Collecting nice gaming stuff sometimes takes a bite out of the wallet, and a lot of the free stuff is simply horrid. That's why the Sega-themed line of Hot Wheels vehicles that hit shelves late last year came as such a pleasant surprise. Each one is decorated with art from a not-so-mainstream Sega series and sells at toy outlets and drugstores for one U.S. dollar or less.

The JSRF Custom Cougar is probably the slickest of the bunch, sporting logo detailing on the top and sides, a yellow body, and a see-through hood. It also required the most effort to hunt down. Aiai and company decorate the impressive Super Monkey Ball GT Racer, which is a pretty obvious repaint since the underside is dated 1988.

The House of the Dead Phaeton is probably my least favorite of the series, probably because I dont care for the game itself, the artwork on the vehicle, or the ugly green roof - but hey, it almost kind of resembles a hearse, vaguely. Well, not really, but these seem to be everywhere. The magenta Lotus Esprit features Shinobi, and by "features," I mean it has a big ol' face shot of the ninja himself plastered on the hood. I guess Shinobi was never about stealth, anyway.

Rounding out the collection is the Space Channel 5 Fandango van featuring the logo up top and Ulala and her Morolian nemeses on the sides. I guess it can be passed off as a news van, but why is the invading alien force depicted on the van itself? Maybe Ulala got a nice scoop, or maybe Hot Wheels just thinks she's got some junk in her trunk.

· · · Anthony Onyrscuk