Difference between revisions of "Hirokazu Yasuhara"

Revision as of 15:16, 8 December 2018

Not to be confused with Yasuhiro "Yas" Takagi.

Hirokazu Yasuhara

Date of birth: 1965-10-12 (age 58)
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 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^[1] (as Carol)
Pyramid Magic (Mega Drive; 1991) — Special Thanks to (as Carol)
Pyramid Magic Special (Mega Drive; 1991) — Special Thanks to (as Carol)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive; 1991) — Game Plan^[2] (as Carol Yas)
Wondermega Collection (Mega-CD; 1992) — Special Thanks to (as Carol)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive; 1992) — Game Planner^[3]
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive; 1992) — Object Placement^[3]
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball (Mega Drive; 1993) — A Special Bow To^[4]
Game no Kanzume Vol. 1 (Mega-CD; 1994) — Special Thanks to^[5] (as Carol)
Game no Kanzume Vol. 2 (Mega-CD; 1994) — Planner^[1] (as Carol)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Mega Drive; 1994) — Director^[6]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Mega Drive; 1994) — Lead Game Designer^[6]
Sonic & Knuckles (Mega Drive; 1994) — Director^[7]
Sonic & Knuckles (Mega Drive; 1994) — Lead Game Designer^[7]
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (Mega Drive; 1996) — Playfield Design (SOJ)^[8]
Sonic & Knuckles Collection (Windows PC; 1997) — Special Thanks To
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (Windows PC; 1997) — Playfield Design (SOJ)
Sonic R (Saturn; 1997) — Map Design Director^[9]
Sonic R (Windows PC; 1998) — Map design director
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (Saturn; 1996) — Playfield Design (SOJ)^[10]
Sega Smash Pack 2 (Windows PC; 2000) — Special Thanks
Floigan Bros. Episode 1 (Dreamcast; 2001) — Game Designers^[11]
Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis (Game Boy Advance; 2006) — Game Plan^[12] (as Carol Yas)
Sonic X-treme (Saturn; unreleased)

Videos

Sonic 30th Anniversary Symphony () — Special Thanks

Music

Comix Zone: Roadkill (CD; 1995) — Special Thanks^[13]
Virtual Sonic (CD; 1996) — Special Thanks^[14]

Altered Beast (Arcade version) (1988) — credit unknown
Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive Version) (1991) — Game Plan (as Carol Yas)
Fatal Labyrinth (1991) — Planner (as Carol)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive Version) (1992) — Game Planner (as Hirokazu Yasuhara (Carol Yas)), Object Placement
Sonic Spinball (Mega Drive Version) (1993) — A Special Bow to [NOTE: Manual credit]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994) — Director, Lead Game Designer
Sonic & Knuckles (1994) — Director, Lead Game Designer
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994) — Director, Lead Game Designer
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (Mega Drive Version) (1996) — Playfield Design (SOJ) (Sega)
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (Saturn and PC Versions) (1996/1997) — Playfield Design (SOJ) (Sega)
Sonic X-treme (Canceled) — Head Designer
Sonic R (Saturn Version) (1997) — Map Design Director (Sega of America Inc.)
Sonic R (PC Version) (1998) — Map design director (Sega of America Inc.) (Sega), Map design director (Sega Enterprises Ltd.) (Sega)
Sega Smash Pack 2 (2000) — Special Thanks
Floigan Brothers: Episode 1 (2001) — Game Designer (Visual Concepts Credits)
Jak II (2003) — Game Designer
Jak 3 (2004) — Game Designer
Jak X: Combat Racing (2005) — Game Designer
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007) — Game Designer (Naughty Dog)
Afro Samurai (2009) — Special Thanks (Namco Bandai Games America Inc.)
Pac-Man Party (2010) — Senior Game Designer (Namco Bandai Games America, Inc.)
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move (2013) — Game Designer (Nintendo Software Technology)

Interviews

Hirokazu Yasuhara interview by Gamasutra (August 25, 2008)

External links

References

[:File:Fatal_Labyrinth_MCD_credits.pdf_p-1] 1.0 ^1.1 File:Fatal Labyrinth MCD credits.pdf

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

[:File:Sonic_the_Hedgehog_2_MD_credits.pdf_p-3] 3.0 ^3.1 File:Sonic the Hedgehog 2 MD credits.pdf

[:File:SonicSpinball_MD_US_manual.pdf_p21-4] File:SonicSpinball MD US manual.pdf, page 21

[:File:Pyramid_Magic_MCD_credits.pdf_p-5] File:Pyramid Magic MCD credits.pdf

[:File:Sonic_the_Hedgehog_3_MD_credits.pdf_p-6] 6.0 ^6.1 File:Sonic the Hedgehog 3 MD credits.pdf

[:File:Sonic_.26amp.3B_Knuckles_MD_credits.pdf_p-7] 7.0 ^7.1 File:Sonic & Knuckles MD credits.pdf

[:File:Sonic_3D_Blast_MD_credits.pdf_p-8] File:Sonic 3D Blast MD credits.pdf

[:File:Sonic_R_Saturn_credits.pdf_p-9] File:Sonic R Saturn credits.pdf

[:File:Sonic_3D_Blast_Saturn_credits.pdf_p-10] File:Sonic 3D Blast Saturn credits.pdf

[:File:FloiganBrosDCUSManual.pdf_p25-11] File:FloiganBrosDCUSManual.pdf, page 25

[:File:SonicGenesis_GBA_US_manual.pdf_p18-12] File:SonicGenesis GBA US manual.pdf, page 18

[:File:SegaTunesComixZone_Album_JP_Box_Back.jpg_p-13] File:SegaTunesComixZone Album JP Box Back.jpg

