VG Merch: Sega Freaks The Card
セガフリークス、ザ・カード
Selections 1-3
(Sega Enterprises, Ltd. / 1996-98)
Sega hardware, software, characters, artwork and more await in this obscure Sega of Japan exclusive card set!
'SEGA Freaks The Card' series, which was exclusive to Japan, was released in three different selections between 1996 and 1997. This collectible card set features a variety of Sega hardware, software, artwork, and history to collect and explore.
From classic Sonic the Hedgehog Harmony art and Virtua Fighter 2 character cards, to classic SEGA hardware and Arcade cabinet pictures, each pack of cards provides a nostalgic trip down Service Games lane.
Just like with most collector card sets, trying to obtain the rare cards is all part of the fun (…or frustration!), and the Sega Freak card set keeps this spirit alive by offering one surprise premium foil or prism style card inside each pack.
The SEGA Freaks card series is broken up into smaller, relatable sub-categories; some represented with similar colored backgrounds, for example the Virtua Fighter 2 cards all have a red / white gradient background, while hardware and arcade cards have white or blue backgrounds. Other cards, such as artwork cards for Shinobi, After Burner II, OutRun, Fantasy Zone, etc... fill the entirety of the card's front. The reverse side of the cards, in turn offer various tidbits of information on Sega history, albeit mainly in Japanese.
This card set, much like the classic easter eggs of yore, is a fun collecting adventure of its own, and an interesting footnote from the tail-end of the Sega Enterprises years.
Taken from the front of the card package:
“Do you know SEGA?
To all SEGA Fan
We offer you our best thanks
for your support.
Now w’ll present you with
The Card from SEGA.
We hope you enjoy it.
Let’s learn about SEGA’s history
and activities!”
*Bonus Stage: If certain Sonic cards are collected and combined, they form a larger 9-card Sonic Jam picture by using the reverse sides!
**The amount of cards available in the series seems to be up for debate (190 seems to be the current consensus), due to some cards in the series having only been available with the purchase of certain games (Lunar 2: Eternal Blue for Sega Saturn), and / or as a mail-in option as well, therefore obtaining a full-set may prove to be very difficult to impossible. (Panzer Dragoon Wiki has more detailed information if interested in exploring this series more. And a special thanks to @segacollect on Instagram for additional information on this rare and obscure card series.)
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