List of Sonic the Hedgehog video games
"Sonic the Hedgehog" is a video game series. It is published by Sega, with entries developed by Sega, Sonic Team, Dimps, SIMS Co., Ltd., BioWare, and Sumo Digital. The series debuted in 1991 with the video game, "Sonic the Hedgehog", released for the Mega Drive video game console (named Genesis in North America). Most "Sonic the Hedgehog" games have either been platform games or released for Sega video game consoles and handheld game consoles (handhelds) dating from the Genesis to the eighth generation of video game consoles (2012–present). However, some of the original games were ported into versions on third-party home consoles and developed by several companies. As of February 2013, the series has collectively sold over 85 million copies worldwide across both the platform games and spin-offs.
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.