Braintree Software

Background
Braintree Software was an independent development studio based in Tyler, Texas. It was formed as Software Solutions and produced games for home computers, later rebranding to SoftSoul and began producing games for the SEGA SG-1000 and Master System, taking on its later name in 1989. 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 blue background surrounded by four big individuals (bosses in the game), we see a hulking green girl with brown hair and tattered clothes, it being Green Jean. Two logos rise up, one for CyberSoft (SNES) or GameTek (Genesis) and the other for Braintree (a box containing a tree resembling a human brain with "brainTree" below. Jean punches each logo as they rise up.

FX/SFX: The logo rising and getting punched.

Music/Sounds: Green Jean roaring.

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 a fireball twirling, which then forms into a human head profile. The company name scrolls by as the head breaks by layers (muscular tissue, skeletal, brain topography) before forming a tree whose stem is curved to resemble a brainstem, and the branches and leaves above the human brain. "brainTree" is below in a black bar while the tree becomes a silhouette in a white box. A shine runs through the box as it fades out.

Variant: On Green Jean: Meaner and Greener, once the logo forms, it freezes before the shine. Something behind it begins pounding through as pieces of it break. Green Jean smashes through the logo before snarling at the viewer and lunching forward.

FX/SFX: Everything.

Music/Sounds: A dark synth fanfare.

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. Also appeared on Incubust for the PlayStation

4th Logo (2002-2004)
Logo: On a black background, we see images of various female faces (actually those who worked for Braintree) flash on rapidly. The screen distorts frequently before it cuts to the logo wiping in in black and white.

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.
 * A still version is seen on Green Jean for the Game Boy Advance.

FX/SFX: The faces

Music/Sounds: A dark orchestrated theme with electronic noises.

Availability: Seen on Green Jean (2002) and Scooby Doo: The First Mystery.