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Sonic Heroes Director Reveals How The Game Affected His General Health

Sonic Heroes director Takashi Iizuka has spoken to Game Informer about the physical toll the game took on his general health. Iizuka explained that the level design for the Gamecube title was made by just two people and because the other developer became ill and didn’t show up for work the job was left to Iizuka alone. He explained that he was constantly in work mode and didn’t sleep and ended up losing around 22 pounds.

“The level design for Sonic Heroes was made by two people: me and one other person. As we got to the later stages of development, this other person got pretty sick and didn’t show up to work, so level design was made by one person! So for those very last stages of the game, I didn’t sleep at all and I was constantly working. I lost about [22 pounds] because I was just cranking away and it was just work, work, work. I didn’t sleep because I had to finish the game on my own. Almost dying!”

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40 thoughts on “Sonic Heroes Director Reveals How The Game Affected His General Health”

  1. People harp on Sonic 06 for being the most poorly developed Sonic title when Sonic Heroes as a game didn’t age well for the same reasons.

    Sorry, but not even nostalgia can really save that game.

    1. But a reboot of that game, minus Team Rose and Team Chaotix (outside of 2–player mode) can. Along with:

      -More focus on Team Sonic and Team Dark (namely Omega, and an actual purpose for Rouge’s involvement).
      -Original stages for both teams.
      -A better voice actor for Tails (the current one)
      -But most importantly, a change in the gameplay. Let’s just say it took the teamwork aspect too literally and the game forgot that each character can get by with their own native abilities. It shouldn’t feel like you’re playing as one single team (with chqnges in format). Sonic should have the exact same physics as he did in the Adventure games, with the option to switch off to Tails or Knuckles, with the other two following you. If you want to fly over obstacles as Tails, you should be able to do so like in Sonic Adventure (but with Sonic and Knuckles holding onto his legs), and not in some totem pole style, while chucking Sonic and Knuckles as enemies. As for Knuckles, you should be able to glide and scale walls as he normally would (but with Tails flying in midair and Sonic holding onto Tails alongside him, as he scales a wall), and punch enemies without using Sonic and Tails as boxing gloves.

      There’s teamwork, and then there’s overemphasis on dependence.

        1. No weight in either teams’ campaign. Team Rose has Amy chase after Sonic/excess 90s girl power, while Cream goes after a random chao and Big finds Froggy, neither of which are important to the overall plot of the game. They are EXCUSE PLOTS. Aside from those purposes, Cream and Big have no reason to get involved in the plot at all, other than to entertain your younger sibling or cousin who doesn’t have Leapfrog to play with (this is 2004).

          As for the Chaotix, despite the awesome redesigns, their whole campaign is just a satire on how they’ve hit hard times since the 32X failed (and are just happy they finally have work) and run a parody detective agency (with Vector and Charmy being comical screwups, while Espio’s true potential is being wasted). They would fit right at home and would have better dignity in a next-gen spiritual successor to Knuckles Chaotix, complete with Mighty.

          In a nutshell,everyone’s campaign in Sonic Heroes is that of the plot of Wakko’s Wish.

          And its not like they would be cut entirely.

  2. I know it Is hard to develop a game with only 2 people but why they couldn’t find more people to help with development? Was there a disagree when they planned to make this game?

  3. Come to thinkof it, did someone ASK Iizuka for this information, or did he just feel like bitching and complaining, so people can feel bad for him and be less salty about the direction of the Sonic franchise.

  4. Godda love the way people on here or rather brats because that’s what a lot of you are coming across as bash the game instead of showing the poor guy some sympathy.

    1. Wellcome to this site.
      I don’t know if some are kids but most of the ones who post mesajes were young adults. I am past 20. I do feel sorry for the guy because is not easy to develop all levels with just two and some he did it alone because the other got sick. I don’t know why sega didn’t hired more level desiners and most probably we will never know the reasons.

    2. Nintendo First Order Commander Quadraxis

      ||And you call yourself “Evilumbreon”, change that name, your compassionate nature is disgusting and insulting to that name…||

  5. That sucks, big time. Maybe that’s why some of the level design didn’t make sense?

    Semi-related: how can a Sonic game sometimes fuck up things like level design and controls yet always have a kickass soundtrack (Rise of Lyric being the only obvious exception)?

  6. Before I give any sympathy, I must ask. Did you ask for help from your superiors when the other guy couldn’t come in to work?

    If the answer is no, I have no sympathy for you being an idiot & not requesting assistance. Just like I have no sympathy for Sakurai & his poor wittle arm because he was too stupid to let his team help with the work load which would have allowed him to put less stress on his injury.

    If the answer is yes, I commend you for doing your best even when your superiors didn’t give you any help or send you any assistance.

  7. Pingback: Sonic Heroes: the multiplatform Sonic Adventure 3 that had a very bumpy development - Eggs

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