I prefer the Amiga version of Rainbow Islands than the arcade version as released by Hamster’s Arcade Archives, purely because the latter doesn’t have the original music any more.
I also prefer the Speccy version of Midnight Resistance, mainly due to the chunky graphics rather than the arcade accuracy - although the home computer version has the essential playability 100% intact.
There's a few in that list which are worth the [now increased] purchase price (eg Flea!2, Illmoore Bay & Murtop) however I have noted it is the IH collection with the fewest games included. Perhaps naively, I was expecting a few more on the cart that we got to see in the GOTM showcase. I know there's a couple; i just expected a little more.
I don't mind the lower number, as long as the quality is there. No more Doodle World, Ploid or Kubo please!
I remember reading about Demis in Amiga Power, as part of a ‘redesign space invaders’ type competition, with the prize working at Bullfrog in some capacity.
Quite inspiring to go from a Speccy and Amiga programmer, to a Nobel Prize winner. And even one I’d heard of!
not played either of these, and both have got my attention. I noticed in the video that a button prompt has changed from PlayStation symbols to Evercade's, which is a nice touch that Blaze has been doing wherever possible.
I agree with @XiaoShao 's point about how the library has evolved; I'm glad that the cart quality has improved since the days of Interplay 1 & 2 collections! Not every game featured on a cart is going to be a 'forgotten gem' or 'instant classic', but the ratio of good to meh has absolutely got better.
Disappointing, but a month isn't going to kill me. My Evercade backlog, never mind my general gaming backlog, may reduce by one or two games by that point!
Rogue64 is brilliant (I play it on my Evercade), so I'm wholly tempted to buy the digital version and play via emulation. I'm also waiting to see what Retro's Amiga Maxi is going to be like as I could happily purchase that and run RogueCraft from that. Or Evercade, again!
Either way, I'm pleased this is on the horizon for release and look forward to being able to support the Devs and buy the game
it was a sad day for me, as an Amiga enthusiast. It meant a long, drawn out buyout that I feverously (then tediously read) over about a year in Amiga Format.
Gateway 2000 did nothing when they bought it and Escom at least tried, but again, nothing sizeable to even attempt to compete with the contemporary PC, that it had already lost ground to. And by that point, the market had shifted to the total exclusion of Amiga as a commercial gaming entity.
I am looking forward to the Amiga Maxi, or whatever the next retro machine is called, and I have some great memories and fondness of my Amiga days.
Already pre-ordered, but still good to see a review. Glover, Star-X and Risky Woods are the games I’m most interested in. I do want to play Target; Renegade if only to see for myself how bad it is compared to the Speccy version (which is pretty darn great).
The others will get a dip in and play; the ‘luck of the draw’ aspect with the Piko cart collections is always a good thing as some games may just click with you when common sense (or reviews) say otherwise!
Good review, although Donut Dodo was a GOTM game. It’s been noted, like in your review, that the game has long load times, which weren’t there when it was a GOTM game. Blaze have stated on the Discord that it’s being looked at, as others have reported it.
Bone Marrow is also a corking game, as is Big2Small, so for me, this is another good-value cart
Looking thru the list, I was surprised at how many I’ve owned or played. Yes; I’ve played a Nokia N-Gage back in the day (and commented to my friend that it “wasn’t as good as a proper handheld”).
I plumped for the PS Vita, but the GB, GBA or PSP were high on my thoughts for selection.
I own a Switch Lite and Evercade out of that list now (plus the Vita), but thought the title ‘of all time’ isn’t something that could get attached to the latter (as much as I enjoy it) and perhaps the Switch is still too new for the title?
Although I am fairly certain the Switch will warrant the title before too long !
I can definitely relate here. I have games that I definitely identity with a period of my life, such as Amiga UFO: Enemy Unknown being played for weeks at a time when I was at Uni. Most of my Speccy games-playing relate to my childhood & early teens.
The retro games I play now, such as thru NSO or on my Evercade which I didn’t own as I didnt have a Megadrive or Super NES (etc) give me an opportunity to remove myself from the outside world, having to be an adult and doing ‘grown up’ or responsible activities.
