Behind every great hedgehog, there stands a great man. Actually, a group of great men. And a few great
women, too. This page is dedicated to the collaboration of talented individuals who comprise the greatest game development
division in the entire industry: the Sonic Team. Sega's success in the home market can almost solely be attributed to these
guys, and they continue to produce the cream of Sega's in-house crop. Lead by the talented Yuji Naka, their growing
repertoire remains unscathed. Not a single sub-stellar title has made it out of the Team's offices, a claim that can be made
only by an elite two or three developers in all the industry.
But even the game of a billion polygons starts with a single line of source code, and the Team's beginnings
were humble. Once upon a time, Sonic Team was simply Sega Consumer Department #3, aka AM#8, with a staff of merely fifteen
(which was fairly large for the era). At the time of its conception, the department was headed by Shinobu Toyoda, with Yuji
Naka acting as lead programmer and Naoto Ohshima as director. The group proved to be a potent
formula, and their first collaborative effort, Sonic the Hedgehog, put Sega on the map.
If it all seems like it was too easy, it was. After the completion of Sonic 1, Naka, frustrated
with Sega's seniority-based salary policy, left the company. When the US-based Sega Technical
Institute began working on Sonic 2, Naka joined them only temporarily, once again leaving the
company -- this time before the game was even completed. Nonetheless, when Sonic 2 turned out to
be a tremendous commercial success, producer Shinobu Toyoda moved up to executive management at
Sega, while Naka was taken back and immediately promoted to Toyoda's old position. The rest, as
they say, is history. The Team's complete gameography is listed below. For more information on
a game, see its respective Museum page.
Sonic the Hedgehog, released for the Sega
Genesis in the US on June 23, 1991.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2, released for the Sega
Mega Drive in Japan on November 21, 1992.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3, released for the Sega
Genesis in the US on February 2, 1994.
Sonic & Knuckles, released simultaneously in the
US and Japan for the Genesis/Mega Drive on October 18, 1994.
Sonic Mega Collection, released for the Nintendo GameCube in the US on
November 12, 2002.
Sonic Advance 2, still in development. To be released for the Nintendo Game Boy
Advance in Japan on December 19, 2002.
Phantasy Star Online Episode I&II Xbox version, still in development. To be released
for the Microsoft Xbox in Japan on January 16, 2003.
PSO Card Battle, still in development.
Sonic Adventure GameCube version, still in development.
Today, the Team is larger than ever before, capable of handling multiple
projects simultaneously. Listed below are merely the most important Team executives, those who
have had the greatest impact on the Team's course, and those who have contributed their talents
to numerous titles. If you don't see someone's name listed who you think deserves to be
mentioned, or if you've got any additional info to contribute,
smack me one. Oh yeah, names are listed
alphabetically family-name-first, save Dark Lord Naka who gets top billing. Big squishy thanks
to Andreas Tunek and Robin Whittleton for sharing their info and images. Show your respects by
surfing over to Andreas' Y2 - a Sonic Team section
and Robin's MFDC. Special thanks to Rillis Lim for the
error checks.
Naka, Yuji
Naka's story begins in his junior year of high school, when he was around 17. At that point,
he decided that he wanted to make games. This sudden fascination with computers came as a
direct result of Ryuichi Sakamoto's Yellow Magic Orchestra, a band who used computers to
compose their music. (YMO was responsible for inspiring many of today's biggest names in
gameland, including D creator Kenji Eno.) Thusly, Naka signed up for a game school and,
upon graduation, moved from his home in Osaka to the metropolitan promised land of Tokyo.
Being a large fan of Namco, that was his first choice for a potential employer. But alas,
laziness got the better of him. Namco, at that time, was not hiring highschool graduates
without University degrees. Naka didn't feel like going to University to study, so he just fell
in with Sega. A remarkable twist of fate, indeed. (Wonder if this means I can ditch this
college bit and still become a well-respected game god?) The beginning of his career was spent
mostly on Mark III conversions, but his real break came in 1990, when he was assigned the job
of lead programmer on Sega's ambitious bid for mascothood, Sonic the Hedgehog. Pending
the completion of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 a year later, he was promoted to producer, and
today is the president of Sonic Team.
