A major preservation effort is underway to publicly archive over 300 rare prototype cartridges from the DS, DSi, 3DS, and GBA era—many of them Sonic and SEGA titles. The collection, currently being negotiated by the Video Game Preservation Museum in partnership with Obscure Gamers and Prototopia, features early builds, trade show demos, and development versions of iconic games, including Sonic Generations 3DS, Sonic Colors DS, and Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood.
Among the most surprising finds is a previously unknown DS version of Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure, alongside dozens of carts for Mario & Sonic Olympic titles, Shinobi 3DS, and more.
Last month, the preservation team secured a deal with the seller by raising an initial £5,500 deposit in just one day. However, the full acquisition requires an additional £61,000 by early August. The campaign—called Project AGES—launched on June 3 but has struggled for visibility due to overlap with Summer Game Fest and Nintendo Switch 2 speculation. As of now, just under £3,000 has been raised.
How to Help:
Backers who donate £200 may receive a random prototype cartridge. Donations of £1,000 allow supporters to choose a specific cart (plus shipping). If the campaign fails, donors can opt for a full refund or redirect their contribution to future preservation efforts.
Sonic and SEGA Prototypes at Risk:
Here’s a partial list of the known Sonic and SEGA-related prototypes in the lot, including the number of carts available for each:
- Sonic Generations 3DS – 48
- Sonic Colors DS – 8
- Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood – 6
- Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing – 9
- Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice – 7
- Sonic Classic Collection – 7
- Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games – 21
- Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games – 32
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games – 5
- Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure – 11 (including at least one DS version)
- Phantasy Star 0 – 3
- Shinobi – 6
- Crush 3D – 30
- Infinite Space – 6
- Alien Infestation, Bleach: The Blade of Fate, Jambo! Safari, Captain America, Iron Man 2, and others
In addition, over 60 unlabeled cartridges are part of the lot, opening the possibility of unreleased games or alternate builds still undiscovered. One Game Boy Advance prototype is also suspected among them.
Each cartridge represents a piece of gaming history—whether containing developer tools, cut content, or early assets. With time running out, the success of Project AGES could preserve a treasure trove of SEGA and Sonic development history for fans, researchers, and future generations.
Stay tuned to Sonic City for updates on Project AGES, unreleased Sonic discoveries, and all things Sonic preservation.
