Revolutionary Sonic Developer Reveals Exciting Future for Pixel Art

Highlights

Sonic Team's head, Takashi Iizuki, doesn't believe that pixel art has a long-term future in the video game industry, despite its nostalgic charm.

Sonic Superstars is intended to honor the franchise's origins, but Iizuki sees it as the starting point for moving away from pixelated visuals.

Sonic Frontiers is regarded as the future of the series and will act as the basis for the next 10-20 years, with updates and DLC in the pipeline to enhance the game progressively.

Takashi Iizuki, the head of Sonic Team and developer for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, recently expressed his belief that pixel art may not have a long-term future in the video game industry. As a result, his team is preparing for a change. Despite this, pixel art holds a special appeal for many gamers who grew up with classic games from the 1970s and 1980s. Even younger players have developed a fondness for the style, and there continues to be a steady stream of new pixel art games being released.

The iconic Sonic the Hedgehog series initially started as a 2D side-scroller featuring pixel art. While the games have evolved over time, they have maintained a connection to their roots in terms of aesthetics. Sonic Frontiers, an upcoming open-world Sonic title, showcases a sleek modern design, but the soon-to-be-released Sonic Superstars is expected to pay homage to the franchise's pixelated origins. However, not all members of Sonic Team believe that this nostalgic approach will define the future of the series.

In a recent interview conducted by GamesRadar+, Iizuki made the case that the use of 2D pixel art as an art style or presentation may not have a future. While expressing his fondness for the classic design, Iizuki conceded that it won't serve as the foundation for Sonic games in the next few decades. Sneak peeks of Sonic Superstars suggest that it will embrace 2D nostalgia while introducing fresh changes and updates. Iizuki perceives this as the initial step in transitioning the series away from pixelated designs and towards ongoing updates.

Iizuki emphasized that Sonic Frontiers represents the future of the series, with gameplay and design that Sonic Team can build upon for the next 10–20 years. While some argue that the division between modern and classic Sonic has both positive and negative elements, Iizuki believes that this split is necessary for the series' continued success. Sonic Frontiers will move the franchise forward while games like Sonic Superstars cater to classic gaming fans. Update 2 for Sonic Frontiers released earlier this summer, showing Sonic Team's commitment to improving the game with more features and DLC over time. This suggests that Iizuki sees Sonic Frontiers as the foundation for future development. While some players may be disappointed that pixelated art may not be the future of the industry, others are excited to see new styles from developers. However, fans of the 2D style and pixel art can still find interesting games that offer these aesthetics. Sonic Superstars, launching later this year, will provide some classic gameplay and design while moving away from pixelated art.

Sonic Superstars will release on October 17 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Source: GamesRadar+