With the holidays right around the corner, now is the perfect time to pick up a few goodies at a discount! Now through November 1^st, select North American titles on the PlayStation Network are available at special prices.

Nothing to wear for Halloween? POW – Dress your Home avatar in the Alpha Protocol Tactical Gear pack for only $14.99!  10 hour drive to grandma’s house for Thanksgiving?  BAM – pick up the SEGA Genesis Collection for PSP for the low price of $12.99! Need a Christmas gift for yourself? KAPLOW – SEGA Rally Online Arcade for PS3 is only $6.99. A complete listing of sale items is below.

PlayStation 3:

Crazy Taxi: $6.99 (30% off)

SEGA Rally Online Arcade: $6.99 (30% off)

Gunstar Heroes: $2.99 (50% off)

Alpha Protocol Tactical Gear pack: $14.99

PSP:

SEGA Genesis Collection: $12.99 (20% off)

Crazy Taxi: $6.99 (30% off)

Phantasy Star Portable 2: $19.99 (50% off)

Valkyria Chronicles II & Valkyria 2 DLC Pack 2: $22.99 (almost 50% off), $13.79 for PlayStation Plus members (almost 70% off)

Attention, all Anglers and Spacecats!

We have some dates for you: SEGA Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5, Part 2 are going to be available, digitally, over Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network – October 4th for PSN and October 5th for XBLA!

The games will each be available for either 800 Microsoft Points (same for all territories), or $9.99/£6.29/€7.99/AUS$12.95 on PSN.

Space Channel 5 Part 2 is the infectiously fun action rhythm game that follows fan-favorite and funktastically spunky newscaster Ulala as she fights off the Rhythm Rogues. These dastardly dance deviants have captured the noble leader, Space President Peace, and thousands of other innocents — and forced them to dance until there is literally no tomorrow.

Although there is considerably less dancing in SEGA Bass Fishing, it nonetheless runs with the Dreamcast spirit of being infectiously fun and engaging — perhaps bass fishing is not your idea of wild action, but this game has a unique charm all its own, and like the best of the Dreamcast era runs with a concept as far as it can, concerned both with being a great fishing game and being a great game on its own. Or put less dramatically: Fish!!!

Update: It is 100% worth mentioning that the PlayStation Network version of SEGA Bass Fishing supports Sony Move! The original was a fun game regardless of how you played it, but one of the neat features was, of course, the awesome Bass Fishing controller for Dreamcast. Now, you can use your Sony Move controller in your relentless pursuit of the big one!

To recap: Anglers and Spacecats! Space Channel 5 Part 2 and Bass Fishing! October 4th, PSN! October 5th, XBLA! Dance! Fish!!!

PlayStation Network is live again — and with it, SEGA Rally Online Arcade comes roaring into off-road action in hi-def!

Inspired by SEGA Rally Revo and SEGA Rally 3, SEGA Rally Online Arcade brings back all the features players could want from the popular arcade and console racers. Gameplay options include Championship Battle mode and Time Attack, and an exciting online racing mode that lets players race with up to five drivers around the world in intense rally action.

The game features a brand new achievement system, 13 rally cars to choose from, and online leaderboards — gameplay is a blend of solid racing physics (and of course the physics of chewing up mud, dirt, and snow on the track) and the arcade-style feel of tearing around in a powerful rally car for lap after lap.

Available right now for the low price of $9.99 — Welcome back, PSN, and welcome home, SEGA Rally!

SEGA is proud to announce that the next edition of our Vintage Collection series is headed here in late 2011 and early 2012, to PlayStation Network and Nintendo Wii Virtual Console! This collection features favorites from the Wonder Boy series as well as some other gems from that era, including the heritage of titles produced by legendary designer Yu Suzuki.

The biggest news of this bundle is that we are releasing a fully localized version of Wonder Boy in Monster World IV, which has never had a previous release in the West – it has previously appeared only in Japan.

