Sonic Stadium has received confirmation that French book publisher Pix’n Love will indeed be publishing the English translation of their “History of Sonic The Hedgehog” book which just started shipping in it’s original French version. English speaking fans were worried the book would never see the light of day because word was that Pix’n Love was having second thoughts of publishing the English version after poor sales of their “History of Nintendo vol 2″ book.

Sonic fans have a reason to be ecstatic about the release of this book. Not only is it in a beautiful hardcover bound book with nearly 300 pages packed with content, pictures, and the entire series history, but the English version is planned to release in late June 2012, just in time for Sonic’s 21st birthday.

First 4 Figures had announced on their Facebook page that they would be announcing a new statue when they reached 3,100 likes, and so they revealed this teaser video of a running Modern Sonic on their YouTube page. While it did not come as too much of a surprise, because back in December of 2012 they shared a Holiday image which contained a hidden outline of a Modern Sonic’s head, so people saw this coming, they were just never sure when it would be unveiled.

The design of Sonic himself is in a running pose on what appears to be a grassy surface, along with sandy kicking up around his feet. Perhaps it is from Seaside Hill? Or maybe Emerald Coast? Either way the sculpt looks fantastic and I am glad they chose a more dynamic pose for him rather than just your typical standing pose with finger waving in the air.

I have to be a bit critical on one aspect however, they seem to be abusing the glowing sparks just a tad bit too much now. We first saw them used on Super Sonic which was absolutely a perfect fit, and then Metal Sonic, each Exclusive version had these sparks light up to add to their limited print run and to differentiate them from the regular versions. We now see these same sparks used yet again, and to me it is starting to feel sort of copy and paste in terms of a cheap way of add a glowing effect to the exclusive versions. Perhaps they should add in something like an alternate base from say a different Zone from within the games, or a slightly different pose. Either way it is just a minor criticism on an otherwise beautiful statue that I can;t wait to get my hands on. Considering we have yet to receive Knuckles or Tails yet, this guy is likely quite a ways away from release.

Anyone that follows rare Sonic collectibles undoubtedly knows that one of the most coveted sets out there is the 10th anniversary series which contains  a wine glass, silver ring, statue, crystal cube, and others of lesser value but it was not until recently that T-Bird from SonicStadium showed off the newest addition to his collection, the 10th anniversary zippo lighter. While a photo of this did exist online at SonicGear.org, it had never publicly surfaced in anyone’s collection since then, so when T-Bird had the opportunity to buy this he took a gamble hoping for it to be official merchandise and not some cheap knockoff or bootleg.

What we can tell you is that it at least looks authentic and the sheer fact alone that more than one of these exists due to the previous picture online means that it was not a one time deal crafted by a fan or something. The etching of the 10th anniversary logo is evident that these were made for production in a factory and not some sort of home project. The lighter comes housed in a metallic case with a foam insert, though sadly it bears no markings or paperwork to help lead us to an idea of how many were made, but if it follows suit of it’s related collectibles, likely less than 500 were ever made. It does bare a Sega/SonicTeam copyright directly beneath the logo as well which is a good sign of its authenticity.

The only thing that worries me is why Sega would choose not to include something such as a certificate of authenticity or any paperwork when it did so for the other items in this series, perhaps its initial cost did not warrant such a thing? I wonder. Just to further confirm the mystery surrounding this piece, T-Bird got in contact with some people who have worked at Sega for quite some time and none of them could confirm ever knowing of it’s existence until now.  Thanks to T-Bird for providing the pictures for this post, and if any of  you happen to own one of these or know someone who does, comment below and let us know.

