It’s Friday, and it’s almost Halloween… so it’s dress-up day at SEGA! Here are some of the costumes in our office today.

Cat Memes of the Internet

The community and website teams collaborated on a theme — cat memes of the internet.

This is me as Spaghetti Cat.

This is RubyEclipse (Aaron) as Domo Cat.

This is Shawn as Ceiling Cat.

This is Annie as Printer Cat.

This is ClumsyOrchid (Julian) as Keyboard Cat.

This is Jackie as Maru Cat.

This is our group photo — we managed to herd all the cats into one spot!

SEGA Costumes

Lest you think that cosplay is for the fans only…

Some Sonic gear

Valkyria Chronicles

Yakuza

Dr. Eggman

Other Costumes

Pippi Longstocking

Police Officer

Panda

The Dude

See all of these and even more on our Flickr set.

If you have a SEGA or Sonic related costume for Halloween, we want to see it! Send your photos to communityteam@sega.com and you might see yourself here on our blog next week.

When Let’s Tap! was released last year, it introduced a whole new way to play games on the Wii. Instead of holding the controller, you set it down on a box, table, or other surface and tapped. But why be restricted to one tapping method? Now, you can unlock Free Style Mode and tap however you want! Stand the controller on its end, wave it around and pose – there are endless possibilities!

Here’s how you unlock Free Style Mode:

(1) Input as follows with 1P controller.

1P: Point Wii Remote at “0″ on the screen and push button A with Nunchuk connected

2P: Point Wii Remote at “2″ on the screen and push button A with Nunchuk disconnected

3P: Point Wii Remote at “0″ on the screen and push button A with Nunchuk connected

4P: Point Wii Remote at “3″ on the screen and push button A with Nunchuk disconnected

(2) Press button B to return to the controller selection screen.

You’ve now unlocked the secret to limitless tapping!  Now, Let’s Tap!

It’s almost Halloween!

To celebrate the upcoming weekend and all the spooky and frightful things that Halloween brings with it (like candy, costumes, and Ernest movies), we have a special, limited time sale up right now on the App store!

Until the end of Halloween, you can find the following games at special sale prices:

From the classic strategy of Shining Force to the all-new return of Sonic the Hedgehog in Sonic 4, this sale is an awesome chance for SEGA fans young and old to pick up some of the best SEGA games on the iPhone for a special discounted price. We hope you guys enjoy the sale, the weekend’s candy, and most of all: the games!

Oh, and if you haven’t yet – grab yourself some Chu Chu Rocket if you’re a fan of that series, as the game just released on iPhone and iPad today! Mouse Mania!

From all of us here at SEGA – have an awesome Halloween, filled with much candy, awesome costumes, and lots of gaming!

Lookit what I have here… a brand new trailer for the Kinect-exclusive Sonic Free Riders. This trailer introduces the weapons in the game, showcasing how players become the controller to utilize items and win each race! In no time at all, you’ll be a pro at using Octo-Ink to cover up your opponent’s screen, shaking up a soda rocket to blast to first place,  throwing a target torpedo and much more! Kinect’s unique motion sensor means Sonic Free Riders will see family and friends controlling their favorite Sonic characters and their fully customizable hover boards or bikes by twisting, turning and jumping in an exhilarating race to be the first to cross the finish line!

Sonic Free Riders will be available at retailers across America on November 4th.

My absolute favorite puzzle game, Chu Chu Rocket, is back on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad! A true Dreamcast classic mmmmmm. Featuring all the original modes, including the 140 puzzles, challenges, and multiplayer modes, Chu Chu rocket makes a triumphant return! This version is arguably the best, adding the ability to place tiles anywhere with the touch of your finger.

Chu Chu Rocket is now available on the App Store for purchase! Go, go go – buy it now!

Hey everyone!

Even if you can’t make our Sonic Colors event in New York next week, we’ve got something on the west coast coming up right after!

Some of you may remember that last year, right around this time, we held SEGA’s first ever Community Event here inside SEGA of America HQ in San Francisco. It was all about Phantasy Star Zero then, and this year we’re making the event even bigger – and featuring Valkyria Chronicles II, Phantasy Star Portable II, and Sonic the Hedgehog 4 as our big games of the night!

What: A special, free event open to the SEGA Community! Bring your own PSP and your copies of PSP2 and Valkyria Chronicles 2!