All in all, games help me relax and that’s most certainly worth it for me
Oh that’s disappointing (as someone who grew up with the Speccy and Amiga versions). Pesky copyright, ey? Yes, the game will play as wonderfully as it ever did, but for me, just won’t feel the same.
Will still buy it, as it’ll be the only legal way to play RI on a modern system.
Will it have the original music? I still play the Amiga and Speccy conversions because of that. Regardless, this is Pretty much guaranteed to be an insta-buy for me on Switch
Merry Christmas to everyone at TE! Thank you for the reviews, articles and insights - you’re one of the few websites I visit each day. Here’s to a retro 2024!
@X68000 A decent list of Gremlin games, for sure. Top Gear 1 & 2 (renamed as Top Racer), plus Switchblade 1 are already on Evercade carts, in the Piko 1 & 2 collections. We won't see Nigel or the Lotus games for Licensing reasons ...
... but can't see why the others wouldn't make an appearance, especially now that Amiga versions are appearing, so no console versions needed.
There's plenty of non-licensed computer games I'd like to see, such as:
K420 (sequel to Utopia)
Harlequin
Jack the Nipper 1 & 2
Deflektor
Shadow Fighter
Venus the Flytrap
Percy the Potty Pigeon
H.A.T.E
those are ones I've played and enjoyed in the past, which should work on the Evercade.
we know just two of 2024's cart collection releases, so who knows?
After playing (and completing!) some that were offered as part of the Game of the Month series, it's definitely a cart to purchase. Aside from Donut, which I agree with @mjparker77 on. Big2Small and Bone Marrow are well worth playing amongst a couple of others on the cart.
Slightly disappointed that there a couple of 'extended versions' of previously-released games - Doodle World and Alien Cat 2 though. Alien Cat 2 is a good game to play and tbh Doodle World wasn't worth it the first time around and in my view one of the 'filler' games here.
@Damo aye; I was aware of the SuperFrog IP & delisted issue. Thankfully I have the PS3-Vita version, which includes one of the rare uses of the Vita as a second screen and controller for the PS3 version. Which also unlocks additional content too!
I would definitely be happy with a second T17 cart and with a review in TE, too!
This cart plays strongly on my Amiga history as I had many of these on disk back in the day. It’s great playing more than just Alien Breed 92 when it comes to Team 17’s output. I agree that Full Contact and Body Blows don’t compare at all to console BEUs (and they didn’t back in the day either).
But I also agree with the review and hope very much that a Collection 2 appears, with missed-out games such as Alien Breed 3D (a personal favourite), Speris Legacy etc
Boulderdash, Anarchy, Exolon & Paradroid are the games that immediately grab my attention on this cart. There’s about three I’m very likely to not play, with the others worth a play or two. So it’s a good ratio for me.
A well-balanced and fair review. I never really played that much Speedball 2 when I had my Amiga (heresy!!), but recognise its’ greatness. So 3 versions doesn’t appeal to me. Xenon 2 is decent (if showing its age now) and Chaos Engine great.
Would’ve preferred Xenon 1 (or Chaos Engine 2) and dumped Speedball 2100, but at the time the Amiga licensing hasn’t been sorted, so we got what we got.
Hopefully a Bitmap Bros 2 will feature other games (magic pockets, CE2, Gods etc), but not keen on duplicating the others even if the Amiga versions are superior.
good review; this is a great cart for SEU fans. Calling out TATE mode (which is now on VS as well as EXP) is good, as playing vertical games in landscape mode on a handheld isn't fun!
Slap Fight and Flying Shark are my favourites here.
@RootsGenoa aye, as ridiculous as it sounds, I forgot about the lack of analogue! Hopefully it's not too awkward to control, but should find out in the next couple of days!
And I agree with you about Resi too ... it's infuriating!
cheers - this is helpful and a 7 / 10 is not a bad score! I'll be keeping these comments in mind when I play, as I'll be picking these up fresh. Some PS1 game graphics have aged badly, so perhaps playing these on the EXPs smaller screen will reduce the - now considered - aged graphical style.
Do we have 'tank' controls a la Tomb Raider of the day, or are there more 'modern day' movements? Tank controls do my head in, so hopefully this wasn't implemented back in the day.
