Sonic the Hedgehog’s 35th anniversary is today

The year is 1991. Movies like Terminator 2: Judgement Day- Hang on! You’ve read this before!

Today marks the 35th anniversary of the launch of the original Sonic the Hedgehog video game on Genesis/Mega-Drive. The game launched first in North America on June 23rd, 1991 and moved Genesis consoles off of retail shelves like no other game before or after. From that moment on, Sega and the rest of the world would be changed forever.

Sonic has gone on to be one of the world’s most beloved and recognizable video game icons, with an unforgettable and way past cool charm and personality that still wins the hearts of many. In all these years, we’ve seen him in platformers, puzzle games, racing games, fighting games, and even an interactive popcorn dispenser and a free mystery visual novel. He’s crossed over into movies, TV, comics, and with many other media franchises. He made many curious enough to try topping their hot dogs with chili, or to figure out what a hedgehog even is. Above all, however, his games are just loads of fun and still as playable now as they were the day they came out.

It’s difficult to imagine what the last 35 years could’ve looked like if Sonic never came into our lives, but can we be certain he’ll stick around for the next 35 years? Honestly, is grass green? Is water wet? Seriously though, go on past the break as we take a brief look at Sonic’s past, the influence he’s had on the world, and whatever the future holds for the world’s most famous hedgehog. Let’s do it to it.

Melodies Zone debuts massive fan remix album for Sonic the Hedgehog’s 35th anniversary

You ask even the most jaded Sonic haters out there if there’s one thing they like about Sonic games, and they’re most likely to say its the music. Sonic seldom has a lacking soundtrack to go with any of the games, and to celebrate the 35th anniversary of this beloved franchise, Melodies Zone has come back with a new album of fan remixes of many of the most memorable songs throughout those 35 years.

Here, you’ll find a staggering 56 remixes from many known Melodies Zone composers like Hotline Sehwani, Lian Fort, Chief Takinawa, and Pixel Boy, as well as many brand new artists. Most of the games from the entire series are represented here, from the original game that started it all up to Sonic Racing: Crossworlds. Most of the remixes are relaxing, downtempo lo-fi, jazzhop, and chillhop, serving as perfect background tunes for relaxing or working with comforting memories of enjoying your favorite Sonic games to get you through the day, but there are a couple from a variety of more high energy music genres such as metal, drum & bass, and future funk to compliment a workout that Sonic himself would find fulfilling.

Sounds like a good listen? Come on in past the break and get ready to juice and jam.

SEGA Talk #187: Sonic CD (1993)

Put on your red sneakers, grab a chili dog, and get ready to travel through time as we dive into one of the most ambitious, innovative, and misunderstood entries in the Sonic franchise: Sonic CD for the Sega CD. This isn’t just “Sonic with CDs.” This is the game that introduced Metal Sonic, gave us Amy Rose, dared to ask “what if Sonic could change the future?” find out on this episode of SEGA TALK!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – Download]

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, have your memories read on the show, select the games we talk about!

SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance Launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on Sept. 24, Pre-Orders Available

Today, SEGA® of America and Lizardcube officially announced that the acclaimed 2D action platformer SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance™ will release on Nintendo Switch 2 on September 24, 2026, and will be available in both digital and physical editions. It is available for pre-order via Nintendo.

Created in collaboration with Lizardcube, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance follows longtime series protagonist and master of the ninja arts, Joe Musashi, who arrives home from a previous adventure to find his village burned to the ground and his clan turned into stone. Driven by vengeance, Joe sets off on an epic quest, battling hordes of enemies and larger-than-life bosses across stunning hand-drawn worlds. Rife with multiple paths to discover or unlock and packed with smooth, satisfying gameplay, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance will have players attacking and reacting on the move— and keep them coming back for more.

SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance on Nintendo Switch 2 will retail starting at $29.99 USD. It is also available as a digital Deluxe Edition as well as a physical Deluxe Edition (see product page for pricing and details). The Deluxe Editions include the SEGA Villains Stage DLC which pits Joe Musashi against three legendary SEGA foes: the evil genius Dr. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog™), the “mad dog” of Shimano Goro Majima (Like a Dragon™/Yakuza™) and the ruthless giant Death Adder (Golden Axe™).

SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is also available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Steam and Nintendo Switch. For more details on the various digital and physical editions, pricing, downloadable demo and more please visit the official game website. For more information on all other SEGA games, please visit www.sega.com or follow along on YouTube, Instagram and X.

The SEGAbits Swingin’ Report Show LIVE: 25 Years of Sonic Adventure 2

As Sonic is about to turn 35, the Swingin’ Report Show LIVE turns the clock back to Sonic’s 10th anniversary which saw the release of Sonic Adventure 2! Joining in to share their memories are Sonic Retro head honcho/Sonic Weekly host David the Lurker, as well as friend of the show and video game music composer Steve aka ap0c!

[Download] [RSS] [iTunes] [Archive]

Join SEGA at Anime Expo 2026 for Panels, Performances, and More!

Are you a SEGA or ATLUS fan living near the Los Angeles area and planning to attend Anime Expo this year? If so, there is good news! SPJA and SEGA detailed their line-up of panels and activations for fans at Anime Expo 2026 on July 2–5, 2026 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

More information on the SEGA lineup can be found below and check out our website for all the offerings SEGA has at Anime Expo 2026.

