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For the past 30 years, Sega has endured ups and downs, to put it mildly.
It may never return to its ‘90s glory days, but it is currently enjoying a new lease of life on PC and mobile.
Sega has revitalised its iconic character Sonic, created in 1991, by launching mobile titles since 2007. One such game, Sonic Dash, has been downloaded over 98 million times and was developed in the UK by Hardlight.
But ironically, some of Sonic’s most successful appearances these past few years were in titles published by Nintendo, Sega’s former nemesis. The character first appeared on a Nintendo console in 2002 with Sonic Adventure 2: Battle on GameCube, one year after Sega stopped manufacturing its last console, the Dreamcast.
Nintendo and Sega signed an exclusive partnership in 2013 to bring the Sonic franchise to Wii U and 3DS.
Sonic has even competed with Mario in a series of Olympics tie-in games, including a new Rio 2016 game released on 3DS last week.
But Sonic is not the only character in Sega’s universe. The publisher acquired UK developer Sports Interactive in 2006, the studio behind the highly successful Football Manager franchise. The latest title in the series has 650,000 registered players.
In 2005, the Japanese firm also acquired British studio The Creative Assembly, which will release the tenth instalment of its Total War franchise next month.
Total War: Warhammer will be the first fantasy-based title in the series, as Total War games usually follow historical battles.
Needless to say, with all these successful franchises, plus Sega’s legacy as a hardware development company, there’s plenty of merchandise for fans to purchase.
SEGA MegaDrive with Wireless controllers
Those nostalgic for Sega’s hardware will be delighted with this retro console that features 80 built-in titles, including Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2 and all three original Mortal Kombat games. Ultimate fans can also use original Megadrive cartridges from all regions with this console. It comes with two wireless controllers.
SRP: 49.99
Manufacturer: AtGames
Distributor: PQube
Contact: 01462 487 373
Total War: Warhammer High King Edition
Total War meets Warhammer’s universe in a few weeks. To celebrate this new release, Sega has put some unique items in a box and called it ‘High King Edition’. It includes a metal ring that can also be used as a dice, a whetstone pendant, a drinking horn, a canvas map, an art book and a strategy guide. This limited edition will launch on May 24th but is already available to pre-order.
SRP: 99.99
Manufacturer: Sega
Distributor: CentreSoft
Contact: 01216 253 388
Sonic No.26 Amiibo
Now the Sega and Nintendo console war is over, fans can enjoy playing with Sonic’s Amiibo in Super Smash Bros on Wii U and 3DS.
SRP: 10.99
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Distributor: Open
Contact: 01753 483 700
Dreamcast Console Notebook
This notebook is designed to look like Sega’s ill-fated Dreamcast and is a perfect gift for retro gaming fans.
SRP: 4.99
Manufacturer: Numskull
Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK
Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com
The Football Manager’s Guideto Football Management
In this book, football specialist Iain Macintosh details real-life managerial techniques that players can use in Football Manager.
SRP: 7.99
Manufacturer: Century
Distributor: Penguin Random House
Contact: uktrademgmt@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk
Casino Nights – Sonic The Hedgehog 2 dress
The iconic and striking level from one of Sega’s most popular game is re-created in dress form.
SRP: 28
Manufacturer: Insert Coin
Distributor: Insert Coin
Contact: 01702 521 850
The Art of Total War
Published just after Total War: Rome II, this book contains 192 pages of concept art and commentaries from the franchise creators.
SRP: 29.99
Manufacturer: Titan Books
Distributor: Titan Books
Contact: sales@titanemail.com
Sonic Wallet in Collectors tin
This wallet displays a discreet print of Sonic on the front and comes in a nice metal tin.
SRP: 14.99
Manufacturer: Sonic The Hedgehog Official Merchandise/Sega
Distributor: Five Elements Distribution
Contact: info@fiveelementdistribution.co.uk
