We’ve got 3 exciting Sonic the Hedgehog adventures available for the PC digital download market today!

A few awesome pieces of news for you: first and foremost, Sonic CD has arrived on the PC, for sale now on PC digital download stores! Ushering in this arrival is a special Steam deal: buy Sonic CD and get unique costumes for SEGA and Three Rings’ multiplayer adventure, Spiral Knights!

And! If that wasn’t enough, we do have more: Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I is now also on PC digital download … along with brand-new DLC for Sonic Generations, the fabulous flipper-fingered fun of Casino Night Zone, inspired by Sonic 2.

That was the short version … check below for some choice additional details!

Sonic CD

We promised you it was on the way, and here it is!

Bringing back the 1993 classic, Sonic CD brought the blue guy to the Sega CD/Mega Drive back in 1993. A beloved and celebrated game playing with all the elements that helped make the original two Sonic games so much fun, Sonic CD wasn’t just a CD version of the original game, but a whole new story set to great levels (with terrific music, naturally). There isn’t much more to say — check out this great game for yourself!

Sonic on Spiral Knights!

To be more accurate, it’s Tails and Metal Sonic in Spiral Knights … Available for a limited time!

Spiral Knights is a Three Rings developed / SEGA published free-to-play adventure … while I could say much, much more about the game, let’s cut to the chase — These items and offer are currently available only until February 1st, so act soon!

Here’s what you can get and how you can get it:

• ‘Metal Sonic’ costume: inspired by Metal Sonic, this outfit is available for FREE, for a limited time, with any purchase of Sonic CD over Steam. Also available with an energy purchase in-game! This costume item can be worn over your regular, functional armor.
• ‘Tails’ tails accessory: Who doesn’t want two adorable tails trailing them wherever they go? Show your Foxy pride with this bushy extension — attaches & binds to an existing piece of armor, yours forever and ever! Available in-game in Spiral Knights with an energy purchase — see in-game for details! (Please note that due to certain aerodynamic properties — or lack thereof — of Knights, the Tails accessory will not enable you to actually fly. If you must attempt to fly, please, try taking off from the ground first!)

Also: Here’s a sneak-preview video of the models for the outfit and accessory, as well as a quick look at what the Metal Sonic outfit looks like in-game!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I and Sonic Generations DLC

Today truly is a blue day: In addition to the above, the long-in-the-making sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I is being added to the library of Sonic volumes available on PC digital download!

Finally, joining it will be a brand new Sonic Generations DLC, Casino Night Zone!

Based on the legendary (and legendarily addictive) Casino Night Zone of Sonic 2, this DLC is now available for Sonic Generations on PC digital download. We sincerely hope you enjoy the chance to revisit this colorful and mesmerizing level!

We have been working closely with RHM Solutions on Sonic Merchandise since last year and are now pleased to announce the official launch of the online store for Sonic the Hedgehog merchandise in Europe. To celebrate there will be a fantastic offer of 15% discount across all stock available (excluding items already discounted). Customers will simply need to use the promotional code JANSALE15 when prompted, and the offer runs until the end of January 2012 with no limit on the amount of times it can be used! Although currently only live in Europe, plans are in place to launch a similar store for the USA and other American markets at a later date. So what are you waiting for? Visit the store NOW! Sonic Merchandise

Act fast Xbox 360 Sonic Fans! Today is the ONLY day to pick up your favorite games at extremely discounted prices! Prices so low, they’re crazy!

Sonic the Hedgehog was 400MSP, is now 160MSP!
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was 400MSP, is now 160MSP!
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was 400MSP, is now 160MSP!
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 was 800MSP, is now 320MSP!
Sonic Adventure was 800MSP, is now 320MSP!
Sonic Adventure Upgrade was 400MSP, is now 160MSP!

Don’t delay, you only have today to get these deals at this price!

You may have seen these tees for sale at Summer of Sonic or around the web, but unless you live in the UK, you’ve been unable to get one for yourself. Until today!

We’re excited to announce that beginning today, all of the officially licensed Sonic merchandise from Insert Coin Clothing is also available in the following regions: United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Europe Middle East Africa.

In addition to the Eggman tee above, there’s a “Team Sonic” tee, seen below.

These tees come in both guys and girls styles, and Insert Coin is offering free worldwide shipping. So what are you waiting for? Get ordering and show your Sonic pride!

We’re excited to reveal the 20th Anniversary figurine for Sonic the Hedgehog! These are extremely limited edition, with only 1,000 made in the world. They feature modern Sonic with classic Sonic in the monitor, the 20th Anniversary logo, and a base modeled after Green Hill Zone.

One interesting note is that there are two different versions of these figurines, one specifically for the US and another one for the rest of the world. The reason for this is that the image in the monitor was taken from the original Sonic the Hedgehog game, which appeared slightly differently between the 2 versions. We wanted to be true to that history, so we made different versions of the figurine. The version you see here is the non-US  version.

These will not be sold anywhere, but you still might be able to get your hands on one… you never know when or where they might pop up! Here are some more photos of the figurines being made:

And here are the final versions! First, the US version:

And the non-US version:

Screw Attack’s Deathbattle is a series of dream clashes, with characters from various games meeting up to fight to the death. Today’s match up features Vegeta from Dragonball Z sparing against Shadow the Hedgehog.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shadow fans, spoilers ahoy, you may not like the outcome – but, the question must be asked – did Screw Attack miss precious details of Shadow, his powers, and his tactics? How would you see it play out?

Don’t hold back, because the next battle is Mario vs Sonic and we need the Screw Attack folks to know that we won’t sit quiet on a fight of this magnitude!

Of all the Sonic remixes we’ve had the pleasure of hearing, there are a handful that stand out as truly impressive works of art. One of those artists can be found on YouTube by the name of Ubergrau.

As we all head home for the holiday weekend, we’d like to share with you some of our favorite remixes from his collection. Take a listen below, and if you like what you hear, you can find his full set here!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Have an excellent, chocolate-egg-filled Easter weekend, everyone!

In case you’ve missed it we have, right now, a huge selection of our Xbox Live Arcade titles on sale — 19 in all, as well as all avatar items discounted until April 25th. The full list of discounted titles with old and new prices is below, so let’s get to that:

And, as I said, all of the avatar items are discounted as well. There is what I would call a plethora — a wealth — of titles here; a wide variety. Something for everyone!

Many of these — particularly those involving rapid hedgehogs — you are all quite familiar with. They need no introduction. Some of these I feel compelled to call out: I had almost forgotten some existed on XBLA until now, and others are simply games I love to talk about at every opportunity.

For the record, many Sonic games are on sale. By which I mean, all of them. Sonic and the 2nd one and the one with Knuckles and the other one with Knuckles; Sonic 4 and the one with Knuckles and Big the Cat.

