Sonic Team

Founded: 1996

Merged with: United Game Artists (2003), Sega Sports Design R&D Dept. (2008)

Headquarters:

Sonic Team (ソニックチーム) is a label and production team for Sega's development and supervision of the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise. It first became used for the original staff of the first Sonic the Hedgehog game. It became a consistent name in 1996, with the release of the non-Sonic game, NiGHTS Into Dreams. Since then Sonic Team existed with the corporate division names of Sega CS3, Sega Software R&D Dept. 8, Global Entertainment R&D Dept. 1 and currently Sega CS2. It was it's own standalone division and subsidiary from July of 2000 up to April of 2005. This page compiles all games from these entities, regardless if they have Sonic Team branding or not.

Due to Sonic the Hedgehog being mainly popular in North America and Europe, it is in much more communication with overseas subsidiaries Sega of America and Sega Europe than other development studios of Sega of Japan. Sonic Team existed as an entity outside of Japan for three times, 1991 to 1994, 1999 to 2008 and finally most recently from 2015 onwards.

Current members

Former members

History

Sega Consumer R&D/Sonic Team presents era

In the late eighties, there was an atmosphere at Sega that they needed to create a striking game that can compete against games like Super Mario Bros.. Senior game designer and Alex Kidd creator Kotaro Hayashida discussed this among executives, and eventually set up the project for Sonic the Hedgehog.^[1]

Naoto Ohshima who had six designer credits, and Yuji Naka, who had eleven programmer credits, presented proposals to Sega. The two set off to create the concept that would evolve into the original Sonic the Hedgehog. With Ohshima creating the title character and Naka working on the engine, level designer Hirokazu Yasuhara was brought in round out the project. Through the many twists and turns of development, the game was finally set to be released.

With the title becoming an international success, Naka joined the American based Sega Technical Institute, headed by Mark Cerny. Coming to America along with Yasuhara (who had been scheduled to become a part of STI before Sonic the Hedgehog had begun development), the pair would go on to continue the main line of Sonic titles. Though no longer in the game's credits, the Sonic Team moniker would live on the Japanese packaging for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and the Ohshima-led Sonic CD developed in Japan. By this time Sonic Team was not an official division, however.

Sega Consumer R&D3 era

After the completion of Sonic & Knuckles, Yasuhara chose to remain in America, while Naka returned to Sega of Japan, heading up his own new division, Sega CS3. Once there, he teamed back up with Ohshima, the two resurrecting the Sonic Team moniker to work on two new projects, NiGHTS Into Dreams and Burning Rangers. Naka planned to deliver a Sonic game for the Sega Saturn, however development of NiGHTS took longer than expected. To compensate he and much of his team travelled to the UK, to assist Travellers Tales on Flickies' Island and Sonic R.^[2] Though Yasuhara would remain with the company until 2002, working on different projects, Sonic R would be the last Sonic Team-related production Yasuhara had any direct involvement with, eventually departing to work for game studio Naughty Dog.

The first fully 3D Sonic the Hedgehog title, Sonic Adventure would become one of the flagship video games for the new Sega Dreamcast. It was also the last title Ohshima had any involvement with, leaving the company to co-found the studio Artoon. Sonic Adventure signalized a new era for Sonic Team, with Yuji Naka no longer leading the programming and having neither Oshima or Yasuhara directing. Takashi Iizuka, who worked on Sonic 3 & Knuckles succeeded Yasuhara in directing and leading the design. Kazuyuki Hoshino, visual designer of Sonic CD and Knuckles Chaotix, succeeded Oshima in determining the look of the franchise. On the programming side, 1992 hire Tetsu Katano was brought in as the lead engineer from then on.

Sega Software #8/Sonic Team Co., Ltd. era

Around the time Sega became a platform agnostic developer and publisher, Sega Chairman Isao Okawa, had a request to develop a fully online game for the Sega Dreamcast. Sonic Team was the only team to have free staff at the time. So they took on the project and made strides with action puzzler Chu Chu Rocket and then the entire Phantasy Star Online franchise. Samba De Amigo was also a successfull project for the arcade market, as it was always Yuji Naka's desire to develop an arcade game for Sega. Altough Sonic Team Japan had developed an action platformer in-house during that period, with Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg. In October of 2003, Sega decided to consolidate their in-house development teams. Sonic Team Japan gained members who worked on the Space Channel 5 and Roommania #203 games. Those developers would go on to create several games. Such as the PlayStation 2 Astro Boy game, as well as the reboot of the Puyo Puyo series, Puyo Pop Fever. For handhelds, they developed the Feel the Magic XY/XX and The Rub Rabbits! games.

