Summary
A specialSonic the Hedgehoggame cartridge made to promote last year’sSonic the Hedgehog 3movie is being resold for nearly $30,000 on websites like eBay.Sonic the Hedgehog 3was a massive box-office success, with many considering it to be the best film in theSonicmovie franchise so far. It also tied into Sega’s 2024 Year of Shadow event by introducing the live-action version of Sonic’s dark rival, voiced by Hollywood mega-star Keanu Reeves.
WhileSonic the Hedgehog 3was largely based on the franchise’s later 3D entries, Sega and Paramount also paid tribute to thedays of the Sega Genesiswhile promoting the film. As part of a special giveaway, Sega produced a limited-editionSonic the Hedgehog 3game cartridge that featured promotional images and music from the movie along with an unlockable release date for the film’s final trailer. This was also the first official workingSonic the Hedgehoggame cartridge released since 1996’sSonic 3D Blast.
Only 150 copies of theSonic the Hedgehog 3movie cartridge are known to exist, so it should come as little surprise that the few still floating around are highly valued by collectors. OneBay, copies of the cartridge are being resold for no less than $28,000 in near-mint condition. Aside from the cartridge itself, this deal includes the classicSonicitem box and all the promotional materials it came with, such as an authentic Sega Genesis game case and movie posterfeaturing Sonic and Shadow.
Sonic 3 Movie Cartridge Is “Grail” for Collectors
It isn’t clear how the reseller managed to acquire their copy of theSonic the Hedgehog 3promotional game cartridge, as it was initially given out exclusively to content creators before being offered as a prize for the “12 Hours of Sonic” giveaway in December. The item’s description on the cartridge’s eBay page describes the bundle as a “grail” for theSoniccommunity, even as observers debate if it is really worth its hefty $28,000 price tag.
In the meantime, afourthSonic the Hedgehogmoviehas been confirmed for release in 2027, and the highly anticipated film will presumably build off the third film’s surprising post-credits scene and introduce even more iconic characters into the live-actionSonicuniverse. Perhaps Sega and Paramount will produce another highly valued promotional collectible that could be worth even more than the already expensiveSonic the Hedgehog 3Sega Genesis cartridge, but only time will tell.
