Difference between revisions of "Rieko Kodama"

From Sega Retro

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==Career==
 
==Career==
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Kodama was hired by [[Sega]] in 1984 through one of her colleagues who was already employed there. {{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20160407063955/http://sega.jp/fb/album/07_ps/interview1.html}} She originally thought she was going to be working on advertising and graphic design, but after seeing the game development department, she felt that would be fun as well.{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20160407063955/http://sega.jp/fb/album/07_ps/interview1.html}}  She learned how to create graphics from Yoshiki Kawasaki, the sprite artist behind [[Flicky]] (1984). {{ref|http://shmuplations.com/phantasystar/}} Her first job was as character designer for the arcade game [[Champion Boxing]] (1984).{{ref|http://www.sega-16.com/2004/08/sega-stars-rieko-kodama/}} She continued to work on other arcade games such as [[Sega Ninja]] (1984). Because development times were short and Sega was low on design staff, Kodama would sometimes work on five to six games at once. She designed the art for [[Alex Kidd in Miracle World]] (1986) for the [[Master System]]{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20160407063955/http://sega.jp/fb/album/07_ps/interview1.html}} was "deeply involved" with the arcade and Master System versions of [[Quartet]] (1986),{{ref|"Power Profiles: Rieko Kodama". Nintendo Power. No. 251. February 2010. pp. 80–82.}} and created art for the Master System port of [[Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa]] (1987).{{ref|http://www.sega-16.com/2004/08/sega-stars-rieko-kodama/}} Kodama received small requests to design assets for other projects on a daily basis, such as the dragon from [[Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord]] (1987) and an enemy for the [[SG-1000]] port for [[The Black Onyx]] (1987).{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20160407063955/http://sega.jp/fb/album/07_ps/interview1.html}}  Kodama served as editor for the Japanese Sega newsletter Sega Players Enjoy Club (SPEC).{{ref|http://shmuplations.com/phantasystar/}}
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On the [[Nintendo DS]] and [[PlayStation Portable]] handhelds she produced several edutainment titles and also produced the ''[[:category:7th Dragon|7th Dragon]]'' series.
 
On the [[Nintendo DS]] and [[PlayStation Portable]] handhelds she produced several edutainment titles and also produced the ''[[:category:7th Dragon|7th Dragon]]'' series.
  

Revision as of 11:57, 24 September 2023

RiekoKodama.png
Rieko Kodama
Place of birth: Kanagawa, Japan
Date of birth: 1963-05-23
Date of death: 2022-05-09[1] (age 58)
Employment history:
Sega of Japan (1984[2] – )
Divisions:
Divisions:
Role(s): Designer, Director, Producer
Twitter: @phoenix_rie

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Rieko Kodama (小玉 理恵子) (perhaps better known by her alias, Phoenix Rie) was a major designer for the original Phantasy Star series. By the time her work on the Phantasy Star games had concluded, Kodama had taken on directorial roles within her department (for Phantasy Star IV and later Magic Knight Rayearth) and would later act as a producer for titles including Skies of Arcadia and the 2005 incarnation of Altered Beast.

She was mentored by Yoshiki Kawasaki in her first year at Sega.[6]

Career

Kodama was hired by Sega in 1984 through one of her colleagues who was already employed there. [7] She originally thought she was going to be working on advertising and graphic design, but after seeing the game development department, she felt that would be fun as well.[7] She learned how to create graphics from Yoshiki Kawasaki, the sprite artist behind Flicky (1984). [8] Her first job was as character designer for the arcade game Champion Boxing (1984).[9] She continued to work on other arcade games such as Sega Ninja (1984). Because development times were short and Sega was low on design staff, Kodama would sometimes work on five to six games at once. She designed the art for Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1986) for the Master System[7] was "deeply involved" with the arcade and Master System versions of Quartet (1986),[10] and created art for the Master System port of Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa (1987).[9] Kodama received small requests to design assets for other projects on a daily basis, such as the dragon from Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord (1987) and an enemy for the SG-1000 port for The Black Onyx (1987).[7] Kodama served as editor for the Japanese Sega newsletter Sega Players Enjoy Club (SPEC).[8]

On the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable handhelds she produced several edutainment titles and also produced the 7th Dragon series.

She was also involved with the first two entries in the Sonic the Hedgehog series on the Sega Mega Drive, serving as a graphic designer in the first game and a zone artist in the second.

Production history

Games

Music

Magazine articles

Main article: Rieko Kodama/Magazine articles.

Interviews

 Some or all of the following content should be mirrored on Sega Retro (or Retro CDN).

Photographs

Main article: Photos of Rieko Kodama

External links

References

  1. ↑ @nakayuji on Twitter (archive.today)
  2. ↑ https://sega.jp/fb/album/07_ps/interview1.html (Wayback Machine: 2022-04-07 07:41)
  3. ↑ File:Sega_Consumer_History_JP_EnterBrain_Book.pdf, page 58
  4. ↑ File:Sega_Consumer_History_JP_EnterBrain_Book.pdf, page 59
  5. ↑ Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
  6. ↑ https://shmuplations.com/phantasystar/
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 http://sega.jp/fb/album/07_ps/interview1.html (Wayback Machine: 2016-04-07 06:39)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://shmuplations.com/phantasystar/
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 http://www.sega-16.com/2004/08/sega-stars-rieko-kodama/
  10. ↑ ["Power Profiles: Rieko Kodama". Nintendo Power. No. 251. February 2010. pp. 80–82. "Power Profiles: Rieko Kodama". Nintendo Power. No. 251. February 2010. pp. 80–82.]
  11. ↑ File:Phantasy Star SMS credits.pdf
  12. ↑ File:Altered Beast MD credits.pdf
  13. ↑ File:Phantasy Star II MD credits.pdf
  14. ↑ File:Kujaku Ou 2 MD credits.pdf
  15. ↑ File:Mystic Defender MD credits.pdf
  16. ↑ File:Sorcerian MD credits.pdf
  17. ↑ File:Phantasy Star III MD credits.pdf
  18. ↑ File:Strider MD credits.pdf
  19. ↑ File:Castle of Illusion MD credits.pdf
  20. ↑ File:Shadow Dancer MD credits.pdf
  21. ↑ File:Advanced Daisenryaku MD credits.pdf
  22. ↑ File:Sonic the Hedgehog MD credits.pdf
  23. ↑ File:Riddle Wired MD credits.png
  24. ↑ File:Tougi Ou King Colossus MD credits.pdf
  25. ↑ File:Super Monaco GP II MD credits.pdf
  26. ↑ File:Sonic the Hedgehog 2 MD credits.pdf
  27. ↑ File:Sonic CD MCD JP credits.pdf
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 File:Phantasy Star Sennenki no Owari ni MD credits.pdf
  29. ↑ File:Psiv md us manual.pdf, page 42
  30. ↑ File:Hybrid Front MD credits.pdf
  31. ↑ File:Deep Fear Saturn credits.pdf
  32. ↑ File:Phantasy Star Collection GBA manual.pdf, page 19
  33. ↑ File:SonicGenesis GBA US manual.pdf, page 18
  34. ↑ File:EternalArcadiaOST CD JP Booklet.pdf, page 7
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