Girls Garden -- lead programmer
Great Baseball -- programmer
F-16 Fighting Falcon -- lead programmer
Hokuto No Ken (aka "Fist of the North Star") -- programmer
Spy vs. Spy -- lead programmer
Space Harrier -- lead programmer
Outrun -- lead programmer
Phantasy Star -- lead programmer (credited as "Muuu Yuji")
Super Thunderblade -- lead programmer
Phantasy Star II -- producer, lead programmer (credited as "Muuu Yuji")
Dai Makai Mura (aka "Ghouls & Ghosts") -- lead programmer
Sonic the Hedgehog -- programmer (credited as "Yu2")
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 -- lead programmer
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 -- producer, lead programmer
Sonic & Knuckles -- producer, lead programmer
NiGHTS into Dreams... -- producer, lead programmer
Christmas NiGHTS -- producer, programmer
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- advisor
Sonic Jam -- producer
Sonic R -- producer
Burning Rangers -- producer
Sonic Adventure -- producer
ChuChu Rocket! -- producer, director
Samba de Amigo -- producer
Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure -- supervisor
Samba de Amigo Ver.2000 -- producer
Phantasy Star Online -- producer
ChuChu Rocket! (GBA) -- producer, director
Phantasy Star Online Ver.2 -- producer
Sonic Adventure 2 -- producer
Minna de Puyo Puyo -- producer
Phantasy Star Online (PC) -- producer
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle -- producer
Sonic Advance -- producer
Dobashi, Tomonori
NiGHTS into Dreams -- artist
Christmas NiGHTS -- visual designer
Burning Rangers -- graphic artist
Sonic Adventure -- event motion designer
Hamano, Takahiro
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 -- project assistant
Sonic & Knuckles -- senior programmer
NiGHTS into Dreams -- senior programmer
Christmas NiGHTS -- programmer
Sonic Jam -- main programmer
Sonic R -- special thanks
Sonic Adventure -- program coordinator
Samba de Amigo -- programmer, technical programmer
Minna de Puyo Puyo -- technical programmer
Hata, Shintaro
Evangelion Digital Card Library
Burning Rangers -- game designer
Sonic Adventure -- event scene editor
ChuChu Rocket! -- puzzle editor
Phantasy Star Online
Hataya, Naofumi
Sonic CD -- special thanks
Ristar -- special thanks
NiGHTS into Dreams... -- compose & arrange
Christmas NiGHTS -- compose & arrange
Sonic R -- sound advisor
Burning Rangers -- sound director, composer
Sonic Adventure -- special thanks
Space Channel 5 -- sound director, music
Samba de Amigo Ver.2000 -- composer
Higashi, Shinichi
NiGHTS into Dreams... -- world artist
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- artist
Sonic Jam -- artist
Burning Rangers -- graphic artist
Sonic Adventure -- modelling art support
Honda, Nobuhiko
NiGHTS into Dreams... -- CG movie artist
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- artist
Sonic Jam -- artist
Sonic Adventure -- lead field artist
Hoshino, Kazuyuki
Sonic CD -- character designer, Special Stage designer, visual design
NiGHTS into Dreams -- character designer
Christmas NiGHTS -- visual designer
Sonic R -- additional artwork
Sonic Adventure -- art director, lead field artist, enemy character designer
Iizuka, Takashi
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 -- senior game designer
Sonic & Knuckles -- senior game designer
NiGHTS into Dreams -- lead game designer
Christmas NiGHTS -- game designer
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- game concept design, Special Stage design, Saturn enhancements
Sonic Jam -- director
Sonic R -- game design director
Sonic Adventure -- director, character game designer, Chaos game designer, field designer
ChuChu Rocket! -- product support (Sega of America)
Sonic Adventure 2 -- director
Katano, Tetsu
NiGHTS into Dreams... -- A-Life programmer
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- Special Stage programmer
Sonic Jam -- programmer
Sonic Adventure -- main programmer, player character programmer, lead field programmer
Kawabata, Yoshitaka
Burning Rangers -- programmer
Sonic Adventure -- field programmer, story sequence programmer
Samba de Amigo -- programmer
Kawamura, Sachiko
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- artist
Sonic Adventure -- visual effects designer, A-life artist
ChuChu Rocket! -- character designer
Sonic Adventure 2 -- A-life artist
Kitamura, Kosei
Burning Rangers -- scene artist
Sonic Adventure -- field artist
Phantasy Star Online -- field artist
Kumatani, Fumie
NiGHTS into Dreams -- compose & arrange, sound effects
Burning Rangers -- composer
Sonic Adventure -- composer
Typing of the Dead
Phantasy Star Online -- composer
Sonic Adventure 2 -- composer
Maedo, Tatsuyuki
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 -- SEGA Sound Team
Sonic & Knuckles -- SEGA Sound Team
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- composer (MD version)
Sonic Adventure -- sound effects
Matsumoto, Takuya
