Evercade?!

[+LS650]

I haven't been that interested in the Evercade handheld, but the Video Game Critic's recent review of the VS console has piqued my interest.  I've ordered the Premium Package with an extra Intellivision cart.  If I like it I will almost certainly order more carts in the future.  I have quite a few old systems but I like the idea of having a convenient console with HDMI that handles a wide variety of systems.

[+LS650]

Update: I received my "Premium" bundle with the add'l Intellivision 1 cart yesterday.  I've tried out several of the included games - including the arcade version of Lock N Chase which I've never tried before.

I have to say I am really impressed.  The way the menu system works and the options available is very slick. 

I'd read a few comments that some folks thought the cartridge door or the controllers were a bit lightweight and flimsy, but I think they're perfectly fine as is; and the controller feels solid with just the right heft for me.  Heck, even the cardboard box and cartridge packaging seem well-thought out and nicely made.

 

Overall I like the Evercade VS a lot.  I wasn't a believer when the handheld came out, but the console is really great.  I am sure I will buy more carts - in fact I ordered the Atari Arcade collection this morning.

[Songbird]

Songbird is shipping both Morphcat #1 and Intellivision #2 to meet the June 30 street date! Limited quantities are still available to order for this wave of product.

 

Morphcat

Intellivision #2

[Cobra Kai]

Yeah, I just got the VS over the weekend, and had some fun with the Technos and Data East carts included in the box. I definitely like the controller, although the shoulder buttons don't feel that great ergonomically, but I haven't had to use those. I appreciate the extra long controller cable, and  the console itself was surprisingly solid. For the price I was expecting the build quality to be much flimsier, however it's sturdy and has a solid feel to it. For comparison, my Super Retro Trio has the cheapest feeling plastic I've ever had for a console (though it still does the job I want it to do), and the packaging for that was cheap as hell, and the controller sucked.

 

The Evercade VS is pretty nice for very little money. Unfortunately most of the cartridges available I don't really have much interest in, so I hope hope hope the game selections improve. At least the game carts are inexpensive.

[+LS650]

10 hours ago, Cobra Kai said:

The Evercade VS is pretty nice for very little money.

Unfortunately most of the cartridges available I don't really have much interest in, so I hope hope hope the game selections improve. At least the game carts are inexpensive.

I find that some of the carts I have no interest in either (ex. the Technos Arcade 1 that came with the VS just doesn't have any games I like) but on the other hand there are several that do. 

I've picked up the Intellivision 1, Atari Arcade 1, Atari Lynx 2, and have the Inty 2 and Gaelco Arcade 1 on order. 

When $20-25 gets you a cart with a half-dozen or dozen games on it, even if only half the games interest you, that's still good value for money. 

 

I will say that two carts I'm not so interested in are the Xeno Crisis/Tanglewood cart and the Worms cart. 

For the first cart, I've watched a video and although Xeno Crisis looks interesting, I have zero interest in Tanglewood.  

With only two and three games, respectively, even if you like the games it's not such great deal. 

 

I look forward to seeing more releases!

Edited June 28, 2022 by ls650

[Songbird]

2 hours ago, ls650 said:

I've picked up the Intellivision 1, Atari Arcade 1, Atari Lynx 2, and have the Inty 2 and Gaelco Arcade 1 on order.

You seem to be missing a key cartridge!

 

[+jgkspsx]

17 hours ago, ls650 said:

With only two and three games, respectively, even if you like the games it's not such great deal.

I paid $50 for Tanglewood on the Genesis (one of the best puzzle platformers around) and Xenocrisis sells for much much (MUCH!!!) more in any other physical release, so from that perspective it is still a good deal.

[roots.genoa]

And actually it still is my favorite Evercade cart, but I understand it's not for everyone. Compilations are always a mixed bag by definition, but I think the carts improved a lot compared to the original ten for instance. Having arcade games rather than console ports is definitely better imho.

[+jgkspsx]

26 minutes ago, roots.genoa said:

Having arcade games rather than console ports is definitely better imho.

I think it’s a mixed bag. A lot of the Atari 2600 ports like Gravitar are much more accessible than the arcade games, with lots of different modes and difficulty settings to try. And some arcade games (Double Dragon) were important at the time but have aged much more poorly than their home counterparts. It’s a tragedy that the Technōs home compilation has been taken off the market since the beat em ups are all better at home.

[King_Salamon]

Just pre-ordered the Morphcat and Intellivision 2 collections.  Really want to see how Cloudy Mountain plays on it.  If it's done well enough, I will never need an Intellivision console again.    I may have to spring for an Advanced D & D intellivision manual though.. just to make it more official.  lol  It's THE game for me on the system... always has been growing up.  Nothing on my 2600 scratched that itch in the day... which made my Intellivision buddy a great buddy as we would swap systems for a weekend and I'd play a lot of that.  Ahh good times.

