Evercade?!

[Tanooki]

I'm looking for suggestions, help...best price/situation I can find for this.

 

#1 prefer the Evercade bundle funstock won't get into stock that just has Namco Museum #1, so the Premium Bundle many places list but either have/out of stock until like March/April are about it...or TrollBay.  What is the best solution to getting the handheld?  My interest really for now just lies in Namco #1 and #2, Atari Lynx #1 and #2, after that we'll see on the console style stuff.  I do want 3/4 arcade purple, not Gaelco know nothing of those, look boring/not my thing.

 

I looked at funstock, they tout free shipping, but then tried to charge $20USD(15gbp) because in some small print it says evercade excluded.  I tried to just get the handheld+case and it was $175-180USD shipped which kind of stings.

 

I don't want to run into where the Namco duo and Technos go away, best deal I found oddly is TrollBay for those from one guy with a ton of them wanting $20 a pop, more than fair.

Not sure do I grab those 3 and ride it out for months to get a US one and hope I don't end up with game overlap, ebay until one pops, again hoping not for overlap?  Rather not give up on this, but don't want to get baked in shipping charges to where it's cheaper buying in pieces as that's dumb.

[+jgkspsx]

I would grab the three if you’re not ready to jump in on the bundle. They will be good for trading if you don’t end up getting the system and they will probably end up too expensive to justify buying.

[Tanooki]

9 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

I would grab the three if you’re not ready to jump in on the bundle. They will be good for trading if you don’t end up getting the system and they will probably end up too expensive to justify buying.

Well third times the charm today.  Lost a unit on ebay, then realized funstock was jacking up the price and adding shipping from evercade excluded small print, and a third one popped up their own megabundle a state away (and I find after from a member here) on ebay so I grabbed it.  SO it happened I'll have one by the end of the week probably seeing how close by things are, and ordered the 2 Lynx carts from ebay too since the mega had namco 1+2 and technos inside there already.

 

This should be a lot of fun, and later I can look forward to the purple packs of Namco, Atari, and Data East too, that Lynx #3 I think I read was a thing, and whatever else looks good, probably that Indie #1 pack or Megacat #2.  This is for play, not collecting, so no full set or anything close to it.

[+jgkspsx]

Welcome to the club!!!  

[Tanooki]

Despite ebay claiming Monday, the USPS put the package out from its overnight stay in Cincinnati about 3 hours ago now, for a 1 1/2hr drive down here, I'll have it tomorrow unless they do something intentional about it.  Fine by me, a stack of fun for the weekend.  The two lynx carts though still sitting on label created, so who knows...next week?   All the years I was on ebay it irks me if someone doesn't return the courtesy I used to, if you pay, you ship... not print label and sit on it.

[+jgkspsx]

I have sometimes dropped something off AT THE COUNTER WITH SCAN in the morning and tracking didn’t register anything until that evening. I hope you get it all fast!

[Tanooki]

2 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

I have sometimes dropped something off AT THE COUNTER WITH SCAN in the morning and tracking didn’t register anything until that evening. I hope you get it all fast!

Yeah I've dealt with that a lot both ways when I was selling actively on ebay up until late last year when I quit.  I was right though, it's already at the airport/county wide distribution center as of 10:15 this morning having left OH at 7:25 so it got trucked I'm sure.  It'll get here sometime tomorrow late morning/early afternoon if nothing holds it up which is nice.

[roots.genoa]

Meanwhile I'm still waiting for my Atari and Intellivision carts. Amazon even offered me to cancel my order. ?

[Tanooki]

@roots.genoa That's rough, wonder what the deal is.

I went digging through a list I found, not sure it was complete but I think I found a list of potential pick ups I'd grab next.  Top part I'm like 90% there on, the others eh...50/50.  Mind you I got enough to start with anyway, it will take a bit of research on those first.  The arcade packs though are a sure bet, fun ones there I used to really get into in the last century and some beyond.  The 3 independently made collections I want to learn more, and Renovation I'm mostly there as I owned some of those on Genesis and they're fantastic like Valis, Exile, some of those shooters.

 

-(Purple) Atari Arcade Collection #4
-(Purple) Namco Arcade Collection #2
-(Purple) Technos Arcade Collection #1
-Xenocrisis / Tanglewood #11
-Indie Heroes Collection 1 #17
-Mega Cat Studios Collection 2 #20
-Renovation Collection 1 #23

jaleco 15
codemasters 19

[+jgkspsx]

I think you will definitely want the Gaelco arcade collection. There is a little bit of everything on it from lightgun shooters to platformers to arcade games, and if you like isometric racing games at all there are two great ones.

 

Piko 1 is worth getting for Dragon View alone if you are at all interested in a western RPG in Mode 7 with beat em up battles. It has an excellent and meaty SRPG, an excellent and fun JRPG, and a couple compelling if imperfect beat em ups, all of which are Taiwanese and new to most American players. Plus Nightshade, one of the dozen or so games I’ve made an effort to get a complete copy of after being introduced to it on Evercade. And like twelve more games besides.

