Yu Suzuki is a Japanese game designer and engineer best known for heading Sega's AM2 division for 18 years and creating some of the most influential arcade games ever made. He's widely considered one of gaming's first true auteurs.

His early work pushed arcade technology forward with motion simulator cabinets that used sprite-scaling to create a sensation of speed and depth. Hang-On, Space Harrier, Out Run, and After Burner became iconic titles that defined what arcade games could feel like. But Suzuki's most lasting impact came from pioneering 3D polygonal graphics—Virtua Racing and especially Virtua Fighter essentially showed the industry that this was the future, popularizing 3D in gaming when it was still experimental.

Beyond the games themselves, Suzuki was instrumental in designing the arcade hardware that made them possible. He engineered the Sega Space Harrier board, the Model 1, Model 2, and Model 3 systems, and later contributed to the technical architecture of the Dreamcast console and its NAOMI arcade counterpart.

Later in his career, he created the Shenmue series, which became critically celebrated despite its massive budget and commercial struggles.

The industry has recognized his contributions consistently: he was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2003, ranked #9 on IGN's Top 100 Game Creators of All Time, and received the Pioneer Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2011.