Life after Sega: The Sonic creator talks about being free of the hedgehog

Yuji Naka cemented his name in the history of video games by programming the original Sonic the Hedgehog. But Naka, once defined by his time at Sega, has now been outside of the company for nearly six years, after forming his own studio, Prope. And it seems he couldn't be happier.

[Snookies12]

Sonic 1-3 and Knuckles were such a big part of my younger years... Ahhh, those games are still so much fun to go through...

[3-4-5]

Sonic 2 was my second game for the Genesis ever. Got Street Fighter 2 X-mas day, and mail in rebate for Sonic 2 like 2 weeks later.

Would play the casino level for ever just to try and get max coins.

I would also add sonic spinball to that. For some reason I used to love that game.

[Snookies12]

Ah yeah, completely forgot about Spinball. Definitely an odd way to give the series a (spin)-off "get it"? lol, but it was really fun!

[Paragon]

"One of the reasons I left Sega was, if I stayed there, I would have had to just make Sonic games," he told Polygon in an interview at Prope's Tokyo headquarters. "Right now I don't have to make Sonic anymore, so I'm enjoying that freedom a lot."

That kinda stinks if Sega wouldn't allow him to do other games, or make a new IP if that's what he means. :/

[darthv72]

its sort of like
an actor being typecast for the rest of their career. Daniel Radclif will forever be known as harry potter no matter how many nude scenes he does.

that role will follow him to his grave.

[Goodfella78]

Same as snookie my younger days were blessed with playing sonic,for hours upon hours upon hours, maximum respect to this guy my childhood just wouldnt of been the same without sonic and his posse... :-) ...