Sonic Team USA was established to further develop 3D Sonic games. Headed by Takashi Iizuka, it had only 11 members of the then 120 man strong Sonic Adventure development team.^[3] Though their first official assignment was making sure Sonic Adventure was ready for a western release, the real reason they came into existence was the 2001's Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Team's first multiplatform title, Sonic Heroes.

It was also around this time that Sonic Team began their long-term partnership with Dimps, who worked to create Sonic Pocket Adventure, and become involved in nearly every handheld Sonic title that would follow. Long time Sega employee, Akinori Nishiyama would manage that relationship working as a director since Sonic Advance onwards.

Global Entertainment R&D1 era

In April of 2005, Sega decided to move their development studios back into the structure before July of 2000, with unbranded R&D studios. The core development Sonic Team group was stationed at Global Entertainment R&D1, headed by Akinori Nishiyama, while the Phantasy Star team spunned of off into Global Entertainment R&D Dept. 3 headed by Takao Miyoshi. Global Entertainment R&D Dept. 2 also existed, but was a continuation of Sega Wow, previously Overworks. Yuji Naka was asked to oversee all three of those departments, eventually becoming dissatisfied with the position of having almost no hands-on development. So he decided to leave Sega to form the company Prope in May of 2006. Prope had financial backing by Sega, which lead to Sega publishing the first two games of the studio, Let's Tap and Let's Catch.

The teams behind the Puyo Puyo and Rub Rabbits games continued to develop games mainly for the Japanese audience, with the many Puyo Puyo sequels, as well as three entries in the Sega edutainment series Naruhodo.

Sonic Team USA (eventually renamed Sega Studio USA in 2004), developed further games with Shadow the Hedgehog and NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams along with supervising Sonic Rivals and Sonic Rivals 2. Sonic Team in Japan returned to developing entries for the Sonic franchise. They developed the Sonic Riders games, Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic Unleashed and Sonic and the Black Knight.

The Sonic games received negative to middling reviews, particulary it was Sonic 06 that received a wide negative reception. Meanwhile Sonic Unleashed and Sonic and the Secret Rings were better received, providing templates for future Sonic games.

Akinori Nishiyama and Takashi Iizuka referred to tight deadlines, as well in Iizukas case, too little resources, on the less than stellar reception of these titles.

In 2006, Yuji Naka, the last original member of Sonic Team, left the company during the development of Sonic 06 to form his own development studio Prope.

Sega Consumer R&D2 era

In May 2008, Sega GE1 was renamed Consumer R&D2. Sega Studio USA moved back into Sonic Team Japan and Takashi Iizuka was made the head of the operation. Since, Sonic Team developed Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Sonic Colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic Lost World, and is currently developing Sonic Forces.

While previously Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was co-developed with Sega Sports Design R&D Dept., following games were solely developed within CS2 or Sonic Team since the dissolvence of Sports Design after the first game.

Following the poor reception of the Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric game, Sonic Team once again established a office within Sega of America. However it does not have a development team like before, but mainly serves to better supervise western Sonic projects.

Softography

NAOMI

Nintendo Switch

Game Boy Advance

ChuChu Rocket! (2001)
Puyo Pop (2001)
Sonic Advance 2 (2002)
Sonic Pinball Party (2003)
Sonic Battle (2003)
Sonic Advance 3 (2004)
Puyo Pop Fever (2004)
2 Games in 1: Sonic Advance & Sonic Pinball Party (2005)
2 Games in 1: Sonic Battle & ChuChu Rocket! (2005)
2 Games in 1: Sonic Pinball Party & Columns Crown (2005)
2 Games in 1: Sonic Advance & ChuChu Rocket! (2006)
2 Games in 1: Sonic Advance & Sonic Battle (2006)
2 Games in 1: Sonic Pinball Party & Sonic Battle (2006)
Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis (2006)
2 Games in 1: Columns Crown & ChuChu Rocket! (2008)

Nintendo DS

Feel the Magic: XY/XX (2004)
Puyo Pop Fever (2004)
The Rub Rabbits! (2005)
Sonic Rush (2005)
Mind Quiz: Your Brain Coach (2006)
Onsei Kanjou Sokuteiki: Kokoro Scan (2007)
Sonic Rush Adventure (2007)
Sega Fun Pack: Sonic Rush & Super Monkey Ball: Touch & Roll (2009)
Phantasy Star 0 Mini (2009)
Puyo Puyo 7 (2009)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (2009)
Sonic Colours (2010)
Puyo Puyo!! (2011)