[:File:VirtualSonic_CD_US_back.jpg_p-14] File:VirtualSonic CD US back.jpg

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Image:yasuhara.jpg|thumb|right|Hirokazu Yasuhara's corporate photo from Naughty Dog.]]
+:''Not to be confused with [[Yas|Yasuhiro "Yas" Takagi]].''
-Another pivotal name in the early years of [[Sonic]], '''Hirokazu Yasuhara''' was the original game and level designer. He was probably the most actively involved in the early development of the series, and remained one of the chief map designers all the way through ''[[Sonic R]]'' in 1997. He even had a hand in the design of the shelved ''[[Sonic X-treme]]''. 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''.
+{{PersonBob
+| image=yasuhara.jpg
+| birthplace=
+| dob=1965-10-12
+| dod=
+| company=
+| role=Designer, director
+| education=Tokyo University of Science (Engineering)
+}}
+{{stub}}'''{{PAGENAME}}''' (安原 広和) was game and level designer for Sega. He remained the chief map designer for the early ''[[:Category:Sonic the Hedgehog|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 2008, Yasuhara departed Naughty Dog to take up a job at Namco-Bandai America, where he's said to be working with some past colleagues. According to a [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22586 Gamasutra report], he is currently at work on an upcoming ''Pac-Man'' title, targeted for a 2010 release (the character's 30th anniversary).
+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 [[Nintendo|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."<br> - ''Yasuhara on his work on the [[Traveller's Tales]]-developed Sonic titles''
+{{quote|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==
+{{multicol|
+{{ProductionHistory|Hirokazu Yasuhara|Hirokazu Yasuhara (Carol Yas)|Carol|Carol Yas|安原 広和}}
-==Production History==
+* ''[[Altered Beast]]'' (Arcade version) (1988) — credit unknown
-*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' (1991) — Director, Game Planner, Project
+* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' (Mega Drive Version) (1991) — Game Plan (as '''Carol Yas''')
-*''Fatal Labyrinth'' (1991) — Director, Game Planner
+* ''[[Fatal Labyrinth]]'' (1991) — Planner (as '''Carol''')
-*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' (1992) — Director, Game Planner, Project, Object Placement
+* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' (Mega Drive Version) (1992) — Game Planner (as '''Hirokazu Yasuhara (Carol Yas)'''), Object Placement
-*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'' (1994) — Director, Lead Game designer
+* ''[[Sonic Spinball]]'' (Mega Drive Version) (1993) — A Special Bow to [NOTE: Manual credit]
-*''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'' (1994) — Director, Lead Game designer
+* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'' (1994) — Director, Lead Game Designer
-*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles]]'' (1994) — Director, Lead Game designer
+* ''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'' (1994) — Director, Lead Game Designer
-*''[[Sonic 3D Blast]]'' (1995) — Playfield Design, Saturn Enhancements
+* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles]]'' (1994) — Director, Lead Game Designer
-*''[[Sonic X-treme]]'' (1996) — Head Designer
+* ''[[Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island]]'' (Mega Drive Version) (1996) — Playfield Design (SOJ) (Sega)
-*''[[Sonic R]]'' (1997) — Map Design Director
+* ''[[Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island]]'' (Saturn and PC Versions) (1996/1997) — Playfield Design (SOJ) (Sega)
-*''[[Sega Smash Pack 2]]'' (2000) — Special Thanks
+* ''[[Sonic X-treme]]'' (Canceled) — Head Designer
-*''Floigan Brothers: Episode 1'' (2001) — Game Designer
+* ''[[Sonic R]]'' (Saturn Version) (1997) — Map Design Director (Sega of America Inc.)
-*''Jak 2'' (2003) — Game Designer
+* ''[[Sonic R]]'' (PC Version) (1998) — Map design director (Sega of America Inc.) (Sega), Map design director (Sega Enterprises Ltd.) (Sega)
-*''Jak 3'' (2004) — Game Designer
+* ''[[Sega Smash Pack 2]]'' (2000) — Special Thanks
-*''Jak X: Combat Racing'' (2005) — Game Designer
+* ''[[Floigan Brothers: Episode 1]]'' (2001) — Game Designer (Visual Concepts Credits)
-*''Uncharted: Drake's Fortune'' (2007) — Game Designer
+* ''Jak II'' (2003) — Game Designer
-*''Afro Samurai'' (2009) — Special Thanks
+* ''Jak 3'' (2004) — Game Designer
+* ''Jak X: Combat Racing'' (2005) — Game Designer
+* ''Uncharted: Drake's Fortune'' (2007) — Game Designer (Naughty Dog)
+* ''Afro Samurai'' (2009) — Special Thanks (Namco Bandai Games America Inc.)
+* ''Pac-Man Party'' (2010) — Senior Game Designer (Namco Bandai Games America, Inc.)
+* ''Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move'' (2013) — Game Designer (Nintendo Software Technology)
+}}
+==Interviews==
+* [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132163/game_design_psychology_the_full_.php Hirokazu Yasuhara interview by Gamasutra (August 25, 2008)]
-==Interview==
+==External links==
-*[[sonic:Hirokazu Yasuhara interview by Gamasutra (August 25, 2008)|Hirokazu Yasuhara interview by Gamasutra (August 25, 2008)]]
+* [https://twitter.com/Yasuharah Hirokazu Yasuhara on Twitter]
+* [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/168016/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_cocreator_Hirokazu_Yasuhara_joins_Nintendo.php Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator Hirokazu Yasuhara joins Nintendo (April 4, 2012)]
+* [https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1024928/Classic-Game-Postmortem-Sonic-the Classic Game Postmortem: 'Sonic the Hedgehog'] ([https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1025496/Classic-Game-Postmortem-Sonic-the PDF version])
-[[Category:Sonic Team Developers|Yasuhara, Hirokazu]]
+==References==
+<references/>