Following the release of Sonic The Hedgehog, Sega's Sonic Team - headed up by Yuji Naka - became a byword for real sweet stuff. Unfortunately, that reputation gradually withered, until it reached a point where the perception was that Sonic Team would just pump out any old shit with Sonic's face on it.
Nicely, Sonic Team is undergoing something of a re-evaluation in the wake of Sonic Mania - which it supervised, probably. That must be especially nice for them, given that their most recent fully-developed game, Sonic Forces, was about as much fun as forcing a push-pin into your own forehead.
But hey - Sonic Team isn't all about Sonic. Here are 10 Sonic-less games - barring the Puyo Puyo sequels it has worked on, because... reasons - which were produced by Naka's heirs.
Ha ha; knacker hairs.
Nicely, Sonic Team is undergoing something of a re-evaluation in the wake of Sonic Mania - which it supervised, probably. That must be especially nice for them, given that their most recent fully-developed game, Sonic Forces, was about as much fun as forcing a push-pin into your own forehead.
But hey - Sonic Team isn't all about Sonic. Here are 10 Sonic-less games - barring the Puyo Puyo sequels it has worked on, because... reasons - which were produced by Naka's heirs.
Ha ha; knacker hairs.
RISTAR (Mega Drive)
Sonic Team's final Mega Drive title - coming out about a year after Sonic & Knuckles - Ristar wasn't entirely dissimilar to the Sonic games.
It "starred" - oh-hoh! - a little star-shaped guy, with arms and legs that could stretch to abnormal lengths. It lacked the speed of Sonic, but more than made up for it in the sheer wealth of ideas - Ristar could use his ridiculous arms to propel him through levels, grabbing enemies and headbutting them, and lob objects around and that. Plus, it boasted some gorgeous visuals that were clearly the work of the team behind Sonic.
Sega very much intended Ristar to be a new mascot (indeed, the character's origins dated back to early development of Sonic The Hedgehog), but its release - just three months before the Sega Saturn - punched its potential sales in the throat. A shame, because it's a bit of a lost gem.
It "starred" - oh-hoh! - a little star-shaped guy, with arms and legs that could stretch to abnormal lengths. It lacked the speed of Sonic, but more than made up for it in the sheer wealth of ideas - Ristar could use his ridiculous arms to propel him through levels, grabbing enemies and headbutting them, and lob objects around and that. Plus, it boasted some gorgeous visuals that were clearly the work of the team behind Sonic.
Sega very much intended Ristar to be a new mascot (indeed, the character's origins dated back to early development of Sonic The Hedgehog), but its release - just three months before the Sega Saturn - punched its potential sales in the throat. A shame, because it's a bit of a lost gem.
NIGHTS INTO DREAMS... (Saturn)
In lieu of any proper Sonic game on the Saturn, Sega flogged Nights Into Dreams... as the system's potential mascot.
It's fair to suggest that an androgynous "dream person" who was inspired by Sonic Team's research into REM sleep, the theories of psychoanalysts Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, and Cirque du Soleil, didn't exactly scream "mass market".
Also, the graphics - as nicely designed as they were - were let down by clipping and rough textures. Consequently, sales were somewhat disappointing, though this didn't prevent the release of a festive mini-sequel - Christmas Nights - and a full sequel for the Wii, some years later.
What was with the ellipsis at the end of the title though, Sega? According to the dictionary, an ellipsis is "the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able to be understood from contextual clues".
So what are the missing words? Judging from the "contextual clues", I would suggest this: "Is a Twat".
It's fair to suggest that an androgynous "dream person" who was inspired by Sonic Team's research into REM sleep, the theories of psychoanalysts Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, and Cirque du Soleil, didn't exactly scream "mass market".
Also, the graphics - as nicely designed as they were - were let down by clipping and rough textures. Consequently, sales were somewhat disappointing, though this didn't prevent the release of a festive mini-sequel - Christmas Nights - and a full sequel for the Wii, some years later.
What was with the ellipsis at the end of the title though, Sega? According to the dictionary, an ellipsis is "the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able to be understood from contextual clues".
So what are the missing words? Judging from the "contextual clues", I would suggest this: "Is a Twat".
BURNING RANGERS (Saturn)
A firefighting game featuring a bunch of anime-inspired futuristic firefighters, Burning Rangers was a brilliant idea in search of a console that could do it justice.
As with Nights, it was prone to glitching - meaning that much of the team's extensive and unnecessary research (which included studying robot firefighter prototypes, apparently) was wasted. As with Nights, it failed to do much to turn around the system's waning fortunes.
However, it did feature characters called Big Landman and a woman called "Tillis".
"Watchu talkin' 'bout, Tillis?"
"This isn't the time - my hair is ablaze!"
As with Nights, it was prone to glitching - meaning that much of the team's extensive and unnecessary research (which included studying robot firefighter prototypes, apparently) was wasted. As with Nights, it failed to do much to turn around the system's waning fortunes.
However, it did feature characters called Big Landman and a woman called "Tillis".
"Watchu talkin' 'bout, Tillis?"
"This isn't the time - my hair is ablaze!"
CHUCHU ROCKET (Dreamcast)
Though it may not appear it to look at it, ChuChu Rocket was designed to test the power of the Dreamcast.
