Why Amy? Why Fang? Why Physics? SEGA Has Superstars Q&A with Ohshima and Iizuka

Today, SEGA released a Sonic Superstars Q&A video with Naoto Ohshima and Takashi Iizuka recorded at Gamescom 2023, and while there weren't any enlightening answers to the softball questions, the two share their personal history of working together, and highlight some of the creative choices surrounding Amy, Fang, and the game's replication of classic-style physics.

Perhaps one of the more interesting tidbits was that the positive reception to Mighty and Ray pushed them to consider reintroducing other existing classic characters. They landed on Fang due to him being both a good fit with Superstars and one of the better known minor classic characters. Similarly, Amy's popularity (and gender) fueled her now-playable return to the classic line.

In regard to overall design, Iizuka acknowledged that players would be expecting the physics of the core classic games, and Ohshima similarly noted the value of designing around the classic games' sense of speed and "pinball action."

And, of course, the two had very positive things to say about each other, highlighting the time they spent working together on NiGHTS into dreams. Ohshima expresses that he would very much like to work on future projects with Iizuka.