After Burner Climax

There is never a wrong time for After Burner Climax — it represents both SEGA’s arcade lineage and some of the most mind-bending arcade technology ever delivered. For me, it reaches back to one of my favorite 80s games, the 8-bit version of the original arcade title. A challenging game that invites you to blaze through it over and over, in glorious HD.

Phantasy Star II

Honor bound to mention this title, as I continue to represent the series to this day and the originals are some of the finest examples of the genre. A step up from the insidious grinding of the Master System original, Phantasy Star 2 has excellent heroes and villains to spend your time with.

Cyber Troopers Virtual On Oratorio Tangram

One of the first titles I ever wrote about as a Community Manager here, this is one I’d nearly forgotten about. Seeing it on sale a) warms my heart and b) makes me want to turn into a giant robot and blow other robots up. This game boasts one of the most awesome titles on XBLA and is, in fact, one of the coolest games in the genre. That genre is “robots who fight each other”; with multiplayer and a pedigree from the finest in Japanese robot battlin’ entertainment, what are you waiting for?

Streets of Rage 2

Because it’s Streets of Rage 2, for goodness sakes. The best side-scrolling brawler of the 90s, and therefore, of all-time. The music was excellent, and it was incredibly realistic, in that you could heal yourself by turkey legs concealed under breakable objects while fighting off swarms of thugs with co-ordinated names and jean jackets. I’ve heard Tokyo is actually a lot like this.

Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure

The advanced guard of the Dreamcast’s digital return — Sonic and friends adventure across the expanse of the Dreamcast platform in Sonic Adventure, in a unique combination of high speed action, epic story, and puzzle-based adventure. Meanwhile, Crazy Taxi turns you loose on streets that unmistakably pay homage to my own city of San Francisco, featuring an incredibly realistic driving sim of what it is actually like to drive in this city arcade-fueled driving mayhem. For the screenshot here, I picked my favorite one — the one where the car is driving fast and all crazy, and in which you are making crazy money.

Ecco the Dolphin

The most eerie, haunting, difficult, and enchanting game you could possibly have devised of an adorable dolphin searching for his lost pod. Rumors of a next gen sequel are unconfirmed as of press time.

Shinobi

The original, the arcade version, the quarter taking, green ninja wasting, shuriken flinging, advancing wall of spinning-head boss-round having, Joe Musashi-introducing master of side-scrolling 2D old-school excellence. I remember playing this one in the local Safeway back in nineteen eighty-something, thinking I could master it because I had the Master System version at home. I was wrong. This one is hard. Ninjitsu!

Thanks to Raki from SegaShiro for making this sweet Red Cross/Dreamcast/Play for Japan graphic for us!

Earlier this week, we listed several items on eBay for auction, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Red Cross for relief efforts in Japan. The response was overwhelming — we received several thousand dollars in bids, with many items going for $300 or more. Thank you to all who bid, and will continue to bid, on these items.

We sent an email to all employees at SEGA of America to let them know what we were doing, and many people wanted to help out. Yesterday was a parade of people coming by our desks with items to donate for auction. Many of these items are from their own personal collections, and are things that they’ve held on to for years. We also got some people internally to sign items in the hopes that it would increase the auction value. Everyone at SEGA has pitched in to help with this, and we just can’t thank them enough. We’re honored to work with amazing people here at SEGA.

One of the things we heard from a few folks after our first set of items went up was that they would like to bid and contribute, but they didn’t have enough money to bid on items that were listed. Because of that, we’ve listed some smaller/less rare items in the hopes that everyone will be able to find something that fits their interest and budget. Even if you can’t or choose not to bid, we need your support! Please help us in spreading the word to friends, family, and fellow gamers about our auction.

Not all of our items are on the smaller scale, though. We’ve got several really valuable items, including a prize so awesome that I still have a hard time believing that we’re giving it up. You can see all of our new prizes in the photos and item descriptions, along with links to bid, below.

We will be listing even more items in the coming days, so keep watching for new stuff! And thanks again for all your support. SEGA fans ROCK!!

Video

Click here to view the embedded video.

Official Bayonetta Costume

Seriously? Seriously.

We are incredibly excited to offer this for auction. If you were at E3, Comic Con, or saw coverage of events where we had our live Bayonetta model, then you’ve seen this item in action. This is the completely original, totally custom-made, incredibly accurate and detailed Bayonetta costume. It’s truly the only one like it in the world.

The costume does include the wig (and foam head) with ribbons and chains, the bodysuit, the gloves and the boots. This costume does NOT include the glasses or the guns. The bodysuit has all of the details you’d expect from an accurate representation of the character, including the round chest piece, chains on the front and back of the costume, and more.

Because it was custom-made to fit our Bayonetta model, we don’t have a numbered size for it. However, you can examine the photos above and below to see the size of the bodysuit. The boots are a size 10. The wig should fit most heads. The gloves should fit most hands/arms.

Bid on this item!

Sonic the Hedgehog 15th Anniversary Figurine

What you’re looking at was part of a figurine series created to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog’s 15th Anniversary back in 2006. This figurine is about 4 inches tall, and is of excellent quality and detail. It was owned by a SEGA of America employee, who took care of it at his desk, and is now donating it to help with Japan relief efforts.

The figurine features modern-style Sonic and comes with a black base that reads “SONIC” on the front. On the top of the base, just in front of where Sonic stands, is the official Sonic 15th Anniversary Logo, marking the piece as part of the 15th Anniversary Collector’s series. Sonic’s arms are slightly bendable, but this figurine is meant for collectors, and is not recommended for playing with, chewing on, or using to save the world. (That said, sometimes Eggman just needs a good beating!)

As part of the 15th Anniversary set, this figurine is also unique from the Sonic Statue, which is larger and limited to a run of 2500. (We also have one of these up for charity auction – check our full listing page for info!)

Bid on this item!

Signed Vanquish Art & Statue

What you’re looking at is a signed glossy art piece from the PlatinumGames team featuring Inaba-san and Mikami-san signatures and a very special and highly detailed statue from the Vanquish Videogame. The signed art images were hand signed by the development team in preparation for the game release. The Vanquish statue was part of the original pre-order offering in Europe. This particular statue was donated by our marketing director and has been unopened, still in its original packaging!

Bid on this item!

Super Monkey Ball AiAi T-Shirt

This is one of a few hundred AiAi shirts made for Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll. It is a replica of the shirt that AiAi wears in the game. These were given out to Nintendo World Store employees that worked our launch event at the store, as well as internally to SEGA employees. It is a size Medium.

Bid on this item!

