Happy Birthday Yu Suzuki!

Of all the developer superstars that have left their fingerprints on Sega, Yu Suzuki stands with the cream of the crop. Often credited as the company’s Miyamoto, this AM2 mastermind brought us some of the most resonant and groundbreaking games that Sega has ever seen, including Virtua Fighter, Ferrari F355 Challenge, Space Harrier, Out-Run, Virtua Cop, my personal favorite Shenmue, and many others. Even if he no longer calls Sega home, Yu Suzuki’s name will always be synonymous with the publisher’s greatest years.

Today, Suzuki celebrates his 54th birthday, so get out your leather jacket, plant a bandage under your eye, and go annoy your neighbors with awkward questions about sailors. Of course they’ll understand. It’s Suzuki day, after all.