Hunter Edition confirmed for US consumers! There, I can finally say it; the Hunter Edition which was announced fairly recently from our European friends is now 100% confirmed in the US with an added bonus – a hardcover graphic novel from Dark Horse Comics featuring the original Aliens vs Predator comic!

PlayStation 3 pictured, click in to see the images of the Xbox 360 version as well

Don’t worry, all the other goodies are still included, such as the four Multiplayer maps (before they release to the general public), a fully articulated and disturbingly creepy Facehugger model, Weyland Yutani sleeve badge, and a 3D lenticular postcard. To sweeten the deal, if you pre-order you can pick up some exclusive skins for all three species in multiplayer.

Bayonetta is nearly here and the reviews are starting to roll in! Following the recent trends of high scores after the Japanese release, Bayonetta is hitting very high marks from IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, 1up.com, Gamepro, Game Informer, and more as the day goes on. Read on for what critics have been raving about and catch the full reviews to hear the full scoop:

“Someone just put fresh batteries in Devil May Cry.”
1up.com

“From this point forward, something about stylish action games will need to change, because I have trouble imagining how a developer could use the tried-and-true formula to create anything more delightfully excessive than Bayonetta..”
Game Informer

“Bayonetta is the best action game I’ve ever played”
IGN.com

4 1/2 Stars out of 5
Gamepro.com

Don’t forget, there’s also an Official Xbox Magazine review to pick up at your preferred newstand!

There you have it, solid scores, continued amazement from the press and a game that will change the action genre forever. January 5th can’t come soon enough!

Happy Holidays from Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing — enjoy this special Christmastime trailer!

Listen up Sega Mega Fans, we have an incredible holiday deal for those of you among us with a Wii. For a limited time only grab our best selling Virtual Console titles for 40% off! That means instead of paying the usual 800 Wii Points, you’ll be able to take home some of our most cherished Sega Genesis games for the low low price of 500 Wii Points. Start saving on December 24th, but don’t wait too long – this awesome deal ends January 6th 2010. Scroll down to see the games offered at this discount!

Also, check out our promotional page for this limited-time Virtual Console sale, which includes the full list of games!

Take your pick from Sega’s holiday sample platter – double dipping is highly encouraged:

•     Sonic The Hedgehog
•     Sonic The Hedgehog 2
•     Sonic The Hedgehog 3
•     Gunstar Heroes
•     Toe Jam & Earl
•     Puyo Puyo 2
•     Shining Force
•     Golden Axe
•     Altered Beast
•     Streets Of Rage 2

Happy Holidays — the SEGA Mega Sale for PSN is on!

Every downloadable SEGA game on PSN and PSP is 40% off, from now through January 7th. This is your chance to not only snag downloadable content for all variety of flagship SEGA titles — present and past — but to load up your PSP with SEGA titles, as well.

There’s a pretty wide breadth of stuff here. On the Downloadable Content side, you can shore up your copy of Sonic Unleashed with new stages and missions — all of the various Adventure Packs for Sonic Unleashed are discounted, with tons of daytime and nighttime missions. I’m a big fan of the daytime stages, and all of the available packs feature more daytime than nighttime missions (but for Werehog fans, there’s plenty of nighttime missions as well).

Speaking of Sonic, the “very hard” missions for Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 are also discounted, so if you were ever looking for a dirt-cheap excuse to complete your Sonic collection, there you have it! But the real gem — at least in my own humble opinion — is the extra content for Valkyria Chronicles. This includes all three DLC packs, featuring bonus missions and the amazing EX mode, which has a ton of new features, weapons, and increased difficulty.

I’ve already written lots about my undying love for the tactical strategy of games like Shining Force, and Valkyria Chronicles is absolutely the spiritual successor to these games. While I can’t say enough good things about the game itself, I also am incredibly impressed with the DLC that’s come out — it’s not just an ad-hoc collection of maps or standalone missions, but several new ways to play the game that deepen and add to an already complex and emotionally engaging story.

Don’t just take my word for it though — our own honorary Gallian, Ruby Eclipse, has fought long and hard for this game as a labor of love. His message to the fans who have worked so hard to help make this great game succeed:

To arms, Gallia! In support of the season and our fans’ amazing dedication, we’d like to say thank you with a special 40% off holiday sale across all three packs of Valkyria Chronicles DLC!

See the battlefield from Selvaria’s eyes in Behind Her Blue Flame, take on challenging odds with some of Squad 7′s rising stars in Enter the Edy Detachment, or add a whole new level of difficulty – and earn new, powerful weapons – with Hard Mode EX!

Did I say PSP Games before? Oh yes! A little while back the community team here at SEGA took a look at some of the best & brightest PSP games SEGA had made, in celebration of the launch of the PSP Go. Now those titles are slashed 40%, and it’s nigh time to take a look at shoring up your collection of portable games.

I already wrote about Sonic Rivals, and now both Sonic Rivals and Sonic Rivals 2 are part of the Holiday sale. This was an awesome experience — I hadn’t actually played them until recently, and didn’t really know what to expect. I was surprised to find that these are incredibly well-crafted racing games, but with the exquisite level design that’s always been core to the best games of the Sonic series.

Aside from the great Sonic games that graced the PSP I’m thrilled to say that some of the most eclectic and unique titles ended up on that system as well. I am speaking here of the incomparable Crazy Taxi and Crush. Crazy Taxi is exactly what it sounds like, and this is a very good thing. It’s also good that it’s on a portable system, because this is one of those games where one’s body tends to move in direct proportion to the craziness of the game as you twist & turn your way through crowded city streets.

Crush, meanwhile, is  a totally unique adventure-puzzle game. I’m actually less familiar with it, but thankfully SEGA’s own community manager Clumsyorchid recently wrote this love letter to the game.

This really just scratches the surface — you can also pick up the gnarly road-battler Full Auto 2: Battlelines, the charming & addictive Super Monkey Ball Adventure, and the awesome 2D action shooter, Gunstar Heroes!

PSP:
Alien Syndrome
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars
Crush
Full Auto 2: Battlelines
Gunstar Heroes
Iron Man
Sega Genesis Collection
Sonic Rivals
Sonic Rivals 2
Super Monkey Ball Adventure

PSN:
Sonic Unleashed Apatos & Shamar Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Chun-nan Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Empire City & Adabat Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Holoska Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Mazuri Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Spagonia Adventure Pack
SONIC: Very Hard Shadow Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Silver Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Sonic Missions
Valkyria Chronicles Edy’s Mission “Enter the Edy Detachment”
Valkyria Chronicles Hard EX Mode
Valkyria Chronicles Selveria’s Mission “Behind Her Blue Flame”