 

That Morphcat cart is going to be fun as the Micro Mages looks like a fun game... if not, well I can always sell it here in the marketplace.  lol

[King_Salamon]

6 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

I think it’s a mixed bag. A lot of the Atari 2600 ports like Gravitar are much more accessible than the arcade games, with lots of different modes and difficulty settings to try. And some arcade games (Double Dragon) were important at the time but have aged much more poorly than their home counterparts. It’s a tragedy that the Technōs home compilation has been taken off the market since the beat em ups are all better at home.

The Technos collection is still available at my online store in Canada.  The Namco carts are long gone though.

[roots.genoa]

10 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

And some arcade games (Double Dragon) were important at the time but have aged much more poorly than their home counterparts.

That's maybe why Double Dragon (1) is not included.

[+Intellivision Master]

My INTV collection Vol. 2 has shipped.  I can't wait to play it.

[Cobra Kai]

Those two carts coming with the new handheld model are sick! Is there now, or will there be a compatible joystick for the VS? Toaplan and Irem are must have carts.

[+jgkspsx]

2 hours ago, Cobra Kai said:

Those two carts coming with the new handheld model are sick! Is there now, or will there be a compatible joystick for the VS? Toaplan and Irem are must have carts.

You can use most USB devices with the VS and they are always adding support for more. Or use an 8bitdo bluetooth adapter.

[+LS650]

I've tried a couple of different USB controllers (not a joystick though).  They worked fine - except no Home button, which you need to do save states and quits.  

[+jgkspsx]

1 hour ago, ls650 said:

I've tried a couple of different USB controllers (not a joystick though).  They worked fine - except no Home button, which you need to do save states and quits.  

I believe they are working on this.

[8th lutz]

I found out something earlier today on a Evercast on Youtube. It was confirmed by a Blaze Employee on that podcast that 2 C64 collections are going to be on Evercade. It is not known what the games are going to be. The games will be announced, but also there is supposed to be an announcement next week that is not C64 related.

 

What I know is Blaze has a business relationship with the company responsible for C64 mini and the A 500 mini.

Edited July 2, 2022 by 8th lutz

[King_Salamon]

A particular c64 game I would like to see on the Evercade is the Incredible Wizard which was a Jumpman/Jumpman Jr style game with a Wizard as the main character.  That would be fun to see in a collection!

 

As for the recent releases... my games are on the way and should be here by July 7.  Then it'll be Cloudy Mountain time!

[wolfy62]

1 hour ago, King_Salamon said:

A particular c64 game I would like to see on the Evercade is the Incredible Wizard which was a Jumpman/Jumpman Jr style game with a Wizard as the main character.  That would be fun to see in a collection!

 

As for the recent releases... my games are on the way and should be here by July 7.  Then it'll be Cloudy Mountain time!

Oh man,the Incredible Wizard is a game I had completely forgotten about that I loved back in 1985 or so!

Great comparison to Jumpman for sure.?

I am still attempting to figure out how to play Cloudy Mountain on the Evercade controller, but it will be fun once I d o because I finally get to play it on my big screen.  Awesome!!!

 

[King_Salamon]

Cloudy Mountain on the Evercade is interesting from my understanding.  The diagonal movement on the mountain map screen is confusing as you need to use diagonal movements which are done with the face buttons for up down left right but you use L1 to open the keypad to get into the diagonal numbers (1,3,7 and 9).  I never used the diagonal shots a whole lot while in battle so that doesn't hamper me too much.  I can't wait for this collection to arrive!

 

Tower of Doom is another game I look forward to playing... never played it a whole bunch in the past but this one should be a fun game to get into.

[+Intellivision Master]

My INTV collection Vol. 2 arrived yesterday.  I haven't played it yet.  But when I opened the case, to my surprise 2 overlays (Cloudy Mountain and Tower of Doom) were included which was nice.  If only the first collection came with some.  Anyway, hopefully a third collection gets released some day.

[roots.genoa]

Indeed (actually 3 overlays, 2 for Tower of Doom)! And there are 5 cards in the Morphcat one! ?

 

Edit: actually they're not overlays but cards with tips that look like Intellivision carts.

Edited July 3, 2022 by roots.genoa

[+Intellivision Master]

1 hour ago, roots.genoa said:

Indeed (actually 3 overlays, 2 for Tower of Doom)! And there are 5 cards in the Morphcat one! ?

 

Edit: actually they're not overlays but cards with tips that look like Intellivision carts.

You're right there were 3 of them.  And they are cards with tips.  At first glance they looked like overlays to me.  It would've been neat if they were mini overlays though just for the heck of it.

Edited July 3, 2022 by Intellivision Master

[+Intellivision Master]

I started playing the INTV collection Vol. 2 and Auto Racing doesn’t work.  I go to select a car and nothing happens.  I read the instructions and that doesn’t help.  At one point I got the game to run but it drove the car by itself and then the car would crash.  So, either I’m doing something wrong or the game is broken.  Anyway, I played Motor Cross.  That one works fine but seems to have lag.  Maybe the original game played like that, I don’t know.  One cool thing is if you have both INTV carts in the Evercade VS, it unlocks a bonus game called Zombie Madness.  It’s a homebrew from 2020.  It’s a fun game.