Project Needlemouse “Team Needlemouse” T-Shirt

This is a limited edition, super-rare Project Needlemouse t-shirt that was created for SEGA employees working on Sonic 4. If there was one T-shirt that Sonic fans are constantly asking about, this is it – and for good reason, too: only about 250 of these T-shirts exist in the entire world, and most of them were given out at Comic-con and internally to the teams working on Sonic the Hedgehog 4, back when the game was code-named Project Needlemouse.

This is one of our last remaining new Project Needlemouse t-shirts here at SEGA, and we think that there are few better reasons to donate it than to help Japan in this time of need.

The shirt features the Sonic Silhouette and reads ‘PROJECT NEEDLEMOUSE’ above it on the front. The left sleeve features the SEGA logo, and the right sleeve reads “TEAM NEEDLEMOUSE – 9.09.09″. This date is a reference to two things: the first reveal of Project Needlemouse, and also the original launch of the Dreamcast, which launched on a similar 9.9.99 date.

The shirt is size XL.

Bid on this item!

Ryo Hazuki Figurine – in Forklift!

Attention Shenmue fans! This figurine of Ryo Hazuki in his forklift is one of only 1,000 in the world! They were made to promote Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, which features Ryo and his forklift as his All-Star move. Now is your chance to own one! The figure is 5 inches tall.

Bid on this item!

MADWORLD T-Shirt

What you’re seeing here is one of the first edition T-shirts in SEGA’s popular MADWORLD series. While later versions of this popular shirt would show up at NYCC, this is a new, unworn, original T-shirt, given only to select press and SEGA employees back when SEGA and Platinum Games first announced their major partnership in San Francisco. It is a size Medium

The shirt is a play on the quirky nature of MADWORLD – and the fact that you can stab people in the head with CAUTION signs. Beyond being part of the super-limited first run, you can also tell this shirt apart from the later variants by the sheer size of the “CAUTION” sign on the front, which is huge and bright on the first edition set.

If you’re a fan of MADWORLD or Platinum Games, this is your one – and perhaps only – chance to score one of the first edition promo items from one of the most graphic games on the Wii!

Bid on this item!

Japanese Bayonetta for X360 and PS3

You are bidding on two Japanese copies of Bayonetta on PlayStation3 and Xbox 360, as donated by our PR Team to help Japan with relief efforts. The games are both sealed and never been used. The Xbox 360 version requires a Japanese Xbox 360 to play, however if so desired, the PlayStation3 version is region free and should work in any console. A collector’s item for anyone looking to expand their Bayonetta collection!

Bid on this item!

Sonic Colors Soundtrack from Japan – Signed!

This is the original soundtrack to Sonic Colors/Colours from Japan! These are not available for purchase outside of Japan, so this is your chance to get one! It is a 3 disc set, with 83 songs in total. To make it even better, the Sonic Colors marketing team from SEGA of America (Judy, Thu & Kellie) has signed the insert!

Bid on this item!

MegaDrive Collection Vinyl

What you’re looking at is a very special and extremely limited Megadrive Ultimate Collection Vinyl Record. Originally offered as a pre-order incentive for Australia for the Megadrive collection, this record has never been listened to and comes in near mint condition. This is a massive collectors item for anyone that loves Megadrive / Genesis and wants to celebrate some of the classic tracks from years gone by. This particular record was donated from Derrek P, Brand Manager here at Sega of America who worked on the title release.

Details about the album:

* Extremely RARE Megadrive / Genesis Limited Edition Vinyl Soundtrack
* Never been listened to, extremely good condition, #85
* Vinyl color is SEGA blue!
* Tracks include: Space Harrier – Main Theme, Ristar – Star Humming, Vectorman – Day 3 (Tidal Surge), Golden Axe – Turtle Village, Phantasy Star II – Restoration, and Vectorman 2 – Scene 18

Bid on this item now!

Samuel L. Jackson Signed Iron Man 2 Promo Card

This is a thin cardboard (posterboard) promo card for the Iron Man 2 game, signed by Samuel L. Jackson.

Details about the card:

* Authentic, original signature
* Signed by Samuel L. Jackson
* Size: 8.5 inches x 11 inches

Bid on this item now!

Sonic the Hedgehog Notebook from 1993

Take note, Sonic fans – or take lots of notes, because this rare Sonic notebook from 1993 is completely unused and in awesome condition. And, unless you happened to live in Brazil in 1993, chances are this is one piece of Sonic merchandise you don’t already own!

Inside the book is some Sonic art from the early 90′s era, including everyone’s favorite sidekick – Tails!
Whether you’d like to write in the notebook, or add it as the latest part of your Sonic collection, one fact remains – this thing is pretty awesome!

Details about the Sonic Notebook:

* Made in 1993, and still in great, unused quality
* Features classic Sonic and Tails, and a whole lot of space to write.
* Rare, imported from Brazil

(Thanks to all of our fans who pointed out this was from Brazil, not Mexico. )

Bid on this item now!

Don Cheadle Signed Iron Man 2 Promo Card

This is a thin cardboard (posterboard) promo card for the Iron Man 2 game, signed by Don Cheadle.

Details about the card:

* Authentic, original signature
* Signed by Don Cheadle
* Size: 8.5 inches x 11 inches

Bid on this now!

SEGA Branded Ladies Watch

Hey Ladies, what time is it? It’s time to bid on an extremely RARE SEGA watch! This watch was created for SEGA of America employees as a holiday gift, only a handful were created and distributed, however the exact number is unknown. The watch was donated by Judy G, Brand Manager here at Sega of America and who might also be late to tomorrow’s meeting!

Details about the Watch:

* Extremely RARE Ladies style SEGA Watch
* Never worn or used
* Fully functional
* Tells time!

Bid on this item now!

Sonic Free Riders Soundtrack from Japan

This is the original soundtrack to Sonic Free Riders from Japan! These are not available for purchase outside of Japan, so this is your chance to get one! The CD has 12 tracks on it.

Details about the soundtrack:

* 12 songs
* Not available for purchase outside of Japan
* Still in the original shrink wrap

Bid on this item now!

Sonic the Hedgehog Boombox

You are bidding on an official Sonic the Hedgehog CD Boombox, with AM/FM Radio. Plug your head phones in! Works with your MP3 Player! Listen to all your favorite Sonic classic songs (not included) and impress your friends with this awesome Sonic merchandise!

Bid on this item!

Sonic Colours UK Limited Edition Pack – DS

This is a limited edition Sonic Colours pack that was only available in the UK. It contains the Sonic Colours game for the Nintendo DS as well as a Sonic figurine and several Wisps from the game. The game’s cover and manual have been signed by the Sonic Colours marketing team at SEGA of America — Judy, Thu, and Kellie.

Bid on this item now!

