Sonic Tomy Gacha Capsules: Russian Roulette with Toys

I've seen these little Sonic toy capsules quite a bit over the past year. They're at Target, they're at Wal-Mart and they were at the local "$5 or Less" store. It was at the last location I finally caved and picked up three, in hopes that I wouldn't be screwed over with two werehogs and a Shadow. So just what are these things? Well, think of those 50 cent toy dispensers, mark the price up eight times and instead of your chance resting on what the bottom toy capsule is, your figure depends on which capsules you blindly grabbed. Each capsule contains one of six figures: Sonic, Super Sonic, Metal Sonic, Knuckles, Shadow and the Werehog. Each figure must be built, and usually consist of three to five parts. I think most people think that there is a method to picking the best capsules, but really grabbing the first three or every second one that rolls out of the box will have equal chances of getting a good one.
After the break, lets see what I got! Did I get screwed over? Or did I snag three Metal Sonics, thus winning a jackpot (if you apply slot machine gameplay to the capsule toys).

*POP!* goes the first one! Let's see inside... Can you guess from the arm?

It's Sonic, in three parts! Great way to kick off the capsule toys! Even if I get two crap figures next, I'll be happy that I got the titular star of the series in capsule toy form. Shame it isn't as awesome as the ones found in Shenmue. The neck is a bit long, and his feet are uneven. Also, they failed to paint his buckles yellow. I guess "quality" does not exist in Tomy's dojo. Next figure! *POP!*

SUPAH SONIC! I considered changing up the real life order so that it appeared that I opened this one last, but I hate lying to my readers. Super Sonic is clearly one of the top two toys in the collection, the other being Metal Sonic. Unlike regular Sonic, his arm will not stay on. Blue poster tack to the rescue. The pose, seen at the end of this post, is very much like Silver using his telekinesis. Okay, third and final figure. Please be Metal, please be Metal, don't be Shadow... *POP!*

It's knucklehead! Long time no see. Knuckles comes in five pieces, and is a bitch to put together and to keep together. Should call him Fuckles. Well, once again, I goo'd him up with poster tack and he stays together rather well. Knuckles looks really creepy without the top of his head. Just check out the extreme close-up:

What's with Knuckles toys looking freaky? Compare the above photo with the photo below. Which is scarier?

And so ends our Sonic capsule toy opening fun. Are these worth $4 each? Well, it's fun taking a chance for good figures, but the quality is quite low on these so I can't really recommend them. I say if you're a thrill seeker and really want a Super Sonic or Metal Sonic figure, go for it. But don't buy too many. three or four should be enough.

First4figures Knuckles officially revealed! Here we go again!

It's that time again! First4Figures has opened pre-orders for the forth in their series of highly luxurious and highly expensive Sonic statues, this time of Knuckles punching into the ground of the lava reef zone!

Much like the Super Sonic and still as yet to be released Metal Sonic statues, this one comes in both a standard run of 1,500 for $170 and a limited edition light-up version that is exclusive to their website with only a run of 500 that will sell for $190! These are available to pre-order now and the estimated release date is "Q2 2012" though I would bet on that slipping to "Q4 2012" as the same happened with all of the previous statues.

Personally? I think I may pass on the limited edition this time around. I think I will hold out until shops like Forbidden Planet have the regular edition. I don't think I can justify three of these statues for that kind of money in a row. They have yet to even take the money for the Metal Sonic one and to be fair I'd be happy with having two special ones of my favorite characters (Metal and Super) and two regulars for Sonic and Knuckles, as much as that lava effect is nice. So once this one is out who's next? Tails would be my guess and I know they've stated they are going to start a line of modern statues as well including Shadow, but I could live without those myself.

Rollerblades with ATTITUDE.

As a little brat I used to go roller-blading from time to time at one of those indoor places where a whole bunch of kids would be roller-blading in a big circle with a disco ball and whatever music was in at the time. I played Bomberman for the first time on an arcade cabinet there, but that's got nothing to do with this blog so er...hey look Sonic roller-blades! Or roller-skates, whatever you want to call them.

