Blaze Entertainment – the makers of the popular Retro themed lineup the Evercade – has announced three new collections within the past week. Along with their announcement in February that 64 Bit Emulation was to come to the system, they’ve followed it up with a flurry of announcements. This article will (hopefully!) do each one justice.
Evercade EXP-R and Evercade VS-R
The first announcement was for the Evercade VS-R and EXP-R consoles. Available to pre-order now and released in July, these two consoles are designed to be at the beginner market, as it brings the price point for the machine under £100. the EXP-R comes with one controller, with a new design of both systems, and both retail with a “Giga” Cart. These carts have more modern games (one mentioned below!), at a higher price point, and Blaze are promising two this year with games that haven’t been announced.
I welcome the lower price point, and the consoles look great. The VS-R in particular also introduces the “TATE Mode” which was in the EXP, which I don’t believe was in the predecessor. Obviously you lose some games, but to be honest I suspect they were locked to the handheld.
The VS-R retails at £89.99 / $99.99 / €109.99 and the EXP-R: £99.99 / $99.99 / € 119.99
The Tomb Raider Collection
The second announcement is the first Giga Cart that will ship with both versions of the Evercade. Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider Collection. Lara Croft’s PS1 escapades need no introduction to readers of this site, and this cartridge contains the first 3 games of the franchise in one cartridge and handheld. Spanning games from 1996-1998, theses Evercade cartridge collections, all three games will come on a single physical cartridge and a plastic clamshell case and also include a full-colour manual. These carts will be playable on all Evercade systems, including the original handheld, Evercade VS, EXP, and HyperMegaTech! Super Pocket consoles.
Although I struggle with the tank controls of Tomb Raider, these games are rightly considered legendary. The fact these are coming to the Evercade should get fans salivating! Who doesn’t want Lara Croft in their back pocket?
The Thalamus Collection 1
Finally, the one I’m most excited about! Legendary Commodore 64 developers Thalamus make their debut on the Evercade! Containing 11 classic games, this is released alongside the Tomb Raider collection and contains 11 games from the publisher that was connected to Crash and Zzap, including Hunter’s Moon Remastered, Hawkeye, and Creatures are included, all the way to their final 8-bit home computer release, Nobby the Aardvark from 1992.
Most exciting for me is a release of Creatures 2: Torture Trouble, which I’ve reviewed on this site. Strangely omitted from a lot of Commodore collections (including the C64 Mini) which is odd as the first game is usually present, it’s good to see this licenced and out there. I’m also excited to see that Snare – a fun shooter – also gets a release, along with both Summer and Winter Camp.
All games and consoles I hope to carry as part of the Evercade Shop on Retro Garden. What are you most excited for? Please let me know in the comments!