Ristar -- effects programmer
NiGHTS into Dreams -- senior programmer
Christmas NiGHTS -- programmer
Sonic R -- special thanks
Burning Rangers -- programmer
Sonic Adventure -- technical supervisor, lead field programmer
Matsunami, Shinya
Sonic Adventure -- field programmer
ChuChu Rocket! -- programmer
Phantasy Star Online
Miyoshi, Takao
Sonic CD -- game designer
Christmas NiGHTS -- game designer
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- head designer, game concept designer, playfield design
Sonic R -- game advisor
Burning Rangers -- game designer
Sonic Adventure -- character game designer, enemy game designer, field designer
ChuChu Rocket! -- design, puzzle editor
Mori, Daisuke
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- Special Stage game design
Sonic Jam -- game designer
Sonic Adventure -- enemy game designer, A-Life system designer
ChuChu Rocket! -- web engineer
Morimoto, Kenjiro
Sonic Adventure -- enemy game designer
ChuChu Rocket! -- designer, puzzle editor
Phantasy Star Online
Moriya, Hideaki
NiGHTS into Dreams -- A-Life character designer
Christmas NiGHTS -- visual design
Burning Rangers -- scene artist
Sonic Adventure -- lead field artist
Phantasy Star Online -- field artist
Nakagawa, Atsutomo
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- Special Stage program
NiGHTS into Dreams -- programmer
Sonic Jam -- programmer
Nishiyama, Akinori
Phantasy Star IV -- planner, script, monster graphic design, system plan, mecha design, map
design, object design, font design, papaet event design
Sonic Jam -- special thanks
Sonic Adventure -- scenario writer, story event director
ChuChu Rocket! -- designer, puzzle editor
Phantasy Star Online -- scenario writer
Minna de Puyo Puyo -- director
Nishiyama, Norihiro
NiGHTS into Dreams... -- CG movie director, artist
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- movie creator (Saturn version)
Sonic Adventure -- lead CG movie artist
Nishiyama, You
NiGHTS into Dreams... -- world artist
Christmas NiGHTS -- visual designer
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- artist
Sonic Jam -- artist
Ogawa, Yojiro
Sonic Adventure -- character game designer, field designer
ChuChu Rocket! -- designer, puzzle editor
Phantasy Star Online
Ohshima, Naoto
Phantasy Star II -- designer
Sonic the Hedgehog -- character designer (credited as "Big Island")
Sonic CD -- director
NiGHTS into Dreams -- director, NiGHTS designer
Christmas NiGHTS -- director, visual designer
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- advisor
Sonic Jam -- supervisor
Sonic R -- graphic advisor
Burning Rangers -- director, graphic artist
Sonic Adventure -- story event coordinator, event motion designer, CG movie producer, opening
movie editor
(Naoto Ohshima left Sega and Sonic Team in August '99 to join Artoon, where he has since gone on
to direct titles such as Pinobee and Blinx.)
Okada, Shigeru
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 -- scene artist
Sonic & Knuckles -- scene artist
NiGHTS into Dreams -- world artist
Sonic R -- visual advisor
Okano, Satoshi
Sonic Jam -- artist
Burning Rangers -- scene artist
Sonic Adventure -- field artist
Samba de Amigo -- designer
Sasaki, Tomoko
Ristar -- music composer
Sonic CD -- special thanks
NiGHTS into Dreams -- compose & arrange, lyrics
Christmas NiGHTS -- compose & arrange
Burning Rangers -- lyrics, vocals
Sonic Adventure -- special thanks
Space Channel 5 -- special thanks
Samba de Amigo Ver.2000 -- composer
Senoue, Jun
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 -- SEGA Sound Team
Sonic & Knuckles -- SEGA Sound Team
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- music composer (MD version)
Sonic Adventure -- lead music composer, sound director, music producer
Sonic Adventure 2 -- music producer, lead composer
Setsumaru, Masaru
Sonic CD -- special thanks
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 -- SEGA Sound Team
Sonic & Knuckles -- SEGA Sound Team
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- music composer (MD version)
Sonic Jam -- compose & arrange
Burning Rangers -- composer, sound effects
Sonic Adventure -- sound effects
Samba de Amigo -- sound creator
Setsumasa, Akio
NiGHTS into Dreams... -- programmer
Christmas NiGHTS -- programmer
Burning Rangers -- programmer
Sonic Adventure -- lead field programmer
ChuChu Rocket! -- network programmer
Takahashi, Yasuhiro
NiGHTS into Dreams... -- programmer
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- Special Stage programmer
Sonic Jam -- programmer
Sonic Adventure -- player character programmer, program advisor
ChuChu Rocket! -- programmer, puzzle editor
Phantasy Star Online
Tokoi, Kenichi
Daytona USA Championship Circuit Edition -- music & remix
NiGHTS into Dreams... -- A-Life character designer
Christmas NiGHTS -- visual design
Burning Rangers -- scene artist
Sonic Adventure -- lead A-Life artist, enemy character design
