Characters from Yakuza, Virtua Fighter, and Sonic the Hedgehog want to give you a boost on test day or in your job interview.
Game fans got some sad news last week when it was announced that, as part of a rebranding, the Sega name will be removed from arcades across Japan. In all honesty, though, it’s now been more than a year since Sega sold off its arcade management business, so those arcades were Sega establishments in name only.
On the bright side, Sega is still in the game-making business, producing titles for consoles, PC, and arcades. And if you need a further reminder that the company is still with us, there’s now a selection of Sega good luck charms, based on traditional omamori protection amulets sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.
▼ “Please feel free to use these for important tests, business negotiations, or whenever else you’re facing a big challenge,” Sega says.
Each charm bears the likeness of a famous Sega character and a phrase of encouragement, such as original Yakuza series star Kazuma Kiryu and successor protagonist Ichiban Kasuga telling you to “Do your best” and “Be the best,” respectively.
▼ The Japanese phrasing for the Kasuga charm, “Ichiban ni nare,” also works as a pun on the character’s given name.
The Akira Yuki charm cheers you on in English, with its “You win!” being a callback to the post-round victory screen in Virtua Fighter. Surprisingly, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is represented not by the Sega mascot himself, but by his nemesis, Dr. Eggman/Robotnik, who’s here to share his genius-level IQ with you.
▼ When you stop and think about it, though, if you’ve got an important exam coming up, it really is better to be smart than fast.
If you’re worried that not being in Japan means you’re going to be out of luck as far as getting one of these good luck charms is concerned, you can put your mind at ease, because they’re all digital creations designed to be used as your smartphone’s wallpaper on your big day. What’s more, Sega of Japan is offering them for free on their website. In addition to the four designs above, there are also omamori for Sega’s Puyo Puyo and Sangokusi Taisen games, with the full-size images available here.
Source, images: Sega
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