PlayStation Portable

Puyo Pop Fever (2004)
Jukugon (2006)
Phantasy Star Portable (2008)
Puyo Puyo 7 (2009)
Puyo Puyo!! (2011)

Nintendo 3DS

Sonic Generations (2011)
Puyo Puyo!! (2011)
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (2012)
Sonic Lost World (2013)
Puyo Puyo Tetris (2014)
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (2016)
Puyo Puyo Chronicle (2016)

PlayStation Vita

Puyo Puyo Tetris (2014)

PlayStation Now

Sonic Generations (2015)

Windows PC

Sonic the Hedgehog The Screen Saver (1996)
Sonic R (1998)
Sonic Speed Pack! (1999)
Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 (2001)
Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (2003)
Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst (2004)
Puyo Pop Fever (2004)
Sonic Heroes (2004)
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg (2006)
Phantasy Star Universe (2006)
Sonic Riders (2006)
Sonic Mega Collection Plus (2007)
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus (2007)
Sonic PC Collection (2009)
Coffret Sonic (200x)
Sonic Gold Edition (200x)
Sonic R/Sonic 3D (200x)

Steam

Sonic Lost World (2015)
Puyo Puyo Champions (2019)

Palm OS

Puyo Pop Fever (2004)

i-mode 503i

ChuChu Edit (2001)
ChuChu Puzzle! (2001)
NiGHTS (2001)
Samba de Amigo (2001)
Space Harrier (2001)
Puyo Puyo (2001)
OutRun (2001)
Sonic the Hedgehog (2001)
Sonic Watch (2001)
Head-On (2001)
Hitori de Puyo Puyo (2001)
Fantasy Zone: Boss no Gyakushuu (2001)
Blocks (2001)
Samba de Amigo (2001)
Pengo (2001)
Doki Doki Penguin Land (2001)
Futari de Puyo Puyo (2001)
Puyo Puyo Task Mode (2001)
Deep Scan (2001)
Monaco GP (2001)
Sonic Tennis (2001)
Tokoton Puyo Puyo (2002)
Sonic Golf (2002)
Speed (2002)
Sonic Fishing (2002)
Sonic Billiards (2002)
Tranquilizer Gun (2002)
Sonic Bowling (2002)
Sonic Racing Kart (2002)
Sonic Golf C-Mode Cup (2002)
Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Character Timer (2002)
Eggman no Kazuate Panic! (2002)
Futari de Puyo Puyo (2002)
Puyo Puyo Task Mode (2002)
Sonic no Jirai Sagashi Game (2002)
Sonic Racing Shift Up (2002)
Pyramid Magic (2002)
Sonic Putter (2003)
Dragon Crystal (2003)
Dragon Book (2003)
Sonic Darts (2003)
Pipe Line (2003)
Tama-Oh (2003)
Sonic Reversi (2003)
Pyramid Magic II (2003)
Onegai Cupid (2004)
Sonic Hopping (2004)
Kakonde Buu! (2004)
Janken Senshi Triple (2004)
Sonic Hopping 2 (2004)
Sonic Hearts (2004)
Sonic Panel Puzzle (2004)

i-mode 504i

Nakayoshi Chao! (2002)
Puyo Puyo DX (2002)
Amigo-kun no Doki Doki Aishou Check (2002)
Puyo Puyo DX Christmas Ver. (2002)
Dragon Crystal II (2003)
Hyakunin Isshu (2003)
Billy Hatcher Hyper Shoot (2003)
Tails no Flying Get (2003)
Dragon Book 2 (2003)
Puyo Puyo Fever (2004)
Sonic Gammon (2004)