Here’s everything that’s on the way:

Monster World IV (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Arcade)
Revenge of Shinobi (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Master System)
Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis/Mega Drive)

We did our best to pick the highest quality version of each of these, which is why you’re seeing different platforms represented. The Master System version of Alex Kidd – one of the original mascots of SEGA and something of a proto-Sonic – is one of the best games to come out on that platform, and had a terrific combination of speed, wit, and surprisingly challenging platforming.

And again, it’s Monster World IV that’s the biggest news, since that’s actually a new entry to the West. It is the last entry in the series, and is notable in that it was one of the few games from the era to feature a female protagonist.

I’m also thrilled to see Super Hang-On in this collection: One of the first SEGA games I ever played was the version of Hang-On that was on the Master System, and this is a Yu Suzuki title. The original Hang-On was one of the first games developed by Yu Suzuki, and this was the natural progression of that breakthrough title.

These games are the reason I became a fan of SEGA and of video games in the first place. They’re wrapped up in what makes SEGA unique and built into this company’s history in the arcades and with home consoles – I’m proud and excited to be able to talk about them here. Stay tuned for more news and information!

SEGA Rally Online Arcade has a release date and a price!

Coming this May 18th to Xbox Live Arcade, SEGA Rally Online Arcade is our HD racing game, bred from the DNA of SEGA Rally Revo and SEGA Rally 3.

The game will be available for a mere 800 MSP. The game is also still coming to PlayStation Network, and we’ll provide a release date for that as soon as we’re able.

SROA combines the arcade feel of off-road racing with realistic driving physics for a unique experience. There’s lots of single player play, cars and tracks and modes to unlock, and of course a heavy focus on online play. The game releases just a week from now on XBLA, so stay tuned for more info!

Today is the day – December 30th – we are happy to reveal the Xbox Live Arcade games for our Holiday Mega Sale. Remember, these are available in North America, Europe, United Kingdom, and Australia! You have only one day to get in on these crazy deals – do not delay! The Xbox community has been very patient so without any further delay …

Xbox Live Arcade

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $5.00 now $3.00 save 40% – Buy Now!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG2
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $5.00 now $3.00 save 40% – Buy Now!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $5.00 now $3.00 save 40% – Buy Now!

SONIC & KNUCKLES
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $3.00 now $1.50 save 50% – Buy Now!

SONIC 4 EPISODE 1
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $15.00 now $10.00 save 33% – Buy Now!

SONIC ADVENTURE
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $10.00 now $5.00 save 50% – Buy Now!

AFTER BURNER CLIMAX
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $10.00 now $5.00 save 50% – Buy Now!

iPhone

› Super Monkey Ball
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Sonic the Hedgehog
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Sonic the Hedgehog 2
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Super Monkey Ball 2
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Super Monkey Ball 2 Sakura Edition
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Sonic 4 Episode 1
$6.99 $2.99
£3.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Phantasy Star 2
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $0.99 (AUS)
› ChuChu Rocket!
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› ChuChu Rocket! HD
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Gunstar Heroes
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Altered Beast
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)

PlayStation Network

› Sonic Adventure
$9.99 $4.99
£6.29 £3.19
€7.99 €3.99
$12.95 (AUS) $6.95 (AUS)
› Sonic Adventure DX
$4.99 $1.99
£3.19 £1.19
€3.99 €1.49
$6.95 (AUS) $2.45 (AUS)
› Sonic 4 Episode 1
$14.99 $9.99
£9.99 £5.49
€12.99 €6.99
$19.95 (AUS) $11.45 (AUS)
› Afterburner Climax
$9.99 $4.99
£7.99 £3.99
€9.99 €4.99
$15.95 (AUS) $8.45 (AUS)
› Phantasy Star Portable 2
$39.99 $15.99
£27.99 £13.99
€34.99 €17.99
$54.95 (AUS) $27.95 (AUS)
› Valkyria Chronicles 2
$39.99 $15.99
£27.99 £13.99
€34.99 €17.99
$54.95 (AUS) $27.95 (AUS)

› Sega Genesis Collection $15.99 $9.99

› Iron Man 2 $19.99 $15.99

› Gunstar Heroes $4.99 $2.99

└─═[ MEGA SALE HOLIDAY 2010 ]═─┐

This Holiday save up to 70% on over 20 SEGA games! Buy for yourself, or buy for a friend! The Sale starts tonight on December 21st and runs until January 3rd, details below, read on!

