SEGA and iam8bit are releasing physical cartridge editions of the original Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to mark the blue blur’s 35th anniversary. Each package is priced at $99.99 and will be playable on NTSC Sega Genesis consoles.

Happy birthday @Sonic_Hedgehog! To celebrate the blue blur’s 35th Anniversary, we’re partnering with Sega and releasing Sonic The Hedgehog 1 and 2 for Sega Genesis as part of our Legacy Cartridge Collection!

Sonic The Hedgehog 1 comes in a Translucent Blue Blur Shell, and Sonic… pic.twitter.com/TAEoXV0L9j

— iam8bit (@iam8bit) June 23, 2026

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The two games are being sold separately as the Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 35th Anniversary Legacy Cartridge Collections. The first Sonic game comes in a translucent blue cartridge shell, while Sonic 2 ships in an orange one. Both are housed in custom clamshell packaging with premium foil embellishments and include a full-color instruction booklet featuring restored artwork and a newly written foreword. Each package also includes retro pack-in surprises, with custom package design and restoration handled by Jango Snow Art & Design and manufacturing by Retrotainment Games.

One of the more notable parts of the release is a random variant twist: one in every eight cartridges will be a special “Chaos Emerald” edition, featuring a unique translucent shell with a distinct inner glow. These are mixed randomly into the production run, so buyers won’t know which version they’re getting until it arrives.

The cartridges are up for pre-order now on iam8bit’s website, with purchases limited to two per customer. Shipping will happen in waves depending on when the order is placed. The first wave ships in Q3 2026, the second in Q4 2026, and any remaining orders will go out in Q1 2027. Since only a limited number of cartridges can be produced and shipped within 2026, earlier orders are more likely to fall in the first or second wave.