Excellent! I've been advised that my Duke carts are on the way, so reading this review is encouraging. The original Duke games never saw an Amiga release (my computer of choice at the time), so this will be my first time playing on them all.
@Damo , did you play these on the EXP or VS (or both)? Just wondering what your impression is in handheld mode as well as tv mode.
Yes, really have enjoyed seeing the Evercade carts getting full reviews and not just a couple of lines in a round up. Thank you, @Damo and TimeExtension !
@Damo I'm also assuming you'll be reviewing the Duke Nukem 1 & 2 carts? They're causing a lot of excitement in the Discord ever since announcement, and whilst I've got them pre-ordered, I've only ever played one DN game (on the Vita), so interested to see what they review like.
@Redkite now that’s a personal choice! I already had the Capcom games as they’re auto-installed on the EXP, so I bought the Taito one as I’m fairly convinced there won’t be a Taito cart on the horizon.
@Redkite I’ve had a quick play test of both Indie Heroes 1 & 2. The good news is that despite the smaller screen, they all just work without issue (as expected). On IH1 Super Homebrew War is a bit pointless as that’s really a multiplayer game.
I found Eyra on IH2 a little difficult to see due to the detail of the backgrounds, but that could just be my aged eyes.
@Redkite off the top of my head, the ones that use TATE mode, so mainly the arcade games, as in their thin vertical strip, they're not great. However, if you're happy with playing them in full screen mode (one of the display settings), then that issue is mitigated. I haven't tried them all, but Alcom on Toaplan Arcade 1 works like that for me.
You should be fine with the Indie Heroes collections - I'll give em a try and pop an update on here if there's any that are particularly poor.
The YouTuber CrazyBurger (who has produced a lot of Evercade videos and are worth watching) posted a "best" and "not recommended" carts for the SP videos on YouTube.
Now that I’ve been able to play one (my Taito SP arrived today), I think this is a good review.
In addition to the built in games - Puzzle Bobble, Bubble Bobble & Op Wolf have been played a fair bit already - I’ve tried a few Evercade carts and overall the experience is a good one. The screen is much better than my OG Handheld too.
It won’t replace my EXP and some games just won’t really suit the smaller screen and lack of TATE mode. However I am more likely to just take it out with me on a whim rather than the EXP.
I’m happy with my purchase, especially as it’s unlikely there will be a set of Taito carts for the Evercade.
@BionicDodo , @Zenszulu cheers. I’d be really interested in a machine with a working keyboard, creating a much more authentic experience. Even if it was “just” modelled on an A500.
“Full sized” Amiga? Could that be an A4000? Or an A1200? Unlikely to be a CD32, given how poorly it sold, so recognition is likely to be low (although I had one).
Could it be something new, akin to an Evercade VS, just focussing on Amiga?
As a confirmed Evercade fan, I wasn’t planning on buying either, especially the Capcom one, as I own an EXP. However I’m a sucker for Taito, so have preordered that one in a moment of weakness. I also quite like the form factor, quite Gameboy style, which makes it a bit different to the EXP (and OG HH).
I am concerned that Cathedral isn’t currently compatible, even if it’s going to get fixed via an update. The game is one of the best in the Evercade library, and being native is concerning with others being developed. Hopefully this will be a minor ‘day one’ hitch that can be easily overcome.
The updates via PC were not great from a user experience on the Original Evercade HH, and I was under the impression that Blaze wanted the Super Pockets to be standalone and not needing any ‘tech updates’, to fit in with the SP’s proposition as an entry level route into the ecosystem.
I’m still v much looking forward to receiving mine in about a month though!
Some great choices there and as the list has to stop somewhere, a good few of my favourites were missed, eg UFO: Enemy Unknown (rebranded as XCOM), Alien Breed 3D, Gloom (two Doom - but on the Amiga - clones), Slamtilt (arguably the best Amiga pinball game), Shadow Fighter (a great BEU hampered by only using one button), Apidya (japan-inspired horizontal SEU with a wasp controlled by the player). Plenty more to go on!
It’s worth noting whilst you reference Chip RAM, the Amiga - all models - had the option of adding additional memory, called Fast RAM, usually up to 8 Megs, unless an accelerator card was used. My own A1200 has 2Mbs CHIP and 32Mbs Fast RAM, as I had a 68040 accelerator card, bumping up the processing speed as well as RAM.