I had these at some point during my childhood but wherever or not I took them to that indoor thingy or if they gave you a pair to ride about in there I don't know. There was also a skateboard and a crash helmet from what I recall but the latter was only in adult size from what I recall, could be wrong though. I got the skateboard one Christmas but ended up takeing it back and using the money to get Sonic & Knuckles instead. More photos and rambling after the jump!

These are not my original pair, they were gone years ago, probably when I got bored of them/the roller-blade park shut down/they started to stink etc etc. I picked up this pair earlier this year from a car boot sale. I'm not sure why, I obviously wouldn't fit in them (or dare wear them even if they did fit) but I think it was just the sheer curiosity of seeing them again. That and they make a sort of interesting article here, do they not? Don't answer that.

Oh roller-BOOTS. I'm sorry, these things go by no many names!

I think the main draw was the fact they were boxed and were in rather good condition, unlike the skateboards I've seen from time to time which have always been wreaked. The box espcially caught my eye because of the unique artwork on it, I thought it looked familar and sure enough...

..it appaers they copied the art from this panel of Richard Elson's art from Sonic the Comic issue 10! well, the pose is the same although it not a direct trace of it. Elson drew this pose several times in these early issues, but the only thing that tips me off on it being from this panel in particular is that curve at the end of the spike on top of his head.

So that's the roller-blades. Not a lot to say about those except they have Sonic's face on them and this little quote on the sides, and the box art is kind of interesting. The early 90's were a time where you could buy just about anything with Sonic's mug on it. The same is almost happening again now, but no sign of a modern Sonic skateboard just yet.

Belgium gets Sonic 20th Anniversary stamps!

That's right, stamps! Why not? Bpost have released a set of five stamps with pretty standard artwork of Sonic, including some with Sonic grouped up with Tails, Shadow and Amy. is this the first time Sonic has ever been seen on a stamp, excluding eBay bootlegs? Either way it's interesting to see what a push Sonic's 20th anniversary is getting. Spotted this on Tumblr via Albotas.

Knuckles statue from First4figures is next!

They released a pixellated image of this statue a while ago, and now it's revealed that Knuckles will be the next in First4figures line of massive (and expensive) Sonic statues! So far it doesn't look as though there will be a additional light-up limited edition like there was for Super Sonic and Metal, so this one will just be a regular slightly cheaper statue like the first Sonic one. Pre-orders for this one start in just a couple of days.

Speaking of the Metal Sonic statue, it's still not yet! It's due this month sometime however, though an exact date is not confirmed yet.

10" Classic Sonic = Best Sonic Figure Ever

I apologize for the lack of non-Sonic SEGA posts over the past year, but you gotta believe me: it's not my fault! SEGA has been celebrating Sonic's 20th in a huge way, by offering up amazing classic figures, statues and books. Heck, we've yet to even see the release of Sonic Generations and we've already seen loads of awesome nostalgic merch. Thankfully, it appears Jazwares Sonic 20th Anniversary line is winding down, but it is winding down in a big way. They've released an excellent 10" classic Sonic figure!

Picked this up from Toys R Us for $19.99, labeled a store exclusive. I have very few negatives regarding the figure. I've never been a fan of the waist pivot point cutting the belly circle in two, and I wish they would have included extra hands (thumbs up, peace sign, pointer finger) so fans can replicate the box art poses. Aside from that, everything else is perfect! The likeness is spot on, the articulation is great and Sonic stands well on his own. 

Thanks to the many joints, Sonic can pull off a running pose! Even though he is leaning against the cabinet.

When stood next to all the other classic Sonic figures released over the past few years, you can really get a sense of just how important it is to nail down the likeness of Sonic. I'd say the most perfect of the bunch would have to be 10". However the tiny PVC figure and the vinyl figure, both from First4Figures (the people behind those pricey statues), went with more of a Japanese design.

So if you're a Sonic fan, pick up 10" classic Sonic. It really is a great figure. Other notable must haves? The classic Eggman and Eggrobo pack and the Super Sonic two pack. What's next from Jazwares? A Sonic and Amy classic 3" figure comic pack! Stay tuned.