When: Friday, November 12th, from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Where: SEGA of America (directions below)

Who: You! And a friend. (Or three) The event is free and open to the public, but we only have room for around 50! You can reserve your spot here on the blog via the comments, so make sure to do so asap!

What to bring: Your PSP and a copy of Phantasy Star Portable 2 / Valkyria Chronicles 2! If you don’t own a PSP or the games, just let us know and we’ll get one for you to use!

Dinner: Provided by SEGA!

Event Agenda

5:00 PM – 5:30 PM - Check in, introduction, and welcome

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM – Play with SEGA + Dinner (Multiplayer sessions with VCII and PSPII)

6:30 PM – 7:00 PM – Valkyria Chronicles II Team Tournament – 4P teams, Co-op

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Phantasy Star Portable II Team Battle Tournament

8:00 PM – 8:30 PM – Sonic the Hedgehog 4 – Community Feedback Session + Free play on PSP titles

8:30 PM – 9:00 PM – Closing, swag raffle,  and awards ceremony

In more detail, some of the highlights of the event are listed below:

Free play + SEGA!

Join your friends – and maybe even some SEGA Staff – in co-op games of Valkyria Chronicles II and Phantasy Star Portable II. Have fun meeting other fans of the series, and get some practice runs in for the competitions later in the evening!

Valkyria Chronicles II – 4-person Team Tournament

Put your squad’s skills to the test with a race to the finish line in Valkyria Chronicles II! This tournament will be held using an in-game mission, and you’ll compete in teams of four. The fastest team to complete the mission wins, and the top three teams all score prizes!

Phantasy Star Portable II Team Battle Tournament

The heat of player versus player is back – and it’s up to you and a friend to fight your way to the top of the bracket together, and to take home the glory of being crowned the champions! These matches will take place on the island capture the flag battle rule, one of the two starting rules available in Battle Mode.

Sonic 4: Episode I – Community Feedback Session

Join Ken (Brand Manager for Sonic 4) and Aaron (Community Manager for Sonic 4) for a special Community Feedback Session on Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I! What did you like about Episode 1? What things do you think could be improved upon in the future? Bring your best ideas to the table and we’ll talk all things Sonic 4!

In the meantime, if Sonic 4 isn’t really your thing, free play of both Valkyria and Phantasy Star will also be taking place in the other rooms.

Swag Raffle, Awards Ceremony, and Closing

Everyone who attends the event will be going home with some special swag – and on top of that, a few lucky winners will also be getting extra prizes that we’ve got hidden away here at SEGA! You could go home with rare merchandise from last year or even vintage merch from the Dreamcast era and before!

Whoever travels the furthest distance to arrive will also score a special prize. Oh, and know your SEGA trivia, too – because we might give out some extra goods to anyone who can correctly answer some quickfire questions!

Once all is said and done, we’ll have our closing, bid everyone a good night, and let you all loose on San Francisco for the weekend.

Directions to SEGA

If you live in or near San Francisco, you may have been by our offices before, or seen the big blue SEGA logo as you were driving down the highway. But if it’s your first time in the city or at our HQ, here’s our address:

350 Rhode Island St # 400
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 701-6000

Find us here on Google Maps! The entrance to use is on Kansas street – the doors will be on your right!

When you get here, just look for the Rappies and signs – they’ll lead you to the elevators, and SEGA’s reception is on the fourth floor.

Reservation List

1. Eric (Giolon)
2. Mike S.
3. Montes
4. Austin M.
5. Casde (needs confirmation)
6. Daniela T.
7. Bao
8. Sam
9. William
10. John M.
11. Yoko
12. Tom F.
13. Matt
14. Matt’s guest (needs name confirmation)
15. Daniel Hong
16. Ryan Cameron
17. Steven Regalo
18. Steven’s guest (needs name confirmation)
19. Karl Stenerud
20. Victor S.
21. Victor’s guest (needs name confirmation)
22. Paul Tidd
23. Ron Z.
24. John Gillis
25. Keith Tidd
26. Audrey Spoor
27. Audrey’s Guest (needs name confirmation)
28. K.C.L.
29. Nilknarf C.
30. Michael S.
31. Garret C.
32. Maegan C.
33. Skyler K.
34. Skyler K’s Guest (needs name confirmation)
35. Skyler K’s second Guest (needs name confirmation)
36. Michael T.
37. Gabriel P.
38. Gabriel P.’s Guest (needs name confirmation)
39. Gabriel P.’s Guest (needs name confirmation)
40. Gabriel P.’s Guest (needs name confirmation)
41. Michael V.
42. Chris Yelton
43. Ellis K.
44. Max V.
45. Carl B.
46. Robert W.
47. Robert W’s guest (needs name confirmation)
48. Karlan Harris
49. Michael L.
50. Stephan C.
51. Johnnie M.
52. Paul W.
53. John S.
54. Hector L.
55. Frank C.

