The creator of Sonic the Hedgehog has been involved with the Dreamcast since its inception. After 15 years in the game (he's still only 33), Naka is respected by Sega's head honchos. When they hinted that the US Dreamcast might ship without a modem, Naka threatened not to release Sonic Adventure. The US Dreamcast shipped with a modem.

His first Sonic game was released in 1992 on the Mega Drive, in direct competition with Mario on the Super Nintendo. Naka states that the hedgehog's trademark speed was born out of frustration at the plumber's lethargic gait. This isn't surprising coming from a man obviously obsessed with all things fast - he currently owns a Sonic-coloured Porsche and a Tails-coloured Ferrari F355. Apparently he's dreamed of racing his cars against Sonic, "To see who would win." Nutter...