List of Sonic Team games
In addition to the "Sonic" series, the company has developed other games for Sega, such as "Nights into Dreams" (1996) and "Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg" (2003). The 1991 release of "Sonic the Hedgehog" is considered significant in video game history, as it increased the Sega Genesis's sales and Sega displaced Nintendo as the leading video game company. Some of Sonic Team's games, such as the Genesis-era "Sonic" games and "Nights", are considered by critics to be among the greatest video games ever released.
Sonic CD
The 1991 release of "Sonic the Hedgehog", the first game in the "Sonic" series, was a major commercial success and positioned Sega as Nintendo's main rival in the console market. Lead programmer Yuji Naka, dissatisfied with Sega of Japan's rigid corporate policies, moved with several members of Sonic Team to the United States to develop "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" with Sega Technical Institute (STI). Meanwhile, Sega planned to release the Sega CD add-on for its Genesis, and wanted a "Sonic" sequel that would demonstrate its more advanced features. Sonic's character designer Naoto Ohshima was "Sonic CD"s director; the remainder of the team comprised Sega staff who had developed "The Revenge of Shinobi", "Golden Axe 2", and "Streets of Rage".