Archive for ‘Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll’
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Thursday Mar 24, 2011
eBay Auction for Japan Relief – Part 2
Earlier this week, we listed several items on eBay for auction, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Red Cross for relief efforts in Japan. The response was overwhelming — we received several thousand dollars in bids, with many items going for $300 or more. Thank you to all who bid, and will continue to bid, on these items. We sent an email to all employees at SEGA of America to let them know what we were doing, and many people wanted to help out. Yesterday was a parade of people coming by our desks with items to donate for auction. Many of these items are from their own personal collections, and are things that they’ve held on to for years. We also got some people internally to sign items in the hopes that it would increase the auction value. Everyone at SEGA has pitched in to help with this, and we just can’t thank them enough. We’re honored to work with amazing people here at SEGA. One of the things we heard from a few folks after our first set of items went up was that they would like to bid and contribute, but they didn’t have enough money to bid on items that were listed. Because of that, we’ve listed some smaller/less rare items in the hopes that everyone will be able to find something that fits their interest and budget. Even if you can’t or choose not to bid, we need your support! Please help us in spreading the word to friends, family, and fellow gamers about our auction. Not all of our items are on the smaller scale, though. We’ve got several really valuable items, including a prize so awesome that I still have a hard time believing that we’re giving it up. You can see all of our new prizes in the photos and item descriptions, along with links to bid, below. We will be listing even more items in the coming days, so keep watching for new stuff! And thanks again for all your support. SEGA fans ROCK!! Video
Official Bayonetta Costume
Seriously? Seriously. We are incredibly excited to offer this for auction. If you were at E3, Comic Con, or saw coverage of events where we had our live Bayonetta model, then you’ve seen this item in action. This is the completely original, totally custom-made, incredibly accurate and detailed Bayonetta costume. It’s truly the only one like it in the world. The costume does include the wig (and foam head) with ribbons and chains, the bodysuit, the gloves and the boots. This costume does NOT include the glasses or the guns. The bodysuit has all of the details you’d expect from an accurate representation of the character, including the round chest piece, chains on the front and back of the costume, and more. Because it was custom-made to fit our Bayonetta model, we don’t have a numbered size for it. However, you can examine the photos above and below to see the size of the bodysuit. The boots are a size 10. The wig should fit most heads. The gloves should fit most hands/arms. Sonic the Hedgehog 15th Anniversary Figurine
What you’re looking at was part of a figurine series created to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog’s 15th Anniversary back in 2006. This figurine is about 4 inches tall, and is of excellent quality and detail. It was owned by a SEGA of America employee, who took care of it at his desk, and is now donating it to help with Japan relief efforts. The figurine features modern-style Sonic and comes with a black base that reads “SONIC” on the front. On the top of the base, just in front of where Sonic stands, is the official Sonic 15th Anniversary Logo, marking the piece as part of the 15th Anniversary Collector’s series. Sonic’s arms are slightly bendable, but this figurine is meant for collectors, and is not recommended for playing with, chewing on, or using to save the world. (That said, sometimes Eggman just needs a good beating!) As part of the 15th Anniversary set, this figurine is also unique from the Sonic Statue, which is larger and limited to a run of 2500. (We also have one of these up for charity auction – check our full listing page for info!) Signed Vanquish Art & Statue
What you’re looking at is a signed glossy art piece from the PlatinumGames team featuring Inaba-san and Mikami-san signatures and a very special and highly detailed statue from the Vanquish Videogame. The signed art images were hand signed by the development team in preparation for the game release. The Vanquish statue was part of the original pre-order offering in Europe. This particular statue was donated by our marketing director and has been unopened, still in its original packaging! Super Monkey Ball AiAi T-Shirt
This is one of a few hundred AiAi shirts made for Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll. It is a replica of the shirt that AiAi wears in the game. These were given out to Nintendo World Store employees that worked our launch event at the store, as well as internally to SEGA employees. It is a size Medium. Project Needlemouse “Team Needlemouse” T-Shirt
This is one of our last remaining new Project Needlemouse t-shirts here at SEGA, and we think that there are few better reasons to donate it than to help Japan in this time of need. The shirt features the Sonic Silhouette and reads ‘PROJECT NEEDLEMOUSE’ above it on the front. The left sleeve features the SEGA logo, and the right sleeve reads “TEAM NEEDLEMOUSE – 9.09.09″. This date is a reference to two things: the first reveal of Project Needlemouse, and also the original launch of the Dreamcast, which launched on a similar 9.9.99 date. The shirt is size XL. Ryo Hazuki Figurine – in Forklift!
Attention Shenmue fans! This figurine of Ryo Hazuki in his forklift is one of only 1,000 in the world! They were made to promote Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, which features Ryo and his forklift as his All-Star move. Now is your chance to own one! The figure is 5 inches tall. MADWORLD T-Shirt
What you’re seeing here is one of the first edition T-shirts in SEGA’s popular MADWORLD series. While later versions of this popular shirt would show up at NYCC, this is a new, unworn, original T-shirt, given only to select press and SEGA employees back when SEGA and Platinum Games first announced their major partnership in San Francisco. It is a size Medium The shirt is a play on the quirky nature of MADWORLD – and the fact that you can stab people in the head with CAUTION signs. Beyond being part of the super-limited first run, you can also tell this shirt apart from the later variants by the sheer size of the “CAUTION” sign on the front, which is huge and bright on the first edition set. If you’re a fan of MADWORLD or Platinum Games, this is your one – and perhaps only – chance to score one of the first edition promo items from one of the most graphic games on the Wii! Japanese Bayonetta for X360 and PS3
You are bidding on two Japanese copies of Bayonetta on PlayStation3 and Xbox 360, as donated by our PR Team to help Japan with relief efforts. The games are both sealed and never been used. The Xbox 360 version requires a Japanese Xbox 360 to play, however if so desired, the PlayStation3 version is region free and should work in any console. A collector’s item for anyone looking to expand their Bayonetta collection! Sonic Colors Soundtrack from Japan – Signed!
