Pre-Orders Go Live For The Evercade Retro Handheld System

Why do you guys keep pushing this shovelware?

The battery life isn't very good considering it only plays ancient retro games and doesn't seem to have features like rumble/gyro/touchscreen/etc. (as you would expect for a handheld that only plays retro games)

I don't think I want this.

I'm thinking the same thing, we've seen dozens of these things come and go and none of them are ever any good so whats so special about this one?

I'm interested in the level of 3rd party support they've attained, and the concept itself isn't bad. But I have no idea if a handheld console as niche as this can thrive in the current gaming market, or if it will just end up being a nextgen Ouya.

I think these guys bought out interplay and I know they got a new earthworm jim coming...

They throw in a new clay fighter and I’ll consider this a lot more.

Stupid idea for a system. Emulation exists. If you own the game, it isn't a problem, people. It's only an issue if you don't own it.

Like others are saying why are you giving time too this crap? It really has nothing to do with Nintendo only thing I can think , you are being my paid to promote this crap

In before all the comments about why a crappy, cheap looking system like this actually exists, when you can actually play all of these games in superior form on just about any other platform, and worst of all: why the hell Nintendo Life keeps reporting on this piece of trash.

Oh, wait...

This looks cool but I'm not going to pre-order something when all the pictures of the system are renders.

I would have to hold one of these and test it out before committing! The fact that it has two of my all time favorite games (7800’s Food Fight and NES’s Nightshade) makes this a tempting curiosity, but if this is a cheaply made piece of crap then I’m not interested.

@DockEllisD

What I'm thinking, only reason he would keep post about it,or his getting paid.

Ryan no one gives a damn about it, please enlighten us all and tell us what it has too do with Nintendo!

Get a cheap Gamepad stand/clip for your Android phones instead.
Better battery time and no limitations.

What has this got to do with Nintendo?

@Farts_Ahoy

They constantly promote crap like this (unrelated to Nintendo) so they can get free review copies and demo units sent to them.

Just saying if you buy this you can't make it go on tv so yea..

I cannot understand the negativity here, Nintendolife often features reviews and news on other retro systems like polymega and mega drive mini so it’s coverage on this new retro inspired system is valid. I’ve been following this closely and I’m part of the growing community on Facebook and they are the nicest people , they answer all questions and welcome suggestions. They even put a solution in place where people who didn’t want to pay all money in full for the limited edition black set with all games could pay half now . I really like what they are trying to achieve . It appeals to a certain set of people so it’s obviously not designed to be competing with Nintendo . It’s for fans of retro games from older systems who like physical products . I really hope it does well . They’ve already sold half of the limited edition already !

@lemonjellydude Im not being negativity im just telling the down sides of buying it..

I hope it finds enough people who are interested. It is being released in the same month as the Final Fantasy remake and Animal Crossing. Not saying that will effect sales so much, but the press won’t really be talking about it much.

Since they are a relatively small enterprise, getting the press to report on their hardware and release schedules will be very important.

@TossedLlama first of all I think so it does seem you can do it and @NotTelevision Some people might find it interesting some won't its just basic there choice..

To be fair, Nintendolife have been running articles on modern retro consoles for several years now. Retro-bit, Polymega etc etc. There will be articles when a new console is revealed, perhaps a hands on as its launch approaches and then finally a review by Damo. Considering how popular retro gaming is with many Nintendo fans and Nintendolifes original crew, plus the age of many of its members, I totally understand why these consoles are covered as well as others like the Neo Geo Mini and Megadrive Mini, despite having nothing to do with Nintendo.

It does seem this Evercade has been getting more coverage than most though and perhaps that is due to some staff being mates with its developers but does it really matter? I'm sure Damo will review it once it's ready and there's no doubt it'll be given an honest review, mates or not. I'm not interested in it myself but it's clearly a passion project rather than something slapped together to make a quick buck. I look forward to see how it reviews!

@OorWullie you got a huge point there..

#EvercadeLife

Proudly sponsored by nintendolife!

@OorWullie

You pretty much nailed it. I would also add that it doesn't hurt that it's being done by a company in the UK and I'm pretty sure Nintendo Life is based out of the UK. Not a lot of retro companies that I know of are based in the UK and are making this big of a splash.

