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

Get your votes in now for the 1UP Reader’s Choice Awards! SEGA games are nominated in several categories, including Best 360 Game and Best PS3 game. Show some love for favorites like Bayonetta, Vanquish, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and Napoleon: Total War by voting now!

1UP have also just unlocked the voting for Game of the Year, and both Napoleon: Total War and Bayonetta are nominated! Vote for your favorite SEGA game and help us bring home the win.

Spread the word… vote SEGA!

└─═[ 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

Good news for Sonic fans on Xbox Live!

Six new Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Avatar items are now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace! From Chaos Emeralds to a Genesis-styled Sonic 4 cartridge, there’s all sorts of awesome contained in these new goodies. All six items, in detail:

• Chaos Emeralds – They’re shiny, they float, and they’ve saved the world more than just a few times. Now you can have all seven hovering around your very own avatar.

• Toy Chopper Badnik + Fish Bowl – A cute little robot pirahna that wants nothing more than to swim around and chomp off whatever’s closest – including your finger. (We included a bowl to make owning this pet a little safer.)

• Toy Motobug – Wind him up and watch him charge, bravely and gloriously, straight ahead! While Motobugs are most well known for their unfaltering ability to keep moving forward, at least until they turn around, this one can also cut some corners and might just chase you down.

• Sonic 4 Cartridge – One of our favorites! Now you can hold the power of Sonic 4 in a convenient, Genesis-sized game cartridge. We even included a certain oldschool seal of quality.

• Sonic 4 T-shirt – If you’re looking for a new addition to your wardrobe, this T-shirt is sure to please. Simple and effective, it’s black with the Sonic 4 Logo on the front.

• Sonic Plushie – Attack of the cute! This Sonic plushie is a nice collector’s item and is sure to fire up your avatar’s imagination. Highly recommended for girlfriends, moms, and anyone with a love for adorable and awesome mixed together.

We hope you all enjoy the avatar items. On behalf of the entire Sonic 4 team – Happy Holidays!

Good news for all of us who have completed Sonic 4 100%, or at least with all seven emeralds: one fan from Sweden has come up with his own list of challenges, and if you’re looking for something to keep that Sonic 4 experience fresh and fun, these are pretty awesome.

(Click the image to view the challenges!)

User Gubbyman from the SEGA forums has created a to-do list, complete with rankings for how close you get, that should keep any avid Sonic player on their toes. For starters, did you know that it’s possible to collect every single ring in Splash Hill Zone Act 1? (And that there are 336 of them!)

The better you do, the more rings you’ll get in the thread, which will also move you up higher on the top ten scoreboard. You can use pictures and videos to prove you pulled it off, but really, half the fun is just seeing if you can complete these with an A rank.

Check them out and click here to visit the Sonic 4 challenges thread!

Finally, props to Gubbyman himself for putting this all together. Cheers to you, Gubby!

Last week, a couple fine folks from the gaming community Destructoid came by the SEGA offices. We all joined in to celebrate the two-week anniversary of their review for what critics are hailing as one of the best Sonic games ever – Sonic Colors. And, as we all learned with one very special cake, sometimes you never know how good something is until you try it!

Thankfully, Ai Ai was there to make it all better. Also, please note that nobody is to ever speak of the DreamCat again. (Codename: ‘Kitten’).

As a little shout out to our awesome licensing team, yes – those Sonic pillows, the pinata, and all the party supplies are real and are actually coming out next year – a few may already be showing up in the US. Sweet.

Hope you guys enjoy the video, and thanks to Carnage and Venom of Destructoid for coming by and enjoying a little 4.5 with us!

Attention, SEGA Fans! We have a special Fall sale for the Apple iPhone. Lots of great games are getting discounts up to 80% off, so from now until November 30th is your chance to save on this iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad titles.

Here’s the low-down:

Super Monkey Ball 2 $5.99 $1.99
Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition $7.99 $2.99
Phantasy Star II $4.99 $0.99
Golden Axe $2.99 $0.99
ChuChu Rocket! $2.99 $0.99
ChuChu Rocket! HD $4.99 $2.99
Sonic 4, Episode 1 $6.99 $4.99

There you go — this sale is just a limited time to kick off the holiday season so check it out while you can, because on December 1st prices will be back to normal!

The holiday giving season kicks off this weekend, and SEGA games are being featured in some of the best gift-giving guides!

1UP

1UP has chosen the following games for their guide:

Bayonetta (X360 and PS3)

Vanquish (X360 and PS3)

Yakuza 3 (PS3)

Chu Chu Rocket (iPhone)

After Burner Climax (PSN)

Valkyria Chronicles II (PSP)

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I (PSN)

Gamespot

Gamespot also has their gift guide up, and has chosen the following SEGA games for their guide:

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (DS)

Valkyria Chronicles II (PSP)

Bayonetta (X360)

Whether you’re looking for a gift to give, or trying to put your own wish list together, let these guides help you pick the perfect thing!

Hey everyone!

We hope you’re all excited for tonight’s big event! From Valkyria Chronicles to Phantasy Star to Sonic 4, we’ve got cool things in store – including food (and chocolate)!

Because demand for space was big really big astronomically high, we’ve also booked a fourth room to help accommodate more guests. First things first – here’s the final guest 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.
56. Matt L.
57. Randall Miyashiro
58. Travis Girard
59. Drew Girard
60. Michael T.
61. Farris D.
62. Owen S.
63. Jason L.
64. Jonathan Lee
65. Frank Du
66. Oliver W.
67. Selena
68. Anthony C.
69. Sandra S.
70. Joel P.
71. Joel P’s brother (needs name confirmation)

Finding SEGA

There are two entrances to SEGA: one on Kansas street and one on Rhode Island street. For this event, please make sure to use the Kansas entrance, as it’s the one we’ve secured for the evening so that the doors don’t lock you or your family out, etc.

Once you come in from the Kansas side, you’ll see a number of Rappies guiding your way. They’ll lead you to the doors, then to the elevators, and from there you’ll want to head up to the Fourth floor. We’ll be there ready to check people in starting at 5:00 PM!

What kind of food will there be?

We’ve ordered some very yummy sandwiches and some even more yummy dessert to feed you guys with. We’ve also picked up a fairly wide variety of soda (super healthy!), so whether you’re a Coke, Pepsi, or even a Mountain Dew person, your drink of choice will be there!

Is there parking nearby?

The best spots to park will be in the blocks nearby – De Haro and Carolina, which are only a couple blocks away, may also have parking. If you go up the hill a little on either Rhode Island or Kansas streets, you may also find some parking spots to use!

What kind of prizes are you giving away?

That’s a secret! You’ll have to wait and see what we’ve got in store.

We’re looking forward to seeing all of you guys tonight – and sorry that we couldn’t fit in everyone who wanted to come! The high demand for this event is a great sign for the future, though – if you guys want more, we’ll make them happen.

See you tonight!

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!