Evercade?!

[famicommander]

37 minutes ago, madman said:

I picked up an EXP from Songbird with the IREM and Toaplan carts. Expectations were low, but I have to admit this is a pretty nice handheld and so far there are no complaints about the emulation. For me there's not a lot I'm interested in outside of the arcade series, but I'll probably grab the Atari carts as well.

Beware the Atari Arcade cart, none of the games that originally used a trackball, spinner, or rotary controller are very playable. Centipede is damn near impossible. The other Atari carts are all fine, though.

[+madman]

That's good to know, the Atari arcade cart didn't seem too hot to me, but the 2 console carts look worth it, especially for the 7800 games. Xeno Crisis/Tanglewood seems like a good deal, but I already have Xeno Crisis on multiple consoles. 

 

It seems like this would do well if it was in more retail stores, it's an easy way to emulate for casual people who don't to bother with setting everything up themselves. And then there's the collector aspect that they nailed as well. This is what the Coleco Chameleon should've tried to be....instead of a capture card shoved into a Jag case. Too soon?

 

 

[famicommander]

47 minutes ago, madman said:

That's good to know, the Atari arcade cart didn't seem too hot to me, but the 2 console carts look worth it, especially for the 7800 games. Xeno Crisis/Tanglewood seems like a good deal, but I already have Xeno Crisis on multiple consoles. 

 

It seems like this would do well if it was in more retail stores, it's an easy way to emulate for casual people who don't to bother with setting everything up themselves. And then there's the collector aspect that they nailed as well. This is what the Coleco Chameleon should've tried to be....instead of a capture card shoved into a Jag case. Too soon?

 

 

All the carts full of indie/homebrew stuff have been worth it so far for me:

Mega Cat Studios Collection 1

Xeno Crisis and Tanglewood

Indie Heroes Collection 1

Mega Cat Studios Collection 2

Morphcat Games Collection 1

Alwa's Awakening and Cathedral

 

And now the Indie Heroes Collection 2 cart is up for preorder.

 

The collections of familiar ROMs are interesting but ultimately I've already played 90% of those games. The indie/homebrew stuff is almost all new to me, except Xeno Crisis which I already had on Neo Geo CD.

[+jgkspsx]

The two Atari home collections and the two Lynx carts are some of my most played.
 

The Atari arcade cart is about half playable to me. Lunar Lander is great and Asteroids (not Deluxe) and Canyon Bomber (way better than the home version) have kept me playing it. But it is near the bottom of my list.

[famicommander]

21 minutes ago, jgkspsx said:

The two Atari home collections and the two Lynx carts are some of my most played.
 

The Atari arcade cart is about half playable to me. Lunar Lander is great and Asteroids (not Deluxe) and Canyon Bomber (way better than the home version) have kept me playing it. But it is near the bottom of my list.

I asked the Evercade guys directly in their Discord if they were ever going to fix that Asteroids issue (giving us the wrong game) and they said yes.

 

I also asked if they'd ever enable some sort of analog control (trackball, spinner, rotary, analog stick, anything) to play Centipede. Millipede, Pong, Missile Command, etc. and they said yes to that too.

 

But that was like six months ago and I haven't seen or heard anything at all on either of those fronts since then.

[+madman]

6 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

The two Atari home collections and the two Lynx carts are some of my most played.
 

The Atari arcade cart is about half playable to me. Lunar Lander is great and Asteroids (not Deluxe) and Canyon Bomber (way better than the home version) have kept me playing it. But it is near the bottom of my list.

I just can't pull the trigger since I have all those games for the Lynx. It's a little easier to justify re-buying console games because I don't have everything hooked up at once, whereas a portable is easy to grab no matter what. The first Lynx cart is a pretty nice mix of original releases and newer which is pretty nice for those who aren't familiar with the Lynx's library. And yeah I realize its basically like a buck a game on that cart.

[+jgkspsx]

19 hours ago, famicommander said:

But that was like six months ago and I haven't seen or heard anything at all on either of those fronts since then.

I haven’t seen them comment on the Asteroids Deluxe snafu but they are still working on supporting mouse, trackball, and maybe even the Taito spinner/trackball deck.

 

13 hours ago, madman said:

I just can't pull the trigger since I have all those games for the Lynx.

My perspective is that I can’t play them on the TV any other way, plus I am afraid to take actual Lynxen on the road so it gives me a way to play the games while travelling. While I have other ways to play Lynx on the road I like Evercade better than those other devices.