This is the original soundtrack to Sonic Colors/Colours from Japan! These are not available for purchase outside of Japan, so this is your chance to get one! It is a 3 disc set, with 83 songs in total. To make it even better, the Sonic Colors marketing team from SEGA of America (Judy, Thu & Kellie) has signed the insert! MegaDrive Collection Vinyl
What you’re looking at is a very special and extremely limited Megadrive Ultimate Collection Vinyl Record. Originally offered as a pre-order incentive for Australia for the Megadrive collection, this record has never been listened to and comes in near mint condition. This is a massive collectors item for anyone that loves Megadrive / Genesis and wants to celebrate some of the classic tracks from years gone by. This particular record was donated from Derrek P, Brand Manager here at Sega of America who worked on the title release. Details about the album: * Extremely RARE Megadrive / Genesis Limited Edition Vinyl Soundtrack Samuel L. Jackson Signed Iron Man 2 Promo Card
This is a thin cardboard (posterboard) promo card for the Iron Man 2 game, signed by Samuel L. Jackson. Details about the card: * Authentic, original signature Sonic the Hedgehog Notebook from 1993
Take note, Sonic fans – or take lots of notes, because this rare Sonic notebook from 1993 is completely unused and in awesome condition. And, unless you happened to live in Brazil in 1993, chances are this is one piece of Sonic merchandise you don’t already own! Inside the book is some Sonic art from the early 90’s era, including everyone’s favorite sidekick – Tails! Details about the Sonic Notebook: * Made in 1993, and still in great, unused quality (Thanks to all of our fans who pointed out this was from Brazil, not Mexico. ) Don Cheadle Signed Iron Man 2 Promo Card
This is a thin cardboard (posterboard) promo card for the Iron Man 2 game, signed by Don Cheadle. Details about the card: * Authentic, original signature SEGA Branded Ladies Watch
Hey Ladies, what time is it? It’s time to bid on an extremely RARE SEGA watch! This watch was created for SEGA of America employees as a holiday gift, only a handful were created and distributed, however the exact number is unknown. The watch was donated by Judy G, Brand Manager here at Sega of America and who might also be late to tomorrow’s meeting! Details about the Watch: * Extremely RARE Ladies style SEGA Watch Sonic Free Riders Soundtrack from Japan
This is the original soundtrack to Sonic Free Riders from Japan! These are not available for purchase outside of Japan, so this is your chance to get one! The CD has 12 tracks on it. Details about the soundtrack: * 12 songs Sonic the Hedgehog Boombox
Sonic Colours UK Limited Edition Pack – DS
This is a limited edition Sonic Colours pack that was only available in the UK. It contains the Sonic Colours game for the Nintendo DS as well as a Sonic figurine and several Wisps from the game. The game’s cover and manual have been signed by the Sonic Colours marketing team at SEGA of America — Judy, Thu, and Kellie. Super Monkey Ball & Valkyria Chronicles Pins
Looking for a hip way to show off your SEGA pride, donate to a good cause, and not break the bank in doing so? Perhaps these limited edition Super Monkey Ball & Valkyria Chronicle pins will help you get there! The pins were created for promotional use at the Penny Arcade Expo and given out to fans who visited the SEGA booth. Sonic Colours UK Limited Edition Signed – Wii
This is a limited edition Sonic Colours pack that was only available in the UK. It contains the Sonic Colours game for the Nintendo Wii as well as a Sonic figurine and several Wisps from the game. The game’s cover and manual have been signed by the Sonic Colours marketing team at SEGA of America — Judy, Thu, and Kellie. SEGA Director’s Notebook
Yes, you read that correctly. This is a special, SEGA Branded, high-class professional-style notebook. Until today, it was owned and used by SEGA of America’s own Marketing Director. Now, you too can feel the awe-inspiring power of a SEGA director by possessing their book! (… or something like that.) The notebook itself is a black and a light, iridescent blue, and features a zipper protecting the paper and pockets inside – and this thing has a lot of pockets. It’s perfect for jotting down notes about the next upcoming SEGA game, how awesome the SEGA of America Community Team is, or how you’re totally planning to give them a raise in the next fiscal year. (Because, you know, that’s what Directors do!) Rumor has it this Notebook was even down through generations from each SEGA Director to the next over the last two-hundred and fifty years. Other rumors state that it holds the power to create world peace, and that using this notebook while wearing a “three wolves howling at the moon” shirt will amplify your natural Director powers, instantly transforming you into a qualified, bona fide leader. Please note that we have not tested either of these rumors to confirm their validity. In short, it’s a sweet, classy, SEGA branded Notebook, once owned by our Marketing Director. Details about the Notebook: * Owned and used by a SEGA America Marketing Director *: Effectiveness at transforming regular people into SEGA Directors has not yet been fully tested. There’s a slight chance you might feel just like a normal person holding a very, very special Notebook. SEGA Saturn Game Gloves
Planning on a long gaming session of your favorite old school SEGA classics, but lack the proper attire? Look no further, we have a very special and extremely rare auction for a pair of Saturn Game Gloves. These were donated by one of our SEGA producers, Omar W., who held on to these gems for several years, waiting and training to be the best gamer there ever was. Now, this pair of gloves can be yours, complete with padded thumbs! Details about the Game Gloves: * Branded SEGA Saturn Sonic the Hedgehog Backpack
