When you think of Sega, there's one spiky blue image that instantly comes to mind - that of Sonic The Hedgehog. For over a decade, Sonic has pushed the game industry to new heights, and the group responsible for the phenomenon is the appropriately-named SONICTEAM. One of Sega's most famous game houses, SONICTEAM is responsible not only for the speedy hedgehog, but for other hits such as NiGHTS, Samba de Amigo, and Phantasy Star Online.

SONICTEAM employs numerous people in two separate branches; one in Tokyo, Japan and one in San Francisco, California. In October 2003, members of United Game Artists (Rez, Space Channel 5) merged with SONICTEAM. The president of SONICTEAM is renowned game developer Yuji Naka. Naka began his career as a programmer, and worked on Master System and Genesis games such as Space Harrier, Ghouls 'N Ghosts, and Phantasy Star I and II. He then teamed up with character designer Naoto Oshima to create a game that would help define the 16-bit era - Sonic The Hedgehog.

Sonic The Hedgehog on Genesis was nothing short of revolutionary. Sonic took the side-scrolling platform genre to an all-new level, and its lightning-fast gameplay, simple controls, and sense of style made it a massive hit in America while helping the Genesis platform become a leader. SONICTEAM would continue to create new adventures for the hedgehog over the next four years, with each one adding to the character's popularity.

On the 32-bit Saturn system, Naka and SONICTEAM decided to depart from their flagship character and create an all-new gaming experience. The result was NiGHTS, an innovative game that combined platform and flying elements into a title that defies genres. In fact, the game's free-flying style was so unique that a special analog controller was designed for it. Two years later, SONICTEAM released Burning Rangers, their second Saturn title. In this game, players took control of futuristic firefighters in a battle against an insidious enemy - fire.

With the Dreamcast console on the horizon, SONICTEAM decided the time was right to revisit the blue hedgehog that made Sega famous. Sonic Adventure was a launch title for Dreamcast, and stands as one of the best-selling titles on the console. Sonic Adventure took Sonic and his friends to the third dimension, and featured extreme speed, immersive adventure zones, and unique Internet features.

SONICTEAM had more up its sleeve for the Dreamcast than just their trademark franchise. First up was ChuChu Rocket, a madcap puzzle game that was the premier online title for the system. Later that year, SONICTEAM released Samba de Amigo, a music/rhythm game using special maracas controllers. But the pinnacle would come in 2001, when SONICTEAM released the first networked RPG for a console - Phantasy Star Online. PSO continued Sega's beloved Phantasy Star series in grand fashion, with worldwide online play, breathtaking graphics, and advanced chat with instant language translation.

In 2001, Sonic celebrated his 10th anniversary and Sonic Adventure 2 was released. SONICTEAM soon began development for all three gaming platforms. In 2002, Sonic graced the GameCube for the very first time in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and he was met with great enthusiasm. Many Sonic Fans still site this title as their all time favorite.

In 2003, the team rolled out a quirky hit known as Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, along with Sonic Adventure DX for GameCube and Sonic Pinball Party for Game Boy Advance. They then set their sites on the creation of a brand new Sonic title called Sonic Heroes.

In early 2004, gamers across all three platforms got their taste of Sonic and 11 other characters in Sonic Heroes. It was a huge success for the team that barely had time to celebrate with the release of the next title in the Phantasy Star Online series around the corner. Phantasy Star Online Episode III C.A.R.D. Revolution is a battle between the Hunters and the Arzk that employs brand new card technology.

SONICTEAM Highlights:

1991	Sonic The Hedgehog	(Genesis)
1992	Sonic The Hedgehog 2	(Genesis)
1994	Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Sonic & Knuckles	(Genesis) (Genesis)
1996	NiGHTS	(Saturn)
1998	Burning Rangers	(Saturn)
1999	Sonic Adventure	(Dreamcast)
2000	ChuChu Rocket	(Dreamcast)
2000	ChuChu Rocket Samba de Amigo	(Dreamcast) (Arcade, Dreamcast)
2001	Phantasy Star Online Sonic Adventure 2	(Dreamcast) (Dreamcast)
2002	Sonic Advance Sonic Adventure 2: Battle Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II	(Game Boy Advance) (GameCube) (GameCube)
2003	Sonic Adventure DX Sonic Pinball Party Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg	(GameCube) (Game Boy Advance) (GameCube)
2004	Sonic Heroes Phantasy Star Online Episode III C.A.R.D. Revolution	(All 3 Platforms) (GameCube)

Developer Website:
SONICTEAM