Super Monkey Ball & Valkyria Chronicles Pins

Looking for a hip way to show off your SEGA pride, donate to a good cause, and not break the bank in doing so? Perhaps these limited edition Super Monkey Ball & Valkyria Chronicle pins will help you get there! The pins were created for promotional use at the Penny Arcade Expo and given out to fans who visited the SEGA booth.

Bid on this item now!

Sonic Colours UK Limited Edition Signed – Wii

This is a limited edition Sonic Colours pack that was only available in the UK. It contains the Sonic Colours game for the Nintendo Wii as well as a Sonic figurine and several Wisps from the game. The game’s cover and manual have been signed by the Sonic Colours marketing team at SEGA of America — Judy, Thu, and Kellie.

Bid on this item!

SEGA Director’s Notebook

Yes, you read that correctly. This is a special, SEGA Branded, high-class professional-style notebook. Until today, it was owned and used by SEGA of America’s own Marketing Director. Now, you too can feel the awe-inspiring power of a SEGA director by possessing their book! (… or something like that.)

The notebook itself is a black and a light, iridescent blue, and features a zipper protecting the paper and pockets inside – and this thing has a lot of pockets. It’s perfect for jotting down notes about the next upcoming SEGA game, how awesome the SEGA of America Community Team is, or how you’re totally planning to give them a raise in the next fiscal year. (Because, you know, that’s what Directors do!)

Rumor has it this Notebook was even down through generations from each SEGA Director to the next over the last two-hundred and fifty years. Other rumors state that it holds the power to create world peace, and that using this notebook while wearing a “three wolves howling at the moon” shirt will amplify your natural Director powers, instantly transforming you into a qualified, bona fide leader. Please note that we have not tested either of these rumors to confirm their validity.

In short, it’s a sweet, classy, SEGA branded Notebook, once owned by our Marketing Director.

Details about the Notebook:

* Owned and used by a SEGA America Marketing Director
* Will make you feel just like a real SEGA Director!*
* Use this Notebook while wearing a “three wolves howling at the moon” shirt to amplify natural leadership powers!

*: Effectiveness at transforming regular people into SEGA Directors has not yet been fully tested. There’s a slight chance you might feel just like a normal person holding a very, very special Notebook.

Bid on this item!

SEGA Saturn Game Gloves

Planning on a long gaming session of your favorite old school SEGA classics, but lack the proper attire? Look no further, we have a very special and extremely rare auction for a pair of Saturn Game Gloves. These were donated by one of our SEGA producers, Omar W., who held on to these gems for several years, waiting and training to be the best gamer there ever was. Now, this pair of gloves can be yours, complete with padded thumbs!

Details about the Game Gloves:

* Branded SEGA Saturn
* Super Cool Gloves for Video game play, bike riding, playing sports – or just having fun!
* Padded thumbs
* Fits ages 14 and up

Bid on this item!

Sonic the Hedgehog Backpack

What would it be like to give Sonic a piggyback ride everywhere you went? You can find out with this Sonic the Hedgehog backpack! Thanks to adjustable straps connecting Sonic’s hands and feet, Sonic can be with you all day to help you carry your stuff. Not a lot of stuff though… the backpack portion is accessible through a zip pocket in Sonic’s stomach and doesn’t really hold more than a few items. But still — an adorable item for any kid, or just a kid at heart.

Bid on this item!

Sonic & Knuckles Race Set

Fan of Sonic & Sega’s Allstars racing and looking for even more Sonic racing action? Look no further! Now you too can join in the fun with Sonic or Knuckles in this racing set, featuring 8 feet of track! What fun!

Bid on this item now!

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing – Tails & Plane Figurine

Tails flew his plane in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, and that’s commemorated in this figurine set.

Details about the figurine:

* High-quality, detailed Tails figurine
* Part of the Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Set
* Size: 5 inches tall

Bid on this item!

Valkyria Chronicles JPN

For Gallia – and Japan! This super-rare Limited Edition box set for the epic PS3 game Valkyria Chronicles is being auctioned off straight from SEGA to help raise funds for Japan relief efforts.

The box itself is in almost-new condition, and includes a special Alicia figurine, an extremely detailed Edelweiss Tank figurine, the Japanese edition of the pre-order Artbook, and the game itself. Only available in Japan, the copy of the game will also work in US and European PS3 systems.

The Alicia figurine is also a unique version not available in other Valkyria Chronicles figurine sets. The only way to pick it up is through this Box Set!

Details about the Limited Edition Box Set:

* Rare, Limited Edition Box Set from Japan.
* Includes the Game (PS3, JPN), Alicia Figurine, Edelweiss figurine, and Artbook.
* The perfect addition to any Valkyria Chronicles collection – especially if you like tanks!

Bid on this item!

SEGA Cards, Dreamcast Postcards, and SEGA Pen

This set includes two SEGA holiday cards that were sent to friends, partners, and business associates at the end of the year. One features Sonic the Hedgehog on a snowboard, and the other features Bayonetta, AiAi, Sonic, and the Alien from AVP – all kickin’ it by the fire in holiday sweaters (of frankly questionable taste).

This set also includes 6 Dreamcast-era postcard – 3 of each style. The first features Seaman and the quote “Get a life, fruitcake.” That lovely holiday sentiment is followed up by a lady in her recliner, speaking to Seaman on her Dreamcast microphone.

You’ll need something to write on all this paper with, so we’ve included a SEGA pen.

Bid on this item!

Sonic the Hedgehog MP3 Player

This Sonic the Hedgehog MP3 player holds 500 songs (it’s 2GB) and comes with earbuds. What else could you want in an MP3 player? Well, I’ll tell you. It opens and closes.(!!) I know, It’s crazy. But I know it’s true, because it’s right there on the package. What is the world coming to.

Bid on this item!

Planet 51 Movie Art Book – Signed!

This is a hardcover, full-color book featuring art from the Planet 51 movie. If you’re into animation, this is a great item to have. The front of the book is signed by Marcella Churchill, who was the Brand Manager at SEGA of America for the Planet 51 game.

Bid on this item!

Crazy Taxi Art – Signed

This rare piece of art was signed in late 2010 to celebrate the release of Crazy Taxi on PSN and XBLA. If you’ve got crazy money (or just the highest bid), it’s yours!

Details about the art:

* 8.5 inches x 11 inches
* Glossy artwork
* Signed & dated

Bid on this item!

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood Cover – Signed!

This is a cover for the Nintendo DS game Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. It is signed by the entire BioWare dev team that worked on the game. And it is awesome.

Details about the cover:

* Cover of Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
* Signed by entire BioWare Dev Team
* Awesome

Bid on this item!

The Epic Soniclock!