What would it be like to give Sonic a piggyback ride everywhere you went? You can find out with this Sonic the Hedgehog backpack! Thanks to adjustable straps connecting Sonic’s hands and feet, Sonic can be with you all day to help you carry your stuff. Not a lot of stuff though… the backpack portion is accessible through a zip pocket in Sonic’s stomach and doesn’t really hold more than a few items. But still — an adorable item for any kid, or just a kid at heart. Sonic & Knuckles Race Set
Fan of Sonic & Sega’s Allstars racing and looking for even more Sonic racing action? Look no further! Now you too can join in the fun with Sonic or Knuckles in this racing set, featuring 8 feet of track! What fun! Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing – Tails & Plane Figurine
Tails flew his plane in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, and that’s commemorated in this figurine set. Details about the figurine: * High-quality, detailed Tails figurine Valkyria Chronicles JPN
For Gallia – and Japan! This super-rare Limited Edition box set for the epic PS3 game Valkyria Chronicles is being auctioned off straight from SEGA to help raise funds for Japan relief efforts. The box itself is in almost-new condition, and includes a special Alicia figurine, an extremely detailed Edelweiss Tank figurine, the Japanese edition of the pre-order Artbook, and the game itself. Only available in Japan, the copy of the game will also work in US and European PS3 systems. The Alicia figurine is also a unique version not available in other Valkyria Chronicles figurine sets. The only way to pick it up is through this Box Set! Details about the Limited Edition Box Set: * Rare, Limited Edition Box Set from Japan. SEGA Cards, Dreamcast Postcards, and SEGA Pen
This set includes two SEGA holiday cards that were sent to friends, partners, and business associates at the end of the year. One features Sonic the Hedgehog on a snowboard, and the other features Bayonetta, AiAi, Sonic, and the Alien from AVP – all kickin’ it by the fire in holiday sweaters (of frankly questionable taste). This set also includes 6 Dreamcast-era postcard – 3 of each style. The first features Seaman and the quote “Get a life, fruitcake.” That lovely holiday sentiment is followed up by a lady in her recliner, speaking to Seaman on her Dreamcast microphone. You’ll need something to write on all this paper with, so we’ve included a SEGA pen. Sonic the Hedgehog MP3 Player
This Sonic the Hedgehog MP3 player holds 500 songs (it’s 2GB) and comes with earbuds. What else could you want in an MP3 player? Well, I’ll tell you. It opens and closes.(!!) I know, It’s crazy. But I know it’s true, because it’s right there on the package. What is the world coming to. Planet 51 Movie Art Book – Signed!
This is a hardcover, full-color book featuring art from the Planet 51 movie. If you’re into animation, this is a great item to have. The front of the book is signed by Marcella Churchill, who was the Brand Manager at SEGA of America for the Planet 51 game. Crazy Taxi Art – Signed
This rare piece of art was signed in late 2010 to celebrate the release of Crazy Taxi on PSN and XBLA. If you’ve got crazy money (or just the highest bid), it’s yours! Details about the art: * 8.5 inches x 11 inches Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood Cover – Signed!
This is a cover for the Nintendo DS game Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. It is signed by the entire BioWare dev team that worked on the game. And it is awesome. Details about the cover: * Cover of Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood The Epic Soniclock!
***Own the most epic, rare Sonic Clock in the history of the world!*** You probably thought we were joking about that whole “Most epic Sonic Clock in the whole world” part, right? To understand the value of this masterpiece, one first needs to know its history… This clock was originally given out for free to a SEGA event attendee last year. Apparently that person wasn’t a huge fan of Sonic, and in a gesture that was probably meant to insult us, he destroyed part of the clock and then put it up on Ebay. The rest of the Sonic community was appalled, until… One of the other attendees from that same event bid on the clock – and won it. And then the story got 10x better: The winner wrote around the edges of the clock, in a personalized message to SEGA and our Sonic 4 Brand Manager Ken: “The Sonic(lock) Cycle as you truly imagined it!” For Christmas that year, we here at SEGA received a package – and within it, we got our clock back. You can check out the full blog detailing the awesome return here: http://bit.ly/h9rXDN Now, we have decided to end (or continue?) this story where it began: Ebay. We’ve upgraded the clock, adding a new “Biker-Balough” picture to the 12:00 spot, and have repaired the rest of it through large amounts of super glue and excessive strips of tape. The Soniclock has been upgraded to a new level, and by bidding on this piece of SEGA Community history, you can also help those in need in Japan! Details about the Soniclock: * Features Ken “Biker” Balough at 12:00! Virtua Fighter 5 – Signed
Signed by the Japanese development team, this rare copy of Virtua Fighter 5 for PS3 is among some of the rarest items we’re auctioning off to support Japan. As you can see in the picture, a number of big names from the VF team signed in silver, and this copy is truly one-of-a-kind if you’re a collector of rare SEGA or Virtua Fighter merchandise. Both the signed case and the actual game for PS3 are included in this auction. To all our Virtua Fighter addicts out there – good luck! THANK YOU!That’s all the items in our second batch, but we’re already collecting more for a third! We’ve got some good stuff coming up too… stay tuned!