When GE Entertainment reveals new Sonic items usually it’s not something that will make fans very eager in anticipation of it’s release, however things will soon change when GE releases the new Sonic Pillow which is by far the best looking thing I have ever seen from them. Granted we all know sometimes the final release of a product can differ quite significantly from it’s stock images, but if it turns out anything like the image above we are in for one amazing and accurate Classic Sonic plush. No size, release date, or price are specified, but it is likely to be quite a large plush since it is supposed to act as a pillow as shown in the side view, it will have a flat back to it. One other noteworthy item they added to their coming soon list is this 16-bit keychain of Sonic running, also currently without a date, price, or size.

I am thinking up new and interesting ideas to keep the website fresh and fun to read for all of our viewers. For one I want to start featuring pictures and interviews with fellow Sonic Merchandise collectors to share their passion for the hobby and also give us some insight on some of the rarest, most favorite, and unique items in their collection. If you would like to have your collection featured on the site, just drop me a private message on my YouTube channel here. Also a big thank you to Hogfather for not leaving you all entirely in the dark. Over the past few months he has posted some lengthy articles on recent Sonic merchandise that is certainly worth a read!

When 2012 came, I suspected that there might be one or two items flying the 20th anniversary logo would come out… be it late commissioned stuff or some clothing line that happens to have it on the tag. Nothing too exciting… I certainly wasn’t expecting these!

What you are looking at are Sonic the Hedgehog 20th Anniversary Pocket Watches. Extremely high quality pocket watches.

Originally these were prizes in a competition, numbers were limited and they’ve never been on release. Suddenly they started to appear in a few random UFO catcher machines in Japan, since then, they’re becoming highly desirable.

The watches are made of metal (don’t ask me what kind, I’ve not idea), and they’re extremely well detailed. The outer case has engraved into it the Sonic 20th Anniversary logo and the back has the Sonic logo, the year and Sega engraved into it.

The Pocket Watches come in 3 designs, a golden Sonic face, a while silhouette of Sonic and Classic & Modern Sonic posing. Each watch comes in a tin case which is decorated with golden stars and the 20th anniversary logo.
For videogame merchandise, these are extremely high end; the craftsmanship that’s gone into them is very high. Sometimes when you look and feel an object you can just tell how good or bad it is, these watches feel great and they look great. Just by holding them you can tell that a lot of work and effort went into them.

Sega had quite a good year in 2011 when it came to merchandise, there were some noticeable and very popular highlights such as the Generations Collectors Edition, the F4F statues and some of the Jazwares figures hit the right spots when it came to demand and their quality. But these Pocket Watches are probably the best thing to come out which happens to have the 20th anniversary logo on it.

From a collecting standpoint, the pocket watches tick all the right boxes, they’re rare, UFO prizes, high quality are both display pieces and have a functional use. Currently these are not for sale in the shops, and that’s unlikely to change meaning you’re going to have to try your luck with auctions to get one. But if you do get one, you will not be disappointed.

If I think about all the Collectors Editions, or Limited Editions that I own, only four instantly come to mind, GTA 4, remember? It all came in a metal lock box that actually worked? There was also a large bag as well as a few other goodies? Bioshock 2, because it came with an LP soundtrack and the art book is one of the most amazing art books I’ve ever seen. The next is Demons Souls Deluxe Edition, if you own this; chances are the guide book blew you away. Finally, the fourth is the Catherine Deluxe Edition, who doesn’t want a half naked blonde on a pillow case? Or a spare pair of pants with your game?

What don’t come to my mind instantly would be the Hardened Editions of Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops. Dark Souls (which only came out a month ago!), FF13 and even Bayonetta’s collector’s edition. You know what all those Collectors Editions have in common? They’re all sat on my shelf, with all my other games, and other than ‘I think there’s an art book in them’ I would struggle to remember their contents. Don’t get me wrong, I know what the games I like, I know how good they all are… but speaking about what makes them ‘collectors’ or ‘limited editions’ other than the art book and maybe a soundtrack, it’s difficult to remember exactly what extra they contained… and in some cases… what justified the extra price tag.

