The new Dreamcast Christmas tree ornament from Hallmark lights up and plays tunes from Sonic Adventure.
Over in the United States, Hallmark Christmas tree ornaments are a big deal. Every year, the company releases a huge range of often quite elaborate things to hang from your Christmas tree, and the release of the ornaments has become something of a holiday tradition. And this year, it’s the turn of the Sega Dreamcast to become memorialised in ornament form.
Available from 14th October, this replica Dreamcast features a light-up VMU and plays the theme from Sonic Adventure. Here’s the blurb from Hallmark to stoke your Christmas spirit:
“Recall hours spent sitting in your bean bag chair parked in front of the television, video game controller in hand. Nothing mattered except thwarting Doctor Robotnik’s attempts to rule the world and completing the entire Sonic Adventure game. Relive the care-free fun when you display this SEGA Dreamcast console Christmas tree ornament that lights up and plays the familiar music of the iconic video game (battery-operated).”
That’s not all: Hallmark is also releasing an NES Christmas tree ornament that plays the theme from Super Mario Bros., and there are loads of other gaming-related ornaments on their website, too, including K.K. from Animal Crossing, Link from Breath of the Wild, various Minecraft and Mario Kart ornaments, and even a Snorlax.
This isn’t the first time the company has plumbed the depths of video games for Christmas tree ornament ideas, either: in previous years they’ve released replicas of the Sega Mega Drive and Nintendo Super NES, among others.
But there’s a catch. The more elaborate ‘Keepsake Ornaments’ – such as the Dreamcast – are only available from Hallmark’s US website. The UK version only carries the simpler ones, such as Mario and an NES controller. However, you can also order the Keepsake Ornaments through Amazon’s US site for UK delivery.
Elsewhere on Hallmark’s US site, there are some even more outlandish Christmas tree ornaments, with outlandish prices attached. Just take a look at this $64.99 Star Wars one featuring Han Solo being lowered into the carbon-freezing chamber.