Posted by Kellie in Bayonetta, Dreamcast, E3 2009, Iron Man 2, MadWorld, Planet 51, Project Needlemouse, SEGA, Sonic, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Sonic Colors, Sonic Free Riders, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll, Valkyria Chronicles, Vanquish on 1:44:57PM Mar 24, 2011 |
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Tuesday Mar 22, 2011
SEGA Auctions for Charity!Today, it’s time to give back! People across the world have felt the effects of the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan. As someone who was there when it all happened, we saw firsthand many of the challenges that the Japanese people are now going through. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial that we all do our part to help those who truly need it. Here at SEGA, we’ve decided to gather some of the rarest, most unique items we could find, and we’re auctioning them all off right now, donating 100% of the funds to the Red Cross to assist in Japan relief efforts. If you’re a SEGA fan, this is your chance – bid on super rare SEGA merchandise, and do your part to help Japan in this crucial time of need. To all those in the SEGA Community – let’s get this started! Yakuza Track Jacket
You can also see this item in today’s edition of “On the Spot” over at Gamespot! Dreamcast Hoodie
We created these for the recently-release Dreamcast Collection, and they’ve been super popular ever since. We’ve given away many of them through Free Stuff Friday and partnerships with other sites, but we still get asked all the time how people can buy one of them. Until today, the answer was that you can’t. This is your chance to pay for a hoodie — just be the highest bidder, and its yours. We have sizes XS, M, L, and XL (sorry, we’re out of smalls!). Dreamcast Bag
This is from the Dreamcast days… a big bag to hold all your stuff. We found this in our old office, rescued it, and have been hanging on to it for several years now, just waiting for the right occasion to part with it. This is it! It is a big bag (about 17 inches wide and 15 inches tall) and was originally intended to hold your Dreamcast console, controllers, etc. It could be used for that, or as a cool computer or book bag. There is one zippered pocket on the front (just above the logo), and it zips open to reveal one interior front pocket and 4 smaller mesh pockets on the back to organize your stuff. It has two handles at the top for hand carrying, a shoulder strap, and also some backpack straps, if that’s how you choose to roll. Yakuza 4 Officially Licensed T-Shirt from Japan
This is an amazing shirt. It’s officially licensed, and has the Ryu Ga Gotoku tag still on it. It’s a black long-sleeve shirt in a size XL, but it’s a Japanese XL so it’s smaller than a US size XL. But you may not even want to wear it, because it’s so pretty! The front, sleeves, and back have a tattoo design in gold — as you can see, it’s very intricate and shiny. This shirt sells in Japan for approximately $110 US, so it’s definitely rare and valuable! Valkyria Chroncles – Signed copy for PS3
One of SEGA’s best games for the PS3 – and perhaps one of the best games on the console itself – this is a rare chance to pick up a shiny copy of Valkyria Chronicles, signed by two key members of the Japanese development team. This includes Ryutaro Nonaka, the game’s producer from SEGA of Japan! The winning bid scores both the open case and a brand-new, unopened copy of the game, still in its original shrink-wrap. How’s that for awesome? Yakuza 4 US Promo T-Shirt
While less rare than the Yakuza shirt above it, this is still a pretty rare item. We made 500 of these shirts to promote Yakuza 4, and just because they are more subtle than your average game t-shirt doesn’t mean it’s any less awesome. We have these in size M, L, or XL (winner picks their size). It’s a black short-sleeve shirt with a tattoo design over the shoulder, and the Yakuza 4 logo on the opposite sleeve. The screenprint design continues over the shoulder and on to the back of the shirt. Sonic Colors Kiosk Art
This is art that was originally placed in demo kiosks for Sonic Colors. Now it could be yours! There are 6 pieces in total, each with a different design of Sonic and his Wisp friends from the game. Each piece is about 28 inches tall and 9 inches wide, and they’d look great hanging on your wall! Virtua Tennis Sweatbands
These are some brand-new promo items for the upcoming Virtua Tennis 4 game. Keep your forehead dry during long jogs or some marathon gaming sessions. You get 5 sweatbands in total — one in each color we made — to keep yourself cool. Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll Promo Poster Art
This is a piece of promo art that we used at several locations during the promotion of Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll. It’s a really big poster — 28 inches wide and 35 inches tall — and it’s mounted on heavy 1/4 inch foam core. This is a piece of art that will stand the test of time! OutRun Art – Signed by Yu Suzuki
If this looks familiar to you, you’re probably a frequent Free Stuff Friday viewer/participant. This was one of our prizes for last week’s giveaway. The winner contacted us and asked to donate it to an auction to benefit relief in Japan, and we were happy to oblige. Thanks to @bdavid81, who gave up his prize for auction. Yakuza 4 – Model Car Kit
Nothing says “I was once top boss of the Tojo clan” like a painmobile. (Well, that’s the literal translation, at least.) This rare Yakuza Model Car Kit comes to us from Japan, and includes a ton of awesome car stickers for use as decals! Instructions might be in Japanese, but thankfully, the box itself has enough English to tell you what you need to get this model put together and painted up. The House of the Dead: OVERKILL – Promo “Meat” Package