[Update, Nov 1st: We have extended the list five additional spots to 55 - hoping to add more soon!]

The waiting list

1. Matt L.
2. Randall Miyashiro
3. Travis Girard
4. Drew Girard
5. Michael T.
6. Farris D.
7. Owen S.
8. Jason L.
9. Jonathan Lee
10. Jonathan’s friend (needs name confirmation)
11. Oliver W.
12. Oliver’s friend #1 (needs name confirmation)
13. Oliver’s friend #2 (needs name confirmation)
14. Oliver’s friend #3 (needs name confirmation)
15. Anthony C.
16. Sandra S.
17. Joel P.
18. Joel P’s brother (needs name confirmation)
19. Keishi (needs name confirmation)

To reserve your spot, just post here in the comments! Your real first name and the initial of your last name is needed for the reservation. Spots will be given out on a first-post, first-reserved basis, so get yours in quickly!

FAQ

Q: Can we choose our own teams for the Valkyria Chronicles 2 and Phantasy Star Portable tournaments?

A: Yes, you may! Just let us know ahead of time if you have 1-3 people you’d like to be partnered with. Please note that they will each need a reservation for the event!

And that’s that! We hope you guys are excited for the event – Let us know in the comments if you have any questions. You can start reserving your spots… right now!

As carved pumpkins appear and October nears its end, the App store on iPhone is going to update tomorrow with a special, limited time Halloween Sale for a number of SEGA games! Among those, we’re happy to confirm that Sonic 4: Episode I will be included, so if you’ve been holding out or waiting for a good reason to pick it up, that moment has finally arrived.

Sonic 4 won’t be the only game on sale, so keep an eye out here on the blogs and on the App store for full details tomorrow!

Happy Halloween!

If you’ll be in or around New York City on November 4th, and you want to play Sonic Colors, you’re in luck because we’re having a Sonic Colors party at The Pond in Bryant Park! We will have free ice skating (for the first 300 people) and other special events, and you’ll also be able to play Sonic Colors before it’s available in stores!

What would Brian Boitano do? He’d come to our Sonic Colors event… that’s what Brian Boitano would do.

Everyone is invited, so bring your friends and family! Details are below as well as our Facebook Event page where you can RSVP and help spread the word! The whole SEGA of America community team will be there, so you should be too! If you can’t make it, we’ll be updating our Twitter and Facebook from the event, so you can keep up with all that you’re missing.

What: Sonic Colors in Bryant Park

Where: The Pond at Bryant Park in New York City, NY

When: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Facebook Events page for RSVP

Oh yes, RubyEclipse and I will have cheesecake while in NYC. Come to mama.

Click on this to nominate us!

The4th annual Mashable awards are here! Last year, you nominated SEGA as one of the must-follow brands, and this year you can help us get all the way to the WIN!

Nominating us is super easy. All you have to do is click that big graphic up there at the top! But if you want to go the DIY route, here’s how you do it: go to the nomination page and login with either your Twitter or Facebook account. Then just put SEGA (or (@SEGA, either works) in the brand name box, and set the category to “Must-Follow Brand”, then submit. It’s that easy! You’ll have the option to promote your nomination on Facebook or Twitter, and while we hope you do (more nominations!) you are not required to do so.

You can nominate us once per day until November 29th, 2010. If we make the top 5, we’ll move on to the final voting round to battle it out for the win.

Thanks for helping us out and being the best fans. Let’s do this!

Just in time for Halloween, we have some Super Monkey Ball Wallpapers for you! You know you’ve been looking for some new wallpapers to replace that old image you threw up there a few months back! Don’t lie, I know you were – so I brought you these, to enjoy!

Download Version A Here: | 1600×900 | 1280×1024 | 1024×768 | 800×600

Download Version B Here: | 1600×900 | 1280×1024 | 1024×768 | 800×600