***Own the most epic, rare Sonic Clock in the history of the world!***

You probably thought we were joking about that whole “Most epic Sonic Clock in the whole world” part, right? To understand the value of this masterpiece, one first needs to know its history…

This clock was originally given out for free to a SEGA event attendee last year. Apparently that person wasn’t a huge fan of Sonic, and in a gesture that was probably meant to insult us, he destroyed part of the clock and then put it up on Ebay. The rest of the Sonic community was appalled, until…

One of the other attendees from that same event bid on the clock – and won it. And then the story got 10x better: The winner wrote around the edges of the clock, in a personalized message to SEGA and our Sonic 4 Brand Manager Ken: “The Sonic(lock) Cycle as you truly imagined it!”

For Christmas that year, we here at SEGA received a package – and within it, we got our clock back. You can check out the full blog detailing the awesome return here: http://bit.ly/h9rXDN

Now, we have decided to end (or continue?) this story where it began: Ebay. We’ve upgraded the clock, adding a new “Biker-Balough” picture to the 12:00 spot, and have repaired the rest of it through large amounts of super glue and excessive strips of tape. The Soniclock has been upgraded to a new level, and by bidding on this piece of SEGA Community history, you can also help those in need in Japan!

Details about the Soniclock:

* Features Ken “Biker” Balough at 12:00!
* Signed by Ken Balough on the side. Reads: “It’s Biker Balough O-clock! -Ken”
* Also signed by Community member Skyler, who originally saved the clock here on Ebay.

Bid on this item!

Virtua Fighter 5 – Signed

Signed by the Japanese development team, this rare copy of Virtua Fighter 5 for PS3 is among some of the rarest items we’re auctioning off to support Japan. As you can see in the picture, a number of big names from the VF team signed in silver, and this copy is truly one-of-a-kind if you’re a collector of rare SEGA or Virtua Fighter merchandise.

Both the signed case and the actual game for PS3 are included in this auction. To all our Virtua Fighter addicts out there – good luck!

Bid on this item!

THANK YOU!

That’s all the items in our second batch, but we’re already collecting more for a third! We’ve got some good stuff coming up too… stay tuned!

Today, it’s time to give back!

People across the world have felt the effects of the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan. As someone who was there when it all happened, we saw firsthand many of the challenges that the Japanese people are now going through. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial that we all do our part to help those who truly need it.

Here at SEGA, we’ve decided to gather some of the rarest, most unique items we could find, and we’re auctioning them all off right now, donating 100% of the funds to the Red Cross to assist in Japan relief efforts.

If you’re a SEGA fan, this is your chance – bid on super rare SEGA merchandise, and do your part to help Japan in this crucial time of need.

To all those in the SEGA Community – let’s get this started!

Yakuza Track Jacket

A super-rare, high-quality Yakuza Track Jacket! Originally valued at over $200, we’ve started the bidding at .99 cents! This jacket is officially licensed from Ryu Ga Gotoku, or “Yakuza” here in the west. It looks and feels like one of the most epic jackets you could ever own – and, if Nagoshi himself is willing to wear it, it probably is.

You can also see this item in today’s edition of “On the Spot” over at Gamespot!

Bid on this item now!

Dreamcast Hoodie

We created these for the recently-release Dreamcast Collection, and they’ve been super popular ever since. We’ve given away many of them through Free Stuff Friday and partnerships with other sites, but we still get asked all the time how people can buy one of them. Until today, the answer was that you can’t. This is your chance to pay for a hoodie — just be the highest bidder, and its yours. We have sizes XS, M, L, and XL (sorry, we’re out of smalls!).

Bid on this item now!

Dreamcast Bag

This is from the Dreamcast days… a big bag to hold all your stuff. We found this in our old office, rescued it, and have been hanging on to it for several years now, just waiting for the right occasion to part with it. This is it! It is a big bag (about 17 inches wide and 15 inches tall) and was originally intended to hold your Dreamcast console, controllers, etc. It could be used for that, or as a cool computer or book bag. There is one zippered pocket on the front (just above the logo), and it zips open to reveal one interior front pocket and 4 smaller mesh pockets on the back to organize your stuff. It has two handles at the top for hand carrying, a shoulder strap, and also some backpack straps, if that’s how you choose to roll.

Bid on this item now!

Yakuza 4 Officially Licensed T-Shirt from Japan

This is an amazing shirt. It’s officially licensed, and has the Ryu Ga Gotoku tag still on it. It’s a black long-sleeve shirt in a size XL, but it’s a Japanese XL so it’s smaller than a US size XL. But you may not even want to wear it, because it’s so pretty! The front, sleeves, and back have a tattoo design in gold — as you can see, it’s very intricate and shiny. This shirt sells in Japan for approximately $110 US, so it’s definitely rare and valuable!

Bid on this item now!

Valkyria Chroncles – Signed copy for PS3

One of SEGA’s best games for the PS3 – and perhaps one of the best games on the console itself – this is a rare chance to pick up a shiny copy of Valkyria Chronicles, signed by two key members of the Japanese development team. This includes Ryutaro Nonaka, the game’s producer from SEGA of Japan! The winning bid scores both the open case and a brand-new, unopened copy of the game, still in its original shrink-wrap. How’s that for awesome?

Bid on this item now!

Yakuza 4 US Promo T-Shirt

While less rare than the Yakuza shirt above it, this is still a pretty rare item. We made 500 of these shirts to promote Yakuza 4, and just because they are more subtle than your average game t-shirt doesn’t mean it’s any less awesome. We have these in size M, L, or XL (winner picks their size). It’s a black short-sleeve shirt with a tattoo design over the shoulder, and the Yakuza 4 logo on the opposite sleeve. The screenprint design continues over the shoulder and on to the back of the shirt.

Bid on this item now!

Sonic Colors Kiosk Art

This is art that was originally placed in demo kiosks for Sonic Colors. Now it could be yours! There are 6 pieces in total, each with a different design of Sonic and his Wisp friends from the game. Each piece is about 28 inches tall and 9 inches wide, and they’d look great hanging on your wall!

Bid on this item now!

Virtua Tennis Sweatbands

These are some brand-new promo items for the upcoming Virtua Tennis 4 game. Keep your forehead dry during long jogs or some marathon gaming sessions. You get 5 sweatbands in total — one in each color we made — to keep yourself cool.

Bid on this item now!

Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll Promo Poster Art

This is a piece of promo art that we used at several locations during the promotion of Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll. It’s a really big poster — 28 inches wide and 35 inches tall — and it’s mounted on heavy 1/4 inch foam core. This is a piece of art that will stand the test of time!

Bid on this item now!

OutRun Art – Signed by Yu Suzuki

If this looks familiar to you, you’re probably a frequent Free Stuff Friday viewer/participant. This was one of our prizes for last week’s giveaway. The winner contacted us and asked to donate it to an auction to benefit relief in Japan, and we were happy to oblige. Thanks to @bdavid81, who gave up his prize for auction.

