Yuji Naka
Encyclopedia
, is a video game designer and programmer
, best known as the former head of Sonic Team
, a group of Sega
programmers/designers, where he was the lead programmer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog.
In early games he was often credited as "YU2" (in reference to Yu Suzuki
) and "Muuu Yuji".
Naka is one of the few high-profile Japanese
game creators to speak fluent English
.
Since 2006 he has been the head of Prope
, an independent game company he founded after leaving Sega that same year.
and stay in his home town. During this time period Naka worked long hours at various menial jobs.
, which he and a colleague created together as part of their training process. Their boss was impressed and decided to publish the game, and it earned them notice among their peers and Japanese gamers. Naka's abilities as a programmer were further demonstrated in 1987 for his work on Phantasy Star
for the Sega Master System
, where he was responsible for the impressive pseudo-3D animation effects present in the game's first-person dungeons.
His true breakthrough, however, came in 1991 when he programmed the original Sonic the Hedgehog game for the Sega Genesis, with Naoto Ōshima designing the character and Hirokazu Yasuhara
creating the stages. Following Sonic The Hedgehog's release, Naka moved to Sega's U.S. branch, Sega Technical Institute, where he worked with famed American designer Mark Cerny
on the follow-up in conjunction with the original team back in Japan, now known as "Sonic Team
". This partnership between the Eastern and Western teams continued through the development of Sonic the Hedgehog 3
and Sonic & Knuckles
, though the bulk of the development duties shifted back to Sonic Team
in Japan for those titles, which Naka had also returned to by that time.
After the release of Sonic & Knuckles
, Naka was moved up to the role of producer at Sega of Japan. During his tenure in that position, he oversaw titles including Nights into Dreams...
and Burning Rangers
for Sega Saturn
; Sonic Adventure
and Phantasy Star Online
for Dreamcast; Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg
for Nintendo GameCube
; and the "EyeToy
" game Sega Superstars
for PlayStation 2
.
In news released on March 16, 2006, Naka announced that he intended to create his own game studio, Prope
, and that he would be leaving Sega to do so. Following Naoto Oshima's departure in 1999 and Hirokazu Yasuhara
's departure in 2002, Yuja Naka was the final member of the original creative core that created Sonic the Hedgehog to leave Sega
.
in the Sega arcade
soccer game Virtua Striker 3 along with Sonic
, Tails
, Knuckles
, Amy
, Eggman, and a group of Chao
. He is also mentioned in Shadow the Hedgehog
where GUN soldiers will occasionally call out "Mister Yuji Naka is all right". He is also one of the survivors that can be rescued from a burning building in the game Burning Rangers
.
Yuji Naka's birthday was used as the level select code in Sonic 2
, which requires players to enter Sound Select and play sounds 19, 65, 9 and 17.
Game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
, best known as the former head of Sonic Team
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...
, a group of Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
programmers/designers, where he was the lead programmer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog.
In early games he was often credited as "YU2" (in reference to Yu Suzuki
Yu Suzuki
is a Japanese game designer and producer who has spent his entire career with Sega Enterprises. Often referred to as Sega's answer to Shigeru Miyamoto, he has been responsible for the creation of many of Sega's most important arcade games such as Hang-On, Out Run, After Burner II, Virtua Fighter,...
) and "Muuu Yuji".
Naka is one of the few high-profile Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
game creators to speak fluent English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Since 2006 he has been the head of Prope
Prope
Prope Ltd. is an independent video game development studio of famed programmer Yuji Naka.-Construct:...
, an independent game company he founded after leaving Sega that same year.
Early gamecrafting career
Naka learned how to program by replicating and debugging video game code printed in magazines. The experience prompted him to study assemblers and practice writing code during his school classes. After graduating high school, Naka decided to skip universityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and stay in his home town. During this time period Naka worked long hours at various menial jobs.
Career
Around 1983, Naka saw that Sega was looking for programming assistants and decided to apply. After a brief interview, he was hired and his first project was a game called Girl's GardenGirl's Garden
is a 1984 video game that was released exclusively for the Japanese market.-Summary:This video game has elements of adventure games, action games, and dating sims....
, which he and a colleague created together as part of their training process. Their boss was impressed and decided to publish the game, and it earned them notice among their peers and Japanese gamers. Naka's abilities as a programmer were further demonstrated in 1987 for his work on Phantasy Star
Phantasy Star
is the first installment in Sega's renowned series of the same name. It was released for the Sega Master System in Japan on December 20, 1987, and then in North America and Europe in 1988. It is considered one of the pioneers amongst console role-playing games, both for its advanced graphics...
for the Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
, where he was responsible for the impressive pseudo-3D animation effects present in the game's first-person dungeons.
