Hirokazu Yasuhara on social media (kind of)

[big_smile]

Now Hirokazu Yasuhara is having a go at revealing sketches, except he is doing at the Digital Dragons conference in Poland rather than directly on social media, but it's showing up here:
https://twitter.com/necrosofty

There's some good stuff, including the original time travel plans for Sonic 2.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Kinda weird that GDC never had him speak considering they had Yu Suzuki, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, and recently Yoot Saito. Would've been less of a trip from NST, surely...

But yeah, waiting with great alacrity for the footage. Apparently Yas was unaware Ohshima was themeing SCD after time travel and converged on the idea independently? Not calling him a liar, but considering all the general elements shared between SCD and both S2s, I'd've never assume that was the case.

[Wombatwarlord777]

I always kind of suspected that a lot of the zones in Sonic 2 were cannibalized from individual time periods of individual zones, but I guess this confirms it.

So, if I'm not mistaken, the plan for Sonic 2 was to travel to different zones in different time periods, but sequentially? As opposed to each zone in Sonic CD having a past, present, and future, which you can travel between freely?

[Crazy Penguin]

I always kind of suspected that a lot of the zones in Sonic 2 were cannibalized from individual time periods of individual zones, but I guess this confirms it.

So, if I'm not mistaken, the plan for Sonic 2 was to travel to different zones in different time periods, but sequentially? As opposed to each zone in Sonic CD having a past, present, and future, which you can travel between freely?

Yeah, it looks like the time travel was part of a linear plot rather than a player controlled game feature like in Sonic CD. It's interesting to look at what they had in mind for each zone in each time period.

Green Hill Zone (PRESENT) - Hill Top Zone (PAST) - Dust Hill Zone (RUINED PRESENT)

Ocean Wind Zone (PRESENT) - Tropical Plant Zone (PAST) - Oil Ocean Zone (RUINED PRESENT) Chemical Plant Zone (FUTURE?)

Woods Zone (PRESENT) - Blue Lake Zone (PAST) - Casino Night Zone (FUTURE?)

Sand Shower Zone (PRESENT) - Rock World Zone (PAST) - Rock World Zone (RUINED PRESENT) - Genocide City 2 Zone (FUTURE?)

Metropolis Zone (PRESENT) - Genocide City 1 Zone (FUTURE?)

The second and third rows are a bit of a cheat since the locations don't match up exactly. But it's neat that all three "Hill" zones are the same location! Also interesting that Rock World Zone appears in two time periods.

But what is the "Hidden" thing that Sonic activates? Hidden Palace? The Warp Point appears to be where the time travel occurs, but what purpose would Olympus have served?

I hope some of this stuff makes it into that Sonic art book that's coming out soon, it's far too tantalising!

[Dr. BUGMAN]

I was thinking, what if Yasuhara didn't come up with time travel on his own, but was recycling a concept for Sonic 1 and was unaware that Ohshima was doing the same?

This awfully like a "Bad future," no? Also more than a bit evocative of Sonic '06 which also featured time travel (and felt like a hot dog of a game made of the lips and asshole of a better game).

And I gotta reiterate: Ohshima sticks time travel in just about everything he can.

[Malchik]

Fascinating. Too bad Brandon Sheffield looks like tool.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

https://youtu.be/J-3avMBqJ9s

It completely slipped my mind that this was going to be uploaded to youtube. Judging by the low number of views, I may not be alone. Must've been lost in the Mania hype. Just as well, however, as the whole thing goes from comprehensive to heady philosophy in no time flat. An essay -- or book even -- might've been more appropriate.

Definitely going to look more into Johan Huizinga and Roger Caillois.

Oh, and apparently Yasuhara left Nintendo for Unity. Hmm...

[Dr. BUGMAN]

https://youtu.be/y4Wgqqi5uj8

Jon Burton posted some of the original Sonic R maps on his video. I wish he'd just straight-up upload these as image files somewhere. He's obviously drip-feeding us these things for the sake of generating internet fame, and that's entirely his prerogative; I'm grateful that he's given as much as he's had. But, like, a PNG would be nice, y'know.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

OK, even in retrospect that kind of still comes off as whiny entitlement, and I wouldn't put it past Burton to leverage internet fame into something otherwise impossible like official remasters. But yegads, his comments section.