Company

Sonic Team

Sonic Team is a video game developer owned by the Japanese video game company Sega as part of its Sega CS Research and Development No. 2 division. Sonic Team is best known for its namesake long-running Sonic the Hedgehog series and games such as Nights into Dreams and Phantasy Star Online. The initial team, formed in 1990, comprised staff from Sega's Consumer Development division, including programmer Yuji Naka, artist Naoto Ohshima, and level designer Hirokazu Yasuhara. The team took the name Sonic Team in 1991 with the release of their first game, Sonic the Hedgehog, for the Sega Genesis. The game was a major success and contributed to millions of Genesis sales. The next Sonic games were developed by Naka and Yasuhara in America at Sega Technical Institute, while Ohshima worked on Sonic CD in Japan. Naka returned to Japan in late 1994 to become the head of CS3, later renamed R&D No. 8. During this time, the division took on the Sonic Team brand but developed games that do not feature Sonic, such as Nights into Dreams (1996) and Burning Rangers (1998). Following the release of Sonic Adventure in 1998, some Sonic Team staff moved to the United States to form Sonic Team USA and develop Sonic Adventure 2 (2001). With Sega's divestiture of its studios into separate companies, R&D No. 8 became SONICTEAM Ltd. in 2000, with Naka as CEO and Sonic Team USA as its subsidiary. Sega's financial troubles led to several major structural changes in the early 2000s; the United Game Artists studio was absorbed by Sonic Team in 2003, and Sonic Team USA became Sega Studios USA in 2004. After Sammy Corporation purchased Sega in 2004, Sonic Team was reincorporated to become Sega's GE1 research and development department. Naka departed during the development of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), and Sega Studios USA was merged back into Sonic Team in 2008. The following decade was marked by Sonic games of varying reception, with head of studio Takashi Iizuka acknowledging that Sonic Team had prioritized shipping over quality.


148 Games
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Sonic X Shadow Generations

Dec 31, 2024

Sonic Superstars: Shadow Costume for Sonic
Sonic Superstars: Shadow Costume for Sonic

Feb 15, 2024

Sonic Superstars
Sonic Superstars

Oct 17, 2023

Sonic Frontiers: The Final Horizon
Sonic Frontiers: The Final Horizon

Sep 28, 2023

Sonic Frontiers: Sonic’s Birthday Bash
Sonic Frontiers: Sonic’s Birthday Bash

Jun 25, 2023

Sonic Frontiers
Sonic Frontiers

Nov 08, 2022

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles

Jun 23, 2022

Sonic Origins: Digital Deluxe Edition
Sonic Origins: Digital Deluxe Edition

Jun 23, 2022

Sonic Origins
Sonic Origins

Jun 22, 2022

Sonic Forces + Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD Double Pack
Sonic Forces + Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD Double Pack

Oct 27, 2020

Sonic Double Pack: Sonic Mania Plus & Sonic Forces
Sonic Double Pack: Sonic Mania Plus & Sonic Forces

Nov 23, 2018

Puyo Puyo Champions
Puyo Puyo Champions

Oct 25, 2018

Sonic Forces: Super Sonic
Sonic Forces: Super Sonic

Dec 22, 2017

Sonic Forces: Episode Shadow
Sonic Forces: Episode Shadow

Nov 07, 2017

Sonic Forces
Sonic Forces

Nov 07, 2017

Puyo Puyo Chronicle
Puyo Puyo Chronicle

Dec 08, 2016

Puyo Puyo Touch
Puyo Puyo Touch

Oct 26, 2015

Sonic Runners
Sonic Runners

Feb 25, 2015

Sonic Lost World: The Legend of Zelda Zone
Sonic Lost World: The Legend of Zelda Zone

Mar 27, 2014

Puyo Puyo Tetris
Puyo Puyo Tetris

Feb 06, 2014

Sonic Lost World: Yoshi's Island Zone
Sonic Lost World: Yoshi's Island Zone

Dec 18, 2013

Puyo Puyo!! Quest Arcade
Puyo Puyo!! Quest Arcade

Nov 07, 2013

Sonic Lost World
Sonic Lost World

Oct 18, 2013

Puyo Puyo!! Quest
Puyo Puyo!! Quest

Apr 24, 2013

Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary: Mini Version
Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary: Mini Version

Nov 07, 2012

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode Metal
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode Metal

May 15, 2012

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II

May 15, 2012

Sonic Generations: Casino Night DLC
Sonic Generations: Casino Night DLC

Dec 26, 2011

Sonic Generations: White Time and Space 20th Anniversary Set
Sonic Generations: White Time and Space 20th Anniversary Set

Dec 01, 2011

Sonic Generations
Sonic Generations

Nov 24, 2011

Sonic Generations: Collector's Edition
Sonic Generations: Collector's Edition

Nov 04, 2011

Sonic Generations Collection
Sonic Generations Collection

Nov 03, 2011

Sonic Generations
Sonic Generations

Nov 01, 2011

Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary
Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary

Jul 14, 2011

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut
Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut

Mar 04, 2011

Sonic Colors
Sonic Colors

Nov 11, 2010