 

Interplay 2 is a sleeper top cart for me with the hideous but really interesting puzzler The Brainies, a really good Metroidvania in Rad Gravity, and a couple excellent SNES platformers in Claymates and Prehistorik Man.

[Tanooki]

@jgkspsx I've got 1-10 and 13-14(Lynx 1 and 2 bought separately from the others.)

Piko 1 is in that original run of 10.  Atari1+2, Namco 1+2, Interplay 1+2 are in there, with Megacat 1, Piko 1, Data East 1, and Technos 1.

 

Interplay I'm 100% unknown on those I believe, was more into their PC stuff in the DOS era of the earlier 90s so that's all fresh meat.  Namco 1+2 (Atari 1+2, Technos too) are re-runs almost entirely but I'm fine with it, nothing wrong with a return.  The unknown territory really are the Interplay carts, Megacat, Piko, and the Lynx ones along with Data East will be a little hit n' miss, largely first time stuff.

[Tanooki]

So my impressions of this so far as mostly high.  The only oddity I think is that you need to kind of pivot the handheld a bit more towards your body than face or the screen seems a bit less bright, not a deal breaker, just obvious when the bezel area on the sides art kind of vanishes if you use a subtle one like the faint square grid.

 

I've only meddled a bit with like Technos 1, Namco 1, Mega Cat, and a bit into Piko so far.  I'm digging the variety.  Technos I'm pretty familiar with, own some, had owned the others so it's comfort food.  Namco kind of similar, but not, as I didn't have any of their SNES/Gen stuff Metal Marine is utterly confusing, or that screwy Libble Rabble, that's new, and Mappy Kids is pretty damn cool, shame we never got that in the era.  Mega Cat I touched them all, it has a few turds, a few were great, some grew on me.  That wannabe log/windjammers game I see never touched again, ugh.  Little Medusa confused me, but then it got fun.  The RCR clone was ticking me off, but realized I could back out and come back to buy stuff so then it got nice but it's still rough.  Coffee Crisis similar, it's rough, it works, but feels almost amateurish in taking some unavoidable dumb hits.  A few are real bite sized titles, rare to play but when you do, not bad...like a 99cent phone game would do in passing.  The Piko pack I'm so far having a good moment with picking away so far at the Taiwanese unlicensed stuff which is a mix of suprisingly good, but later/late stages have a brutal upswing in difficulty -- Water Margin, Magic Girl being those two.  Way of the Exploding Fist isn't bad once you figure it out, like karate champ but less awful.  Top (Gear) Racer holds up nicely still too.  He supplied some serious variety of quality on that one, RPGs even I see.  Odd this second from the game list I read is so weak compared.  Maybe a 3rd will happen?  Love see some of his older carts get re-authorized for play like Hind Strike, Noahs Ark 3D, and others.

 

So far I'm pretty impressed with this, lots of nice options, I did upgrade it to 2.01 for the firmware, then set the nice red background theme choice.  Comfy system, pretty loud too, so I keep it at 1/2.  Only ding against it I guess easy to smudge surface and smooth back makes it easy to slide off stuff like a leg (or scratch) as it has no feet.  A real quality job done on this.

[roots.genoa]

By the way, I don't remember if it has always been that way, but the menu button of my Evercade feels like it's always pushed now. ?

It works but I have to press it a little harder than normal and it's difficult to know if it registers because it doesn't really move anymore. It's a shame because even though I'm frustrated about waiting for the two remaining carts I pre-ordered back in May, I got 4 new carts but it kinda deters me to play them (of course the fact that I got the Analogue Pocket around the same time and countless other games to play doesn't help). ?

[Tanooki]

@roots.genoa odds are it's the pocket, not the button.  The button is more of an annoyance or excuse, the fun of the game remains the same, not like it's the A button that choked.

 

I would find it annoying but if it still worked, eh...

 

It makes me wonder, what's the deal with the thing having new screw posts??  How do you exactly open this up in case you did ever have an issue?  It could be as simple as some rubber stopper got slid off a bit and caused the button to sink in.

 

Today I had my 2 other sealed games pop up the Lynx Collections 1&2.  I need to unseal them and give it a go.  I remember some of them, a few look like Songbird may have made something great, and others well...filler?

[+jgkspsx]

Lynx 1 is a grab bag of A+ games and fun small games. That’s part of the appeal to me. Lynx 2 is all the Epyx games.

[Songbird]

My goal on Lynx 1 was to offer a selection of solid classic games like CM2, Dracula, and Awesome Golf while also including popular aftermarket releases such as CyberVirus. Hopefully you'll find a few that reel you in. ? Also the Missile Command game is really a hidden gem for the Lynx IMO.

 

Speaking of the Lynx, I need to compile a list of games for a future cart...

[RREDDWARFF]

3 minutes ago, Songbird said:

My goal on Lynx 1 was to offer a selection of solid classic games like CM2, Dracula, and Awesome Golf while also including popular aftermarket releases such as CyberVirus. Hopefully you'll find a few that reel you in. ? Also the Missile Command game is really a hidden gem for the Lynx IMO.