Bid on this item now!

Yakuza 4 – Model Car Kit

Nothing says “I was once top boss of the Tojo clan” like a painmobile. (Well, that’s the literal translation, at least.) This rare Yakuza Model Car Kit comes to us from Japan, and includes a ton of awesome car stickers for use as decals! Instructions might be in Japanese, but thankfully, the box itself has enough English to tell you what you need to get this model put together and painted up.

Bid on this item now!

The House of the Dead: OVERKILL – Promo “Meat” Package

This is a medium-sized (12 inches by 7 inches) package wrapped in brown butcher’s paper and packing tape with a House of the Dead OVERKILL logo sticker on the front. Inside is a styrofoam tray similar to what you’d find in a butcher shop. On that will be a fake body part of some kind — a hand, a foot, an internal organ — we don’t know what it is, because the package is unopened! So, have a heart, and you may get a heart in return!

P.S. – Not for kids!

Bid on this item now!

Sonic the Hedgehog Limited Edition Lanyard

This is a black ribbon-style lanyard with the running sprite animation from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. We made these for PAX Prime 2010, and they were a monster hit. If you didn’t get a chance to pick one up, you can do so now — and for a good cause, too!

Bid on this item now!

MADWORLD Gamestop Manager’s  Pre-order Kit

Better watch your step! This is a kit that was handed out to GameStop managers and employees before the launch of MADWORLD. It is a MADWORLD-branded box, that has the SEGA and GameStop logo on it as well as “MADWORLD Employee Kit” on it. Inside, there is a big red plastic button (like the Staples “easy” button) that takes 3 AAA batteries and makes a chainsaw noise when pressed. The kit also contains a bag of “Pre-Order Today” buttons with the MADWORLD logo on them, and a package of MADWORLD stickers. These stickers have the “Caution” sign design that was used throughout the marketing campaign. The box also includes a flyer for GameStop store managers.

Bid on this item now!

Sonic Classic Collection – Signed by Ken Balough

The cover of this game has been autographed in silver pen by Ken Balough, who many Sonic fans know as the SEGA Brand Manager for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I. The front cover says “Sonic 4 games in one as you truly imagined it – Ken”. This is a blend of two recurring jokes: The first came about from the SEGA US community managers teasing that this was “Sonic 4 … games in one”. We made this joke several times on our blogs and Free Stuff Friday videos, and it’s possible that it is only funny to us. The second part, “as you truly imagined it” is a quote from Ken himself, and it became a meme within the Sonic community. Ken is a great guy, and doesn’t mind laughing at himself, so he signed this on the game for a lucky fan to cherish.

Bid on this item now!

Valkyria Chronicles – Rare Promo Poster Art

What you’re looking at is one of the rarest pieces of original Valkyria Chronicles promotional merch in the west. Featuring Welkin Gunther, Alicia Melchiott, and their tank the Edelweiss, this beautiful piece of art was printed on a huge piece of glossy, thick posterboard, and was one of three pieces of promo Art used at the Valkyria Chronicles Launch Event in San Francisco.  Now you can bid on this exclusive piece of promo art and help Japan at the same time!

Bid on this item now!

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams Pillowcase

Dream delight! One of the more unique pieces of promotional merchandise we’ve ever created, this NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams pillowcase is the perfect addition to any NiGHTS fan’s collection. (Not to mention, you can actually sleep on it!)

Bid on this item now!

Yakuza 4 Japanese Promo Fan

This is a fan that we picked up at the Tokyo Game Show in 2009. It’s got a tattoo design and the Japanese website for Yakuza 4 on one side, and the Japanese logo for the game on the other.

Bid on this item now!

Check them out on video!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Want to see some of the items above on film? Check out the video we’ve put together to show them off on YouTube! Almost all of the items listed are shown, though we’ve had even more items join the auction pool after filming.

Good luck, and happy bidding!

On behalf of all of us here at SEGA, thank you to everyone to who bids and donates to help Japan in this time of need. Good luck on all those rare pieces of SEGA merchandise – we hope you’ll give each and every item an awesome new place to call home!

SEGA!

In case you missed it, a new selection of classic Genesis titles is now available. This is the final currently planned release pack of Genesis Classic titles for the PC, and you might say that we saved the best for last. Well — I certainly might say that, considering both Shining Force I and II are in the pack, and I’m record as saying these games are among my favorite of all time.

The games are available individually or in packs; please note some titles are sold separately from the packaged deals, but you can visit both Steam and GamersGate for this excellent collection!

First, the full list of what’s available with this offering. As with the previous packs, all these games fit into the snazzy “Genesis Classics” loader that runs all the games, and allows you to save each of the games at any point, as well as using the games original save features (if they had one).

-Alien Soldiers
-Gunstar Heroes
-Landstalker
-Light Crusader
-Shining Force
-Shining Force II
-Shining in the Darkness
-Sonic 3 & Knuckles
-Sonic the Hedgehog 2
-Streets of Rage
-Streets of Rage 2
-ToeJam & Earl
-ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron

Is this not an excellent list? Aside from all the praises I’m happy to heap onto the Shining Force series this collection also includes Streets of Rage 1 and 2. The first game is lots of fine fun, and by the second had evolved into probably the best beat-em-up of the 90s — with easily some of the best music of any game in the 90s. As a bonus here’s some video of series composer Yuzo Koshiro DJing in Tokyo, working some of the tracks from the game. Follow the video to YouTube to see more from this performance.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Even aside from Streets of Rage and Shining Force there’s a lot to recommend this batch of games. Possibly you are aware of the Sonic the Hedgehog series? Well guess what! We have the Sonic. On the PC! Several, in fact: Classics Collection IV features both Sonic the Hedgehog II and Sonic 3 & Knuckles, the glorious lock-on combination of Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles.

Sonic 3 and Knuckles is also probably the most difficult of the original series (especially the later half, Sonic and Knuckles) and takes all the mechanics the series was known for and refines them to their most skill-intensive. I played Sonic 2 enough that I can blow through that game pretty easily now — but lots of Sonic 3 & Knuckles remains a challenge, and grabbing all the Chaos Emeralds in either of its games is no mean feat. Of course, the ability to save your game before any special stage and play it over and over til you get it right is a nice way around that. Go ahead! I won’t tell anyone.

And: Let’s not let all these other excellent titles dwarf the release of the original ToeJam & Earl, a game that’s been a lot harder than most of these to get a hold of. There was never another game quite like it; something like a psychedelic dungeon crawler with a goofy sense of humor and one of the most awesome soundtracks in any game ever. Really, this Classic Collection as a whole is just loaded with great Genesis tunes–here’s some of ToeJam and Earl’s music:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Lest we forget — there’s some other terrific & unique games in this collection, including the isometric action-adventure Landstalker and the Shining Force “prequel”, “Shining in the Darkness” (definitely hard to find in other places).

