Sonic Jam
"Sonic Jam" is a compilation which contains the four main "Sonic the Hedgehog" games released on the Sega Genesis: "Sonic the Hedgehog", "Sonic the Hedgehog 2", "Sonic the Hedgehog 3", and "Sonic & Knuckles". Unlike future "Sonic" collections, "Sonic Jam" does not use a Genesis emulator; the games are proper ports, and all are nearly identical to the original Sega Genesis releases, with the exception of minor bug fixes. "Sonic Jam" emulates "Sonic & Knuckles" "lock-on technology"—a special feature that allows the player to merge elements of "Sonic & Knuckles" into previous games, resulting in changes to the level design as well as the choice to play as Knuckles the Echidna in "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" and Tails in "Sonic & Knuckles".
Sonic Team
Sonic Team has developed a number of video games, with many of them becoming bestsellers. The studio is best known for its "Sonic the Hedgehog" series of platform games, which account for the majority of Sonic Team's work; the 1991 release of "Sonic the Hedgehog" is considered one of the most important moments in video game history, as it propelled Genesis sales and displaced Nintendo as the leading video game company. Sonic Team have also developed a wide variety of other games, including action games such as "Nights into Dreams", "Burning Rangers", and "Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg," the online puzzle game "ChuChu Rocket!", the online role-playing game "Phantasy Star Online," and the music game "Samba de Amigo". "Phantasy Star Online" is credited for introducing online RPGs to consoles and was the first online RPG for many players. According to Sean Smith of "Retro Gamer", few companies could claim to have released as many AAA games over such a long period, especially between 1991 and 2000. Some Sonic Team games, such as the original "Sonic" games for the Genesis and "Nights", are considered some of the best video games ever made.