Super Mega Special Deals!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 4 EPISODE I

→ iTunes AppStore was $6.99 now $2.99 save 57% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was £3.99 now £1.79 save 55% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was € 5.49 now € 2.39 save 56% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was $8.99 (AUS) now $3.99 (AUS) save 56% – Buy Now!

→ PlayStation Network was $14.99 now $9.99 save 33% – Buy Now!

SONIC ADVENTURE

→ PlayStation Network was $10 now $5 save 50% – Buy Now!

CHUCHU ROCKET!

→ iTunes AppStore was $2.99 now $0.99 save 67% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was £1.79 now £0.59 save 67% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was € 2.39 now € 0.79 save 67% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was $3.99 (AUS) now $1.19 (AUS) save 70% – Buy Now!

Plus a special treat for Xbox LIVE Arcade customers on Dec 30th. Don’t forget to buy for your friends and Santa won’t forget to bring you gifts!

iPhone

› Super Monkey Ball
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Sonic the Hedgehog
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Sonic the Hedgehog 2
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Super Monkey Ball 2
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Super Monkey Ball 2 Sakura Edition
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Sonic 4 Episode 1
$6.99 $2.99
£3.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Phantasy Star 2
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $0.99 (AUS)
› ChuChu Rocket!
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› ChuChu Rocket! HD
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Gunstar Heroes
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Altered Beast
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)

Xbox Live Arcade

› Afterburner Climax $10.00 $5.00
› Shhh, it’s a secret – no really – we can’t tell you – so check back on December 30th to see what we’ll be discounting!

PlayStation Network

› Sonic Adventure
$9.99 $4.99
£6.29 £3.19
€7.99 €3.99
$12.95 (AUS) $6.95 (AUS)
› Sonic Adventure DX
$4.99 $1.99
£3.19 £1.19
€3.99 €1.49
$6.95 (AUS) $2.45 (AUS)
› Sonic 4 Episode 1
$14.99 $9.99
£9.99 £5.49
€12.99 €6.99
$19.95 (AUS) $11.45 (AUS)
› Afterburner Climax
$9.99 $4.99
£7.99 £3.99
€9.99 €4.99
$15.95 (AUS) $8.45 (AUS)
› Phantasy Star Portable 2
$39.99 $15.99
£27.99 £13.99
€34.99 €17.99
$54.95 (AUS) $27.95 (AUS)
› Valkyria Chronicles 2
$39.99 $15.99
£27.99 £13.99
€34.99 €17.99
$54.95 (AUS) $27.95 (AUS)

› Sega Genesis Collection $15.99 $9.99

› Iron Man 2 $19.99 $15.99

› Gunstar Heroes $4.99 $2.99

Are you ready to make some Crazy Money? Well, it’s time, because the HD remake of Crazy Taxi will be available for download worldwide this November! This re-mastered classic will arrive on Xbox Live Arcade on November 24^th, and on the PlayStation Network on November 23^rd (for America) and November 24^th (for Europe and Australia). Players will be able to hurtle off parking garage roofs and barrel through traffic-packed streets for a low fare of 800 Microsoft points, or $9.99.

New features in this remake include high-definition 720p graphics presented in a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, leaderboards and trophy awards, and two game types to experience – Arcade Mode and Original Mode. Classic features making a comeback include sixteen minigames that hone taxi-driving skills, huge San Francisco-style hills for plenty of hang time, and occasional deep-sea exploration opportunities.

