I first picked up the original Evercade back in 2020, bundled in a box with the Namco Museum Collection 1. This was one of three starter packs that set me on a voyage of curated retro gaming, through the Evercade VS (I pre-ordered the Founders Edition) and EXP and on to the pocket-sized Super Pocket (specifically, the Taito version).
So I’m always interested to see what’s next from Blaze Entertainment’s flagship project. This is the first of several updates this week (I’ve had some time away, so I’m playing catch-up!), and focuses purely on the latest releases, firmware updates, and upcoming hardware previews concerning Evercade.
Table of Contents
Legacy of Kain and the Bitmap Brothers Collection 2
Two much-anticipated Evercade cartridge collections dropped in the past week, and are available to buy right now.
The Legacy of Kain features two titles, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. This is one of the Gigacart collections, cartridges that have a greater capacity than usual. These PlayStation classics hail from the late 1990s and have a good reputation as fantasy adventure games.
Meanwhile, the one I’m most interested in is The Bitmap Brothers Collection 2, which collects another six Amiga titles on one cart for the Evercade. These games are:
Cadaver
Cadaver: The Payoff
Gods
Magic Pockets
The Chaos Engine 2
Z
Of those, I’m familiar only with Gods and Magic Pockets. Gods seemed somewhat dull to me way back when, and although I liked the mechanics of Magic Pockets, I preferred the music. This is another much-anticipated Amiga collection, however, so I’ll be getting a copy.
(I’ve linked to both cartridges on Amazon here. I know some people have had problems with Amazon orders for Evercade, so if that doesn’t suit, you can grab them on Funstock too.)
Flea2 is the Evercade Game of the Month
If you own an Evercade EXP or VS, you should know about the Game of the Month program. Each month, a new game is downloaded to your console, replacing the previous month’s title. These games are essentially previews of the forthcoming indie collections, and the current title is Flea2!
Set to appear in the Indie Heroes Collection 4 next year, Flea2 is the sequel to, uh, Flea, and was produced following a successful crowdfunding project earlier this year. Essentially a NES game, Flea2 is also available on PC via Steam, and physical copies are coming – learn more on the game’s Itch.io page.
You can play Flea2 on Evercade VS/VS-R and Evercade EXP/EXP-R, and when the Alpha launches (see below), it should also be available.
New Evercade firmware update fixes bricked carts
One of the biggest complaints about Evercade is the quality of the cartridges. These curated collections may ship on physical media, complete with cases and printed manuals, but they’re prone to bricking.
This issue dates back to the first generation of carts, so it’s good to see that a solution is finally being rolled out. As reported in the Evercade Fans Hub (Facebook group, membership required), the October firmware update has repaired bricked carts:
I had 2 carts that where not recognised Duke Nukem collection 1 and Piko Collection 4 both unrecognised across my 2 consoles EXP and VS. I confirmed that they still weren’t recognised before the update on my VS and EXP. Then after the update they are fully operational and recognised, saves intact aswell. I have since tried these now functional carts on my non upgraded evercade EXP handheld and they now also work on that, since being recognised on the VS.
The release notes for the update include “Cart stability fixes” which seem to relate to this much-demanded improvement.
Hurrah!
To enjoy the fix, download the update, insert your “bricked” cart, and wait for it to load up. You may need to restart the console.
Evercade Alpha preview
Finally, a preview of a working Evercade Alpha system has been shared on the Evercade Facebook page. The post comprises four photos of games running on the new mini bartop, set to arrive later this month.
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this edition, please share, recommend, and help me reach as many retro gamers as possible.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
We collect the most important retro gaming news and articles and send them to you weekly, absolutely free.