Sonic the Hedgehog Gets New Merch Collab with The Wobbles

Today, SEGA and The Woobles announced the upcoming Sonic x The Woobles Collection, launching today! This is the first collaboration between the two and brings some iconic Sonic characters to life.

This collection will feature three unique kits:

  • Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Tails
  • Knuckles

Along with a special mystery accessory kit, designed to add an extra element of surprise and creativity. Each kit has been thoughtfully curated and are designed for novices and experts alike to enjoy! You can purchase the Sonic x The Wobble collection on the official website.

 

SEGA News Bits Live: Crazy Taxi, Artificial Intelligence and Tupac

We’re back, and so is Crazy Taxi but not without controversy! Also, Tupac is alive and well and in an upcoming SEGA game and Sonic is turning 250 years old next week!

If you want to support this type of content, you can check out our Patreon!

If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us: Give us a sub and give this video a thumbs up so it shows up on more like-minded fans YouTube recommendations. You know, how that YouTube algorithm is.

New details emerge on abandoned Crazy Taxi 4 pitch

Back in 2015 we learned that SEGA Studios Australia had created artwork for a Crazy Taxi 4 pitch that had likely taken place years earlier. Just this week, with the announcement of Crazy Taxi: World Tour, a former SEGA Creative Assembly staffer who worked at the Brisbane, Australia offices from 2009-2010 revealed details of a Crazy Taxi: World Tour pitch that may have tied in with the previously revealed pitch art.

Cuphead spin-off Mighty Cuphead Adventure being developed for Master System

In all the excitement from this year’s Summer Games Fest and other new game showcases this June, you might remember an announcement being made that two new Cuphead games were in development by the creators of the award winning original game, Studio MDHR. The first is a new, hand-drawn adventure very much like the beloved original game, which is still a ways away in development as of this writing. The other game, which is clearly much closer to completion, is an 8-bit spin-off called Mighty Cuphead Adventure, but what might not be apparent right away is that this is a Master System game, not an NES game as many were quick to assume. (Pay close attention to the console and controllers in the above trailer.)

We could hardly believe it ourselves, but it’s true. Mighty Cuphead Adventure is coming soon as a game you can play on your Master System or anything else compatible with Master System games. It will also be available on modern consoles and PC as well, but the small team working on this at Studio MDHR is making it as a Master System game first and foremost in Assembly code. They’re also committing to an eventual physical cartridge release for original Master System consoles and compatible consoles.

Sounds pretty crazy, and the best part is that this was a longstanding dream for the Cuphead developers, which they never gave up on. To find out more, pour a cup of your favorite beverage and adventure on past the break to see what I mean.

SEGA Announces Crazy Taxi: World Tour, Ignites New Controversy [UPDATE: SEGA Clarifies]

Update 6/8: Kotaku has asked series creator and the lead of Crazy Taxi: World Tour what exact role AI played in the game’s development and this was his answer: “We used it as a reference. So our artists would pull up [and] generate some of their ideas and then they would look at that, you know, generated image and then they would draw the actual thing. So actual creators, everything from programming to assets, everything is made by an actual human. It’s only used as a reference for them to look at and then they would actually create the actual thing that would go into the game.”

Original article:

SEGA has officially announced the next entry in the Crazy Taxi franchise: Crazy Taxi: World Tour, coming in 2027 to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

The trailer (shown above) was revealed during this year’s Xbox Showcase, three years after the game was first announced back in 2023.

So, what do I think of the trailer and gameplay? Incredible. It looks amazing, and I can’t wait to play it.

So what’s the controversy? If you check the Steam page, there’s an AI Generated Content Disclosure at the bottom of the game’s description:

 

“At SEGA Corporation, we utilize generative AI as a support tool for developers, aiming to provide better content to our users and enable developers to focus more on creative tasks.

We have used such generative AI support tools during development of Crazy Taxi: World Tour. No AI was used in reference to the performers in the game”

This disclaimer has caused a huge uproar within the anti-AI community and it’s a complex issue. Some point out that these tools are used to speed up repetitive coding tasks, and as you can read here, SEGA has been fairly open about not using AI to replace creatives, including voice actors and artists.

But how do you all feel about it?

SEGA Celebrates 35 Years of Sonic with Another Year of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Content and a New Sonic Indie Partnership

Today, during the Summer Game Fest 2026 livestream and in celebration of Sonic’s 35th Anniversary, SEGA offered a sneak peek for what’s to come with Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds featuring a brand-new Year 2 update, as well as a new licensed indie game, SONIC PICO PARK, coming in 2026!

Check out full details from the press release below!

VIRTUA FIGHTER CROSSROADS Announced With Dedicated Showcase Revealing Story, Battle and Writing Team Details

During today’s Summer Games Fest Showcase, SEGA and RGG Studio revealed VIRTUA FIGHTER CROSSROADS, which is set to release in 2027.

Along with the announcement, SEGA and RGG Studio revealed a dedicated showcase, giving an extended look into the upcoming title, including the new story mode, the dynamic new battle system that delivers the hard-hitting realism the series is known for, and important details about the key writing talent behind this bold venture.

Check out more detailed information and screenshots of VIRTUA FIGHTER CROSSROADS from the official press release for the showcase below.