Even More Jazwares Sonic 20th Anniversary Figures!

I've held off on sharing a lot of these as I was awaiting to have every figure that I wanted in my hands. Now that that time has come, I can finally show off everything in one go, so prepare yourself for an epically sized Sonic action figure post. Hey, at least it's better than me spamming SEGA Memories with a new figure every day. Who wants an article dedicated to a Silver figure? I know I don't. After the break: a lot of stuff!

First up is the awesome Super Sonic 2-pack, containing 5" figures of both classic and modern Sonic in their super forms. This pack came as a huge surprise to fans, as it was never mentioned at any trade show or in any form of social networking from Jazwares. It just sort of appeared in Toys R Us stores as an exclusive and fans were quick to flock to stores to grab one (or two or three). In fact, during the first week of the figure's release, nitwits tried flogging these on ebay for insane amounts of money. The 2-pack retails for $20, but auction prices went as high as $50 to $60! Thankfully, the figures soon became quite easy to find in stores and is now readily available at Toys R Us's website (and that goes for all the other figures mentioned here).Both figures are awesome, featuring hollow heads that make for easy standing and a large amount of articulation. If you had to buy ONE Jazwares item, I'd say go for this two pack.

Up next are the 5" counterparts to the Super Sonic pack, individually sold classic and modern Sonic figures. Oddly enough, while Toys R Us carries these, both of which are new sculpts and are in their correct shades of blue, Target stores are carrying a different pair of figures. Target's pair seem to be earlier versions of the two, as Target's classic Sonic is in the darker modern Sonic shade of blue and modern Sonic appears as the old Unleashed 5" figure complete with heavy head and goofy hands. If you intend to pick these up, go to Toys R Us (either in store or online), at least until Target catches up and offers the revised figures. Both are just as great as the super versions and are two of the best figures Jazwares has to offer in the 5" line. Definitely pick these up.

Returning to the 3" figure line that I covered in previous articles (the first wave of figures and classic Tails), we have Knuckles and Egg Pawn representing 2003's Sonic Heroes. While Knuckles is a repackage, the figure is relatively new so most fans might not have picked one up yet. The figure is awesome, far better than 3" Sonic and on the same level as 3" Tails. The Egg Pawn is one of the best enemy accessories of the set, as it is basically a second figure complete with movable arms. Of all the modern figures, I'd say 2003 Knuckles is the best!

On the other end of the spectrum is the Silver figure. There are so many things wrong with this one: it represents an awful game, features an awful character, the figure has color flaws that have yet to be corrected despite being a rerelease (his gloves should be white), Silver is much smaller than any other character (next to Espio he is itty bitty), the enemy is cheaply made and is not to scale PLUS the name "Iblis" is misspelled as "Lblis" on the package. The only real positive I can say about this pack is that Silver can do some cool poses with his psychokinetic hands. Unless you are going for a full set, or love Silver, skip this.

Here comes 3" classic Super Sonic to wash the bad taste of Silver out of my mouth! I was apprehensive at first to pay an inflated price for a figure because of a tin case being included, but having opened it up: I like the tin. It makes for a great centerpiece to the collection. If one opens all their figures like I do, it's nice to have something with the 20th logo to place amongst the collection. Super Sonic has the same body as regular Sonic, and a brand new super angry head. There is another tin pack for sale, but it features the same tin with the regular classic Sonic which can also be found in the 1991 moto bug pack. Best thing to do is to grab the 1991 pack and this one.

Now THIS is what I'm talking about! Perhaps the best figure of the collection is classic Dr. Eggman. While Sonic merch of the 90's featured a number of characters, Eggman very rarely, if ever, received a figurine or doll. When he did, western fans would receive the english Robotnik design. As such, it's great to finally have a figure in the Japanese design. Both arms are very articulated, the legs only move at the hip but hold Eggman's bulky body well. Neither the waist nor head pivot, which is the same as the modern Eggman figure. I'll admit, the Egg Robos aren't as great as they could have been, but it's nice to have a representation of them. I think what they need are a bit of white paint on their gloves and the ability to be in a hovering pose, rather than uncharacteristically standing. Still, for $15 the Eggman alone is worth it.

