Image: SEGA
Update [Thu 23rd Jun, 2022 16:10]: Yuji Naka is now sharing photos on Twitter of his time in America when he was working on the original Sonic 3.
One of the photos Naka has shared is from the time when he visited “his” house, presumably Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in California. Just casually confirming things even more. Someone’s in a talkative mood today!
This is a picture taken by me with my camera when we went to his house in his helicopter. It’s pretty faded. I miss it. pic.twitter.com/wtM1BtMHwT— Yuji Naka / 中 裕司 (@nakayuji) June 23, 2022
Original article: Yuji Naka, co-creator of Sonic the Hedgehog and producer on a few of Sonic’s early titles, has obviously joined in with Sonic’s birthday celebrations if his Twitter account is anything to go by.
The former producer seems to have potentially picked up a copy of Sonic Origins today, the compilation game that contains all four classic Mega Drive Sonic titles. Naka worked as a programmer on Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, before also moving into a producer (and programmer) role for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles. But, as many of us have now discovered, Naka is surprised to find that the music for Sonic 3 has been changed.
Oh my god, the music for Sonic 3 has changed, even though SEGA Official uses Michael Jackson’s music.— Yuji Naka / 中 裕司 (@nakayuji) June 23, 2022
This reaction on Twitter has sort of blown up, as this is the producer stating that Michael Jackson indeed contributed music to the title back in 1994.
Though this has been a hotly-debated topic over the years, MJ’s collaborator Brad Buxer recently confirmed again that the King of Pop helped to contribute music to the game. But this hasn’t stopped fans and industry members’ amused reactions to Naka’s very honest-seeming reaction.
Logs on
Confirms a rumour that is multiple decades old
Doesn’t elaborate
Leaves https://t.co/Xp87DJFKtA
— Liam Richardson (@Meevil) June 23, 2022
All these years of speculation and investigation and… he just… he tweeted it out https://t.co/ziaRL8IAIU— Jeremy Parish (@gamespite) June 23, 2022
30 years of speculation and rumours just tweeted out https://t.co/pOqi3L1HqK— Jon Cartwright (@JonComms) June 23, 2022
He just … tweeted it out https://t.co/MSTVqhFBAM— Jonathan Ore (@Jon_Ore) June 23, 2022
Well, there you go then. Just like that, Yuji Naka says it out loud.
If you’ve yet to pick up Sonic Origins yet or hear the new music tracks, we’ve got you covered. The original tracks from the Mega Drive/Genesis versions have been replaced by arrangements of the prototype music, and you can listen to a few of them below.
How do you feel about the new music? And what about Naka’s reaction and comments? Share your thoughts below!
