Otaquest recently had the chance to chat with the head of the Sonic Team, Takashi Iizuka. During the lengthy interview the site asked about the two different approaches they have had with the Sonic series in recent times with titles such as Sonic Mania and Sonic Generations which is juggling both 2D and 3D games. Mr Iizuka stated that they want to take “good care of these two very popular iterations of Sonic’s in the future.”
OTAQUEST: There are basically 2 different approaches to Sonic as a character which are defined by Classic Sonic (2D) and Modern Sonic (3D), and the release of Sonic Mania showed that there is a lot of demand for the 2D gameplay among fans. Has this impacted the way Sonic Team approaches handling the franchise at all? Do you feel like there’s a pressure to balance between the 2 different styles?
Takashi Iizuka: Not much time has passed since the distinction between “classic” and “modern” was made, in fact, it was since 2011’s “Sonic Generations” title. Even before that, in addition to the main 3D series, there was a high demand for the 2D action games such as the Sonic Advance series, so we revived the old Sonic as Classic Sonic for the 20th-anniversary title, Sonic Generations. We initially thought that it would be a 20th Anniversary project only, however after that we had a strong demand for a new classic Sonic standalone title, that became 2017’s Sonic Mania. We would like to take good care of these two very popular iterations of Sonic’s in the future.
Lol by “take good care of these” I bet they mean shove Classic Sonic into as many games as possible so they can make some money off nostalgia.
I think switching between 2d and 3d in stages is pretty cool. I liked that aspect in generations and colors. I didn’t really care too much for forces, it was pretty meh.
Cool, here’s how you take care of the franchise:
1. Let 2D Sonic be handled by Christian Whitehead. Don’t let Sonic Team touch that shit.
2. Grab Generations, Colors and Unleashed, take what worked from them, and do a new game.
3. Go balls to the walls crazy with a Adventure 3, but not before doing a remake of Adventure 1.
I hope they stop shoehorning Classic Sonic into the 3D series and leave that and the Mania franchise separate, although if they keep using the boost gameplay I don’t think I’ll get another 3D title either way. This series has gotten very stale.
Yeah, i hear you loud and clearly buddy. For some reason Classic Sonic presence and avatar creation was the only elements to bring back old fans from Sonic 06.
It just gets so tiring. I really miss the era from Adventure 1 to Sonic Rush Adventure where each game felt like a very unique experience and the writing didn’t feel like a self parody.
Sonic Rush was cool to me but i really hate Dimps and i ever like them from the start. If they get involved with another development of Sonic games then this series is gonna be screwed.
Yeah i really wish they can go back to the adventure series formula.
The boost formula worked perfect in generations and unleashed. They should just drop the wisps and go that route
Honestly I’d rather they get rid of it. It’s been a thing for 5 games now and it would feel more refreshing to have something different.
As much as i love Sonic so much, I really hope they make a good action 3D and 2D title for both Sonic’s. I’m ok with Classic Sonic appear in modern Sonic games, but i don’t like when SEGA and Sonic Team treated him as a character for no reason and some people dislike Classic Sonic being a dimension version of Sonic witch i have no problem with that.
I hope they make something new out of the series for a change or make one future Sonic game to give it more variety or have one inspiration to another game in a series to the next.
I really enjoyed Sonic Generations gameplay. I like the boost formula because it really does make it feel like you’re going fast. There just needs to be good level design to with it, like in Unleashed, and unlike in Forces. I don’t think there’s a reason to bring back Classic Sonic to the modern games if he doesn’t serve any purpose to the story, like in Forces. Instead, it’s time to flesh out all the other characters like in the Adventure games. We haven’t been able to play as Knuckles or Tails let alone anyone else in awhile
Besides a 2D pixel based Sonic Mania 2, I still want to see from Classic Sonic:
-an attempt at a 3D Classic Sonic game, as in the stages Classic Sonic had in Generations and Forces. I thought that was a good way to do the classic formula “in 3D” and would love at least one full game like that.