Why would I buy this right before the Switch Lite releases?

Hard pass. This thing is as likely to be a modest success as it is to become the next Ngage.

@Savino That is actually a false interpretation, you are allowed to possess backups of purchased media, those anti-copying laws are intended to effect people who are distributing.

@Farts_Ahoy Just get a Switch... or a Gameboy Advance Sp

It's just a cheap NES/Genesis handheld clone they have tons of these in China even with the same set up with cartridges with roms on them

often the emulation sucks either way

@Savino Really? Because I purchased 50+ ROM files (including various region releases of the same game) legally by purchasing Sega Genesis & Mega Drive Classics. I also got another dump of ROMs from Atari Collection. The SNES/NES Classic also have ROM files sitting there if you know how to access them. How dare Nintendo, Sega, and Atari distribute always illegal ROM files.
.

@Bermanator No way to enforce it so who cares, I know many many people who have entire retro rom collections and will for ever lol.

Not sure why so many folks are being D-bags over this. I preordered it. I'm 48. Most of these games bring back fond memories.....ones I hope to pass to my kid once he/she is born in 7 months. The folks at evercade are pretty awesome. Check out their Twitter account. They're funny as hell and passionate as well. I don't think this will be a piece of crap. Opinions are great but being ignorant isn't. Haters gonna hate I guess. There's no reason to be so negative and hateful. Life's too short. Appreciate things you don't like and life will be better 🙌

@JRJalapeno I agree, I think this thing is really cool, and I also support hacking and roms as well. Just enjoy what you enjoy and stop bashing on others for it. This team vs team mentality is the worst of humanity, we are all on the same team with the same general goals in life.

I’m not gonna buy this. I just clicked the article so I can make a comment about how I’m not gonna buy this.

@Farts_Ahoy that's what I'm thinking. This isn't Nintendo. They will not license this
I'm all for piracy. But. Not if there is no gain to big N

@JRJalapeno CONGRATS !!! Publish the photo of the baby - of course when she/he is born.

The only reason I'm sort of interested in this is that it has Atari 7800 games on it. Why can't "Atari" release them on the Switch? In fact why not release their other consoles games too.

To all people wondering/demanding to know why this thing is so special: I'd say that special might be a bit of an overstatement, but this device is made by retro lovers, who want to offer faithful reproductions of the games they knew and loved to like-minded people/other retro gamers.

So, that means no extra filters, no HD up-rezzed graphics, and no other additional features that might "modernize" these games. The screen also has the EXACT resolution and 4:3 ratio to suit and display all of these games exactly how they should be looking and played, and it's a dedicated retro system.

Sure, it's nice that you can also play this stuff on your Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, smart phone/tablet or even on your SNES Classic Mini or RetroPie, but it's just not the same, due to all the aforementioned reasons. And cartridges, not digital downloads, is yet another thing which makes this have that genuine retro feel.

So, if all of that is what people are looking for, then this device might just be the ticket.

@ShinyUmbreon Where did you get the info from that you "can't go on TV" with this handheld? Because it actually can. It's even shown in the trailer above.

@OorWullie Very thoughtful comment. Couldn't agree more.

@JRJalapeno Great comment, and my thoughts exactly. Nowadays, so much focus is on what we DON'T want, what we DON'T have and what we DON'T like, instead of just thinking about other people that this might still be interesting for and perhaps just forego commenting on something that you don't care about anyway.

But apparently, it's more important to post all of their negative brain farts than to just allow things to be and perhaps bring a little joy or excitement to other people...

@ThanosReXXX excellent so now you can tell all the people who agree with you but make negative comments about games being digital only or not "faithful" adaptations the same thing right? I see them all the time here.

Looks like all the arcade games are home ports, that's disappointing. I'll probably pass on this, then.

Not sure why people are annoyed that NL is covering it though.

@youneedtocalmdow No offense, but what exactly is the point you're trying to make?

I'm not insulting anyone, I just tried to explain the reason for this device and why some people might be interested in it. That you or anyone else may not be interested, is perfectly fine, and I also never said that there's anything wrong with digital downloads of retro games, but some retro purists don't care about 720p or 1080p upscales of their favorite games, and would rather play them exactly as they used to, which is how they remember and prefer them.

That is basically all I meant to say with that part of my comment.

