Naoto Ohshima Posts

Since late 2016, Naoto Ohshima posted artwork and sketches from his early career on his Twitter and other social media, including original Blinx artwork and development images. The following is a summary of what he's posted in chronological order.

Happy New Year with Blinx!

"A happy new year in advance! Nostalgic Blinx!"
31 Dec 2016 - [Tweet deleted]

Before Ohshima started posting Blinx images on his Twitter, he drew an original Blinx piece right before New Years.

The first character design of Blinx

"The picture of Blinx I drew for the first time came out. That's nostalgic."
9 March 2017 - Source

At this time it was put in stone the game's protagonist would be a cat that could control time with a portable vacuum. The colour scheme and Cheshire grin are similar to the Cait-sith. The jacket is looser than the final version and has two drawstrings with bells/beads. The pipe of the sweeper is connected to the body via a flexible hose. Blinx would've had to hold the pipe in his hand at all times.

This drawing would be the basis of future designs: one where Blinx has more portable sweeper model and another where Blinx wears a light blue jacket of the same style and grey pants.

The earliest design of "Blinx"

"No one knows that the distant ancestor of Blinx is a Puss in Boots. Ahaha!"
10 Mar 2017 - Source

This is either a very early concept design for the game's protagonist before it was decided he would have the ability to control time or some unrelated artwork that later became the basis of Blinx. Either way, Ohshima used Cait-sith as the starting point for the Time Sweeper we know today.

It's easy to see that the cheshire cat had an influence on this and future designs, bearing the signiture wide grin. Cait-sith models off Puss-in-boots, sporting a red swashbucklers hat and boots and white gloves. It's not surprising from Sonic's creator that Cat-sith could fit right in a Sonic game!

Interestingly, a cait-sith is a fairy creature in Celtic mythology, said to resemble a large black cat with a white spot on its chest. The cait-sith has been used in the Final Fantasy series and Megami Tensei, the latter almost exactly the same as Ohshima's design.

Development Model of Blinx

"It is a model made at game development."
7 Apr 2017 - Source

A model of the final character design. It's pretty impressive with the amount of detail it has.

Concept Sketches with Captions

"Blinx original bill. I think that it is easy to convey that there are more pictures than characters."
8 Apr 2017 - Source

Naoto Ohshima drew the basic concept sketches for the actions and movements. In the Perfect Guide book, many of these sketches were featured, most of them depicting possible ways to get knocked out in the game. These sketches seem to be the first of these drawings, having basic, sillier actions.

Ohshima's Blinx Plush

"I got from Microsoft at the time of Blinx release."

8 Apr 2017 - Source

It's expected that Ohshima would get a plushie of his own character when the first game was released.

infestsavior on Twitter posted a photo of her own Blinx plushie with her cat. It's a nice size comparison.

Blinx and Princess Lena

"I want you to see Blinx on YouTube. OP, prologue, ending, staff roll."

10 Apr 2017 - Source

This image has been previously featured in a Japanese magazine at the time of Blinx: The Time Sweeper.

Time Factory Invasion Concept Sketch

"Blinx 2 Concept art sketch."

11 Apr 2017 - Source

Concept art of the Time Factory invasion. It looks to be the ordinary Tom Tom Gang rather than the glowing green Tom Toms.

Blinx 2 Coastal Fight

"Blinx 2 concept sketch"

20 Apr 2017 - Source

The best example of the initial military direction during early development before it was scrapped. I'm impressed at how much is going on in this drawing.

Conception of the giant Benito and a Tom Tom holding a sweeper...?

First Sketches of Blinx

"Blinx First Sketch"

26 Apr 2017 - Source

That's an intense face you're making Blinx.

Another Sketch and Mock Level

"Blinx First Sketch & Map Image"

26 Apr 2017 - Source

Blinx is using the first prototype of his sweeper. It seems that Blinx sweeping up time monsters was an early concept, bearing a resemblence to Luigi's Mansion. The map image seems to be an extension of the basic concept action sketches.

Blinx: The Time Sweeper Storyboards

"The movie storyboards of Blinx were drawn by art director Masuka Toshihiko who got an Emmy award. Director of drawing and storyboarding etc. for Batman (1992 - 1998). He also worked on Lupin II and Howl's Moving Castle." (This is a very rough translation.)

26 Apr 2017 - Source

Blinx makes a pretty funny expression in the topmost right panel.