It was the first game to feature online multiplayer, and was an experiment to see how many characters the machine could handle on screen at any one time. Though it wasn't perhaps the blockbuster release some would've expected from Sonic Team, the experiment directly lead to Phantasy Star Online, and the chaotic puzzle game was a surprise hit for "Seg-Seg" (Sega).
It was the first game to feature online multiplayer, and was an experiment to see how many characters the machine could handle on screen at any one time. Though it wasn't perhaps the blockbuster release some would've expected from Sonic Team, the experiment directly lead to Phantasy Star Online, and the chaotic puzzle game was a surprise hit for "Seg-Seg" (Sega).
SAMBA DE AMIGO (Arcade, Dreamcast)
Initially released in arcades, before making its way to the Dreamcast (and later, the Wii), Samba de Amigo was a rhythm-action nonsense, which featured a maraca-playing monkey.
It was an expensive proposition on home systems, given that it had to be sold with a pair of maraca controllers which couldn't be used for any other game. You could, however, use them to smash yourself in the eyes every time you thought about how much you'd spent on a game that was about a maraca-playing monkey.
Just buy some real maracas, for pity's sake. Failing that: a "rain stick".
It was an expensive proposition on home systems, given that it had to be sold with a pair of maraca controllers which couldn't be used for any other game. You could, however, use them to smash yourself in the eyes every time you thought about how much you'd spent on a game that was about a maraca-playing monkey.
Just buy some real maracas, for pity's sake. Failing that: a "rain stick".
PHANTASY STAR ONLINE (Dreamcast)
As the first online RPG for a home console, allowing four players to embark upon a quest together, Phantasy Star Online was undeniably groundbreaking. Indeed, Yuji Naka described the game as the Dreamcast's "killer app".
Unfortunately, while it just about managed to meet sales expectations, it failed to be the breakthrough hit which saved the Dreamcast from its ignominious fate. There's no question that it was a landmark, which influenced the genre and industry going forwards, but while the series has continued - on and off - in the years since, but it's hard to argue that it retains much more than a cult following.
Also: "phants".
Unfortunately, while it just about managed to meet sales expectations, it failed to be the breakthrough hit which saved the Dreamcast from its ignominious fate. There's no question that it was a landmark, which influenced the genre and industry going forwards, but while the series has continued - on and off - in the years since, but it's hard to argue that it retains much more than a cult following.
Also: "phants".
BILLY HATCHER AND THE GIANT EGG (GameCube)
In some respects, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg was the most archetypically Sonic Team-y game since Ristar. A rather lovely-looking 3D platformer, which starred a chicken suit-wearing "lad", who navigated his world while rolling a variety of different eggs around, it was full of character and neat ideas.
Certainly, it had the makings of a hit... but was a huge flop for Sega and Sonic Team, selling less than 250,000 copies worldwide. Consequence: Sega's Yuji Naka was so distraught that he hasn't laid an egg since!
Certainly, it had the makings of a hit... but was a huge flop for Sega and Sonic Team, selling less than 250,000 copies worldwide. Consequence: Sega's Yuji Naka was so distraught that he hasn't laid an egg since!
ASTRO BOY (PlayStation 2)
By 2004, Sega was deep into its wilderness years, and it's a mark of how far the company had fallen that it farmed out a licensed game to the team responsible for its biggest franchise.
Astro Boy was a 3D platformer - with Nights-esque flying stages - starring the iconic, semi-nude, robot boy. It was solid enough, but hobbled by a dreadful camera system, which made boss battles a confusing mess.
Astro Boy was a 3D platformer - with Nights-esque flying stages - starring the iconic, semi-nude, robot boy. It was solid enough, but hobbled by a dreadful camera system, which made boss battles a confusing mess.
SEGA SUPERSTARS (PlayStation 2)
This was Sega doing a Super Smash Bros. by bringing many of itsfranchises together in a series of mini games; Sonic, Nights, Billy Hatcher, Space Channel 5, Virtua Fighter, Super Monkey Ball, House of the Dead, Crazy Taxi et al. Unfortunately, they chose to do this while supporting Sony's not-entirely-popular EyeToy peripheral, meaning that it was every bit as dreadful and disappointing as you might expect.
Frankly, if people wanted to sway back and forth they'd get drunk - not stand in front of their televisions like they were performing some arcane ritual in order to summon Bruce Foreskin.
I don't even know what that means.
Frankly, if people wanted to sway back and forth they'd get drunk - not stand in front of their televisions like they were performing some arcane ritual in order to summon Bruce Foreskin.
I don't even know what that means.
FEEL THE MAGIC XY/XX (Nintendo DS)
A launch title for the Nintendo DS, Feel The Magic: XY/XX did a good job of showing off the capabilities of the new hardware. It was a collection of mini games which used the touch-screen and microphone, all with the intention of impressing some blank-faced female love interest. It was properly bizarre - in a Wario Ware sort of a way - and featured a group of antagonists called the "Rub Rabbits".
That's right: itt does sound like a company that would produce "marital aids".
In Japan it was known as Kimi no Tame nara Shineru - or "I Would Die For You" - while a later prequel was called Aka-chan wa Doko Kara Kuru no? ("Where Do Babies Come From?"). Not a lie.
That's right: itt does sound like a company that would produce "marital aids".
In Japan it was known as Kimi no Tame nara Shineru - or "I Would Die For You" - while a later prequel was called Aka-chan wa Doko Kara Kuru no? ("Where Do Babies Come From?"). Not a lie.
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