Merchandise

12 Days of Sonic Retro Christmas 2011: Day 9

On the ninth day of Christmas, Retro gave to me…

…a look at Christmas swag you can’t buy anymore.

We’re hitting the home stretch here. Christmas is only in a few short days, so its quite possible that you’re reading this article on the go, looking for a gift for that special someone. Each store you enter is covered in Christmas, shelves strewn about with an ever-shrinking stock.

One thing that always confused me even as a child, however, was the amount of Christmas-themed gifts. If you’re a kid on Christmas day opening up presents, the last thing I’d think you’d want is something that has Santa Claus on it. Sure, you can use it the day you get it, but what are you going to do afterwards? Are you going to wear a Christmas sweater come July? I don’t think so.

But I guess it’d be forgivable if Sonic was involved.

The above photo was taken from Sega’s Flickr account, showing off a Christmas ornament from the early 90’s. Who wouldn’t want to see Sonic running atop a Game Gear, who has taken on the role of Santa and is giving presents to…someone. How ironic it would be if one of those gifts was a Game Boy.

While that might be Sonic’s best known Christmas related tat, it certainly isn’t the only piece of merchandise that’s been available with Sonic in a Santa hat. Thanks to the aforementioned Flickr account, let’s take a look at a few more Sonic-y swag that is sure to fill your heart with cheer.

This little beauty was available for free in an issue of Sonic the Comic, so only good little English boys and girls ever got to put it on their tree. Which issue? I have no idea. I’m sure someone does, though.

These two images are strangely similar. Ok, not strangely. They’re Sonic on a stocking, one blue and the other red. Regardless of the flavor you choose, you’re still going to get a Sonic with miscolored legs. Apparently everyone loves to make merchandise of Sonic where something is going against the style guide!

These strange plushies, as far as I can tell, were only available in Japan, but don’t quote me on that. I just know they were available in Japan, and so more than likely weren’t elsewhere. They’re Sonic and “Tails” in…Christmas shoes? Certainly some of the stranger Sonic plushies I’ve ever heard of. Maybe they’re auditioning for Super Mario Bros. 3.

Now, while there are more pictures of Sonic-themed Christmas trees and what have you, most of them seem to either be homemade decorations, or non-Christmas Sonic swag perched carfully atop a tree for a photoshoot. No fear, though, because there was more Sonic goodness released specifically for Christmas, and we can celebrate those thanks to the site Sonic Gear. Keep in mind the images can sometimes be extremely small, but they are certainly good at keeping track of all the nonesense Sega allows people to release based on their most well known franchise.

If you’re a fan of the old school, you probably would have loved this plushie sticking out of your stocking as a youth. Adorned with Santa’s hat and matching bow tie, Sonic is certainly leaning towards his cute side. Unfortunately, as made clear by that SegaSonic tag, this item was only released in Japan. I hope they appreciated it.

Here’s some more Japanese Sonic Christmas merchandise. Sonic’s head stricking out of a wreath, and a bag with Christmas Sonic hopping about. Why didn’t we ever get Sonic bags in the west?

Now, if you or your younger siblings were fans of the Sonic X era, more than likely you have one of these stuffed toys. Apparently, the idea of hocking Sonic related to any holiday was a big thing, with variations released for Halloween, Valentines Day, and even ones that say “Happy Mother’s Day.” These are a collection of either Sonic and his friends looking festive, or going the extra mile and dressing up. Miles “Tails” Prower as Frosty the Snowman? I guess it works.

Finally, a piece of merchandise only available in Australia. We’ve mentioned the Sonic Christmas Blast special on here before, but if you live in the land down under, at one point you could buy Christmas cards adorned with the same imagery from the DVD release of the special. What’s more, the card actually came with a copy of the special! Now that is something special.

Well, that’s all for now. If I missed anything, be sure to tell me.

Previous Post Next Post

You Might Also Like

9 Comments

  • Reply

    I want those ornaments and those Sonic stockings.

    USELESS TRIVIA: On this day, Sonic Adventure was released in Japan on Dec. 23.

    Merry Christmas to all.

  • Reply

    I actually own that “Santa’s Helper” Knuckles. I took off the shirt and the hat and it is just a big Knuckles now. Since then, I’ve gotten the recent modern Knuckles plushie to date.

  • Reply

    No, Sonic doesn’t have GameBoys in there, he has ALL of Nintendo’s mechandise waiting to be burned… I would know, I have that ornament.

  • Reply

    I still have that tree ornament from STC. It was from issue 14. I decided to stick it up on my bedroom wall 7 years ago and it’s been there since.

  • Reply

    I won the Sonic X-style Knuckles in a carnival game. That said, the whole line of X plushies are probably the most awkward things I’ve ever seen.

  • Reply

    Wait, those dolls are official?

    I always thought they were just some poorly made garbage a half-talented person keeps trying to sell on ebay. Huh.

  • Reply

    Surprised you didn’t use this rather overpriced ornament:

    http://goo.gl/Mcn28

  • Reply

    I’m actually using that sonic christmas card for my brother!

  • Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.