This is a medium-sized (12 inches by 7 inches) package wrapped in brown butcher’s paper and packing tape with a House of the Dead OVERKILL logo sticker on the front. Inside is a styrofoam tray similar to what you’d find in a butcher shop. On that will be a fake body part of some kind — a hand, a foot, an internal organ — we don’t know what it is, because the package is unopened! So, have a heart, and you may get a heart in return! P.S. – Not for kids! Sonic the Hedgehog Limited Edition Lanyard
This is a black ribbon-style lanyard with the running sprite animation from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. We made these for PAX Prime 2010, and they were a monster hit. If you didn’t get a chance to pick one up, you can do so now — and for a good cause, too! MADWORLD Gamestop Manager’s Pre-order Kit
Better watch your step! This is a kit that was handed out to GameStop managers and employees before the launch of MADWORLD. It is a MADWORLD-branded box, that has the SEGA and GameStop logo on it as well as “MADWORLD Employee Kit” on it. Inside, there is a big red plastic button (like the Staples “easy” button) that takes 3 AAA batteries and makes a chainsaw noise when pressed. The kit also contains a bag of “Pre-Order Today” buttons with the MADWORLD logo on them, and a package of MADWORLD stickers. These stickers have the “Caution” sign design that was used throughout the marketing campaign. The box also includes a flyer for GameStop store managers. Sonic Classic Collection – Signed by Ken Balough
Valkyria Chronicles – Rare Promo Poster Art
What you’re looking at is one of the rarest pieces of original Valkyria Chronicles promotional merch in the west. Featuring Welkin Gunther, Alicia Melchiott, and their tank the Edelweiss, this beautiful piece of art was printed on a huge piece of glossy, thick posterboard, and was one of three pieces of promo Art used at the Valkyria Chronicles Launch Event in San Francisco. Now you can bid on this exclusive piece of promo art and help Japan at the same time! NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams Pillowcase
Yakuza 4 Japanese Promo Fan
Check them out on video!
Want to see some of the items above on film? Check out the video we’ve put together to show them off on YouTube! Almost all of the items listed are shown, though we’ve had even more items join the auction pool after filming. Good luck, and happy bidding!On behalf of all of us here at SEGA, thank you to everyone to who bids and donates to help Japan in this time of need. Good luck on all those rare pieces of SEGA merchandise – we hope you’ll give each and every item an awesome new place to call home! SEGA!
Posted by RubyEclipse in Phantasy Star Zero, Project Needlemouse, SEGA, Sonic, Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll, Valkyria Chronicles, Valkyria Chronicles II, Yakuza 4 on 5:27:35PM Mar 22, 2011 |
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Thursday Mar 04, 2010
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll – Behind the Scenes
If you’ve seen the commercials for Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll, you may have wondered how the heck we made the real world actually tilt just like in the game. Was it CG? Fancy camera angle tricks? Nope — it was a big stage, a few pulleys, a strong & steady crew, and one brave actor. We’ve got the behind the scenes look for you in this video, and we’ve also included the final spot so you can see how it all turned out. 
Pretty cool, huh? Well, it gets better. AiAi makes an appearance somewhere outside the game play footage in the commercial! If you’re one of the first 5 people to comment and correctly identify where this is (please describe where you saw AiAi and when), we’ll send you some goodies from Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll and Chiquita. (Please use your real email address when you comment so I can contact you if you are a winner!) Need to see the commercial again? No problem! The extended version is below. Best of luck! 
Posted by Kellie in Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll on 1:57:51PM Mar 04, 2010 |
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Thursday Feb 18, 2010
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll Launch Event
This past Saturday, I was in New York City for the Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll launch party at the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Center. It was a chilly day, but it was warm inside as crowds of people gathered to see AiAi, Miss Chiquita, and to play the game.
Upstairs in the tournament area, we had crowds of people gathered to sign up for their chance to win one of our great prize bags. The staff of the Nintendo store did a great job keeping people organized and on time.
We had two stations going, so 2 people could play at once. Everyone played the first level, and had 5 minutes to collect as many bananas (and therefore earn as many points) as they could. We awarded prizes each hour to the top 3 winners. I think our highest score was over 60,000 points!
This is Derrek, one of the SEGA staff at the event, handing out a prize to one of our winners!
Fans weren’t the only ones getting in on the action, though. Miss Chiquita came upstairs to learn how to play. She did take her high heels off to use the balance board, and had a great time! This is Sandee, another SEGA staff member who helped me with the tournaments, showing Miss Chiquita how to play the game.
She was rolling along in no time!
Miss Chiquita poses with the Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll poster.
AiAi spent most of his time downstairs, greeting people and posing for photos. He and Miss Chiquita, who was passing out bananas, were quite a team and usually had a crowd around them.
All of the SEGA and Nintendo store staff were wearing these AiAi shirts. Aside from being (very) brightly colored, they have the A on the front and the image of a backback on the back, so you look just like AiAi when you’re wearing them. This is (L-R): Derrek (brand manager for the game), Sandee (works with in-stores marketing and runs a great tournament), Me (Kellie, community manager for the game), and Carlos, who works at the Nintendo store and helped us run the tournament.
