Sonic Team is a computer and video game developer established in 1988 originally known as Sega AM8. In 1991, AM8 took their name from their phenomenally successful Sonic the Hedgehog series and became Sonic Team. They are one of Sega's most popular creative teams. Sonic Team was headed by the famed video game designer, producer, and visionary Yuji Naka. Under his leadership Sonic Team has become a creative powerhouse in the video game industry creating some of the most popular games ever made before Sonic Adventure 2. The joint creator of Sonic, Naoto Oshima, left Sonic Team to form his own studio, Artoon. On May 8, 2006, Naka left the group with ten other members of Sonic Team to establish an independent game developer, PROPE.
Sonic Team has also worked on the Sonic X anime series.
In 2003, United Game Artists (formerly Sega AM9) merged with Sonic Team. In 2004, Sonic Team once more became an internal division of Sega after being spun off as a second-party developer in 2000. Unlike most of the other divisions, Sonic Team still retains its internal structure and name. Sonic Team is today headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.
Console games developed by Sonic Team[]
- Phantasy Star (1987)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit) (1991)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit) (1992)
- Sonic the Hedgehog CD (1993)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (16-bit) (1994)
- Sonic & Knuckles (16-bit) (1994)
- Ristar (16-bit) (1995)
- Knuckles' Chaotix (1995)
- NiGHTS Into Dreams (1996)
- Christmas NiGHTS (1996)
- Burning Rangers (1998)
- Sonic Adventure/Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (1998/2003)
- ChuChu Rocket (1999)
- Samba de Amigo (1999-arcade version; 2000-console versions)
- Samba de Amigo Ver.2000 (2000-Japan)
- Phantasy Star Online (2000)
- Sonic Shuffle (2000)
- Sonic Adventure 2/Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (2001)
- Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg (2003)
- Sonic Heroes (2003)
- Puyo Pop Fever (2003-arcade version; 2004-console versions)
- Astro Boy (2004)
- Sega Superstars (2004)
- Shadow the Hedgehog (2005)
- Sonic Riders (UGA Division) (2006)
- Atama Scan (2006-Japan)
- Phantasy Star Universe (2006)
- Sega Genesis Collection (2006)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
- Sonic and the Secret Rings (2007)
- NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (2007)
- Samba de Amigo Wii (2008)
- Sega Superstars Tennis (2008)
- Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity (2008)
- Sonic Unleashed (2008)
- Sonic and the Black Knight (2009)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (2010)
- Sonic Colors (2010)
- Sonic Free Riders (2010)
- Sonic Generations (2011)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (2012)
- Sonic Lost World (2013)
Handheld games developed by Sonic Team[]
- Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure (2000)
- Sonic Advance (2001)
- Sonic Advance 2 (2002)
- Puyo Pop (2002)
- Sonic Pinball Party (2003)
- Sonic N (2003)
- Sonic Advance 3 (2004)
- Puyo Pop Fever (2004)
- Sonic Battle (2004)
- Feel the Magic: XY/XX (UGA Division) (2004)
- Sonic Rush (2005)
- The Rub Rabbits (UGA Division) (2005)
- Puyo Puyo Fever 2 (2006)
- Sega Genesis Collection (2006)
- Sonic Rush Adventure (2007)
- Sonic Colors (2010)
- Sonic Generations (2011)
Mobile games developed by Sonic Team[]
- Sonic Runners (2015)
Sonic Team compilations[]
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Games developed in co-operation with Sonic Team[]
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Cancelled games by Sonic Team[]
- Sonic Crackers (1994) (Sega Mega Drive)
- Sonic X-treme (1996) (Sega Saturn)
- Fifth Phantom Saga (2005) (PlayStation 3)
Trivia[]
- Contrary to popular belief, most of the portable Sonic games released in the past several years were not developed by Sonic Team. Sonic Advance and its two sequels were developed by Dimps, who also developed Sonic Rush and Sonic Battle, and Sonic Rivals was developed by Backbone Entertainment.