So when someone says “Oh there’s a Sonic Collector’s edition!” Your mind gets cast back to the miserable Sonic Colours collector’s edition, the one which came with a free action figure… not very exciting… but when you see that the RRP on it is nearly £100, the first question is why? When you get the answer to that, even if you don’t normally buy Sonic merch, the next question is usually “How do I order one!?”

When this was announced back in September, the Sonic fandom exploded, it looked absolutely incredible, the content, the presentation, the quality of the extras, just… everything about it. Well it’s out, I have it. With Generations costing in the region of £35 here in the UK, is Generations Collector’s Edition worth the £75-£100 price tag… Short answer… YES!

The CE arrives in glossy heavy duty cardboard with a plastic sleeve covering it, you’ve probably seen them on regular game boxes from time to time. The box itself is decorated with some very nice artwork of Classic and Modern Sonic staring at each other, the top of it has the game logo, it’s simple, but a thing of beauty.

Lifting the lid of the box, the CE gives you it’s first surprise. The front of the box flips down to reveal a larger Sonic Generations logo as well as the contents of the CE itself. The first thing you see is the game itself, only it has a nice extra, there’s a sleeve around it which has a holographic cover, tilt it and it shows Classic Sonic, tilt it the other way and you get Modern Sonic. Sometimes when you get holograms like this, they don’t do much; recall the Alien Vs Predator Survival Edition which has a hologram that doesn’t do anything.

What you could easily mistake for an art book is actually the OST and documentary, only it contains the second surprise of this CE, upon opening up the small book additional flaps open, very much like a popup book, there’s a small description of the documentary and a track list for the OST, 23 tracks, 23 various pieces of music, one from 23 different Sonic games from the last 20 years, including lesser popular titles like Sonic Rivals. The documentary itself is by far one of the better DVD bonus’ I’ve seen with a CE. Typically these DVD extras that come with CE’s are quite poor, often they’re barely 10 min long and don’t really contain anything that’s not been released during the creation of the game via dev diary’s and blogs. This documentary however is very well made; it’s around 35 min long and contains interviews with the original creators of Sonic, detailed information into how Sonic was created and why Sega created him. It even contains footage of the videogame event that Sonic was first debuted at.

There’s another smaller box in the CE, the top of it has the Sonic Generations logo, the 20th anniversary logo and the words ‘gold ring.’ Yup, it’s what you think. The display box that the ring comes it has the Generations logo etched into the plastic and the ring is mounted on blue felt. But, the ring has an additional surprise, it’s the only item in the CE which tells you what number the CE is, there was a lot of rumour regarding how many CE’s had been made, for some reason people got into their heads it was limited to 500, when the actual number is 12,000. There is something quite charming about having to actually buy the package and open it up to find out which number you have. The ring itself is made of metal and feels very strong, it even has the Sonic life icon carved into it with the number you have.

Although the plastic display case that it comes in appears to be scratched, this seems to be a common complaint, but it seems to be the only problem with the entire collection.

Next up is the art book, first thing you notice is how large it is, a lot bigger than these small A5 books we tend to get these days. A small introduction blurb in several languages tells you about the last 20 years of Sonic. The book itself isn’t what you expect, the artwork isn’t just from the game, it contains logos of different Sonic games from the last 20 years (including the Japanese logos) as well as the original Sonic concept art… look up the phrase “Sonic Madonna” and you’ll see what I mean. There’s pages dedicated to Sonic’s friends and enemies as well as promotional artwork from the last 20 years. Sadly there’s no annotations or even notes or interviews from developers, also its odd how for an art book which celebrates 20 years of Sonic, there’s virtually nothing for Sonic Generations itself, which is a shame since the game has tons of un-lockable concept art, it would have been great to get it in the book too.

I’d say that the book is something that fans who don’t actively search out old artwork will enjoy, there’s nothing too obscure or unknown here, it’s all very recognisable, however it is a welcome addition that they included old soundtrack covers, nice to see Sonic Dance Power get a mention, and even Fang has a small cameo in the book.

