iam8bit Sonic 2 cart
Image: Nintendo Life / SEGA / iam8bit

Sega and iam8bit have joined forces to launch new ‘Legacy Cartridges’ for Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Genesis.

Available for $99.99 each, the games will come in new translucent cartridge shells with a nostalgic clamshell package and a full instruction manual. One in eight cartridges will be also be infused with ‘Chaos Emerald energy’, which basically means the shell itself will be a standard translucent design, while the interior will glow when powered up.

You’ll also notice we haven’t mentioned Mega Drive. Don’t worry, we’re not abandoning our Blighty roots just yet. iam8bit has confirmed that these new cartridges will only be compatible with NTSC Genesis consoles, so Mega Drive owners won’t be able to play these.

But let’s face it, these are collectables first and foremost. You can play the first two Sonic games practically anywhere these days for a fraction of the price, but we’d wager these new releases would look stunning displayed on your office shelf.

Let’s take a look:

Sega announced a few notable things for Sonic’s anniversary, including a cheeky shadow-drop of Sonic Frontiers – Definitive Edition on Switch 2. It also announced a new line-up of racers for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, with ‘Classic Sonic’ available right now.