@Ninfan no; it was made over a decade ago when I had some Spectrum books published. It was commissioned to look like the old Crash reviewer ones and could’ve been done by the person who made the retro*gamer ones (but tbh I can’t quite remember who)
The handheld and the Game Station Pro look cute as anything! The handheld design reminds me very much of the OG Evercade (a compliment!). So whilst I have all 3 EC Atari carts, if the games list of the GS Pro was released and available in the UK, I could see me being tempted as there should be plenty more Atari games released for this than have been for the Evercade
I’m a bit of both. I play a lot of retro games on my Switch Lite, so that has to be handheld by definition. My other retro gaming is done through Evercade, so I have the EXP for handheld, which can also output to the TV, handy for the Namco cart collections.
I’ve also got the VS, which is tv-output only, so it does depend on my mood which screen I use.
As an older gamer, I am conscious of small text on the Switch, so will get the Super Switch 2 whenever it’s released so I can ease the squinting!
There’s a couple of CEX’s near-ish to me and whilst both have that distinct aroma of sweat, it’s the go-to place for me when I’m looking for Vita games. I’m careful with my purchases and not been too disappointed
Will be tuning in. I got more excited by the last Evercade Showcase than I did over the last PlayStation one. This one should plug the release gaps for the rest of the year.
Hopefully there’s some more Evercade-native games announced. Cathedral is great (even if I’m still stuck on a boss battle) and it shows what the hardware can do. But will wait and see what happens on Monday!
This does look good, although DOOM (and DOOM II) were eventually playable on A1200s (and machines with a heftier processor), around 1996 IIRC. You still needed to buy the PC DOOM game to play the .wad files but it did happen.
I also really enjoyed playing Gloom Deluxe, Alien Breed 3D and Breathless on my Amiga, all good clones, but they were never going to be the real thing!
Grind will be something special, if it's specifically aimed at the A500 architecture, as that did hold back Doom-style ports and games.
@Damo not jealous at all of you getting your hands on the T17 cart two weeks early! I am very much looking forward to losing once again at Project-X, as well as running out of bullets in one of the three Alien Breed games!
Looks good! I'm intrigued at how 'random' the randomness can be, only because you're limited by RAM and storage. But I guess clever programming can squeeze every last byte out of the source machine. Here's hoping for a digital release, or one for the Evercade, so I don't need to buy a megadrive to play this!
A good selection of games, with enough in the Team 17 pot to comfortably fill a second collection!
Looking forward to blasting through the Alien Breed trio as well as attempting to get past level 3 on Project-X. Even in this, the Special Edition from 1993, it was tough going!
Good article. Always like reading about Evercade (and Amiga, tbh). However, a minor correction. Blaze's GOTM only started last year, resulting in Indie Heroes 2 out last month. This year sees the second season, not the third.
was it the OG Lynx or the fatter revision? I always preferred the look of the revised version. You're right about the games; there's definitely something special about them.
Comments 65
Re: Talking Point: Is There A Home Port You Prefer To The Arcade Original?
I prefer the Amiga version of Rainbow Islands than the arcade version as released by Hamster’s Arcade Archives, purely because the latter doesn’t have the original music any more.
I also prefer the Speccy version of Midnight Resistance, mainly due to the chunky graphics rather than the arcade accuracy - although the home computer version has the essential playability 100% intact.
Re: Evercade's Indie Heroes Collection 4 Launches Next Month
There's a few in that list which are worth the [now increased] purchase price (eg Flea!2, Illmoore Bay & Murtop) however I have noted it is the IH collection with the fewest games included. Perhaps naively, I was expecting a few more on the cart that we got to see in the GOTM showcase. I know there's a couple; i just expected a little more.
I don't mind the lower number, as long as the quality is there. No more Doodle World, Ploid or Kubo please!
Re: The Co-Creator Of Theme Park Just Won A Nobel Prize
I remember reading about Demis in Amiga Power, as part of a ‘redesign space invaders’ type competition, with the prize working at Bullfrog in some capacity.