Yamamoto, Masanobu
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 -- assistant programmer
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 -- senior programmer
Sonic & Knuckles -- senior programmer
Sonic Adventure -- player character programmer, technical staff coordinator
ChuChu Rocket! -- programmer
Yasuhara, Hirokazu
Sonic the Hedgehog -- game planner (credited as "Carol Yas")
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 -- game planner, object placement
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 -- director, lead game designer
Sonic & Knuckles -- director, lead game designer
Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island -- playfield design, Saturn enhancements
Sonic R -- map design director
Yukifumi, Makino
3x3 Eyes (Mega CD)
Sonic CD -- sound director, sound effects, sound programmer
Heavenly Symphony
Panzer Dragoon -- special thanks
NiGHTS into Dreams -- chief sound designer
Christmas NiGHTS -- sound director
Sonic R -- special thanks
Burning Rangers -- sound producer
Sonic Adventure -- executive sound coordinator
ChuChu Rocket! -- sound coordinator
Space Channel 5 -- sound producer
Roommania #203
Samba de Amigo -- product manager
Everyone Else
Kodama Reiko (Reiko Kodama): designer for Sonic 1 and
Zone artist for Sonic 2, where she was credited as "Phoenix Rie". Kodama-san is best known for
her work as the lead designer and director of Phantasy Star's I, II, and IV. These days
she hangs out at Overworks, where she's produced classics
such as Eternal Arcadia (aka "Skies of Arcadia").
Suzuki Hisashi (Hisashi Suzuki): project manager for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic
& Knuckles; executive manager for ChuChu Rocket! and Samba de Amigo
Takashi Thomas Yuda: character designer, animator, and scene artist for Sonic the
Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles; later went on to direct Space Channel 5
Yoshida Chie (Chie Yoshida): scene artist for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic &
Knuckles; art staff coordinator for Sonic Adventure
Yoshii Masaharu (Masaharu Yoshii): director of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, project manager
of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles
Yamaguchi Yasushii (Yasushii Yamaguchi): chief artist, Zone artist, and character designer
for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where he was credited as "Judy Totoya"; Special Stage designer
for Sonic CD
Sugano Yutaka (Yutaka Sugano): object placement for Sonic the Hedgehog 2; producer for
Sonic 3D Blast (aka "Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island")
Ishiwatari Jina (Jina Ishiwatari): Zone artist for Sonic the Hedgehog 2; special
thanks in Sonic CD, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Sonic & Knuckles; character
designer for Chaotix
Ono Kenichi (Kenichi Ono): game designer for Sonic CD; game concept design for
Sonic 3D Blast aka "Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island"
Miyake Takumi (Takumi Miyake): landscape and visual designer for Sonic CD; chief
designer for Ristar; world artist for NiGHTS into Dreams...
Shibata Fumitaka (Fumitaka Shibata): recording director for Panzer Dragoon Zwei and
Space Channel 5; sound director for ChuChu Rocket! and Samba de Amigo
Nirenburg Yasushi (Yasushi Nirenburg), game designer for Burning Rangers
Kusunoki Manabu (Manabu Kasunoki), CG movie director for Sonic Adventure
Ishii Youji (Youji Ishii), project manager for all of Sonic Team's major titles through
Sonic Adventure. Ishii-san left Sega in August '99 to form his own independent
development studio, Artoon.
Hasegawa Ryoichi (Ryoichi Hasegawa), Sega of America's Sonic Team liaison
Toyoda Shinobu (Shinobu Toyoda), producer of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (currently in
executive management at Sega)
Endo Takashi (Takashi Endo), created the original Sonic SFX
Shimizu Kayo (Kayo Shimizu), the Sonic Team financial administator
Also Worth Mentioning...
Nakamura Masato (Masato "King Masa" Nakamura) -- The "Dreams Come True" band member who was
credited as the music producer for Sonic 1 and music composer for Sonic 2
Jason Kuo -- Sega of America's localization producer for most of Sonic Team's Genesis games
Spencer Nilsen -- composed the US Sonic CD soundtrack
Howard Drossin -- produced the Sonic 3 & Knuckles soundtrack
Richard Jaques -- composed the soundtracks for Sonic 3D Blast (Saturn ver.) and
Sonic R
Steve Hutchins -- Sega of America's localization producer for NiGHTS into Dreams...
Keith Palmer -- Sega of America's localization producer for Burning Rangers, Sonic
Adventure, and ChuChu Rocket!
Sato Katsu (Katsu Sato) -- Sega of Europe's localization producer for most recent Sonic Team
titles
Marlon D. Saunders, vocalist for "Dreams Dreams" (A Capella), "We Are Burning Rangers", and
"Unknown From M.E."