Keeping the spotlight on Eggman, we jump from 1994 to 2008. This time modern Eggman is packaged with two Egg Fighters, the main badnik of Sonic Unleashed. Modern Eggman has been released before, with Metal Sonic, so the two Egg Fighters are the main draw here for those who already own an Eggman. They're well detailed, and look great flanking Eggman.

Or... making pyramids.

Thus concludes my write up on the Sonic 20th Anniversary Jazwares figures, at least until they release more. Classic Knuckles, classic Metal Sonic and classic Amy are rumored. A 10 inch classic Sonic is confirmed, but has yet to release. So until next time, Sonic figure fans!

Sonic Generations Europe Collector's Edition: OH MY GOD.

...

So yeah, would you look at that. Sega have just revealed the European collector's edition of Sonic generations and boy is it something special. Here is Sega's announcement copy-pasted:

Celebrations continue in Europe for Sonic the Hedgehog’s 20th anniversary with an impressive collector’s edition for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 versions of the upcoming Sonic Generations game.

The Sonic Generations Collectors Edition combines limited edition collectables based on the upcoming game, as well as assets handpicked by Sonic Team to celebrate Sonic’s 20th Anniversary, which provide the ultimate celebration of Sonic for fans new and old.

Included in the collector’s edition is a collectable figurine featuring both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic, an exclusive, individually numbered commemorative “Gold Ring”, and a “20 Years of Sonic Art” book, containing never before seen sketches and images from the past 20 years. Also contained in the Collector’s Edition are the ‘20th Anniversary Sonic Soundtrack’ featuring a selection of tracks handpicked by Sonic Team, and the ‘History of Sonic: Birth of an Icon’ documentary, an exclusive collection of interviews and footage charting Sonic’s life from inception through to becoming one of the most iconic characters in videogame history. Limited edition lenticular packaging and bonus additional downloadable content for the game are the final components that make up this unique collector’s edition for Sonic Generations.

So there it is. A statue, a gold ring, a soundtrack, a documentary DVD, downloadable content and an art book! It looks as though this is going to be Europe only for some reason, at least for the moment anyway, sorry Americans.

Take my money Sega, all of it.

EDIT: It has appeared on Amazon UK now for the price of £85. The retail price is apparently £99.

Jet Set Radio Fruit Machine (and more)

So recently in my eBay hunts for anything and everything Sega I came across this oddity. I had a crack at bidding on it but lost out though it didn't go for any where as much as I thought it would, but it's worth talking about I think.

Finding one of these in the UK is extremely rare as they were only seen in Japanese arcades. It's a jet Set radio fruit machine! The one on auction did not take money but rather tokens. The main draw of this machine the screen at the top of it which, judging from videos, uses in-game graphics from the Dreamcast game. Is this footage pre rendered videos or is this machine running on Naomi/Dreamcast like hardware?

There are a few videos of this neat machine on Youtube, which you can check out after the jump!

It's very slick, is it not? You wanna see it busting some Hideki Naganuma tunes though, right?

Here you go! There is a website for the machine still online here.It was developed by a company called Rodeo in 2003, so I'm surprised it's not jet Set Radio Future themed machine considering that game was released the year before.

On further investigation of the Rodeo website it appaers there made more Sega themed machines much like this one! First off, two cabinets based on Virtua Fighter from 2007, and these ones have an even more elaborate screens that wrap around the reels with graphics from Virtua Fighter 4. If this running on Naomi like hardware, is that was VF4 could have looked like on Dreamcast?

Last but not least there is 'Sonic Live!' from 2008. Don't worry, it has nothing in common with that infamous Archive comic special with the same name. Irt clearly uses assets and graphics from Sonic Adventure 2, but unlike the other two slot machines, does quite a lot of new things with them including having Sonic and his mates perform as a band with instruments! There are a few videos on the website, which show game play elements like racing against Shadow, UFO Catcher machines and even a Chao Garden feature!



