Sonic Team

This article is about a subject in the real world. Information in this article is about real-life people, companies, and objects, which do not relate to the in-universe Sonic series.

Not to be confused with Team Sonic.

Sega CS2, formerly known as Sega's (CS) Consumer Research and Development Dept. 2^[1], branded as Sonic Team (ソニックチーム, Sonikku Chīmu^?) is a Japanese video game studio and division of Sega operating as the chief developer of the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games. Based in Tokyo, Japan, Sonic Team comprises approximately 400 employees.^[2] Outside game development, the studio has provided authority for adaptations of the Sonic franchise, notably the Sonic X animated television series.^[3]

Founded in 1990 by Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara,^[4] who Sega tasked with creating a company mascot and related game for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sonic Team debuted Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991, a title that would go on to become the console's best-selling^[5] and establish Sega as a major developer and hardware manufacturer in the gaming industry.^[4] Following Naka and Yasuhara's relocation to the United States to join Sega Technical Institute (STI), a studio founded by Sega producer Mark Cerny,^[6] Sonic Team disbanded. The group would later reform in Japan to develop Nights into Dreams for the Sega Saturn,^[7] and later, Sonic Adventure, ChuChu Rocket!, and Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast.^[8] The success of Sonic Adventure would motivate some members, including Takashi Iizuka, to establish an American division, Sonic Team USA, to develop Sonic Adventure 2.^[9]

The commercial failure of the Dreamcast prompted Sega to exit the home console market and restructure as a third-party developer.^[10] Following Sammy Corporation's acquisition of the company in 2004, most game divisions and subsidiaries were reintegrated into Sonic Team with greater emphasis on title output.^[11] As a result, much of the studio's catalog of Sonic titles have since been criticized for their variable quality;^[12][13][14] Sega would delist those with below-average Metacritic scores in 2010 to increase value of the brand.^[11] The likewise poor reception of Sonic Forces in 2017 would inspire Sonic Team to introduce nonformulaic elements into their subsequent release, Sonic Frontiers, the fastest and best-selling 3D entry of the franchise to date.^[15]

Games

First-party releases

Console

• Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
• Sonic Jam (1997)
• Sonic & Knuckles Collection (1997)
• Sonic Adventure (1998)
• Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)^{[note 1]}
• Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (2002)^{[note 1]}
• Sonic Heroes (2003)^{[note 1]}
• Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (2003)
• Sega Superstars (2004)
• Shadow the Hedgehog (2005)^{[note 2]}
• Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
• Sonic and the Secret Rings (2007)
• Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity (2008)
• Sonic Unleashed (2008)
• Sonic and the Black Knight (2009)
• Sonic Free Riders (2010)
• Sonic Colors (2010)
• Sonic Generations (2011)
• Sonic Lost World (2013)
• Sonic Forces (2017)
• Sonic Frontiers (2022)
• Sonic X Shadow Generations (2024)
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (2025)

Handheld

• Sonic Battle (2004)

Mobile

• Sonic Cafe (2001)
• Sonic Dash Quiz (2009)
• Sonic Bowling (2009)
• Sonic Golf DX (2010)
• Sonic Tennis DX (2010)
• Sonic Runners (2015)

Co-developed releases

Console

• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) with Sega Technical Institute
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994) with Sega Technical Institute
• Sonic & Knuckles (1994) with Sega Technical Institute
• Sonic 3D Blast (1996) with Traveller's Tales
• Sonic R (1997) with Traveller's Tales
• Sonic Mega Collection (2002) with VR-1 Japan and Comolink
• Sonic Mega Collection Plus (2004) with VR-1 Japan and Comolink
• Sonic Gems Collection (2005) with VR-1 Japan
• Sonic Riders (2006) with Now Production
• Sonic Unleashed (2008) with Dimps
• Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (2010) with Dimps
• Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (2012) with Dimps
• Sonic Colors: Ultimate (2021) with Blind Squirrel Games
• Sonic Origins (2022) with Christian Whitehead and Headcannon
• Sonic Origins Plus (2023) with Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, and Yuke's
• Sonic Superstars (2023) with Arzest

Handheld

• Sonic Advance (2001) with Dimps
• Sonic Advance 2 (2002) with Dimps
• Sonic Pinball Party (2003) with Jupiter
• SonicN (2003) with Dimps
• Sonic Advance 3 (2004) with Dimps
• Sonic Rush (2005) with Dimps
• Sonic Rush Adventure (2007) with Dimps
• Sonic Colors (2010) with Dimps
• Sonic Generations (2010) with Dimps
• Sonic Lost World (2013) with Dimps

Mobile

• Sonic Advance (2011) with Gameloft
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Classic (2013) with Christian Whitehead and Simon Thomley
• Sonic Rumble (2024) with Rovio Entertainment

Supervised releases

• Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure (1999) with SNK
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (2007) with Sega Sports
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (2009) with Sega CS2
• Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (2011) with Sega CS2
• Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (2012) with Sega CS2
• Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (2013) with Sega CS2
• Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (2014) with Big Red Button Entertainment^{[note 3]}
• Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal (2014) with Sanzaru Games^{[note 4]}

Animated series

• Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie (1996) with Pierrot and General Entertainment
• Sonic X (2003-05) with TMS Entertainment

Trivia

• A building bearing the Sonic Team name appears in the Central City map of Sonic Battle.

Gallery

Logos

Gallery
The original "Sonic Team Presents" logo used for the Japanese Mega Drive game covers, as seen on the back of Sonic the Hedgehog The updated "Sonic Team Presents" logo, used for Sonic Jam, Sonic Team "PowerPlay" and Sonic Adventure The unique "Sonic Team Presents" logo for Sonic Adventure White logo found on the Sonic Channel website

Videos

• Current logo animation
• Logo animation from preliminary to final

Notes

References

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Sonic Team at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia