Evercade?!

[+Intellivision Master]

I got this from Etsy.  It makes holding the super pocket easier and more comfortable.

Edit: There are cutouts for the ports as well.

[Giles N]

Mini-review of The Atari Super Pocket:

    Pros: 
 

      - excellent game line-up content (given the price tag); 50 games representing a wide and large portion of Atari history is right here!  
    Unless you hate Ataris classic-age games, you’re almost sure to find plenty of fun here… (where right here means everywhere if you’ve got one pocket to spare)

 

 

      
    Cons:

      - the screen is well lit but way-too-small for many early arcades
      - too few screen settings
      - no way to re-allign the buttons 
 

     

VERDICT:

 

                         9/10

 

 

A product for almost-every Atari fan.

 

 

     

    BTW: Funstock and Songbird arrived for me to pick up locally on the same day.
 

     

 
    —

    The only way I see such a device could’ve done better, would be with a dual set of Evercade VS or Bartop Arcade (8inch screen) + Evercade EXP, building in a unique Special Edition line-up of the Atari 50th including all DLCs and some other stuff, amounting to 150++ games.
 

    Reason why? To make a statement & raise some eyebrows out there,  and the VS or Tabletop Barcade to bring it to bigger screens (which really feels needed), and the EXP to provide handheld options with a good enough screen for both early Arcades and later games.
 

     

In the warmth 
 

Edited November 2 by Giles N

[GoldLeader]

On 10/27/2024 at 6:00 AM, roots.genoa said:

Did you spend more than 5 seconds per game, though? 😅 I mean, I would probably as well, if I had more time for video games, and no Switch, no Xbox, and no PC. 😔

 

I'll have you know I spend at least 10 seconds per game!   I'm not a barbarian!...And I still have dozens of unplayed games,  but all in due time ....Muhuhwahahahahaaaa! 

 

Excellent!

[GoldLeader]

On 10/27/2024 at 6:55 AM, jgkspsx said:

I've spent at least five minutes on every game to make sure it works. Yes, even Premier Manager. I've seriously played around 90% of the library. Evercade is pretty much my main system anymore.

 

Premier Manager?  Come'on,  Nobody plays that (except crazy Europeans like Roots (probably))...Not enough ale in...my hand at the moment to wanna touch that one.

[GoldLeader]

1 hour ago, Giles N said:

Mini-review of The Atari Super Pocket:

    Pros: 
 

      - excellent game line-up content (given the price tag); 50 games representing a wide and large portion of Atari history is right here!  
    Unless you hate Ataris classic-age games, you’re almost sure to find plenty of fun here… (where right here means everywhere if you’ve got one pocket to spare)

 

 

      
    Cons:

      - the screen is well lit but way-too-small for many early arcades
      - too few screen settings
      - no way to re-allign the buttons 
 

     

VERDICT:

 

                         9/10

 

 

A product for almost-every Atari fan.

 

 

     

    BTW: Funstock and Songbird arrived for me to pick up locally on the same day.
 

     

 
    —

    The only way I see such a device could’ve done better, would be with a dual set of Evercade VS or Bartop Arcade (8inch screen) + Evercade EXP, building in a unique Special Edition line-up of the Atari 50th including all DLCs and some other stuff, amounting to 150++ games.
 

    Reason why? To make a statement & raise some eyebrows out there,  and the VS or Tabletop Barcade to bring it to bigger screens (which really feels needed), and the EXP to provide handheld options with a good enough screen for both early Arcades and later games.
 

     

In the warmth 
 

 

This is a very nice review Giles!

 

I was mostly just happy with the unit.   So I do agree with your "Pros".

 

In truth I hadn't given much thought to the "Cons",  but now that I've seen yours I can copy (ha)...I hate to admit it but at my age that screen is a bit compact (OK it's small!!)...We haven't gotten better eyesight as we've gotten older (Except for when I got Radial Keratotomy (Pre LASIK),  but that's another story...And mostly worn

off by now 30 years later hehe..) 

 

A slightly bigger screen seems like an achievable wish.  And for me I just wish there was a cart instead of "built in" games.  Imagine a limited red or brown (woodgrain?) cart in back of the unit (instead of in its own box)....And then you could play it all on your VS!  Or upcoming Alpha!  I know we're all demanding sons a bux,  but Evercade You can do this!!

 

(Maybe next time...**sigh**)

 

 

That said,  my mindset for this unit,  esp. at the price,  is one where I think back to my arcade loving younger self.  (Imagine with me,   if you dare)...Say it's 1981 and arcades are Awesome! ... and springing up everywhere, as are arcade cabs,  but time is limited and you've gotta save for Atari carts, etc. too,  so money doesn't grow on trees...A quarter at a time,  you are enjoying life when your Time Traveling Future Self shows up and says,  "How'd ya like to have all those Atari games in the palm of your hand?"  And pops this in your grubby mitts!  Don't know about you but,  I'd have gone Nanners!!

 

That's why I like this product! 

 

And back then,  I would have spent any amount!  So Never fORGET!  (Haha!  "Never Forget"  Special Caps Lock Edition!)

 

 

 

[Giles N]

53 minutes ago, GoldLeader said:

On 10/27/2024 at 1:55 PM, jgkspsx said:

I've spent at least five minutes on every game to make sure it works. Yes, even Premier Manager. I've seriously played around 90% of the library. Evercade is pretty much my main system anymore.

Expand  

 

Premier Manager?  Come'on,  Nobody plays that (except crazy Europeans like Roots (probably))...Not enough ale

I agree.

 

I am literally a crazy European, and I just look at the cover or title and goes into freudian suppression immediatly…

 

But this guy is ‘yup, even  Premier  Manager… sure no prob. done it. 5 minutes easily and I can hold my breath for more than 10 minutes under water.

 

Sure buddy.

 

This isn’t bragging.

 

This isn’t overstating something.

 

This must be net-hoax or attempt at new conspiracy theory or something.

 

—

 

I don’t think even crazy Europeans … with or without any amount of ale would make it to more than 2 mins and 30 second at most.

 

Edited November 2 by Giles N

[Giles N]

15 minutes ago, GoldLeader said:

Say it's 1981 and arcades are Awesome! ... and springing up everywhere, as are arcade cabs,  but time is limited and you've gotta save for Atari carts, etc. too,  so money doesn't grow on trees...A quarter at a time,  you are enjoying life when your Time Traveling Future Self shows up and says,  "How'd ya like to have all those Atari games in the palm of your hand?"  And pops this in your grubby mitts! 

OOh—Yeah… thats the very drift here…

 

…and, add, a line-up of Atari consoles with game-stacks suddenly on the table at home..

 

15 minutes ago, GoldLeader said:

This is a very nice review Giles!

Thanks - I probably for once used just few enough words for anyone bother to read-it-all. Haha

 

(yes, I originally planned one-line per game, but then you know… not all games got played beyond 2 seconds and 30 nano-soconds… or ever will, but the overall testing I assure you, ahem, is very thorough.)

Edited November 2 by Giles N

[+jgkspsx]

9 hours ago, Giles N said:

I don’t think even crazy Europeans … with or without any amount of ale would make it to more than 2 mins and 30 second at most.

I know a gentleman who claims to have forty plus hours into the game!

[jerseystyle]

So I checked on Songbird and they no longer have the Capcom EXP for sale, just that Tomb Raider one. Should I get the counter top version, or do y’all think they’ll have a new exp bundle? I want one with wi fi but hate Tomb Raider. I have a super pocket but want the bigger screen. I know, so picky. 

[Recycled]

I'd get the EXP-R and sell or give the Tomb Raider cart away. $99 is a great value, in my opinion.

[+jgkspsx]

Used prices for EXPs have shot through the roof so EXP-R is probably your only option unless you're willing to wait for a new bundle next year.

 

Original models aren't as spendy... maybe that's an option? They don't have wifi but they also don't need wifi, haha. They are still me favorite of Blaze's hardware.

[jerseystyle]

21 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

Used prices for EXPs have shot through the roof so EXP-R is probably your only option unless you're willing to wait for a new bundle next year.

 

Original models aren't as spendy... maybe that's an option? They don't have wifi but they also don't need wifi, haha. They are still me favorite of Blaze's hardware.

Oh I have an OG but it needs an update to play Legacy of Kain, and I don’t wanna sort out how to add files, plug stuff in, etc. 

[roots.genoa]

Yesterday I finally took the time to play a little with the Thalamus cart on my Super Pocket. I didn't try all the games, but some are very good (Armalyte in particular). I should have read the manual first for some games though, for Nooby in particular as they don't explain in the controls how to get ants to fire. Well, it doesn't change the fact the platforming sucks.

