Kazuyuki Hoshino
Encyclopedia
Kazuyuki Hoshino is a notable Sonic Team
artist. His first role involved working with Sega of Japan on Sonic CD as a character/sprite
, special-stage, and visual designer. He is notable for creating Metal Sonic and Amy Rose
.
He was Sega Studio USA's art director and lead character designer until part of the studio was absorbed back into the Japan Division. At the US branch, he worked alongside Takashi Iizuka
, as they both determined the best direction and style for their games.
Sonic Team
is a Japanese computer and video game developer established in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan in 1990, originally known as Sega AM8. The Japan-based division is also known as G.E. Department Global Entertainment. The studio has collaborated with several in-house Japanese studios as well as other American-based...
artist. His first role involved working with Sega of Japan on Sonic CD as a character/sprite
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
, special-stage, and visual designer. He is notable for creating Metal Sonic and Amy Rose
Amy Rose
, known earlier as Rosy the Rascal, is a video game character who appears in most of the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games developed by Sega's Sonic Team, debuting in Sonic CD as the third recurring protagonist. Amy Rose was created by Kazuyuki Hoshino and based on one of Kenji Terada's...
.
He was Sega Studio USA's art director and lead character designer until part of the studio was absorbed back into the Japan Division. At the US branch, he worked alongside Takashi Iizuka
Takashi Iizuka (game designer)
is a Japanese game producer, game director, game designer, level designer, scenario writer and currently the head of Sonic Team.-Early career:His first collaboration with Sega involved working with STI on Sonic 3 and Knuckles as a designer. Later, he helped supervise Traveller's Tales with the...
, as they both determined the best direction and style for their games.
Production history
- Sonic CD (1993) — Character Designer / Special Stage Designer / Visual Designer
- Panic!Panic!Panic! is a video game for the Sega CD that involves pressing numerous buttons in order to transverse a young boy or his dog through a complex labyrinth. The game was originally released in Japan, and had some risque "gags" that were assumed to be edited out if the game ever got a North American...
(1993) — Graphic Designer - Knuckles Chaotix (1995) — Original Character Concept, Character Designer, Enemy Designer
- Sonic 3D BlastSonic 3D BlastSonic 3D is an isometric platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was developed in the United Kingdom by Traveller's Tales and published by Sega. The Japanese version was also Sega Saturn exclusive...
(Saturn) (1996) — Special-Stage Artist - NiGHTS into Dreams (1996) — Character Designer
- Sonic RSonic RSonic R is a racing game developed by Traveller's Tales and Sonic Team for the Sega Saturn and PC, the latter version being ported to the GameCube and the PlayStation 2 in Sonic Gems Collection. It features characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series...
(1997) — Additional Artwork - Sonic Jam (1997) — Artist
- Burning RangersBurning RangersBurning Rangers is a video game developed by Sonic Team for the Sega Saturn. The player takes on the role of a new recruit to the futuristic firefighting organization of the title, and must explore locations where various emergencies have taken place, extinguishing fires and rescuing survivors.The...
(1998) — Internet Support - Sonic AdventureSonic Adventureis a 1999 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and released on December 23, 1998, in Japan by Sega for the Dreamcast. One of its development titles was Sonic RPG...
(1999) — Art Director / Enemy Character Designer / Lead Field Artist - Sonic Adventure 2Sonic Adventure 2Sonic Adventure 2 is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Dreamcast video game console. It was released in North America on June 19, 2001 and in Japan on June 23, 2001 to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of the first Sonic the Hedgehog game. It is the sequel...
/Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (2001/2002) — Art Director / Character Design / Enemy Design / CGI Movie Director - Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (2003) — Character Designer
- Sonic HeroesSonic Heroesis a 2004 platforming single-player/multiplayer video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team USA. It is the first multiplatform title in the Sonic series, developed for Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox and released in Japan in December 2003, in North America in...
(2003/2004) — Art Director / Enemy Designer - Shadow the HedgehogShadow the Hedgehog (video game)Shadow the Hedgehog is a 2005 video game developed by Sega Studio USA, the former United States division of Sega's Sonic Team. Featuring the titular fictional character Shadow the Hedgehog from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series, the game was revealed at the March 2005 Walk of Game inauguration of...
(2005) — Art Director / Character Designer / Enemy Designer / Weapon Artist - Sonic Gems Collection (2005) — Special Thanks
- Sonic RivalsSonic RivalsSonic Rivals is a game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series in late 2006. It is the first Sonic game developed by a Canadian company, Backbone Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation Portable...
(2006) — Art Supervisor / Artwork - Sonic Rivals 2Sonic Rivals 2Sonic Rivals 2 is the sequel to Sonic Rivals. The game was developed by Backbone Entertainment and supervised by Sega Studio USA, exclusively for the PlayStation Portable handheld videogame console. Sonic Rivals 2 was released on November 13, 2007 in North America...
(2007) — Art Supervisor / Artwork - NiGHTS Journey of Dreams (2007) — Art Director / Lead Character Designer
- NiGHTS into Dreams (PS2 Version) (2008) — Supervisor
- Sonic UnleashedSonic UnleashedSonic Unleashed , is a video game and the 11th installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for multiple platforms...
(PS3 & Xbox 360 Version) (2008) — Special Thanks - Sonic and the Black KnightSonic and the Black Knightis a title within the Sonic the Hedgehog series, released exclusively on Wii as the second entry in the Sonic Storybook series, following on from Sonic and the Secret Rings. The game is directed by Tetsu Katano, who was the lead programmer of the Sonic Adventure titles and Sonic Heroes...
(2009) — Special Thanks - Sonic RushSonic Rushis a 2005 platform handheld video game developed by Sonic Team and Dimps exclusively for the Nintendo DS as part of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released on November 15, 2005 in North America, November 18 in the PAL region, and November 23 in Japan. It is a 2D platform game, but Sonic's...
(2006) - Sonic Rush AdventureSonic Rush Adventureis a 2007 Sonic the Hedgehog platform game for the Nintendo DS videogame handheld, developed by Dimps and Sonic Team, published by Sega. Sonic the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat return as playable characters, alongside a new, slightly hotheaded female raccoon named Marine the Raccoon...
(2008))