i-mode 505i

Speed DX (2003)
Amigo-kun no Doki Doki Aishou Check (2003)
Jigsaw Puzzle (2003)
Pipe Line (2003)
Puyo Puyo DX (2003)
Pyramid Magic (2003)
Tranquilizer Gun (2003)
Sonic Racing Kart (2003)
Dragon Crystal II (2003)
Hyakunin Isshu (2003)
Tama-Oh (2003)
Billy Hatcher Hyper Shoot (2003)
Sonic Reversi (2003)
Phantasy Star (2003)
Tails no Flying Get (2003)
Dragon Book 2 (2003)
Pyramid Magic II (2003)
Monaco GP (2004)
Sonic Tennis (2004)
Onegai Cupid (2004)
Sonic Hopping (2004)
Kakonde Buu! (2004)
Janken Senshi Triple (2004)
Puyo Puyo Fever (2004)
Sonic Hopping 2 (2004)
Sonic Hearts (2004)
Sonic Panel Puzzle (2004)
Blocks (2004)
Sonic Gammon (2004)
Kimi no Tame nara Shineru Ugoku e Puzzle (2004)
Sugorouku (2004)
Sonic Darts (2004)
Sonic no Daifuugou (2005)
Sonic Jump (2005)
Sonic Reversi Hyper (2005)
Amy no Page One (2005)
Shadow Shoot (2006)
Sonic Speed DX (2006)
Doki Doki Penguin Land (2006)
Sonic no 7 Narabe (2006)

i-mode 90x

Phantasy Star (2004)
Sonic Kart 3DX (2005)
Sonic the Hedgehog (2005)
Sonic Golf 3D (2006)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2006)
Sonic Bowling (2011)

i-mode 70x

Sonic no Napoleon (2006)
Sonic Billiards (2006)
Pengo (2007)
Sonic no Jigen Ressha (2007)
Sonic no Casino Poker (2007)
Space Harrier (2007)

J-Sky (50KB)

Head-On (2001)
Monaco GP (2001)
Pengo (2001)
Puyo Puyo (2001)
OutRun (2002)
Doki Doki Penguin Land (2002)
Hitori de Puyo Puyo (2002)
Futari de Puyo Puyo (2003)
Deep Scan (2003)
Blocks (2004)
Hyakunin Isshu (2004)
Pyramid Magic (2004)
Sonic Billiards (2004)
Sonic Tennis (2004)
Speed DX (2004)
Dragon Crystal (2004)
Pipe Line (2004)
Tama-Oh (2004)
Tranquilizer Gun (2004)
Sonic Reversi (2004)
Pyramid Magic II (2004)
Sonic Darts (2004)
Kakonde Buu! (2005)
Sonic Gammon (2005)
Sonic Panel Puzzle (2005)
Dragon Book (200x)

J-Sky (100KB)

Space Harrier (2002)
Puyo Puyo Fever (2004)
Dragon Book 2 (2005)
Dragon Crystal II (2005)

Vodafone Live! (256KB)

Puyo Puyo Fever (2004)
Sonic Hopping (2005)
Amigo-kun no Doki Doki Aishou Check (2005)
Phantasy Star (2005)
Sonic no Daifuugou (2005)
Puyo Puyo Fever Xmas Ver. (2005)
Sonic Reversi Hyper (2006)
Amy no Page One (2006)
Sonic Golf 3D (2006)
Sonic Jump (2006)
Sonic no 7 Narabe (2007)
Sugorouku (2007)
Shadow Shoot (2007)
Sonic Hopping 2 (2007)
Sonic no Jigen Ressha (2007)

Vodafone Live! (3G)

EZweb (Java Phase 2/2.5)

Doki Doki Penguin Land (2002)
Head-On (2002)
Pengo (2002)
Puyo Puyo (2002)
Hitori de Puyo Puyo (2003)
OutRun (2003)
Futari de Puyo Puyo (2003)

EZweb (Java Phase 3)

Space Harrier (2004)

EZweb (BREW 2.0)

Puyo Puyo (2003)
Doki Doki Penguin Land (2003)
Hitori de Puyo Puyo (2004)
OutRun (2004)
Monaco GP (2005)

EZweb (BREW 2.1)

Blocks (2005)
Pyramid Magic II (2005)
Sonic Billiards (2005)
Speed DX (2005)
Sonic Tennis (2005)
Puyo Puyo Fever (2005)
Pyramid Magic (2005)
Pipe Line (2005)
Dragon Book (2005)
Dragon Crystal (2005)
Amigo-kun no Doki Doki Aishou Check (2006)
Phantasy Star (2006)
Sonic no Daifuugou (2006)
Sonic Darts (2007)

EZweb (BREW 3.1)

Dragon Book 2 (2006)
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
Sonic Reversi Hyper (2006)
Amy no Page One (2006)
Hyakunin Isshu (2006)
Tama-Oh (2006)
Sonic Hopping (2006)
Dragon Crystal II (2006)
Sonic Panel Puzzle (2007)
Sonic Racing Kart (2007)
Sonic Jump (2007)
Tranquilizer Gun (2007)
Pengo (2007)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2009)

