Sonic Team
The levels and environments were inspired by San Francisco, where Sonic Team had its office, and other American locations, such as Yosemite National Park (where the team vacationed) and the San Francisco Bay Area. Compared to "Adventure", the sequel was intended to have "more of an American flavor". Although the level design prioritized the frame rate, it was more streamlined than "Adventure" because of the team's experience with Dreamcast hardware. Whereas Sonic Team had tried to include as much content as possible in "Sonic Adventure", for the sequel they only concentrated on the elements they deemed necessary. Naka said "Sonic Adventure 2" was also easier to develop, as Sonic Team could now "tap the full power of the console and deliver a much better experience".