Braintree Software

Background
Braintree Software was an independent development studio based in Tyler, Texas. Initially formed as a merger between SoftSoul and Federal Systems, it was later joined by former members of Sega Technical Institute, Origin Systems and MicroProse. Braintree is notable for housing a majority female staff, a rarity at the time for a mainstream development studio. They would later land a deal with SEGA to produce a remake of the 32X title Knuckles' Chaotix. The game was completed, but corporate politics led it to never getting released; the game would borrow elements from the Archie comic books, something SEGA had not wanted to associate with their games, and they sought to put their efforts into the promotion of what would become Shadow the Hedgehog. Braintree protested the deal, as well as prior conditions, leading to SEGA blacklisting the company. Braintree would shut down in 2005 due to a loss in business opportunities.

1st Logo (1992)
Logo: On a black background, we see a black and white drawing of a tree, arranged in a way that it resembles a topography of a human brain. "brainTree" is below the logo.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on Green Jean for the SEGA Genesis

2nd Logo (1994)
Logo: We cut into a red environment, moving toward a giant tree on a hill. A girl can be seen sitting by the tree. Suddenly, various black birds begin to circle around the tree, cutting to below them as one of the birds swoops down and slashes at the girl, cutting to a red gradient background that swirls. A black tree suddenly appears as the text "brainTree" fades in beneath it. A box encases everything and the image becomes clearer.

FX/SFX: Everything.

Music/Sounds: A dark synth fanfare.

Availability: Seen on Zany Golf Expanded and the SEGA CD port of Green Jean.

3rd Logo (1997-1999)
Logo: On a black background, we see the logo from before. Suddenly, after two hits, a hulking female humanoid creature (actually the titular "Green Jean") breaks through the logo and comes out the hole, moving toward the viewer.

FX/SFX: Everything.

Music/Sounds: Sounds corresponding to the actions.

Availability: Seen on Green Jean 2: Enter the Nega-Jean for the SEGA Saturn, PlayStation and PC, along with its enhanced re-release for the SEGA Dreamcast and PC.

4th Logo (2002-2004)
Logo: On a black background, we see Green Jean pick up a sheet of metal. She spins it around and tosses it. The sheet contains the company's print logo. The girl jumps up and slams in front of it, revealing the company name. She gets up and dusts her hands as the image blurs.

Variant(s):


 * On Knuckles Chaotix, we see the logo already formed, as it is hit with various gunshots before falling over and revealing Julie-Su with a smoking gun in her hand. Suddenly, the logotype drops behind her, giving her a fright and making her run off-screen. The logo continues as normal.
 * On ports for Green Jean, Jean's outfit is changed, consisting of ripped jeans, a tube top and a changed hairstyle (undercut and spiked up hair)

FX/SFX: 3D animation.

Music/Sounds: Sounds corresponding to the actions, ending with a film projector sound.

Availability: Seen on Green Jean (2002). The variant was seen on ports for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Mac and Windows; this was owed to the game initially being an XBOX exclusive, around the time Green Jean was pitched as a mascot for the console, this obviously never happened and thus there was no reason to keep it exclusive to the system. Knuckles Chaotix was not released, but completed, and physical copies surfaced through online auctions.