Takashi Iizuka's levels

I think my question effectively asks the same as DimensionWarped does, quoted to correct new page injustice:

All the aforementioned gimmicks are barely-interactive setpieces which look better than they play. I ask in a more diplomatic way, rather than the loaded question approach.

 

"Which levels are you most proud of?" might be a helpful way in which to phrase it.

 

That phrasing makes little to no sense.

I usually don't feel the action in sonic games in my guts. I guess it actually isn't very intellectual, so that might work. Etc, etc. I think the way Jay phrased it was just fine, personally. If any word substitution had to be made, flashy might be a better word.

 

Flashy, that's the word I was looking for -- I often temporarily forget them, and use odd alternatives as a result. But yeah.

Visceral better suits beat 'em up gameplay when it's flashy.

 

I've got some.

*If you had the opportunity to go back and change or add anything to your past titles, what would it be and why?

*What was your first experience in a Sonic game like when you designed Sonic 3 & Knuckles?

*What were the challenges in bringing a 2D character such as Sonic into the 3D world when you directed Sonic Adventure?


And here's an idea: Why not ask him about the many design changes the Sonic Adventure titles went through (I.e Windy Valley, The Dragon in Sky Chase, Sonic in Sky Rail, branching storyline pathways in SA2, etc.)

 

I apologize if I get slightly off topic with this, but after reading the entire thread I feel the need to chime in.

sonicteamUSA, no offense to you, but the first thing you've got going against you is that this is a board focused mainly on the original Genesis/Megadrive games and the appreciation for them. You're just not going to find many people here that like the 3D games just as much or more than the original series. If that's what you're looking for, to try to preach to the crowd about how great you think they are, I'm sure there are plenty of other boards around that can help you out.

Secondly, you've made a lot of speculation as to who exactly designed what levels in the games, but not ONCE have I seen you back up your claims with definite concrete proof. All you seem to be doing is looking for set pieces of geometry within levels and making assumptions based on that. Well, sorry to say, but concrete proof is the only way most of us will ever be able to take your arguments seriously. Simply making claims like you have, saying "This feature is included in this level so it HAS to be an Iizuka level," you're just going based purely on opinion. And you're not going to force your opinions on others, at least not without detailed, accurate, and intelligent explanations to back yourself up. I've seen you repeat the same things over and over again, but I've seen nothing extraordinary or convincing about your claims or explanations.

Also, it seems you prefer nonstop high-speed action featuring the same three or four ideas within each level with little to no actual platforming rather than a good dose of variety. You make the case that Sonic without slopes and ramps and loops and rails is just boring. Well, what if every Sonic level DID feature that same idea of slopes connected to ramps connected to loops connected to rails? Then you'd be complaining about how boring it all is, just the same basic premise over and over again, just set to different backdrops every few levels. And that's where the beauty of the old games comes in. They weren't just about going fast, pressing right and occasionally jumping here and there (a case I like to call Sonic Advance 2 Syndrome); instead they featured a wide variety of concepts, puzzles, and traps to navigate around skillfully. Like your complaint against Marble and Labyrinth Zones; they seem too slow and trap-filled to you. But that's exactly what makes them so great; they force you to refrain from going all out at breakneck speeds and use some skill to navigate past the obstacles they offer. It seems to me like you're calling them bad level designs simply because you lack the patience to slow down and take things step by step to skillfully make it past these obstacles. It's not a bad thing for Sonic to have to stop for a second once in a while and scan his surroundings before tackling them.

I could name a few more things, but I'm tired of typing for now. Please feel free to respond to any of my comments as you see fit.

 

So, adding a little bit of challenge and variety here and there is boring to you? I don't quite get this.

So you're saying newer Sonic fans such as yourself aren't able to go back to the Genesis/Megadrive titles and adapt to how they play? That just doesn't make sense. Also, Sonic 1 GBA begs to differ.

I'm not knocking the level designs in SH, except for Rail Canyon/Bullet Station and Egg Fleet/Final Fortress (too much monotonous grinding for me). One of the main things plaguing that game (and subsequent games) is the physics engine, which is godawful compared to the Adventure games, and leads to some major control issues. And when you're playing as a superspeed hedgehog, nice tight controls are what you need to provide an entertaining experience. Sonic Heroes and ShadowTH just didn't provide that for me, or for a lot of people for that matter.

 

You know the answer to this question. Budget, resources, retard-proofness, and asset "streamlining". What easier way to design a game than to have a set number of scripted objects for your designers to use.

 

Exactly, so we do need to ask something in the lines of "What levels did you have anything to do from Sonic 2 to Sonic Adventure 2?"

Please stop that.

 

If you don't see what the big fuss is all about, then you're basically saying you don't appreciate Sonic's roots and where the series has come from, and what the older games were all about. It wasn't just pure speed back then, unlike today's releases which cram it further down your throat with each game. It was speed mixed with clever platforming, how to skillfully maneuver around obstacles in your way while maintaining a good sense of speed in the process. So in my mind, as well as the minds of many people here, you're saying you don't like them because you don't understand them.

Every time I have a few spare minutes and just want to unwind with a great game I always look to old school Sonic. I don't agree with your opinion that these games aren't standing the test of time. Otherwise, why would there be entire sites like this one dedicated mainly to them? I think you'll find that the Genesis Sonic games are amongst the most popular in the entire series to many fans, young and old, if not THE best it has had to offer. I'm not just saying this because I grew up with these games, though it's obvious I show an extreme bias in favor of them, just as you heavily favor the 3D games.

Ocarina of Time is an amazing game, by the way. It's my second favorite game of all time behind S3&K. So if you're trying to tell me that older gamers prefer only older games then you are sadly mistaken.

On the subject of questions, I have one for you.

"How do you feel and/or are you happy with Sonic's change in direction with the transition from 2D traditional platforming to 3D speed-based platforming?"

Oh, and another quick one, which I'm sure you won't use:

"Why is it that Sega is trying to push Sonic's extreme speed further and further down our throats with each game?"

 

I feel that the newer Sonic games are better for a short burst of adrenalin rush, but if you're looking for a hardcore, old school challenge that you want to take time to master then the old games are good for you. I find it delightful after a long day of school to sit down for an hour or so and play an easy, straightfoward couple of day levels in Unleashed to put me at ease. However, if I have nothing better to do and I feel like tackling a challenge, I'll fire up some Sonic 1 or Sonic 2 and try to beat those beasts in one sitting.

 

Yes, but we really can't present it that way or expect him to pry for that much information at once. Expecting him to remember a career that dates back 15 years might be a little rough. Sure level designing is probably more memorable than writing music, but if we learned anything from Howard Drossin, or even some of the other interviews we've had (Craigg Stitt), sometimes it's not appropriate to pry so hard.

Maybe asking him "Do you remember any of the levels specifically you might have created over the course of the series?" would be a more appropriate, at least wording for the question so he doesn't feel pressured to list them all but can remember a few off the top of his head.

It won't be conclusive, but remember that Iizuka is a human and not an information database.

 

They are? Seriously?

We... We have? Always? Really?

Oh.

 

I've learned that developers really aren't humbled by ass-kissing. Just be right up front with them and you'll get the answers you're looking for.