SUPER TAILS
28-06-2002, 07:54 PM
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 Sonic Team. One of Sega's most famous game houses, Sonic Team is responsible not only for the speedy hedgehog, but for other hits such as NiGHTS, Samba de Amigo, and Phantasy Star Online.
Sonic Team employs 72 people in two separate branches; one in Tokyo, Japan and one in San Francisco, California. The president of Sonic Team 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. Sonic Team 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 Sonic Team 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, Sonic Team 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, Sonic Team decided the time was right to revisit the blue hedgehog that made Sega famous. Sonic Adventure was a launch title for the 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.
Sonic Team 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, Sonic Team released Samba de Amigo, a music/rhythm game using special maracas controllers. But the pinnacle would come in 2001, when Sonic Team 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.
2001 saw the release of Sonic Adventure 2, right in time for Sonic the Hedgehog's 10th anniversary. Sonic Team also began development for other gaming platforms, including a Phantasy Star Online title for Nintendo's GameCube and a suite of Sonic Team games for cell phones in Japan. Sonic Team franchises can also be found on the Game Boy Advance, with portable versions of ChuChu Rocket and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sonic Team employs 72 people in two separate branches; one in Tokyo, Japan and one in San Francisco, California. The president of Sonic Team 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. Sonic Team 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 Sonic Team 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, Sonic Team 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, Sonic Team decided the time was right to revisit the blue hedgehog that made Sega famous. Sonic Adventure was a launch title for the 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.
Sonic Team 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, Sonic Team released Samba de Amigo, a music/rhythm game using special maracas controllers. But the pinnacle would come in 2001, when Sonic Team 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.
2001 saw the release of Sonic Adventure 2, right in time for Sonic the Hedgehog's 10th anniversary. Sonic Team also began development for other gaming platforms, including a Phantasy Star Online title for Nintendo's GameCube and a suite of Sonic Team games for cell phones in Japan. Sonic Team franchises can also be found on the Game Boy Advance, with portable versions of ChuChu Rocket and Sonic the Hedgehog.