-a 2D Sonic title with Rayman Origins/Legends/Wario Shake style graphics. As in all of the sprites look like the official artwork from the early years of the franchise, maybe even focusing more on the look of “Toei Sonic” from CD and the OVA. There are fan games that have attempted it, so a decent company could make it a reality.
-Sonic Xtreme. I want the damn original game to get an official release like StarFox 2 got. I been waiting decades for it.
As for “Modern Sonic”, god I dont even give a shit. Sonic Team has proved again and again they cant make a competent game (imo) with him, There are bits and pieces they do develop that actually feel like they would work well, but they are so cluttered by other stuff that it doesn’t even matter. I am so glad they now see that there is a demand for more classic gameplay as its own “side series”, meaning I dont ever have to deal with whatever dumb boost-to-win garbage they have up their sleeve.
I like how everyone mentions classic sonic being in 2d games, but no mention of modern being in 2d it would be nice to see something as good as the advance series, I feel like sega started to really screw and mess up their fanbase when they tried to seperate sonic, having sonic as classic and modern at the same time really screws the perspective, and seperates the fanbase
Because Somy listens to their fanbase and Sega and Nintendo doesn’t.
None of the “Modern” Sonic 2D games really had the same feel of what people consider “Classic” Sonic, be it either with game play or aesthetics.
Thats true but advance still was a good series, and its still love by fans
They don’t even have to do all that just give us the tittles the fans are asking for Sonic Adventure 3 and Sonic Colors 2. I don’t know why Sega and Nintendo and Ubisoft ignore their face base. That’s why Sony where they at, they listen to what their fans want. Look at TLOUS series. The fanbase got their Sequel for only $59.99 while I been waiting for Pikmin 4 for 5 years and Mario Rabbids 2 for 3 years. I been waiting for a new Donkey Kong for 7 years.
So why is it Sony listens but Ubisoft, Nintendo and Sega don’t? Had Sega focused on the Sonic games the fanbase wants, they wouldn’t be determining 2D or 3D Sonic games in 2020. That’s why Trine went back to 2D and still making sequels…unlike Pikmin and Donkey Kong. I’ll be an old by the time Nintendo spits out sequels.
Lol and there’s a huge war in the fan base about whether the last of us 2 is a good game or a horrible game, don’t suck up to video game companies, they all listen to there fans to a certain extent, but they still do stuff that angers and confuse fans, also you probably should have use a better example
Will it was hard to use a better example since PS4 has TLOU 1 and the TLOU 2 while Wii U and Switch doesnt have one sequel .
I think Gamecube was the last Nintendo console that had AAA sequels. Pikmin 1 and 2, Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 ,3 and 4. Zelda Windwaker and Twilight Princess Will Wii did have Galaxy 1 and 2. Twilight Princess and That other Zelda tittle.
Ps4 more powerful than Gamecube, Wii. WII u and Switch has no sequels. What a shame. Where is Pikmin 4? Where is DK tropical Freeze 2? Where is Mario Rabbids 2? Where is Splatoon 3? Mario Kart 9?
We paying more money each generation console and those newer consoles are getting less games than the older consoles.
Why isnt Nintendo working on Luigi’s Mansion 4? What they going to do skip 2 generation consoles then make Luigi’s Mansion 4?
I bet someone $100 bucks that Nintendo devlopers of Paper Mario Origami King 2 isnt worked on. Yall ain’t going to bet me because yall know I’m right.
The Switch is already 3 years old. It has 2 years left.
So if devlopers know that the Switch has a 5 year life cycle why dont they immediately get started on sequels so that they can come out around the beginning of the next generation console then after that Immediately start the sequels again so they can come out during the end of the next generation console’s life cycle of 5 years.
It would be a lot nicer if SEGA did.
The Switch has alot of sequels splatoon 2, super mario maker 2, kirby clash and many more, do you even know how game development works because you seem to have the mindset, that companies can constantly throw out sequels with whenever they want with no problems
First They worked on Mario Maker 2 immediately and Splatoon 2 immediately.