[famicommander]

My EXP has finally shipped from Amazon. The Toaplan cartridge is still 10-14 days out but it's something.

[Steven Pendleton]

Did they ever give or state that they have plans to give the Toaplan games autofire? Most of these shouldn't be too bad without autofire, but Zero Wing and especially Tatsujin without auto on a console-style controller have got to be torturous at best. They'd have to put in some effort with Tatsujin, though, as the Thunder Laser breaks with autofire, but you can build in a fix where the emulator recognizes that you have the Thunder Laser and will disable the auto accordingly.

 

I guess you could just play the entire game with the Thunder Laser once you get it, but it's really weak and then you'd have to never die because you'll lose the weapon.

[Cobra Kai]

6 hours ago, famicommander said:

My EXP has finally shipped from Amazon. The Toaplan cartridge is still 10-14 days out but it's something.

I just received my IREM cart yesterday, that was pre-ordered back in October. Yeah, same for the Toaplan cart, it's on the way, but a couple weeks out yet.

[+madman]

If you haven't, you guys should look into Songbird or Castlemania for future Evercade purchases. I realize the Toaplan cart is hard to find at the moment, but CM has the IREM cart in stock now. It was actually cheaper for me to order from Songbird than Amazon since there's no tax, but to each their own. Plus you know you can count on safe shipping practices from these guys, instead of your EXP being thrown in a bubble mailer by Amazon. Support the people who support us.

[Recycled]

FYI I ordered two Evercade carts from Castlemania last week.  From what I can tell, they are out west and I'm in Ohio.  I was expecting a few weeks before I got them.  They arrived 2 days later.  Will definitely be using them again.

[+jgkspsx]

4 hours ago, Recycled said:

FYI I ordered two Evercade carts from Castlemania last week.  From what I can tell, they are out west and I'm in Ohio.  I was expecting a few weeks before I got them.  They arrived 2 days later.  Will definitely be using them again.

I thought they were in Ohio? Or maybe I’m thinking of Stone Age Gamer. I usually get my Songbird shipments in two days. I think I got one the next day once.

[+jgkspsx]

10 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Did they ever give or state that they have plans to give the Toaplan games autofire?

Yes, they are planning to add some kind of autofire in the near future, probably as a pause menu option.

[Recycled]

1 hour ago, jgkspsx said:

I thought they were in Ohio? Or maybe I’m thinking of Stone Age Gamer. I usually get my Songbird shipments in two days. I think I got one the next day once.

 

From what I can tell, Washington state.

[famicommander]

Got my EXP and there's some random ass white dot on my screen. It's the size of maybe 3 or 4 pixels just to the lower right of center. Won't come off with screen cleaning solution, rubbing alcohol, windex, water, paint thinner. So I initiated an Amazon return and the replacement will be here tomorrow. Took them this long to ship the original but they're getting a replacement to me in 18 hours.

[+jgkspsx]

I think I have a smaller similar one. It's only about a pixel big and I mostly don't notice it, but when I do it bugs me. It's on the inside of the glass, I think.

[famicommander]

1 hour ago, jgkspsx said:

I think I have a smaller similar one. It's only about a pixel big and I mostly don't notice it, but when I do it bugs me. It's on the inside of the glass, I think.

Mine is clearly visible even when the system is off. It's definitely on the outside as I can still see it clearly even with the system held at nearly a 180 degree angle.

[Hydro Thunder]

Keeping my VS, and selling my original White / Red Evercade along with most of my carts.  System is in perfect working order, very lightly used (don't travel much and was an early adopter to the VS, so it hasn't logged a ton of hours).  Love, LOVE this little guy, just don't have the time to get him his regular exercise

 

 

Technos Arcade 1

Intellivision Collection 2

Piko Interactive Collection 1

Namco Museum Collection 1

Data East Collection 1

Atari Lynx Collection 1 (signed by Carl Forhan)

 

Evercade comes with original Box, all games are CIB and adult owned / non smoking home.

Also throwing in the official Evercade carry case https://songbird-productions.com/product/evercade-carry-case/

 

Asking $125 for the whole enchilada including shipping, would like to sell this all as one package (but if I get no takers in a week or two I'll see about breaking it up).

 

 

Thanks all!