His true breakthrough, however, came in 1991 when he programmed the original Sonic the Hedgehog game for the Sega Genesis, with Naoto Ōshima designing the character and Hirokazu Yasuhara
Hirokazu Yasuhara
Hirokazu Yasuhara is a Japanese video game designer and Sonic Team's 2nd Assistant President.He designed the gameplay and stages of the majority of the initial Sonic the Hedgehog video games for Sega Mega Drive based on technical demos and engines coded by Yuji Naka and characters designed by...
creating the stages. Following Sonic The Hedgehog's release, Naka moved to Sega's U.S. branch, Sega Technical Institute, where he worked with famed American designer Mark Cerny
Mark Cerny
Mark Cerny is a video game industry figure who has worked as a game designer, programmer, producer and business executive. As president of Cerny Games, which he founded in 1998, he now acts as a consultant in the video game industry. In 2004, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award...
on the follow-up in conjunction with the original team back in Japan, now known as "Sonic Team
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...
". This partnership between the Eastern and Western teams continued through the development of Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States by members of Sonic Team working at Sega Technical Institute, and was published by Sega, debuting worldwide in the first half of 1994...
and Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States at Sega Technical Institute by members of Sonic Team, and was published by Sega worldwide on October 18, 1994.As well as working as a standalone...
, though the bulk of the development duties shifted back to Sonic Team
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...
in Japan for those titles, which Naka had also returned to by that time.
After the release of Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States at Sega Technical Institute by members of Sonic Team, and was published by Sega worldwide on October 18, 1994.As well as working as a standalone...
, Naka was moved up to the role of producer at Sega of Japan. During his tenure in that position, he oversaw titles including Nights into Dreams...
NiGHTS into Dreams...
Nights into Dreams... , is a video game released by Sega in 1996 for the Sega Saturn video game system. The game's story follows two children entering a dream world, where they are aided by the main character, Nights...
and Burning Rangers
Burning Rangers
Burning 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...
for Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
; Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure
is 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...
and Phantasy Star Online
Phantasy Star Online
Phantasy Star Online is an online multiplayer action RPG title, originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000, bundled with a demo of Sonic Adventure 2. Another edition, entitled Phantasy Star Online ver.2, was released for Dreamcast the following year...
for Dreamcast; Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg
is a video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Nintendo GameCube. It was ported to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X in 2006, exclusively for Europe.-Plot:...
for Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
; and the "EyeToy
EyeToy
The EyeToy is a color digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 2. The technology uses computer vision and Gesture recognition to process images taken by the camera...
" game Sega Superstars
Sega SuperStars
Sega Superstars is a game developed by Sonic Team in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 EyeToy. It features a series of games based on previous Sega titles. It also contains Chao, the virtual pets from the Sonic series....
for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
.
In news released on March 16, 2006, Naka announced that he intended to create his own game studio, Prope
Prope
Prope Ltd. is an independent video game development studio of famed programmer Yuji Naka.-Construct:...
, and that he would be leaving Sega to do so. Following Naoto Oshima's departure in 1999 and Hirokazu Yasuhara
Hirokazu Yasuhara
Hirokazu Yasuhara is a Japanese video game designer and Sonic Team's 2nd Assistant President.He designed the gameplay and stages of the majority of the initial Sonic the Hedgehog video games for Sega Mega Drive based on technical demos and engines coded by Yuji Naka and characters designed by...
's departure in 2002, Yuja Naka was the final member of the original creative core that created Sonic the Hedgehog to leave Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
.
Cameos
Yuji Naka has a cameoCameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the Sega arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
soccer game Virtua Striker 3 along with Sonic
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
, Tails
Miles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
, Knuckles
Knuckles the Echidna
Knuckles the Echidna is a video game character of the Sonic the Hedgehog game series, including spin-off games and comics. His first appearance was in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, released in 1994 to introduce a new rival for Sonic. He was presented as an antagonist who was tricked by Dr. Eggman into...
, Amy
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...
, Eggman, and a group of Chao
Chao (Sonic the Hedgehog)
A is a fictional life form in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series published by Sega. Chao made their first appearance in the 1998 Dreamcast game Sonic Adventure as digital pets. They have since appeared in several video games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series as digital pets, minor characters,...
. He is also mentioned in Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow 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...
where GUN soldiers will occasionally call out "Mister Yuji Naka is all right". He is also one of the survivors that can be rescued from a burning building in the game Burning Rangers
Burning Rangers
Burning 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...
.
Yuji Naka's birthday was used as the level select code in Sonic 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 16-bit 1992 platform video game that was developed by Sonic Team members working at the Sega Technical Institute, and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1992 and in North America and Europe on November 24, 1992...
, which requires players to enter Sound Select and play sounds 19, 65, 9 and 17.
External links
- Official Prope website (Japanese)
- Sonic Team Speaks (archived by the WaybackMachine)
- Sega-16 History of Yuji Naka