• Vampire Rain (2007) — Executive Producer (AQ Interactive Inc.)
• Victorious Boxers: Revolution (2007) — Executive Producer (Grand Prix)
• Arcana Heart (PS2 Version) (2007) — Executive Producer (PlayStation 2 Staff)
• Lost Odyssey (2007) — Executive Producer (Feelplus Co., Ltd.)
• Vampire Rain: Altered Species (2008) — Executive Producer (AQ Interactive Inc.)
• Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 33: Fantasy Zone Complete Collection (2008) — Special Thanks (AQ Interactive)