Club Air-Edge

Pengo (2006)
Puyo Puyo (2006)
Monaco GP (2006)
Head-On (2006)
Doki Doki Penguin Land (2006)
Pyramid Magic (2007)
Hyakunin Isshu (2007)
Sonic no Daifuugou (2008)
Pyramid Magic II (2008)
Amy no Page One (2008)
Sonic Hopping (2008)
Sonic Reversi Hyper (2008)
Sonic Hopping 2 (2009)
Tokoton Puyo Puyo (2009)

Emobile

Android

Sonic Jump (2011)
Sonic Advance (2011)
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II Lite (2013)
Sonic Runners (2015)

iOS

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I (2010)
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II (2012)
Sonic Runners (2015)

Neo Geo Pocket Color

Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure (2000) (with Dimps)

Nintendo DS

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (2009)
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (2011)

PlayStation Portable

Sonic Rivals (2006) (as Sega Studio USA with Backbone Entertainment)
Sonic Rivals 2 (2007) (as Sega Studio USA with Backbone Entertainment)

Wii

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (2007) (with Sega Sports Design R&D Dept.)
The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return (2008) (with Sega AM1)
Wacky World of Sports (2010) (with Tabot)

Nintendo 3DS

Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure (2012) (with xeen)
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (2016)

PlayStation Vita

Uta Kumi 575 (2014)

Wii U

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (2016)

Canceled Titles

Air NiGHTS (1998)
Sonic DS (2004)

Filmography

Sonic the Hedgehog (Anime, OVA, Japan) (1996)
Sonic X (Anime, TV Series, Japan) (2003)
Night of the Werehog (Short 3D Animation) (2008)
Sonic Boom (TV Series, USA and France) (2014)

Photographs

Main article: Photos of Sonic Team

External links

Official website
Once Upon A Time (Or Thirty Years Ago) article by David the Lurker at Sonic Retro
Once Upon A Time (Or Thirty Years Ago) article by David the Lurker at Sonic Retro

References

↑ [Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works - Kotaro Hayashida Interview Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works - Kotaro Hayashida Interview]
↑ http://soahcity.com/uploads/2016/06/67979-.png
↑ http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/11/09/where-sonic-went-wrong.aspx?PostPageIndex=2

84	85	88	90	91	93	95	96	98	99	00	01	03	04	05	06	09	10	11	13	15
Domestic Sega studios
CSK													Sega Sammy Holdings
Sega Enterprises, Ltd.										Sega Corporation										Sega Games & Interactive
Sega R&D 1				Sega AM1					R&D #1	WOW Entertainment			Sega WOW	Sega AM1
Studio 128		Sega R&D 8		Sega AM2					R&D #2	AM2 of CRI	Sega-AM2			Sega AM2
								Sega AM11	R&D #4	Amusement Vision				New Entertainment		Sega CS1
																		Ryu ga Gotoku Studio
												DigitalRex		AM Plus
			Sega AM3						R&D #3	Hitmaker				Sega AM3
							AM Annex		R&D #5	Sega Rosso
				Sega AM4						Sega Mechatro							Product R&D
																			N. Pro. R&D
				Sega AM5						Mirai R&D				Family Entertainment
				Sega AM6
Sega R&D 2				Sega CS			Sega CS1		R&D #6	Smilebit				Sega Sports Design
				Megasoft		Team Andromeda
							Sega PC											Online R&D
							Sega CS2		R&D #7	Overworks				GE2		Sega CS3
							Sonic Team
							Sega CS3		R&D #8					GE1		Sega CS2
														GE3
									R&D #9	United Game Artists
	Sega Sound Team
					Sega Digital Media						Wave Master			Wave Master (label)
														Mobile Content R&D					Sega Networks
															Visual Entertainment			Marza Animation Planet

[Sega_Mega_Drive.2FGenesis:_Collected_Works_-_Kotaro_Hayashida_Interview-1] [Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works - Kotaro Hayashida Interview Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works - Kotaro Hayashida Interview]

[http:.2F.2Fsoahcity.com.2Fuploads.2F2016.2F06.2F67979-.png-2] ttp://soahcity.com/uploads/2016/06/67979-.png

[http:.2F.2Fwww.gameinformer.com.2Fb.2Ffeatures.2Farchive.2F2016.2F11.2F09.2Fwhere-sonic-went-wrong.aspx.3FPostPageIndex.3D2-3] ttp://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/11/09/where-sonic-went-wrong.aspx?PostPageIndex=2

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