Trine franchise has Trine, Trine 2, Trine 3 and Trine 4. Pikmin is older than Trine yet Trine has more games than the Pikmin series. Why is that?
But where is Mario Rabbids 2?
Gamecube had Pikmin 1 and 2 and were less than 3 years apart. Wii Had Galaxy 1 and 2 and less than 3 years apart. DONEKY kong 1, 2 and 3 were less than 2 years apart. Doneky Kong Country Retuens and Tropical Freeze are 4 years apart. If Tropical Freeze Debuted in 2014 why has the next DK taking way more than 4 years to debut when Retuns and Tropical Freeze are 4 years apart?
Luigi’s Mansion 2 debuted in 2012 I think and Luigi’s Mansion 3 debuted in 2019. Wow 7 years apart. That means they didnt work on the sequel immediately.
Why is Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3 are 8 years apart and Pikmin 1 and 2 are 2 years apart?
Are you able to explain that foolishness?
Ubisoft can promise a Let’s Dance Game every year? Why they cant do the same thing with Rayman Legends and Mario Rabbids?
Nintendo has no issue bringing Mario Olympics and Mario Party sequels to the same generation console.
A port is easier to make, than a sequel considering you already have the pre-existing assets, like I said before do you know how game development works, because it seems like you don’t, Mario and Sonic series only coexist when the olympics actually start which is ever 4 years
Will if a port is that difficult to make then why doesnt Nintendo get started on the sequel the moment the prequel is finished?
Switch Ports out Does the Switch Sequels.
Only Sequels Switch has is Yoshi, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Mario Maker, Splatoon….. what else does it have?
Mario Kart 8? Nope that was ported. Tropical Freeze….nope wait that was ported?
Game development shouldn’t take 8 years to make. That’s like debuting a game every other generation console.
I swear to god if I see big the cat, omochao or classic sonic on a new sonic game I’m skipping it.
Blaze the cat > Classic sonic
Cream the rabbit > omochao
Every other power character from heroes and riders > Big the cat
Fine.
Just not in the same damn game.
Never trust sega folks ;) you were already betrayed with forces and “the team that brought you colors and generations” ;) ;) ;)
I’m not buying another sonic game on switch unless it’s a port or remake of sonic adventure, sonic adventure 2, sonic heroes, shadow the hedgehog or sonic riders. Not a fan of sonic mania so I did not buy it.
I loved Sonic Adventure 2. The music, they play style. And it answered the question on where is Dr. RObotic. I use to thing he was Dr. EGGMAN. But that was his grandfather.
Gerald Robotnik was the grandfather of Ivo Robotnik, aka Eggman, While not his “official” name according to Sega of Japan, as of the Adventure series, they did except the Robotnik title as his “real” name, as seen in Adventure 2 in a couple scenes.
Why didnt Sega and Nintendo think to put Tails, Knuckles or Eggman in Smash Bros? That was stupid.
No thanks Sega. I’ll stick to Crash Bandicoot and Mario. Cream the rabbit hasn’t been relevant in a main game since sonic generations. She is one of my favorite characters.
Don’t let classic sonic hog the spotlight. If he’s gonna be in modern sonic games he should be optional DLC not a primary playable character. I like tails, knuckles, Amy, shadow, cream and blaze better than classic sonic.
Sonic storybook series
Pirate theme
All new bosses
All new enemies
New allies
New Main villain:BlackBeard
Iron fortress from forces increased my hatred for classic sonic. Sonic generations was neat but classic sonic should have just stayed there. Tails or Blaze the cat could have been playable on forces instead.
Big the cat and omochao are the worst playable characters on team sonic racing. Amy should have teamed up with storm the albatross and cream the rabbit. I never play as big and omochao so to me there are only 13 enjoyable characters. I hate that I can’t freely get Amy to team up with other characters in single player modes. It can only be luck based in grand prixs.