This is what the shirts look like from the back. If you want one of your own, you have two chances to win one tomorrow during our Free Stuff Friday giveaway! Thank you to everyone who made it out to the Nintendo World store to help us celebrate! If you’d like to see all the photos from the event, they are in our Flickr set. Special thanks to Bags at BuzzFocus for letting us use some of his photos.
Posted by Kellie in Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll on 3:20:22PM Feb 18, 2010 |
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Monday Feb 08, 2010
Super Blog Update for Super Monkey Ball Step & RollSuper Monkey Ball Step & Roll is in stores tomorrow, and we’ve got a flood of updates for you! Launch TrailerCheck out this launch trailer for the game. It shows many of the mini-games that you’ll find in the game, as well as single player and co-op multiplayer in the game. 
Cody Linley Loves Super Monkey Ball Step & RollAs you may have seen from previous blogging and tweeting, the community team was in New York City last week to hold some community events and help out with some PR events. While we were there, we had a party for Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll that teen heartthrob Cody Linley attended. Cody has been playing and loving the game, and we were really excited to have him there. Before the party, Cody was on the Wendy Williams show, and talked about playing the game. Here’s the video — the part about Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll starts about 
(The part about Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll starts at 5:40 in.) Then, it was on to the party. Here’s just one of the great photos from the party:
I’m hoping to have a whole blog about the party with more photos later this week. Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll on Nintendo WeekSuper Monkey Ball Step & Roll will be featured on Nintendo Week this week. You can see Nintendo Week on the Nintendo Channel on your Wii console. Derrek talked about the game via WiiSpeak, which was pretty cool. Here’s a behind-the-scenes photo of Derrek with AiAi doing the interview.
Happy Valentine’s Day!We’ve got some great Valentine’s Day themed wallpapers for you, to help you get in the mood for the weekend. They come in 4 resolution sizes, so you are sure to find your perfect match!
You can download them all from our Flickr account. Website UpdateTo celebrate the launch of Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll, we’ve updated the website with a Valentine’s day theme and a full list of the mini-games in the game. Even if you’ve seen the site before, check it out again and get all brushed-up on your Super Monkey Ball information before you step up and roll out with the game! Come See Us This Saturday in NYC!We’re having a launch party for Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll this coming Saturday from noon until 3pm at the Nintendo World Store at Rockefeller Center in New York City! If you’re in town (or just want to make a trip), come by the store to say hi! We’ll have lots of great stuff going on — AiAi and Miss Chiquita will be there to pose for photos, and I even heard that Miss Chiquita will sing! We’ll have a new tournament every hour, with the chance to win some great Super Monkey Ball prizes. We’ll have giveaways at the door, and I’ll be on hand to meet fans and capture all the action. You don’t need to RSVP to get into the event, but you can help us spread the word by RSVPing to our Facebook event page and uploading all your photos and videos there after the event! Who knows, maybe I’ll use your photo or video on the post-event blog! Phew! That’s a lot of updates, but hopefully you’re all ready for a Super Monkey Ball week! I’m looking forward to you guys getting your hands on the game and seeing what you think.
Posted by Kellie in Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll on 3:44:31PM Feb 08, 2010 |
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Wednesday Jan 27, 2010
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll Launch Event
We’re having a launch event for Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll, and you’re invited! The event will be at the Nintendo World Store at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City on Saturday, February 13th from noon until 3pm. We’ll be having a Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll tournament, along with some great prizes for the tournament winners. We’ll also have AiAi and Miss Chiquita in the store, so you can get your photo taken with them! I’ll be at the store that day along with some other SEGA staff, so come by and say hello! We have a Facebook event page set up, so you can RSVP there if you wish. The page is also open for you to submit your photos of the event, or write on the wall to coordinate meetups or carpools. It’s going to be a fun afternoon! If you can’t make it, don’t worry — I’ll be taking plenty of photos and updating our Twitter feed throughout the event.
Posted by Kellie in Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll on 2:16:59PM Jan 27, 2010 |
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Friday Jan 22, 2010
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll Mini Game TrailerCheck out the latest trailer from Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll, which features two of the mini-games that are included. 