Now the last thing is the statue… and what a statue. The statue itself is a smaller version of a much larger promotional thing that’s been doing the rounds at various conventions. Only the CE version contains the final surprise of the package. Unlike usual statues that you get with CE’s this one has a rather clever party piece, you can remove the two Sonic’s from the base and position them however you like. They can stand of their own free will, although you may want to secure them with tape just to be sure. But they don’t need the base to stand, so if you have a Sonic shelf or a collectables shelf, you can display either Sonic without having to worry too much about space.

That said however, the base is a very nice structure. It too is plastic but it’s a solid build. The statues however are made of lesser quality plastic, almost like the kind you would expect to find action figures made of.

Whilst the blog banner says “Sonic Collectables” you’re going to think I’m a tad biased when I say this. But this CE really is one of the best CE’s ever made. The content fully justifies the extra price tag. Content is both practical as well as static display items, but what sets it apart is how customisable the statue and the ring is, there’s lots of ways you can display these things if you like. The documentary is one of the longest and most interesting documentaries which usually accompany games.

But what sets it apart is the presentation of the objects. The way the box opens up on its own when you remove the lid, the pop up Generations logo in the OST/documentary case. Somebody spent a long time designing this and they must have enjoyed the job at hand. It could so easily have been a plain box with everything neatly packaged inside, yet that would have been so forgettable. This CE is easily going to stick in your mind even when Generations is sitting on your shelf and you’ve moved onto other games, the quality of the items and the box design itself really does set it apart from other CE’s.

With many CE’s these days barely any different from the standard editions, or the bonus content being a ‘read once’ art book or the worst thing ever… digital downloaded content *glares at Dark Souls.* There’s and old phrase which I think needs a bit re-tweaking which really needs hearing by the people who decide what goes into a Collectors or Limited Edition these days. ‘Genesis does what Nintendon’t.’ When I look at this CE and look at other CE’s I can’t help but think, they’re still doing that… only now they’re taking on everyone else!

Well… it certainly looks like Sonic… doesn’t it? Despite it being the 20th anniversary year, and every single piece of merch released this year having the 20th anniversary logo on it, this piece does not. Yet it is an official product.

In terms of construction and build quality, the item is very well made, whilst the ceramic feels a little thin when you tap it, it’s quite a strong piece. No, that doesn’t mean it will survive a fall off a shelf onto a hard surface, treat it as you would any glass or potted item. But the mould that’s been used to make Sonic is a good design, his ears stand out as does his many spines on the back of his head, even his nose sticks out as opposed to a painted on job.

The main downside, although personally I think this adds to his charm, is that he’s a little strange to look at, it might be simply the design of the piece but Sonic does look a little funny when you look at him.

Then there’s the fact he’s… a little purple. Not sure what happened when they finished these things off, however the glazing process has left Sonic a very dark blue, so much so that in certain light conditions he almost looks purple. The purist may hate this, but again, I think it adds to his strange charm.

You get some chocolate coins with this, they’re quite delicious. But they’re just your typical chocolate coin; no sega characters are present on them. The main issue is with the packaging, it’s so frail that with most of the examples I saw, the packaging had burst open, leaving a pile of coins on the floor. Be very careful when picking these up, just in case the packaging burst open and Sonic shatters into a million pieces on the floor.

As someone who likes odd merch, I really like this, there’s not much out there in terms of Sonic merch which could be described as ‘pot’ or ‘glass’ the ones which exist are rare and highly expensive. For a display piece it does look nice on your shelf, it doesn’t look any less in terms of quality beside my Big Daddy statue or Dr Robotnik statue, if you can live with the dark shade of blue, there’s no reason not to be happy with this statue.



The money box costs around £6 and can be found at Deberhams, Tesco and Forbiddenplanet .com (please note, the picture that’s being used in the online listings is unfinished, Sonics arms are painted in the final version.)