There are only a handful of videos of this about, but boy does it look like a stunner. Who doesn't want to gamble to the beat of City Escapes annoying catchy theme? I would pay a high price for this, one day. Cor!

By the way if you were the lucky Brit who won the Jet Set Radio machine on eBay last week for such a cheap price, could you get in contact with us? We'd love to see some photos and videos of it! :D

The Elusive McDonalds Eggman Toy Appears Once Again!

Regulars to SEGA Memories should know about the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 McDonalds toys and how Japanese fans were treated to a very different looking Eggman toy. Gagaman covered it not too long ago. While Westerners received an Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog design of Robotnik, the Japanese received the original in-game Eggman design. Since 1993, the alternate Eggman toy occasionally appeared in books (as Gagaman mentions in the above link), the Sonic 10th Birthday Pack and online. Most recently, the McDonalds Eggman appeared in an online auction at rinkya.com. The auction also includes Sonic, and both toys are unopened. The only downside, the price is set at over $50 and that doesn't even include whatever shipping is. Still, it's great to see more images of this elusive toy! After the break, check out two more images of Eggman and Sonic.

The toys in their protective baggies:

The inserts complete with goofy drawings of the toys:

As online auctions don't last forever, and some crazy Sonic fan will soon drop $50+ on two McDonalds toys, consider this post as archival proof of the elusive Bigfoot- er, I mean Eggman.

Classic Tails Can Party Like It's 1992

I'm back with another of the Jazwares Sonic 20th Anniversary figures! This time we're looking at an old favorite: Classic Tails and Grabber from 1992. This has got to be one of my favorite figures yet, as it represents my favorite Sonic game and includes a badnik from my favorite zone, Chemical Plant. Tails looks great. He has that wide-eyed happy Japanese design and looks great next to the classic Sonic figure.

Like Moto Bug, Grabber matches his Sonic Generations redesign. I would have liked some metallic paint on him, but the black and yellow looks fine. I only wish there was a way to hang him from above so he could drop down onto the heroes. Maybe I'll find some thread and beeswax (if people still use beeswax in 2011). Until then, he will be a ground dwelling spider.

Overall, Tails is a must own figure from the collection. Not perfect, but it's the best (and only) Tails action figure in the classic design. This is one of the toys I would have loved to have back in the early 90's. Unfortunately, Sonic just didn't have figures in the Genesis era. Despite being 20 years late, I'm still very happy to finally see the original Sonic stars in action figure form. I can't wait to see what else Jazwares has planned for the classic line. We know there will be Eggman, but how about Knuckles, Amy and Metal? We shall see...

Sonic 20th Anniversary Figures Are Here!

Jazwares has finally shipped the first wave of Sonic the Hedgehog 20th Anniversary figures to stores! I feel like we've been talking about this line forever. Since February, we here at SEGA Memories have been eagerly anticipating this action figure line that promised characters (and enemies) from Sonic's twenty year history. Details were spotty, but thanks to convention photos we were able to piece together what would be the collection. Now that the first wave has hit, and details have leaked about the second wave, we know what figures are out there and what to expect.

After the break we take a look at 1991 Sonic, 1998 Sonic, 2001 Shadow and 2010 Tails!

Showing off the best figure first: it's classic Sonic with Motobug! Jazwares has really nailed the classic look, with a brand new figure that looks just as great as First4Figures releases. Sure he doesn't have as much joint movement, but when he's stuck in the box it's really not an issue. Yes, I've decided to not open 1991 Sonic. I figure he is the best looking figure of the bunch, and coupled with the Green Hill Zone background he looks great on the shelf. Motobug (incorrectly called Moto Bug) looks decent, though it clearly follows the Sonic Generations design. So it's technically a 2011 Motobug and a 1991 Sonic. From what I can tell, the wheel does not spin and there is no sign of him being able to stand on his own. So again, best left unopened. If you're going to get one figure from the line, make it this one.