Personally, I’ve found Crazy Taxi incredibly addictive. The driving mechanics are, of course, wild & arcade-driven — a driving simulation this isn’t — but taking advantage of the “crazy physics”  as you careen wildly through streets hits all the right notes. Even better, the Crazy Taxi city seems clearly modeled after San Francisco — a seaside town filled with steep hills, unexpectedly twisty streets, and colorful pedestrians. The perfect place to lose a hubcap (or five).

Just a reminder — Sonic Adventure, which released last week for Xbox Live Arcade, and is out right now for PlayStation Network!

Both the full game and the DLC content which upgrades it to the “Director’s Cut” (also known as Sonic Adventure DX) version are available now for PSN. The price is just $9.99 for the full game (and of course, the Dreamcast came out 9/99 — coincidence?).

My previous blog has most of my thoughts on the game, and it’s worth noting that this news is significant not just because this is the best-selling Dreamcast game, but because it represents Dreamcast’s return. The release of Crazy Taxi is still on the horizon and there’s more to look forward to. Stay tuned!

We’ve got multiple exciting announcements for you!

First, as you know Sonic Adventure releases today (as in, right now!) on XBox Live Arcade! We’ve only just passed the 11th Anniversary of the 9/9/1999 release of the Dreamcast, and Sonic Adventure was the first Sonic game to release for the Dreamcast and was the first Sonic game in 3D. All of those milestones are befitting a game that is presented with a grand and epic sense of “adventure”, exploration, and fun, and this is definitely a game to revisit, or to check out if you’ve somehow missed out on it all these years.

Second, if you’re waiting to get the game on PlayStation Network, you don’t need to wait long — it’s releasing next week, on the 21st in North America (22nd in Europe), on PSN!

Actually, it’s confession time, and I never really played Sonic Adventure until just this past year or so, when I snagged a Dreamcast from our incredible game room and brushed up on some of the classics. There’s a certain grandeur and sense of excitement when a definitive flagship title shows up for a new system, and Sonic Adventure definitely helped fill those shoes for the Dreamcast.

The game actually even has a bit of old-school adventure game to in (fitting enough considering the name), in that there’s an open world to explore and not always a ton of direction in how to proceed: you explore areas on your own, find ways to proceed, and gradually uncover how the multiple characters have interlocking stories.

Of course, the adventure stages are just one part of the game, and they invariably give way to action stages built around pure speed. The Sonic stages work most like the classic ones, as you battle your way through a level collecting rings, whereas the Tails stages that follow have their own unique twist, as you race against Sonic to be the first to catch Chaos Emeralds.

My favorite stages are probably the Knuckles ones — he retains his gliding and climbing abilities from the original Sonic & Knuckles game, and the first Knuckles stage in Sonic Adventure smartly takes place in a city environment. It feels, to be honest, like one of the Spider Man games, as you race around an open level looking for Chaos Emeralds. Flinging yourself from building to building and avoiding cars has a great innate appeal to it.

Final piece of news: there is also a DLC pack available for the game — if you wish, you can download it and convert this original Dreamcast version of Sonic Adventure into the “Director’s Cut” version, Sonic Adventure DX! Sonic Adventure DX was the enhanced version released on the Nintendo GameCube, and includes 60 additional missions as well as Metal Sonic as a playable character.

There’s a lot to explore and discover in the game — I haven’t even touched on the Chao (not to be confused with the boss enemy Chaos from the game, or the Chaos Emeralds), the pet “minigame” which has attained a special cult following among some SEGA fans. To this day we still receive drawings in the mail of Chao designed by fans, and it’s awesome seeing this portion of the game getting a new release & new exposure.

Stay tuned for more — with the PlayStation Network release on the 21st and more Crazy Taxi news coming soon, and still more to come, there’s lot’s to look forward to with digital Dreamcast titles.