Storied series legend, Yuji Naka, also received a producer’s credit, juggling work on Sonic Adventure 2 with Phantasy Star Online back in Japan. As we touched on a moment ago, the game was to be helmed by Sonic Team USA as opposed to the developer’s Japanese branch, although it’s worth noting that veteran homegrown luminaries such as Takashi Lizuka, Eitaro Toyoda and Kazuyuki Hoshino still formed the core of the games’s creative nexus. The game’s original promo screenshots clean up those low-poly models as best they can.īig changes were afoot for Sonic Adventure 2. The game had clearly been rushed to market, meaning that fans hoping for a Super Mario 64-like revelation had been left somewhat disappointed. In the end, Sonic Adventure had received a strong but not outstanding reception, owing largely to its glitchy camera, cheesy dialogue and overall lack of polish. We now know that to be true because it actually happened, of course, but back when Sonic Team USA began work on a sequel to Sonic Adventure, SEGA were still very much committed to making the Dreamcast success. It was a critical time for the SEGA – if they weren’t able to establish and maintain enough momentum at retail before the almost messianic coming on the PlayStation 2, the dream would be over almost before it had begun.
Given Sonic’s erratic career trajectory since then, it’s easy to forget that back in 1999 the mainstream gaming populace still held a lot of affection for him, and that there was a palpable sense of optimism in the buildup to the Sonic Adventure’s release, which would be day and date with the Dreamcast itself outside of Japan. While it might be a stretch to say that the console’s success rested on that of Sonic Adventure, the game certainly stood the best chance of returning disenfranchised Mega Drive owners that had abandoned SEGA during the Saturn years to the fold. The original Sonic Adventurehad been the Dreamcast’s great white hope: the first true 3D outing for SEGA’s most important franchise.
Fifteen years ago, Dreamcast-owning Sonic fans were preparing to mark the decade that had passed since his Mega Drive debut with the release Sonic Adventure 2.
Sonic may turn 25 today, but this certainly isn’t the first milestone birthday that SEGA’s venerable blue mascot has celebrated.
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