Between the Sonic games, the Shining Force series, and ToeJam & Earl, a pretty high percentage of my teenage years is represented by this package of games. In my humble opinion, these are not to be missed!

Click here to view the embedded video.

From the music to the animation, we thought this was pretty impressive, especially for something created on an iPad with 2$ editing software!

The video was created by Mrstupes, and you can find his video page here on Youtube. He’s asking for votes on his next film, and Sonic and Tails are one option – we hope you’ll all join us in letting him know you’d like to see more.

Have a great weekend all!

Sources: Segashiro and SEGABits

We are a lucky bunch, we sit really close to our Licensing department and they are always getting their hands on the cool new Sonic or SEGA stuff way before anyone else. In this case, we’ve been handed an all new limited edition Sonic the Hedgehog Wii Charger, which we’re very happy to show off for all to see. Look for one to appear in an upcoming Free Stuff Friday! Here’s the scoop from Mad Catz:

Mad Catz’ Hedgehog Figure 2X Inductive Charger combines videogame history’s fastest running hedgehog with the modern-day convenience of contactless controller charging. Standing 6 inches tall atop a plateau representative of the classic Green Hill Zone, Sonic the Hedgehog guardedly watches over your Wii Remotes as they revitalize. Built-in magnets help ensure controllers and battery packs are aligned in the most efficient charging position, while twin rechargeable NiMH battery packs energize rapidly to provide up to 15 hours of gameplay. With innovative electromagnetic induction technology providing the means to charge Wii Remotes without the need to remove protective silicone covers or Wii MotionPlus add-ons, the Hedgehog Figure 2X Inductive Charger delivers the utmost in hassle-free charging.

Don’t delay, buy now at Mad Catz or Amazon.com before they are all gone!

SEGA® Corporation is proud to announce that Sonic the Hedgehog will celebrate his 20th anniversary on June 23, 2011.

From the first day of the release of Sonic The Hedgehog™ back in 1991 on the SEGA Genesis™ console, Sonic the Hedgehog quickly became a popular gaming icon due to his super fast speed and his cool, edgy character. In the twenty years that the video games have been available, Sonic the Hedgehog has notched up over 70 million units sold worldwide.

As well as videogames, SEGA’s iconic blue hedgehog has enjoyed huge success in areas such as comics, apparel and toys and even starred in his own animated series.

SEGA Corporation will be celebrating this special year in style with events around the world, details of which will be released throughout the 20th anniversary year of 2011.

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

When we first saw the adorable creation from @fullmetalpiglet, we were smitten. We made the rounds on the internet, gathered up the links and information about this amazing creation and we made sure fans everywhere had a chance to see the creation of the Sonic Sackboy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

But oh, it gets better – @fullmetalpiglet is equally awesome and agreed to send the one, the only, the Sonic Sackboy to us in exchange for some goodies. We offered to buy one from her, but she said she doesn’t make them for money, just the fun and challenge of the project. We can absolutely respect that and were thrilled to set up the exchange.

This week, Sonic Sackboy arrived in the office and we’ve been gushing about it ever since. We made the rounds in the office, we made everyone extremely jealous, and we then gave it to our friend coworker Fabian. See me fumble with the box, say ‘uh’ alot and present this trophy to one of the biggest Sonic fans in the office below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Huge thanks to @fullmetalpiglet for making this amazing Sonic tribute and sending it our way.  We love it!  Head over to her page for more Sackboys and instructions on crafting them!

A permanent price drop is now in effect for nearly of Sega’s titles for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. If you missed out on any of the crazy deals we’ve been running, don’t worry! You can buy any of the games below at their new new price for yourself or for a friend, for the holidays!

ChuChu Rocket: $4.99 $2.99
ChuChu Rocket HD: $6.99 $4.99
Ecco the Dolphin: $2.99 $0.99
Golden Axe: $2.99 $0.99
Gunstar Heroes: $4.99 $2.99
Phantasy Star II: $4.99 $2.99
Shining Force: $2.99 $0.99

Super Monkey Ball 2: $5.99 $2.99
Super Monkey Ball 2 Sakura Edition: $7.99 $4.99
Sonic The Hedgehog 1: $5.99 $4.99
Sonic The Hedgehog 2: $5.99 $4.99
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode 1: $9.99 $6.99
Streets of Rage: $2.99 $0.99

Just a little over a week ago, New York Comic-con’s convention hall was packed to the brim with people from all the major sects of geek and nerd fandom. Anime fans intermingled with video game fans, all of whom also mixed in with comic and TV series fans – and, in many cases, people were actually a part of all three groups.

At the SEGA booth, we were showing off a number of games, from Captain America to Sonic Colors – and similar to the last year at NYCC, we had a number of SEGA fans show up cosplaying our characters to show their love for the games! Here are some of our favorites from the show!

The SEGA Cosplay of NYCC 2010

Word of this couple came in before they even arrived at the booth – mostly because of the costumes, as you can probably guess. Certainly some of the more unique Sonic costumes we’ve ever seen. Nicely done guys!

Phantasy Star Portable II Cosplay! The game has only just released here, but already some hardcore fans were on the floor with both costumes and weapons to boot! (Bonus points if you know the name of both weapons.)

This fan from our forums came by with a custom, homemade Sonic the Hedgehog + Metal Sonic Skateboard! It may not be cosplay, but this level of awesome is definitely worthy of a spotlight here on the blogs.

NiGHTS Cosplay! Reala came by the booth and we got this picture, complete with ominous and dark lighting on the face for that added sinister touch.

Werehog spotted! (Quick, everyone – to the Sonic Colors station!)

This one is just epic. The guys who came last year as 5-6 Sonic Characters returned, and this time they brought friends. A lot of friends.

Picture here: Sonic (x3), Mario, Rouge, Charmy, Shadow, Tails, Cream, Amy, Silver, Tikal, E-102 Gamma, and Samba! (And Misty, too!)

For a full list of pictures, including some delicious cheesecake (and it’s no lie), check out our Flickr album here!

The Convention was a great success for SEGA, with lines packed constantly for games like Sonic Colors and Vanquish, and huge crowds for Captain America and Thor. Even Phantasy Star Portable II, which had already released, got a lot of love on the show floor!

To all those who cosplayed this year and came by our booth – thanks for spreading the SEGA love! Great work to all of you, and we hope to see you again next year!

Which of the cosplayers is your favorite?