Posted by Kellie in Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll on 12:42:32PM Jan 22, 2010 |
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Tuesday Jan 19, 2010
SEGA Partners with Chiquita for Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll
If the first thing you think about when you think of Super Monkey Ball is bananas, you’re not alone! We’re excited to be partnering with Chiquita on Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll. Starting early February, you’ll see Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll stickers on Chiquita bananas in your supermarkets. You’ll also see some Chiquita bananas in the game! In addition, you have a chance to win a family gaming room makeover and other great prizes in Chiquita’s “Super Bananza Sweepstakes”! The sweepstakes will be on Chiquita’s website. The full press release is below. Press ReleaseSEGA PARTNERS WITH CHIQUITA BRANDS FOR THE RELEASE OF SUPER MONKEY BALL STEP & ROLL FOR Wii Over 180 million Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll-Branded Chiquita Bananas to Be Sold in Grocery Stores Nationwide SAN FRANCISCO (January 19, 2010) – SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced that they will be partnering with Chiquita Fresh North America for a nationwide promotion with Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll™ for Wii™. Beginning in February, supermarkets across the country will feature special stickers to promote Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll on over 180 million Chiquita bananas. Heart-healthy, nutrient-dense Chiquita bananas will also appear in select sequences in the game itself, promoting healthy snacking for the whole family. In addition, SEGA and Chiquita are announcing a “Super Bananza Sweepstakes” to support the partnership. Consumers will be able to enter online at www.chiquitabananas.com to win prizes, including the grand prize of a family gaming room makeover. One lucky family will receive a 50” HDTV, a sofa and four gaming chairs, a copy of Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll, a Wii console, Wii Balance Board™ (includes Wii Fit Plus™) and other great prizes from Chiquita. “We’re thrilled to partner with Chiquita,” says Sean Ratcliffe, Vice President of Marketing for SEGA of America. “This is a fun way to get the whole family together and we are proud to have AiAi and MeeMee featured on clusters of Chiquita Bananas.” “Chiquita is excited to partner with Sega to help families play together and support healthy living. We’re thrilled to have AiAi and MeeMee on our bananas to encourage nutritious eating and a fit lifestyle among kids and families,” said Craig Stephen, Vice President and General Manager, North America Bananas. Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll, the latest game in the fan favorite Super Monkey Ball franchise, will offer a whole new way for people to play using the Wii Balance Board. Players will feel like they are the monkey in the ball as their movements on the Wii Balance Board move their favorite characters through more than 70 brand new stages in the main game and 21 multiplayer mini-games. Players who do not own a Wii Balance Board will still be able to play through the entire game using their Wii Remote™ and Nunchuck™ controllers. The game also features the all-new two-player co-op mode where friends work together to blast away obstacles using the Wii Remote to clear a path for their monkey-rolling teammate on the Wii Balance Board. The game is perfect for people of all ages providing incredible entertainment and promoting active movement and a great way for the family to bond—all together. Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll™ will be available for the Wii February 9, 2010. For more information about Chiquita visit http://www.chiquitabananas.com. For more game information please visit http://www.supermonkeyballstepandroll.com. For assets from Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll, please visit the SEGA Press FTP site at: http://segapr.segaamerica.com. About SEGA® of America, Inc.: About Chiquita Fresh North America, L.L.C:
Posted by Kellie in Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll on 3:55:41PM Jan 19, 2010 |
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Tuesday Jan 12, 2010
Super Monkey Ball Screens, Trailer & Dev DiarySuper Monkey Ball fans, listen up! We’ve got a new gameplay trailer as well as a dev diary from the Director of Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll with some brand new screens. Trailer
Dev DiaryHello everyone! I’m Jun Tokuhara, the Director on the Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll game. Today, I would like to share with you new gameplay elements we have implemented in the game that we hope you will enjoy! What’s Super Monkey Ball without fun and zany mini games!? This is a great element in the game that we have a lot of fun making! Coming up with ideas for mini games that are controlled by the Wii Balance Board was pretty difficult, so we had to examine a lot of ideas and selected the ones that seem to fit well with Wii Balance Board and we ended up about 20 of them in the end. We prepared rich variations of ideas, for example, an idea to control the game with both hands without standing on the board, or an idea to control where the player lay on his/her stomach. However, we rejected those ideas because we wanted to make sure that we provide a game that every one can play comfortably. Below are a list of our new mini games and some of the inspiration behind it:
— Firefighter Pump style Fireman game was created as the result of idea to combine Wii Remote and Wii Balance Board to arrive a control method which benefits from the characteristics of each controller. In the beginning of the development, the difficulty level was too high and it was so hard to put the fire out, which in many cases resulted in seeing a crying Jam! To protect your precious Jam Dojo, please do your best to put out the fire! — Ninja Stomp Of course we had to include Ninjas in our game! (Laughs). We were trying to come up with a game which gives an exhilarating feeling and did not require player’s full attention. We had swimming and flying ideas to examine, but we decided to go with “flying” due to its accessibility for the control. However in the beginning, we were too busy to achieve neat formation, so as a result, the game turned out to be hard and stressful during that period. It made us quite some time not only to improve its appearance, but also to make it smooth enough to satisfy player’s expectation. More you play this game, more skilled you become, so you can challenge yourself by completing new formations one after to another.
— Sumo Smash I got the inspiration for this game when I was getting up to throw away my trash and as I was going back and forth from my desk to the waste basket, I was thinking of a game that gives certain amount of exercise for the player with simple control and rules. However, when you only feature the exercise part it would appear too dull, so we tried to be more creative with its movement and rendition. You should definitely try to bump your opponent far away into the sky. Until the previous version, in order to play with multiple players, match play was the only option for both Mini game and Main game. However, we are introducing completely new “co-op” play in the latest version along with other modes to be played with family and friends. Whenever I played match game against my wife, she often got upset and complained to me, saying “It is obvious that a game creator plays better than me!” So I was trying to come up with another game style we could still play together.
