Takashi Iizuka's levels

I played 3D Sonic before the 2D ones, but I got into 2D Sonic around 2006 and I can say that either you haven't tried putting effort into the games, or you just suck.

I wonder, though; how often do you roll in 2D Sonic games? You have problems with enemies popping up of nowhere... rolling stops stuff like that from effecting you too much.

Also, Takashi Iisuka doing Sonic 2's object placement, huh? In before PPA.

 

If you make a long-ass description of how it plays, every level in the world will sound interesting. Running down a hill, leap across a chasm of lava, skipping across the platforms which become engulfed in flames, heading into that cave, breaking those bloicks, evading cleverly placed swooping bats, pushing the obstacle then running like hell before the big ass lava catches up to you etc. Which level am I taking about?

There you go again, showing your assumption down the public throat once again. You suck not beacuse you didn't memorize the whole level, but you suck _tremendously_ should you honestly be thinking that's the only proper way to win at a game.

What about reflexes, intuition, navigation skills - you know, actually being there and responding to the environment, like, in real time and stuff? All you're leaning on is a string of moves in a familiar environment - it's like praising Scrambled Egg Zone because it practically plays itself once you learn which paths to take.

...come to think of it, you should play Sonic OVA some day. You'll find it the best game in the world.

I "never hear anyone talk" about how great Ilzuka's design is.

WTF? First off, there are slopes, and there is a quarter-loop. And talking about "some tiny rooftops" - and at the same time praising "some tiny ramps" from City Escape...man, you're so inconsistent.
Second. Getting consumers interested...yeah, the Ilzuka levels do a real good job at that, getting all the attention and having the longevity of a class mascot hamster - but it's not about deep gameplay, it's about "getting consumers interested"...right? You speak corporate now.
And if you wish to be grappled by the M4D ADR3NALLYNE~~ go play a racing game and please stop poisoning Sonic (a platform game) with it.

Not the level layouts too, I suppose? Because the two are like, very different things.

 

At Dawn rich in platforming? Not in any world I live in. I'm pretty sure At Dawn can be completed with very little if any jumping. The most complex platforming in At Dawn is just jumping from crevice to crevice optionally in the upper part of the level.

And since when do dash pads epitomize platforming?

 

Who said it was rich in platforming?

 

It can be rich in platforming. Then again, you could run around and navigate through the traffic if you wish.

A good level is a diverse one, not a speedfest.

 

Well that and Hirokazu Yasuhara was an infinitely better level designer. Iizuka created some nice levels in his day, but none of them had depth, and it's likely that some of the blame for the linearity and lack of z-axis variety of the 3D games could be tagged on him. His works always seemed more focused on aesthetic effect.

 

Iizuka's levels are sort of fun.

But, it's not the kind of fun you can sit there and savour like a good pie. And I like pie. No, they're more like a rollercoaster, as has been said -- but also there's a certain charm to them you don't get in Yasuhara's levels, not superior at all but just different.

Thing is, they're only fun if you play them as intended. Hands up who failed to hit a speed booster on an angled incline, and as a result ended up falling to their doom? How about staying on the 'glitchy' section of a curved area following a loop? Probably a few people. These levels aren't terrible per se, but they could be a lot better. As it is, there's about one or two 'recommended' ways you can go through a level and that's all you're getting. Watch some runs of people playing, say, City Escape in SA2, and most of them play it exactly the same. Almost like the level is one giant set-piece (or technically, several with no breaks in between).

So, I guess the whole topic has at some point devolved into two camps, devout fans of the Yasuhara approach with varying rhythm, pace and (arguably) creativity; against Iizuka fans (mostly sonicteamUSA) who like the thrillride and feel uncomfortable out of that whole 'learn the one best way to play the level' mindset.

I can enjoy Iizuka's levels, but give me some oldschool any day. Thanks.

 

At Dawn? Don't think I've ever seen that level. Off to Retropedia, then.

On topic; for me, many of the levels that I know Takashi made, are indeed, very fun to play. They won't win the "Dear god, I forgot I was playing a video game and spent 2 days exploring a single level" Award, but they are quite fun.

Whoever designed the levels for De Blob, however, are fucking getting that award if I have to create it myself.

To truly create a rich level experience using Takashi Iizuka as an LD, there would have to be someone who could balance his thrill-ride design with a more expansive kind of design point in order to balance it. A Dynamic Foil, if you will.

If Sonic Team can find Takashi's "Kisatah Ikaizu," then by George, they just might hit something.

 

It's the 3rd part of Speed Highway in SA1.

 

Oh, right. The part where you end up in an open city with bustling streets and whatnot? I always thought that was a nice way to end the stage.

The starts of with Sonic racing through a highway in the sky, being pursued by Eggman's Policecar-bots, and you make your escape by racing down the side of a giant skyscraper. And what happens afterward?

You're rewarded with a beautiful, busy city, just as the Sun rises. after running for your life in a deadly raceway, you see another side of the urban life; the calm and inspiring city neighborhoods. It's almost symbolic of the two sides of city life. You have the dangerous, dark, and unpredictable highway, and then you escape to the bright, tranquil, yet at the same time, lively urban streets, complete with a track that is practically saying "Conglaturations, Sonic. You survived the night in the deadly city highway. But the city, like most things, is a double edged sword. Overcome the night and there will always be a new day ahead."

In fact, this one level explains the lesson taught for the entirety of Sonic Unleashed. Weird.

 

AAUK = ArchangelUK = SEGA Europe Online Community Manager (amongst other things),

You're sort of in the right area here, but to clarify - during Iizuka-san's NiGHTS tour I tried to get DiGi & TRiPPY (or one of them) down so they could meet and interview him. However the distance and time - I wasn't exactly given much notice on the spaces available <_< - meant they couldn't come down from Edinburgh. Instead I took their place and interviewed Iizuka along with Mike Taylor of SCD (who was representing Nintendo Life on that occasion) and Graham from SEGA Nerds. The latter actually recorded the interview. NiD.Com provided me with a big list of questions about NiGHTS (a couple of which got a rather surpised reaction). Time was short because of jet lag, Iizuka-san look thoroughly exhausted tbh after a whirlwind european tour. NiD.com got a variety of signed merch from the interview. I've got the interview somewhere... if you guys want me to put it up and a link lemmie know.

If people wanted to ask Iizuka some Q's they need to email me with details, though please be aware that obviously the man is frightfully busy and they may take a while to come back...

 

I think its a case of Iizuka-san being able to speak some English and understand some English but is in no way fluent. I've been on English emails from him before so he can communicate in English somewhat.. to be honest I was rather in awe when I met him. Though he was facinated by the level of fan interest in NiGHTS on NiD, I got him to sign some printouts of TRiPPY's art for her and he spent about 5 mins just looking them over.

If you guys (probably best you do them together as Sonic Retro) put together a list of questions you'd like to ask him I shall see what I can do... can't make any promises on when you'll get them back but I'll see what I can do. They'll end up getting translated into Japanese in any case so I wouldn't worry about language too much, just make them concise.

So if you guys think up maybe 10 questions you'd love answered we shall see what can be done....

 

Question for Iizuka:

Was the shift in direction in Sonic (More showy, great-to-watch action as opposed to traditional platforming) something of an internal decision, a marketing-led decision or an intended evolution of the series?

 

"Why so much grinding? homing attacking across the heads of enemies? aerial launch hoolahoops? <insert other overused gimmick that refuses to die>"

 

It's very appropriate, considering half this thread was arguing which levels he designed. Just don't ask it like that.

 

Like I said, if you want to organise it... go ahead