@Savino I wasn't the one that made the following statement:

"Any rom is illegal. If you read the fine prints on any cartridge/CD/DVD/BRD you will see that the software can´t be copied, reversed engineered or altered in any form."

Obviously that is a false statement. It ignores the US first-sale doctrine and "fair use" provisions for backup/archival purposes in case of the original being damaged/stolen.

In fact, this issue more than anything else is why content creators are pushing so hard to move everything to "Content as a Service" because people then rent/lease everything instead of owning content.

The Namco and Data East games look like NES/console versions, not arcade.

Looks interesting enough.

I'm more interested in hacking up a vita personally. If I can find the right model/firmware for the right price.

@Savino Well that doesn't really say anything about you not being allowed to obtain a backup of content that you own, it is merely giving legal guidelines for creating backups where if you are making a backup it is only legal if you own the content and are keeping the backup in your sole possession. Basically that just backs up what I already said, how there is legislation in place that prevents you from distributing it openly, but it doesn't do anything to negate the legality of any backups in your possession if you own the original content regardless of how you obtained those backups.

At least it'll be more affordable than the Play Date. I'll see if I could find one if I could find one. A lot of retailers are disappearing from my city one by one so I hope to find it before they all dissolve.

While this might be interesting for those into that kind of thing, I admit that with all the cheap portable "consoles" out there, it is somewhat hard to stand out in the crowd. Which will surely bring the question to many people : why should I buy this?

This isn't saying it's going to be bad. The people behind this seems very passionate about it and retro gaming. I'm just saying that their console will launch in an overcrowded market, which will surely affect its commercial success.

I think that there is a market for some retro experiences, but this may not hit the right notes to be put in the "want" category for all retro fans.

Now, if they'd release some sort of bartop arcade with a cartridge port on the side, now that's something you don't see everyday. Even better, release a very small single-player bartop, a two-player one, and a full size cabinet version. All taking the same cartridges. That's something I'd be interested in. Pop in a new cartridge, here's a bunch of new games for your personnal arcade! I know cost for the base unit will be higher, but at least, that would be something different. (I know there are MAME cabinets out there, but I'm talking here about playing those games LEGALLY).

@Deanster101 That's the second time you've made your 'sponsorship dig' on a Evercade article, and at it's even less original now.

I think it is more that NL are, ya know, curious about the product. They have always shown interest in different way's to play retro games.

@premko1 thanks! I'll update my pic of my guy PETE with the new edition. Hope it's a xenomorph and not a hooman 😂

@ThanosReXXX my point is that people aren't being overly negative. They're wondering why this has been covered extensively on this site.

It's true they've always covered classic consoles somewhat, this has been pushed pretty hard. It's normal to wonder what or to even comment on it.

@youneedtocalmdow Well, maybe not (yet) in this article right here, but over the course of the various articles that have been published about this device on here, there has been quite a lot of negativity and downright hostility about it, which to me seems borderline insane.

I also don't like every console or game, but I don't go out of my way to post negative comments underneath articles mentioning them, so that's why I posted my initial comment. Maybe a bit to shame the negative Nancy's, but also perhaps in hopes of making at least a few people consider that negativity for nothing also brings nothing, so why not just forego commenting on something that you don't like anyway?

Much like people who frequent this site and wonder about and rage against people who "dare" to be fans of Nintendo and who like what they do or what games they make. I'd say that on a Nintendo-related site, that's pretty much the kind of people that you can expect to come across, so if they don't like that, then maybe this is not the right site or community for them.

For clarity's sake: that last bit was not directed at you, but mentioned in general and as a comparative note, because to me that's just as weird and senseless as people raging on other stuff that they don't like.

The people complaining are idiots.

That being said, I'd rather just hack my Switch. I'm not big on portables anyway. My hacked SNES/PS1 classic is perfect for this stuff.

I know people won't like this, but my only interest in this is waiting for it to bomb hard so Earthworm Jim gets released on other systems.

@Savino downloading a digital backup is in no way similar to buying stolen goods.
In addition, the quote you posted doesn't say you have to make the backup yourself.
I don't understand why some people are so adantment against emu and ROMs? And why trying to convince everybody it's illegal?

@konbinilife Yeah I don't get why these people dedicate themselves to insisting upon some legal misconception. Everything they talk about is pertaining to what you do with it and if you ever owned it.

