An exceptionally rare SegaSonic the Hedgehog arcade cabinet is going up for auction on December 19 at Ewbank's in the United Kingdom. Estimated between £20,000 and £40,000 (around €23,000 to €46,000), this Multi Cabinet Swing unit comes from the legendary Sega World at the Trocadero in London and stands as a unique piece of Sega’s arcade-era history.

As reported by Time Extension, this machine is the only officially translated English version of the 1993 arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog, where players control Sonic, Mighty the Armadillo, and Ray the Flying Squirrel as they try to escape Eggman.

An exceptional journey

The cabinet was installed at Sega World London between 1996 and 1999 before being retrieved when the venue closed that same year. Since then, it has passed through the hands of several private collectors and was even displayed in the boardroom of Sega’s European headquarters. More recently, it was used during a promotional McLaren x Sega event for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.

As noted by a commenter on Time Extension, “This type of Sega Swing cabinet is incredibly rare on its own, even more so with a SegaSonic board and a control panel with trackballs in it.”

Mystery surrounding the English version

One detail particularly intrigues the community: although Ewbank's claims this is the only English-translated version of the game, some accounts suggest that even Sega World London only used the untranslated Japanese version. As one observer notes, “I’ve got images of the game being played at SegaWorld London, and they even show that they only had the untranslated Japanese import. Maybe it was swapped out after SegaWorld closed?”

Condition and accessories

According to Ewbank's, the cabinet has been fully tested and is in perfect working order. The lot also includes several extras: reproduction decals, two alternate/interchangeable control panels, and a working key with a Sega-branded cord.

A historic auction

According to Retro Dodo, this cabinet represents a significant slice of Sega’s history. For museums, preservationists, and dedicated collectors, it’s a rare opportunity to secure an important artifact from Sega’s arcade heritage.

The auction will begin on December 19 at 11 a.m. (UK time) at Ewbank's. With its remarkable history, operational condition, and the extraordinary rarity of its translated version, this SegaSonic the Hedgehog Multi Cabinet Swing stands out as one of the most distinctive arcade artifacts to reach the UK market in years. Time will tell whether it reaches — or even surpasses — its high estimate of £40,000.