We jump ahead 7 years to the Dreamcast classic Sonic Adventure! Correctly labeled with the 1998 Japanese release date, this 2-pack features the redesigned modern Sonic and the Spinner badnik standing in front of Speed Highway. Sonic nerds would probably note that the badnik was actually called "Spina" in Sonic Adventure and received the Spinner name and redesign in 2008's Sonic Unleashed. The figurine seems to have design traits of both Adventure and Unleashed, with Adventure's color and eyes and Unleashed's mouth and blades and looks the most like the sprite of Spinner as seen in Sonic Colors DS. Alright, enough geeky talk. Overall spinner looks great with silver and gold paint, and looks quite cool sat next to Sonic (I assembled a plastic base out of remnants from the figure package). Modern Sonic is the same 3" Sonic found in previous Jazwares releases, and as such isn't as great looking as more recent figures. Still, if you have yet to pick up a 3" Sonic, this is a good one to pick up thanks to the badnik.

Sonic fans should instantly notice that the big "2000" above Shadow's head is incorrect. There was never a game released in 2000 featuring Shadow, as Shadow debuted in 2001's Sonic Adventure 2. The figure itself is, like Sonic, a repackaging of the old Shadow figure. Still, he looks great and stands up well. He and a GUN Mono Beetle are sat in front of City Escape. While the Mono Beetle is quite a boring enemy robot, I'd have preferred Kiki the monkey, it is instantly recognizable as a Sonic Adventure 2 enemy and will be appearing in Sonic Generations. Like Spinner, I had to construct a little base for the Beetle. Otherwise, he'd look like he's taking a nap on the ground next to Shadow. Like Sonic, this isn't a very exciting figure thanks to the odd enemy and repacked figure, but if you've yet to pick up a Shadow and want one this is the one to get.

The fourth figure comes from Sonic's most recent game: 2010's well received Sonic Colors. This figure surprised me! Tails, while previously released without the badnik, is a really nice figure. He doesn't topple over and I prefer his open hands to Sonic and Shadow's always-ready-to-punch fists. The badnik is pretty cool, despite a limited color scheme and limited movement. Sandworm originally appeared in Sonic & Knuckles Sandopolis stage and received a redesign for his appearance in Sonic Colors. So, in a sense, you could say you're getting both a classic and a modern badnik. I like how he appears to be popping out of a hole in the ground. Next to classic Sonic, 2010 Tails is the best of the bunch.

So what's next for Jazwares? Well, early ebay sales point towards the release of classic Tails & Grabber, modern Knuckles & Egg Pawn, Silver & Iblis Biter and modern Eggman with two Egg Fighters. After that, we can most likely expect classic Eggman & Eggrobos, classic Knuckles and (fingers crossed) classic Metal Sonic.

Sonic Adventure 2 Era Fan Comic - "Chao Fan World"

Digging through my old image files, I came across these remnants of Sonic fandom past: my old Sonic Adventure 2 chao fan comic "Chao Fan World". Dated August 20th, 2001, these Sonic Adventure 2 inspired comics began when I frequented the forums at The Sonic Foundation . As forum members began to raise their chao, they shared photos and drawings of their weird creations. Thanks to SA2's hero/dark theme, players were able to raise some pretty crazy looking chao. From angels and rabbits with pumpkin heads to legless bat creatures with skull heads. At the time, I had wanted to create a Sonic fan comic, but wanted to create something a bit more offbeat. So, I ignored the main characters of the Sonic universe and instead focused on the chao. After putting out a call for forum members to share their chao, I put together a short lived fan comic called "Chao Fan World".

After the break, check out the four episodes of the comic along with a comic cast page!

click to enlarge

This page introduces the stars of the comic, including a Sonic cameo. The nerd at the top named "EatMyDust" is me, "EatMyDust" was my forum name.

What happened next? Who knows! I never finished it. But I'd like to think I could have finished the story after three or four more episodes. I'm glad I finally got to share this strange artifact of my Sonic fandom and I hope you all enjoyed reading it!