 

 

[famicommander]

My replacement EXP arrived and the screen is perfect. Now that that's out of the way, here are my random thoughts on the system:

-I much prefer the hard switch to the power button. Probably the only area where the old handheld is better.

-It does fit in the case for the old Evercade. It's a bit more snug but you can easily get the handheld, charging cable, and a few carts in there.

-Firmware update was much easier than on the old machine. Just put in your wifi info and select update. Big improvement.

-System is comfortable to use in either orientation

-It does seem to run a bit hot. My Irem cart was pretty warm to the touch when I removed it after only playing an hour or so.

-Dedicated menu option to store the secret games is a welcome addition. Not sure why some of the secret games from the VS didn't make it over to the EXP, though. 

-Mega Man X still f'n rules. Played it a billion times, still have my SNES cart from when I was a kid, but any excuse to play this game is welcome.

 

My Toaplan cart still isn't here but otherwise I'm pretty happy with it. Just have to remember to return the other console. 

[roots.genoa]

31 minutes ago, famicommander said:

-I much prefer the hard switch to the power button. Probably the only area where the old handheld is better.

I agree!

31 minutes ago, famicommander said:

-It does fit in the case for the old Evercade. It's a bit more snug but you can easily get the handheld, charging cable, and a few carts in there.

Thanks for the info. I may try to buy one, then.

[+madman]

So I've had more time w/the system, I'm still happy with the purchase. The EXP kind of has that 1990's 3rd party controller feel to it, not the worst quality but doesn't feel like something Nintendo or Sony would release. I can't really complain about the screen and setup options, the only real negative for me is my hands cramp up pretty quickly. Not playing Mario Kart on a GBA SP level cramping, but I can go hours on the Switch without any discomfort. But as a taller person it's not unexpected. I picked up a VS console as well from Songbird. The only really cheap feeling part to me so far is the door that covers the carts. 

 

I watched a video this weekend about the first portable system, fami noted some differences above and I was surprised the original system didn't have wifi so I'm glad I didn't get into this until the EXP. I'm not super picky when it comes to emulation, but I have yet to see anything that really sticks out to me as emulation glitches. I also spent some time going through the available carts and included games, so there are a couple more I'd like to pick up....and others I will definitely stay away from despite the $20 price point. Even if no more carts came out I think there's still good value to be had and of course we know there are releases lined up. 

 

Blaze really nailed it w/this system and the overall experience. 

[+jgkspsx]

It’s funny, the Evercade handhelds are some of the least hand-cramping systems I play. The Switch Lite kills my hands, particularly on shmups.

[Giles N]

Evercade EXP - Mini Review:

 

Having now gotten my Evercade EXP in the mail, and having had time to play through some games on it, and try out things, here is a little review.

 

 

The Evercade EXP comes with 18 Capcom classics built-in.

My package also included one Irem game collection cart with 6 games.

This gives plenty of retro-gaming to spend time with, just-out-of-the-box. You don’t need to already have a vast collection to begin the fun, as Capcom have included a variety of genres, and the Irem collection, albeit smaller, takes the player from early hits like Moon Patrol through its main-feature R-Type, to other lesser known titles to explore for the curious.

Yet, I’d wish they’d included Vigilante, and don’t really see why they didn’t do that.

As to Capcom I miss Ghost N’ Goblins or Super Ghouls N Ghosts (SNES, but often included in other Capcom retro-collections along Arcade titles), from the Capcom collection, which should have been put in instead of one of tte MegaMan home-versions.

Hopefully it will be included in future Capcom collections.

The other Capcom games are very-well suited, natural choices for the EXP - many which is so much better to play in TATE-mode.

 

Boxed GAME-CONTENT: 9,5/10
 

The handheld console unit itself shows a much more solid, quality build than the original Evercade, which felt at times a bit toy-like.

 

The EXP sits well in ones hands in its usual horizontal mode.

 

When accessing TATE-mode, which has its own dedicated hardware button, all games are swithced to display with console being held vertical.

 

All arcade games, which back in the days had high and thin screen-displays, now get a full-window treatment which makes games like 1942, 1943, Commando, Mercs, Alcon (aka Slap Fight) [not included, but in the Toaplan Cart), come to their original glory, not being crammed in with huge emptt black areas to the left and right of the gameplay-screen.

And better still; you actually have a chance to see the fastest incoming bullets, unless you’re born with pilot-eyesight (I’m not).

 

The button layput is fine in horizontal mode.