I also started playing Tomb Raider on my EXP. Of course, it takes some time to get used to tank controls again, but for an early 3D game, it does things quite well (like auto-aiming for instance).

[+jgkspsx]

On 2/19/2020 at 9:12 PM, Tanooki said:

We can hope it doesn't end up pulling a Tommo and giving us a Neo-Geo X situation where you start seeing emulation flaws, but more so, you end up with 2 runs of multicarts and then fizzle out. 

Well, they did better than that!

On 2/21/2020 at 11:55 AM, jcalder8 said:

It looks interesting but I'll wait for reviews and probably pick one up when it hits clearance.

Funnily enough there have been deep sales on the Evercade but now the prices are insane even for old hardware.

 

[+jgkspsx]

Hey! New Game of the Month and some patches.

 

November Game of the Month: Batty Zabella

Batty Zabella is a Macventure style point and click adventure game inspired by classic horror comedies like the Addams Family and the indefatigable Elvira. As Batty, you will roam around your own house trying to rescue your Husbano from the clutches of an unspeakable ancient evil. Soon enough, the stakes will get even higher as your own life will be put on the line!

 

Through it all, Batty's witty and often fourth wall breaking monologue will keep the mood lighter than one might expect. It might lean more towards the comedy side than the horror side, but there are some scares for sure!

 

I got this on cartridge earlier this year and loved it. I played through it at least four times and finally 100% completed it.

 

Some tips:

- You can always return to your bedroom (or another sleeping place) to save and heal. You will never be in danger there.
- Use the map by hitting select! It will help you understand where you are in a given room and also what other places you can go.
- Pay close attention to what Batty says. She gives really good tips about what to do next. For instance, if she says to go to the basement, you need to go to the basement! She doesn't often repeat herself, so don't just skip her dialog.
- Enemies can kill you, so don't just stand there and let them hit you. If you can't kill them, move on! You should never have to find any items on a screen where enemies are attacking you. EDIT: lol, except for the very first one
- In boss fights, the boss's vulnerable zone moves too fast to chase it. Wait for it to come to you, and keep healing while you wait!
- If a boss is killing you without you even making a dent in its health, you probably can't fight it yet.

 

Some tips from the manual:

You can unlock a secret area with a really fun arcade game if you find all the secrets. Some vague tips on where those secrets are:

 

 

Spoiler

 

They are really hard to find without the tips, but if you try to go places you shouldn't you may get lucky.

 

Here are some pictures from the prototype. Not exactly what you will see in the game but they give you an idea.

 

[jerseystyle]

1 hour ago, jgkspsx said:

Hey! New Game of the Month and some patches.

 

November Game of the Month: Batty Zabella

Batty Zabella is a Macventure style point and click adventure game inspired by classic horror comedies like the Addams Family and the indefatigable Elvira. As Batty, you will roam around your own house trying to rescue your Husbano from the clutches of an unspeakable ancient evil. Soon enough, the stakes will get even higher as your own life will be put on the line!

 

Through it all, Batty's witty and often fourth wall breaking monologue will keep the mood lighter than one might expect. It might lean more towards the comedy side than the horror side, but there are some scares for sure!

 

I got this on cartridge earlier this year and loved it. I played through it at least four times and finally 100% completed it.

 

Some tips:

- You can always return to your bedroom (or another sleeping place) to save and heal. You will never be in danger there.
- Use the map by hitting select! It will help you understand where you are in a given room and also what other places you can go.
- Pay close attention to what Batty says. She gives really good tips about what to do next. For instance, if she says to go to the basement, you need to go to the basement! She doesn't often repeat herself, so don't just skip her dialog.
- Enemies can kill you, so don't just stand there and let them hit you. If you can't kill them, move on! You should never have to find any items on a screen where enemies are attacking you. EDIT: lol, except for the very first one
- In boss fights, the boss's vulnerable zone moves too fast to chase it. Wait for it to come to you, and keep healing while you wait!
- If a boss is killing you without you even making a dent in its health, you probably can't fight it yet.

 

Some tips from the manual:

You can unlock a secret area with a really fun arcade game if you find all the secrets. Some vague tips on where those secrets are:

 

 

  Hide contents

 

They are really hard to find without the tips, but if you try to go places you shouldn't you may get lucky.

 

Here are some pictures from the prototype. Not exactly what you will see in the game but they give you an idea.

 

How do I access these games of the month?

