Having played Panzer Dragoon (1995), Panzer Dragoon Orta, and Jet Grind Radio, it’s sad to see a veteran of the games industry pass away. Yes, Takashi Iwade is no longer with us, but his work spanning 25 years at Sega still stands.
You may not know who Iwade-san is, but he has helped on a lot of games that are out of the box, quirky, fun, and different at best. Personally speaking, I had a lot of fun playing the games that he either worked on or assisted.
In addition to the above, I bet you’ve likely played some of his games if not heard of them, too. For starters, here’s a list of games that he worked on:
Design
- Panzer Dragoon (1995) — (Main Title Design)
Art/Graphics
- Panzer Dragoon (1995) — Character Model Production/Effects
- Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei (1996) — Character Model Production
- Panzer Dragoon Saga (1998) — Enemy Design
- Sega Rally 2 Championship (1999) — 3D Artists
- Hundred Swords (2001) — Chief Artist
- Panzer Dragoon Orta (2002) — Art Director
- Yakuza 3 (2009) — Visual Effects Lead
- Yakuza 4 (2010) — Visual Effect Lead
- Yakuza: Dead Souls (2011) — Visual Effects Lead
- Yakuza 5 (2012) — Special Effect Lead
- Yakuza 0 (2015) — Effect Production Lead
- Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016) — FX Production Team
- Yakuza: Kiwami (2017) — FX Production Team
- Yakuza: Kiwami 2 (2017) — FX Production Lead
- Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise (2018) — FX Production Team
Support
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: 2nd Impression (1997) — Eva Model Production Technical Advisor
Special Thanks | Assistance
- Sonic CD (1993)
- Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit (1994)
- Astal (1995)
- Clockwork Knight 2 (1995)
- Jet Grind Radio (2000)
- Sega Ages 2500: Vol.27 – Panzer Dragoon (2006)
- Sonic CD (2011)
Other Work
- Yakuza: Kiwami (2017) — Yakuza Development Staff
Thanks to James Mielke, creative director at Tigertron and founder of BitSummit, and publication site segabits.com, we were able to learn about Iwade and his departure:
A sincere farewell to one of the nice guys of the gaming industry. It was an honor to know @rockout77 of the #PanzerDragoon team. My heartfelt condolences to his family and his dear friends at SEGA for their loss. #TakashiIwade pic.twitter.com/E4bQoFYga3
— The Duke Of URL (@jamesmielke) August 19, 2019
I’ve had this Panzer Dragoon Saga since 2003, signed by Iwade-san, and it wasn’t until last year that I met him in person when he immortalized this Orta Xbox cover for me (along with, like, the rest of the team). Funny how his name always popped out on the cover of Saga. pic.twitter.com/moSm4Lxaoh
— The Duke Of URL (@jamesmielke) August 19, 2019
With Iwade-san passing away last week due to an illness, it’s a sad prospect that the games industry has lost such talent. However, his legacy will carry on through an upcoming remake of the older Panzer Dragoon:
With all of that said, what game of his work was your favorite? If you haven’t played any of the abovementioned games, are you planning to check out one of the listed titles?
(Header image courtesy of segabits.com)