 

Swithing to TATE, where you now hold the console vertically, with the D-pad at the bottom, you get to use an extra set of A/B-buttons located directly to the right of the D-pad.

 

I found two things that can be improved here:

1) the A/B buttons are too close to the D-pad, and too close to each other, meaning it can feel cramped to rapidly have to push these buttons (and in games like 1943, you really, really, really tend die ultra-fast unless you can button-mash comfortably for 2 hours straight). This could be fixed either by having the layout of the next EXP being slightly different, or software with a firmware update that would include options for auto-fire, which could come with rates(slow, medium, fast).

2) the Console unit tend to feel a tad heavy to the top when held vertically, as I often hold may hands as to get the best grip on the D-Pad pluss fire buttons. And suddenly the solid build makes this feel a bit heavy, when some of these shooters are really, really long.

Screen quality is now improved and more vibrant.

 

However, it doesn’t have modes for changing the level of backlight (as I have found), and in a world where ww literally wade in handheld and smart-devices with ultra-high screen quality, I should wish for just even a little more quality in the screen, both to resolution and light. 15-20 Dollars or Euros British Pounds would be ok for me to pay for an even better screen.

 

Buts its good.

 

CONSOLE UNIT: 8,5/10

 

Then there’s the mentioned TATE-mode.

Its very cool. And makes the high and thin screen Arcade games 70-80% percent more comfortable and fun to play. Hardware button switch it on/off is also good.

But action-buttons ought to have been put 1cm (half an inch) further away from the D-Pad in my view.

 

Now, it also seems that some firmware updates are needed for this mode, as some games seems ‘confused’ when loaded as to which is it natural fullscreen mode.

Horizontal screen games often load with TATE mode, which should be fixed.

 

 

TATE: 8,5/10

 

So, - the sound?

The speaker is ok. Too weak to provide quality sound when loud.

But it does the job.

And getting quality sound from any handheld/smart device may be something for the future.

 

 

SOUND/SPEAKER: 8/10

 

The quality of the D-buttons and fire-buttons are very good.

Again, please only move the TATE buttons half an inch/1cm lower on the console.

And the weight/layout of the console should actually be shifted a tiny bit so that the horizontal lenght ought to be no longer than the original Evercade, and perhaps it ought to be increased in standard mode-height with about 4-5 mm (half a cm, 1/5 of an inch)

 

BUTTONS/GRIP: 8,5/10

 

Things not tested:

- Connection to TV via cable.

- multiplayer gaming.

 

Final words/summary:

 

The Evercade EXP is worthy continuation in the Evercade realm, and with its inclusion of Capcom-classics may get many new retro-gamers interested, as one of the things many Evercadettes where waiting on, was for top-companies like Sega, Konami, Capcom (some thougth Nintendo, but I don’t see that as realistic) to get-on-board with it.

 

And now Capcom’s in.

 

And that may open doors for a future where we may in time see Konami, Sega, Taito, Midway, Namco-Bandai getting in on a full-on scale out-put.

 

In the pack you get a high-quality built retro handheld device, loaded with top-notch classics and with Irems cart which boasts the mega-hit R-Type, the classic Moon Patrol and glimpses into their lesser-known arcade history.

If you’re new to Evercade, this is of course the place to start.

If you’re into the Evercade line-up, this is the natural next-stage.

 

You pretty much open the box, insert an energy-cable, insert the Irem-cart, push one button for firmware update, then you have literally 100s of hours of retro-game fun right there in your hands.

 

VALUE FOR MONEY: 9,5/10

 

PROs: 

- quality build with better screen and good buttons,

- TATE mode

- Capcom collection

- improved hardware

- a natural continuation of the Evercade project, which seems to aim for broad and longstanding retro-game-future

 

CONs:

- some issues with the TATE mode and comfortable TATE grip in long-time game-sessions,

- speakers should be stereo, and higher quality

- screen should have been even better

 

OVERALL: 9/10

 

 

—

 

SUMMARY:

 

Boxed GAME-CONTENT: 9,5/10
CONSOLE UNIT: 8,5/10

TATE: 8,5/10

SOUND/SPEAKER: 8/10

BUTTONS/GRIP: 8,5/10

VALUE FOR MONEY: 9,5/10

 

OVERALL: 9/10

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by Giles N

[+jgkspsx]

My biggest complaint with the EXP is the sound. It really sounds tinny. The OG handheld sounds a lot a lot better.