Props to the people who made this; their enthusiasm is real and it looks neat. I like the retro-futuristic design and concept. It's not a realistic purchase for me, but I do dig it.

@Roam85

The Amiico is the system getting the new EWJ. Tommy Talarico who did the music for EWJ owns Intellivision and is getting a bunch of the original team together to do EWJ 4..

Handheld enthusiasts will gobble this up. It'll become super-niche and collectible, like the WonderSwan or Neo Geo Pocket Color. Zero interest from me though. 3DS, PS Vita, Switch...I'm good for years.

@ThanosReXXX The reason people post about what they don't want is two-fold; First they have no idea what they do want, usually from lack of real-life experience, secondly, they are all about I. Me, My, Themselves. They assume the net is here to serve them, and they are never wrong about anything. But, with little education, they are able to instruct others on how to live their lives. G-D forbid they should come to understand the value of personal r-e-s-p-o-n-s-i-b-i-l-i-t-y.

@brunojenso woah easy there bucko! I’ve only got a few jokes in me so I have to use them sparingly.

The pre orders are going well , the limited edition has sold over 50% of its allocation already and there’s a lot of buzz about it . I’m really excited for this . It’s really great to have a brand new product that’s born out of the UK

@Deanster101 ok sorry mate. I'm just one of those not getting the negative-bombing for this product. I think it's a step above those cheap and nasty bittboys with there cheap-arse software - and is trying to do something a bit different - and do it legally. I hope NL keeps going reporting anything interesting in the gaming world.

I’ve not been interested in this at all, but just watched the latest video, and dammit I feel like I need one!

And NL, please do keep covering the various retro offerings out there, as I’m a gaming fan, and appreciate the updates

@SyFyTy I can largely agree with that, although personally, I'd be a bit more careful with making general assumptions on their level of education: negativity and glass half empty views aren't exclusive to people with less diplomas or life experience, unfortunately.

But yeah, online anonymity gives a voice and to some extent power to people that might otherwise not speak out, or at least not as easily. A post can be made quite quick. And as seen on many an article on here, often without actually having read the article itself...

@SyFyTy People post about what they don't want because this is a promotion article for a product that has been heavily promoted around here for very questionable reasons. Obviously the more often people see something being promoted the more likely they are to comment on it even if those comments are negative.

@brunojenso This isn't doing anything different, there is a large number of cheap Chinese devices that do this same exact thing.

@JayJ I respectfully disagree

@ThanosReXXX It says it in the nintendo site look it up..

Plus Im just telling the truth sheesh don't need to be harsh dude..

@Savino Are you the police? No? Then I don't care.

@ShinyUmbreon I wasn't harsh, just genuinely wondering where you got the idea from, so no offense, but you interpreted my comment in the wrong way. And if you just take a look at that 1 minute trailer that comes with the article, it clearly shows that it really does play on the TV, so if that's the thing you were wondering about, then that's your answer.

@ThanosReXXX what i saw on nintendo it doesnt do it.. sheesh..

@ShinyUmbreon On Nintendo? You mean here on Nintendo Life? That would surprise me very much as well, seeing as they too clearly mentioned it being capable of being displayed on the TV.

But there's no need to take my word for it, just take a minute to watch that short trailer right here accompanying the article above, and you'll see for yourself.

No dude the nintendo game site..

@Savino I follow most laws, but piracy, I rarely do anymore, but do sometimes for software I need and DON'T have the money for. My family is dealing with tough times.

@Savino laws can be changed and legal/illegal dichotomy is not the same as right/wrong.

@ShinyUmbreon the comment was in general and not aimed at anyone in particular. I'm just surprised at the negativity towards something that has a physical element to it. its clear that a lot of people still love the physical element of getting a cartridge and these guys are really trying hard to get something onto the market that is completly legal and is very well priced. I guess people cant make there minds up till its been tested that I understand I just thought the retro-heads here would love something like this. I cant wait to test it out! even though I have pre-ordered I can still cancel my order at any time, so Im looking forward to seeing how this pans out

Nice to see coverage from the retro scene. This looks promising to me.

Hello I have a fan site for evercade and retro if anyone is interested please join up 👍its called. Evercade arcade fan group

Thanks