[+jgkspsx]

9 hours ago, jerseystyle said:

How do I access these games of the month?

They're in the Evercade menu under the cartridge icon and above the library icon in the left menu. They are only on the EXP/-R, VS/-R, and Alpha. They will also be collected on Indie Heroes 4 in February.

[jerseystyle]

3 minutes ago, jgkspsx said:

They're in the Evercade menu under the cartridge icon and above the library icon in the left menu. They are only on the EXP/-R, VS/-R, and Alpha. They will also be collected on Indie Heroes 4 in February.

Ah okay. Thanks for clarifying

[+LS650]

On 11/2/2024 at 10:52 AM, Giles N said:

Mini-review of The Atari Super Pocket:
    Cons:
      - the screen is well lit but way-too-small for many early arcades

I've thought seriously of picking one up, but after watching a few Youtube reviews, I think the 2.8" screen is just too small.

Even with my reading glasses on I'd be squinting at that small of a screen.

 

Update: ah, what the hell.  I ordered one off Amazon Canada.  Supposed to arrive tomorrow.

[Songbird]

Last chance to get the Evercade Alpha at $20 off (until Nov 28), plus a few Evercade carts and assorted Lynx/Jaguar/Nuon games on sale for our EARLY Black Friday now through Nov 22!

 

https://mailchi.mp/songbird-productions/20241119

[Recycled]

16 hours ago, LS650 said:

I've thought seriously of picking one up, but after watching a few Youtube reviews, I think the 2.8" screen is just too small.

Even with my reading glasses on I'd be squinting at that small of a screen.

For what it's worth, I'll be 56 in few weeks and wear trifocals. After saying I wasn't going to buy anything with a screen smaller than the EXP because I doubted I could see it, I ended up getting the Taito version a year ago. I've probably done over 90% of my gaming on it over the last year with the built in games and my collection of Evercade carts. I have no problem using the stretch screen option though.  The Atari version is in the house, but waiting for my b-day.  Must say I love thing for it's convenience and battery life.

[Reaperman]

Atari's got an email coupon sale going on, and they also sell the atari super pocket. 
So I preordered a 7800+ and a second game, to bump me to the $40-back tier, and used that code to drop the atari super pocket to just under $25 shipped on a later order.

For the first time in my life, I've got 3 upcoming game systems on preorder (analogue 3d, atari 7800+ and evercade alpha) but sony/microsoft haven't been able to sell me a console in two full generations. 🙄

Edited November 21 by Reaperman

[Bill Loguidice]

3 minutes ago, Reaperman said:

For the first time in my life, I've got 3 upcoming game systems on preorder (analogue 3d, atari 7800+ and evercade alpha) but sony/microsoft haven't been able to sell me a console in two full generations. 🙄

I honestly don't think it's them, but you who's changed, which is not a surprise given how long most of us have been gaming. There's still a lot to like about the Xbox and PlayStation platforms and ecosystems and what they offer. With that said, while I own everything, including a PS5 Pro that I'm reviewing for How-To Geek, I definitely favor PC gaming overall these days the most out of everything. That's definitely been a change the past several years for me over the previous decade or so when I favored the current consoles.

[Video]

It could be us, OR it might literally be the consoles.

 

I love gaming, and have for my entire life. But the past few generations of gaming have been b r o k e n. Things like evercade, atari plus, and a few others scratch that itch of "I just want to game, not buy a broken computer like console, buy broken games, Sith through titanic patches, and update it every other day for the rest of whatever."

 

This current gaming world has left a lot of us rather disenfranchised to be honest. I miss modern gaming, but its really not changed much in the past couple decades. Steam deck scratches the itch for modern stuff in a slightly less broken format to computers and modern consoles, outside that, I'm usually playing on older style "modern" consoles like plus and evercade.

 

Console makers put so much effort into chasing the pc world because they could, most didn't stop to consider if they should

[Reaperman]

I've had a couple days with the atari hyper mega tech--there's a lot of gaming here, and quite a lot of surprises over the previous atari carts (which I had not been tracking before buying this thing). I hope there are more atari carts in the future, to get these on other devices. I'd really like berzerk/frenzy arcades on a cart for the alpha, for example. 

And just today I was thinking about buying the new fatal run rerelease for the 7800+ that I preordered --but wait, I bet that's on my new hyper-mega thing. yep, it's here. Now to put in the time to figure out what it's all on about.