Game Designer’s Work

Vol. 3: Sonic the Hedgehog
Uncovering the Secret of Uekawa Sonic's Birth!!

This series features designers responsible for character design and graphics—the "face" of the game. This time, we spotlight Yuji Uekawa of Sonic Team, who reinvented Sonic’s visual style!


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Sonic - Modeling Production Simulation

Image creation process on the software

Basic Model

They began with a CG model from Sonic Adventure, modifying it for 2D illustration. Even though the final product is a drawn illustration, starting from a 3D model allows consistency and accurate proportions.

Angle Adjustment

The first step is adjusting the angle of the CG model to match the desired pose for illustration.

Camera and Pose Fixing

Once the pose is set, the camera angle is fixed. They then adjust parts like arms and legs individually for better silhouette and style.

Leg Scale Adjustment

To enhance Sonic’s energetic feeling, they enlarged and lengthened the legs in the CG model.

Arm Scale Adjustment

Same with the arms—they adjusted the scale to make the gesture and pose more expressive.

Final Rendering

With the adjustments complete, the pose is rendered. This image is then used as the base for final illustration.


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Sonic's Meaningful Redesign

In 1991, Sonic was born. By 1998, for Sonic Adventure, Sonic was completely redesigned. Uekawa’s goal was to give Sonic a more dynamic, cool appearance to match the new 3D era. The change made him more expressive and appealing to older players as well.

(Under the image of Sonic: “BEFORE” = old Sonic design)

Great! Here's the translation of the right page (page 2):


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SONIC TEAM – Design Section

Designer: Yuji Uekawa
Born April 22, 1969, in Aichi Prefecture. Blood type: O. After joining Sega, he was assigned to the design section of the Sonic Team. His major roles include character and illustration design for the Sonic series, and key visuals for Sonic Adventure, etc.


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The Sonic Family Designed by Uekawa

TAILS

BIG

AMY
These familiar characters were also refined by Uekawa! The redesign gave them a "cool" look while preserving their charm.


(Blue ribbon text)
クールにリファイン！= “Coolly refined!”


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The First Character He Designed After Joining SEGA Was...

Ristar!

In fact, Uekawa designed the character "Ristar the Shooting Star" before working on Sonic! Released in 1995 for the Mega Drive, this platformer was known for its beautiful graphics and fun gameplay.

(Side note from Uekawa):
“I still remember how nervous I was designing a main character right after joining the company.”


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What Kind of Workspace Does Uekawa Use?

Uekawa’s workspace includes a Mac, scanner, and lots of reference materials. He uses these tools for sketching, scanning, adjusting compositions, and creating final illustrations.


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This Month’s Dorimaga (Dreamcast Magazine) Cover Creation Process

From the Rendered Image…
A rendered 3D image is the starting point. Based on that, Uekawa draws over it, adjusts the outline and pose, and polishes it into a cool 2D illustration.

After Retouching
Final touches are added—including color adjustments, facial expressions, and highlights. A background is added to complete the cover art!


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A Word from Uekawa

“I was really happy to be involved in Sonic’s redesign, and I want to keep creating characters that make people feel excited just by looking at them.”

(Under “AFTER” Sonic image):
The new design gives Sonic sharper eyes, longer limbs, and a more dynamic look!


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That’s the full translation of both pages! If you'd like, I can also help summarize it into a quick-reference guide, or help you practice related Japanese vocabulary. What would you like to do next?