 

Speaking of the Lynx, I need to compile a list of games for a future cart...

 

Please consider Gauntlet.

 

I absolutely loved that game on the Atari Lynx. It was so much more unique than other console versions.

[+jgkspsx]

16 minutes ago, Songbird said:

Speaking of the Lynx, I need to compile a list of games for a future cart...

Please please please figure out how to get Battlezone 2000 on there if you still have an arrangement with Rebellion. It would be great to play it without destroying my thumb  

 

10 minutes ago, RREDDWARFF said:

Please consider Gauntlet.

 

I absolutely loved that game on the Atari Lynx. It was so much more unique than other console versions.

That's because it's a totally unrelated Epyx game they slapped the brand name on. I like it a lot too

 

I don't know if Carl has any ins with Atari Games/Warner Bros, though. That's the problem with a lot of great games like Klax, Roadblasters, STUN Runner, and so on.

[Tanooki]

18 hours ago, Songbird said:

My goal on Lynx 1 was to offer a selection of solid classic games like CM2, Dracula, and Awesome Golf while also including popular aftermarket releases such as CyberVirus. Hopefully you'll find a few that reel you in. ? Also the Missile Command game is really a hidden gem for the Lynx IMO.

 

Speaking of the Lynx, I need to compile a list of games for a future cart...

I've noticed that, and you have a nice spread there including on what your own entity put together.  I'll have to try it a bit later if I can get the time, feel bad it's just sitting on my desk waiting for use.  The new stuff you supplied along with the pre-2000 old stuff has lots of variety, and the newbies add genre/genre depth which is appreciated.  I know others have said as much, I hope you can do a 3rd pack as there are games, good ones that should be doable still.  Gauntlet maybe, even if it were say reverted back to its roots visually speaking with a new title removing the trademarked Atari stuff if WB is an issue.  I'd hope some games could get sub-licensed that have developers who are retro friendly through evercade or other devices in recent years.

 

18 hours ago, RREDDWARFF said:

 

Please consider Gauntlet.

 

I absolutely loved that game on the Atari Lynx. It was so much more unique than other console versions.

Same...I never owned one, played a few when they toured or elsewhere, then the crusty 20+year old HANDY emulator for Windows and that was a personal favorite.

[jerseystyle]

On 1/10/2022 at 6:20 PM, Songbird said:

My goal on Lynx 1 was to offer a selection of solid classic games like CM2, Dracula, and Awesome Golf while also including popular aftermarket releases such as CyberVirus. Hopefully you'll find a few that reel you in. ? Also the Missile Command game is really a hidden gem for the Lynx IMO.

 

Speaking of the Lynx, I need to compile a list of games for a future cart...

I love the 2 Lynx collections. Excellent choices. Thanks for bringing back my gaming teen years. I showed them to my daughter and she digs Blue Lightning.

[Tanooki]

Yesterday I got in the mail the Xenocrisis/Tanglewood package, amazon had a deal for $17 shipped from them/blaze, not third party, and also snapped up megacat #2 for $20shipped, and the first arrived yesterday, waiting on the other today some time.

 

March can't arrive soon enough, want that Renovation cart, but also looking forward to the purple arcade packs too.

[RREDDWARFF]

1 minute ago, Tanooki said:

Yesterday I got in the mail the Xenocrisis/Tanglewood package, amazon had a deal for $17 shipped from them/blaze, not third party, and also snapped up megacat #2 for $20shipped, and the first arrived yesterday, waiting on the other today some time.

Great prices, what a score?

[Tanooki]

4 hours ago, RREDDWARFF said:

Great prices, what a score?

I'd suggest anyone after something to check amazon at the moment because a selection of the games were at $17 vs $20, given what songbird does is fair but if you're not buying enough due to the $8 shipping it beats that, it will beat funstock and not take a month to arrive either.  There's best buy but they are pretty shabby on choices unfortunately.

[King_Salamon]

2 hours ago, Tanooki said:

I'd suggest anyone after something to check amazon at the moment because a selection of the games were at $17 vs $20, given what songbird does is fair but if you're not buying enough due to the $8 shipping it beats that, it will beat funstock and not take a month to arrive either.  There's best buy but they are pretty shabby on choices unfortunately.

I know I've ordered a lot of games from Videogamesplus.ca and they offer free shipping on orders over $50.  The games are priced right as well.

[Tanooki]

2 hours ago, King_Salamon said:

I know I've ordered a lot of games from Videogamesplus.ca and they offer free shipping on orders over $50.  The games are priced right as well.

I'll be considering them too because they have a US warehouse just over the border in NY and found that out when I picked up that Lodoss War game for Switch they have physical copies coming.

 

Oh and amazon decided that Mega Cat 2 needed a long ride around town, a 13 hour one, to then return to their facility until tomorrow or maybe if I'm lucky the next day.  Seriously stupid.