An interesting new system-level feature exclusive to Alpha is the demo mode. Leave the Alpha untouched for two minutes and it will begin to run one of the installed game “pull modes” of the real arcade machines of yesteryear: those captivating bursts of gameplay that would draw players in, tempting them to part with their coins by showing the most striking and exciting parts of the games. Is it significant? Does it “do” something? No, but it’s another loving nod to video game history.
And that’s Evercade’s secret weapon: it’s not just a way to play old games, it’s a celebration of them and your experiences with them. Like other consoles in the hardware ecosystem, Alpha is equal parts virtual museum, each game comes with a little vignette about why it was important, what ground it broke, why it was loved (or sometimes why it wasn’t). . A library menu tracks which games you have access to, expanding with each Evercade cart you place, and your playtime and stats are tracked by title. It’s a hidden treasure that expands the more you put into it.
universal appeal
That treasure is Evercade’s other secret weapon, as each game cartridge is compatible with all of its hardware (almost(Namco Museum Collections are not compatible with Evercade VS or VS-R TV-based consoles.)
Since much of Evercade’s library consists of game collections, that creates a lot of retro riches. Of Atari Classics dating back to the early days of arcades and scrolling shooters made famous by the likes of Irem Type Ror niche fighters like Dragon MasterAlpha is a phenomenal way to revisit them or encounter them for the first time.
However, there is a caveat regarding some of Evercade’s most recent releases from its console collections, primarily the Kain’s Legacy and tomb Raider releases. Both carts, which collect the original PlayStation versions of Blood Omen: Kain’s Legacy and Kain’s Legacy: Soul Reaverand the first three Lara Croft games, respectively, are technically compatible with Alpha, but only to the extent that the cabinet runs them. The Alpha’s six-button layout replicates the A, B, X, Y, L1, and R1 buttons on standard Evercade controllers, but lacks L2/R2 inputs. Since these games required those buttons on PS1, they can’t be controlled properly here without connecting an external controller (or an Evercade handheld console to use as such).
However, in our experience, both collections froze when an external controller (a wired Xbox pad) was connected, requiring a system reboot to clear. That’s kind of frustrating, of course, but it’s not really a deal breaker for Alpha. Those games were never intended for an arcade anyway; It would be a nice trick to try to play them that way. Still, it’s something to keep in mind for anyone with an extensive Evercade collection.
However, that almost seems like an objection. For a home arcade offering, there’s very little to fault the Alpha. In the absence of original full-size cabinets or arcade boards, it’s one of the best ways to experience an important part of gaming’s legacy in the most legitimate way possible.
With its fantastic design, brilliant display, and a solid collection of games included in both models, this is Evercade at its best.