I mentioned it earlier today, but Sega’s been making me feel all tingly on the inside lately. It’s been a goodly while since Sega made my heart flutter, but they just keep making all the right moves. More than anything else from the publisher, Yakuza 2 has been the real inspiration behind all the tinglyness. No bones about it, I freaking love that game. It is awesome. But I got to thinking today, to whom do I owe my thanks for all the warmth inside? Well, certainly crime novelist Hase Seishu. His careful pen is responsible for Yakuza’s ongoing and thoroughly entertaining story. But producer Toshihiro Nagoshi certainly deserves a heaping spoonful of thanks as well. And you know what else? He is sexy as hell.
Taking Sega’s lumbering play model from Shenmue and turning it into a focused crime RPG like Yakuza is sexy. Creating a game like Super Monkey Ball, a game in which monkeys go into balls, roll around, and make funny noises, is also sexy. But even beyond that, look at the man! A few years back, he looked like this:
Then he started making games about badasses like Kiryu Kazuma and ball-monkeys and he transformed into this guy:
I wish I was the one giving him flowers.
Previously on Bringing Sexy Back:
Street Fighter Dress-Up Party!
Susan O’Connor
John Carmack
Retro Controllers of the Future
Yoji Shinkawa