The next phase of SEGA Genesis Classics is now available for the PC! Like previous releases, you can buy these alone or in a pack, and like the previous SEGA Genesis Classics, these hook in nicely to the classics menu interface, allowing you to install, play, and load/save games from the same snazzy interface. Here’s what you’re getting this time around:

Bio-Hazard Battle (click to purchase from GamersGate)
Columns III (click to purchase from GamersGate)
Sword of Vermillion (click to purchase from GamersGate)
Virtua Fighter 2 (click to purchase from GamersGate)
Ecco II: The Tides of Time (click to purchase from GamersGate)
Alien Storm (click to purchase from GamersGate)
Decap Attack (click to purchase from GamersGate)
Flicky (click to purchase from GamersGate)
E-SWAT (click to purchase from GamersGate)
Sonic the Hedgehog (click to purchase from GamersGate)
Golden Axe 2 (click to purchase from GamersGate)

Click here to purchase all the games in a single package!

In addition to Gamers Gate, look for these games to show up soon on Direct2Drive and Steam!

We are getting nice and deep into the SEGA Genesis catalog here, and I daresay it makes me happy. This gets into some of the great meat & potatoes of what made the Genesis the Genesis — amazing sound and music, lots of clever twists on classic gameplay modes, and an almost sinister sense of fun (see: Columns, Decap Attack, Ecco, Flicky). This set of releases is heavy on the side-scrolling / platform shooter, but there’s a lot of different game types available, and even the platform games all have something unique going on and/or are Sonic the Hedgehog.

E-SWAT is the most straight-up platform shooter, with the hook of starting out as a normal cop and turning gradually into a cybernetic killing machine. Any game where you take on a helicopter is okay in my book. Decap Attack is a bit of typical Genesis weirdness, a side-scrolling action game with a protagonist whose unique ability is, yes, to throw his head at enemies. It spices up the platformula (see what I did there?) a bit too, by adding the ability to buy items. Think Alex Kidd if Alex Kidd could detach his overlarge head from his body. Alien Storm is in the tradition of the Streets of Rage brawler, only with more flamethrowers and gooey aliens disguised as trash cans, some high-powered first-person shooter bits (!) and also a Samurai-looking robot whose special power is to explode (he even runs back onscreen following the explosion in order to retrieve his head and keep fighting). Virtua Fighter 2 is, of course, the Street Fighter-style fighting game Sega made famous in the arcades, and a series actually recognized by the Smithsonian for its general arcade awesomeness. It also has Kage, one of my favorite ninjas ever.

Columns makes a return (the original Columns was part of the previous PC release pack) with Columns III, and while you might think plummeting vertically-stacked jewels can only have so much gaming mileage, this game actually adds quite a bit to the recipe — you are now playing your games as matches versus a mysterious set of creatures protecting the secret of an ancient pyramid, which you work your way through as you win rounds. It’s also worth noting that Columns III is more difficult than the original, requiring more planning & strategy. My tried and true method of dropping gems randomly into place until awesome things happened didn’t work nearly as well in this second sequel. Getting trounced by a sleepy cartoon spider time and again is the closest I’ve come to switching over to “easy” mode.

And yes, Sonic the Hedgehog, which some of you may have heard of or played in the past, is part of this collection. It’s nice to have it available on the PC as part of this increasingly excellent collection, and of course to be able to save your game at any point. What more is there to say? It’s Sonic! The last time I played through the original (and I’ve played through it many, many times) was actually for the Nintendo DS release and even without a spin dash this game has a charm which hasn’t yet diminished with age. If the idea of a blue hedgehog collecting rings and emeralds while pursuing an egg-shaped villain obsessed by the idea of turning animals into robots seems strange, however, it is no stranger than the peculiar oddity that is Flicky.

This game is worth saying a few words over — it looks like the sort of game I might have found while browsing through a stack of old 5 1/4” floppy discs for an Apple IIgs (think of this as the 1988 equivalent of browsing games on Xbox Live Arcade). It looks like it could have been released on the SEGA Master System, or an Atari — and yet, this is a charming and almost surprisingly captivating game, the kind of thing that was nice to have on the Genesis simply because it was, well, fun. Based around a simple “collection” mechanic, you pilot a bird who gradually collects tiny chicks (which trail mesmerizingly behind you as you collect more), and you have to collect all the chicks and save them from the hungry cats who are chasing you. That’s pretty much all there is (along with some bonus stages), but shrewd platform design, infectious music, and bright cartoon graphics make this an oddly compelling entry.

And: Let’s not forget Bio-Hazard Battle, which takes the side-scrolling shooter concept and gives it a unique makeover (think a much darker version of Fantasy Zone). The graphics are quite surreal — piloting art-deco-looking bug/plant hybrids in a pitched battle against hordes of alien bug/plant enemies as you collect power-ups, which is exactly as crazy as it sounds.

There’s more, and I could go on and on about any of these. Sword of Vermillion (yes, that’s how it’s spelled) is a hidden gem of a game, mixing traditional town-to-town based RPG play with first-person dungeon-crawling and third-person hack-and-slash action sequences. It’s an experiment, and is definitely worth playing. Golden Axe II is an awesome arcade sword brawler, and perhaps the best of the series (!?), with awesome magic spell animation & a wide variety of levels and enemies. But my favorite of this group is the inimitable Ecco: The Tides of Time, a direct sequel to the original Ecco the Dolphin.

There’s nothing quite like Ecco, literally: you control a dolphin who must save all the world’s oceans from a nefarious extra-dimensional enemy while traveling through time and fighting sharks, giant squids, and of course, aliens. The game is surprisingly dark in tone and, for a game about a dolphin saving its friends, is incredibly difficult. Tides of Time has more puzzles than the first game, and these clever puzzle bits mix nicely with the action stages. I can’t recommend the Ecco games enough and this might be the best of the bunch.

One thing worth noting for this group of games is the all around amazing music. Columns has always had excellent music — the sort of tunes that play in your head in the middle of the night as your brain twitches with the remnants of obsessive puzzle-based gameplay. Sword of Vermillion has some appropriately haunting RPG themes (check out the way the dire music of the opening town sets the mood for the game beautifully), and of course Sonic the Hedgehog’s original score (by Masato Nakamura) is well-regarded for all the right reasons. Bio-Hazard Battle has a creepy and bass-heavy score that fits a game about space bug/plant/undersea creatures who shoot lasers at each other.

Not surprisingly, though, it’s my favorite game of the bunch, Tides of Time, which also has the best music — a truly haunting score that fits the game’s dark tone perfectly. One subtle but excellent thing the Ecco games have always done well: as you dive deeper into the ocean the game’s pallet gets appropriately darker, and the music as you open levels at the bottom of the ocean or in deep undersea caves is pitch perfect.

These are all available now, and it’s been very nice to have them all gathered into the same interface with it’s save/load feature. Check them out from GamersGate now, or wait til next week when they show up on Steam and Direct2Drive!