…And I think this game could be it to meet that needs. I can picture those children controlling the monkeys while the parents are removing all obstacles for them. I envision kids playing with their parents saying “Mom! Hurry up! You need to clear the way for me! I can’t get through!” and their parents saying,”Hold up for a sec!” I am sure those will be common phrases heard in many families! Below are descriptions of the new modes in the game that offer an exciting yet challenging layer to the game: — Marathon mode It was on my plan to create an exercise game which is handy and yet effective due to the rising health awareness and jogging fad. If you play numbers of stages one after another on Wii Balance Board, you will feel good amount of energy burn; you can enjoy exercise even in your room. We prepared this mode separately to be played smoothly. In the beginning, we were planning on making a non-stop marathon game to continue through all stages, but it was too hard as we expected! So we prepared Half Marathon and Full Marathon to differentiate the course length just like in the actual marathon game. Player can select one which suites more to their physical strength and confidence. This mode is also playable with Wii Remote, so try out and find out how fit you are! — Mirror Image Mode When Wii Balance Board is used, not everyone keeps equal balance between left and right; people tend to lean to the left or right. So we created this mode by reversing the left and right side of the usual course, to make it easier for people to clear the stage (in their favorite side), and to lessen the physical burden (posture wise). Even you are familiar with all stages, once they are reversed, they will look completely different. so try out this mirror mode in various stages. By the way HUD will not be reversed, so no worries about that! (laugh) Hopefully, everyone learned a lot more about Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll and I cannot wait to hear your feedback on the game after you have had a chance to play it! Thank you!
Posted by Kellie in Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll on 6:57:11PM Jan 12, 2010 |
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Friday Dec 11, 2009
New Trailer, Dev Diary, and More for Super Monkey Ball Step & RollWe’ve got a bunch of new stuff for you today on Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll! A new gameplay trailer, some new screenshots, a new dev diary, some holiday wallpapers, and some print/fold/give holiday cards are all coming your way. Gameplay Trailer 3Let’s start with the gameplay trailer. 
Holiday Cards
We have TWO holiday cards for you to choose from, and they are both on our Flickr. Just like the Thanksgiving cards, all you have to do is print, fold, and give! It’s a fun project for kids and is great for last-minute giving. Holiday Wallpapers
If your desktop is not yet in the holiday spirit, then get yourself some holiday desktops from Super Monkey Ball! We’ve got 2 different wallpapers at various sizes, so one is sure to fit your desktop perfectly. They are all on our Flickr so run and get yours now! Screenshots
In addition to all the holiday goodies we have 4 new screenshots. They are all on — you guessed it — our Flickr. Dev Diary #2Just like the angel on top of the tree or the nuts on top of your fruitcake, I’ve got a second dev diary to top off all this Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll goodness. This one is by Yasuhito Baba, the producer of the game. Hi Everyone, Yasuhito Baba here! I’m the Producer on Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll™ and I’m here to talk to you about the overall design for the game! Since we already succeeded in making the iPhone version of the game, we could foresee another successful iteration using the Wii Balance Board™ as it offers fun and intuitive controls. The style of the game seemed to compliment the nature of the Balance Board perfectly, so we set out to make Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll. For the iPhone version, the game was controlled with the hands, but this time we wanted to see what it would be like controlling with the feet instead. So while we were designing the game, we had to figure out the optimum level of difficulty by fine-tuning the controls to perfectly match the skill level of the player and the increasing complexity of the game as you progress. We continued to make adjustments to this until the very last moment of the game’s programming. This was the hardest part in the development of the game that I recall and it was indeed the most important part in the process of the overall design. We definitely wanted to make sure that the game was thoroughly well balanced throughout. It’s always great to be presented with a “new challenge” but we are primarily concerned with if it is realistically achievable or not. As a game designer and creative artist, whenever I imagine some kind of new gameplay element based on new peripherals, I instantly think of lots of things I want to try. But you have to do more than those details to make a really playable game that people would want to buy.
So as a team we sat down and brainstormed, exchanging a number of ideas, and evaluated the following points from all angles. We initially came across many issues that we had to address such as: •   What is the basic gameplay flow? For the upcoming Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll, there were two major issues: 1. Will it be a truly refreshing and engaging experience to control the characters with the Wii Balance Board as it now will be controlled with the feet? 2. How do we reduce the difficulty gap between the two control methods of the Wii Remote™ and Wii Balance Board as the former allows precise control compared to the latter due to controlling the game with your feet becomes slightly more challenging? Considering the above, we conducted various tests over and over and finally managed to perfect the game as it stands in its current state. We feel that it is now extremely enjoyable and we hope that you will like it! In addition to thinking about the game design, there are other things that a Producer needs to think about and of course I am always thinking about games! There is a ton of inspiration hidden in daily life. Whether or not you realize what that inspiration depends on how much you can integrate what you see in to your job and whether you seriously think about these aspects all the time. In my case, since my hobby is horseback riding, I would say I could utilize my personal experience through my hobby to improve the controls of Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll by balancing the body and moving your torso. My advice for anyone who is interested in game development is that working in the games industry is pretty tough. You will often encounter hardships, because it is not always easy to please or entertain other people. But I don’t think we can create fun and engaging entertainment unless we’re having fun ourselves. So what becomes important here is that you have something which you can completely enjoy and that is close to your heart in order to keep on working on the project. In other words, you will have to have a positive mindset and be optimistic. Along the way however, you will need to listen to others and from time to time you will have to face moments where you must summon all of your courage to make decisions that might not necessarily be the right ones. To be prepared for such moments, it is very important for you to gain a lot of knowledge through experience that in turn allow you to enrich your outlook with a range of diverse values. As long as you have diverse interests and can be the kind of person who is both aggressive and yet rational enough to make your own plans, acting on these qualities to realize your ideas, will ensure that your true message and sense of fun will be conveyed to the end-user. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this blog! Until next time!
Posted by Kellie in Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll on 5:00:49PM Dec 11, 2009 |
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