Quite inspiring to go from a Speccy and Amiga programmer, to a Nobel Prize winner. And even one I’d heard of!
Re: PS1 Classics Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain And Soul Reaver Come To Evercade
@Azuris cheers; I definitely have more interest in these two, especially the first one.
Re: PS1 Classics Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain And Soul Reaver Come To Evercade
not played either of these, and both have got my attention. I noticed in the video that a button prompt has changed from PlayStation symbols to Evercade's, which is a nice touch that Blaze has been doing wherever possible.
I agree with @XiaoShao 's point about how the library has evolved; I'm glad that the cart quality has improved since the days of Interplay 1 & 2 collections! Not every game featured on a cart is going to be a 'forgotten gem' or 'instant classic', but the ratio of good to meh has absolutely got better.
Re: Evercade VS-R, EXP-R And Tomb Raider Collection Hit By Small Delay
Disappointing, but a month isn't going to kill me. My Evercade backlog, never mind my general gaming backlog, may reduce by one or two games by that point!
Re: 'Roguecraft' Is A Stunning New Roguelike Coming To Amiga This Year
Rogue64 is brilliant (I play it on my Evercade), so I'm wholly tempted to buy the digital version and play via emulation. I'm also waiting to see what Retro's Amiga Maxi is going to be like as I could happily purchase that and run RogueCraft from that. Or Evercade, again!
Either way, I'm pleased this is on the horizon for release and look forward to being able to support the Devs and buy the game
Re: Anniversary: 30 Years Ago Today, Commodore Died
it was a sad day for me, as an Amiga enthusiast. It meant a long, drawn out buyout that I feverously (then tediously read) over about a year in Amiga Format.
Gateway 2000 did nothing when they bought it and Escom at least tried, but again, nothing sizeable to even attempt to compete with the contemporary PC, that it had already lost ground to. And by that point, the market had shifted to the total exclusion of Amiga as a commercial gaming entity.
I am looking forward to the Amiga Maxi, or whatever the next retro machine is called, and I have some great memories and fondness of my Amiga days.
Re: Review: Piko Interactive Collection 4 (Evercade) - N64 Emulation Comes To Evercade
Already pre-ordered, but still good to see a review. Glover, Star-X and Risky Woods are the games I’m most interested in. I do want to play Target; Renegade if only to see for myself how bad it is compared to the Speccy version (which is pretty darn great).
The others will get a dip in and play; the ‘luck of the draw’ aspect with the Piko cart collections is always a good thing as some games may just click with you when common sense (or reviews) say otherwise!
Re: Review: Indie Heroes Collection 3 (Evercade) - Donut Dodo Is The Highlight
@jbrodack agreed. Whilst I haven’t played as much of Seahorse as Dodo, I have definitely enjoyed the former.
Slowly but surely there are more native Evercade games being released!
Re: Review: Indie Heroes Collection 3 (Evercade) - Donut Dodo Is The Highlight
Good review, although Donut Dodo was a GOTM game. It’s been noted, like in your review, that the game has long load times, which weren’t there when it was a GOTM game. Blaze have stated on the Discord that it’s being looked at, as others have reported it.
Bone Marrow is also a corking game, as is Big2Small, so for me, this is another good-value cart
Re: Poll: What's The Best Handheld Of All Time?
Looking thru the list, I was surprised at how many I’ve owned or played. Yes; I’ve played a Nokia N-Gage back in the day (and commented to my friend that it “wasn’t as good as a proper handheld”).
I plumped for the PS Vita, but the GB, GBA or PSP were high on my thoughts for selection.
I own a Switch Lite and Evercade out of that list now (plus the Vita), but thought the title ‘of all time’ isn’t something that could get attached to the latter (as much as I enjoy it) and perhaps the Switch is still too new for the title?
Although I am fairly certain the Switch will warrant the title before too long !
Re: Going Back In Time - Do You Play Retro Games To Reconnect With Your Past?
I can definitely relate here. I have games that I definitely identity with a period of my life, such as Amiga UFO: Enemy Unknown being played for weeks at a time when I was at Uni. Most of my Speccy games-playing relate to my childhood & early teens.
The retro games I play now, such as thru NSO or on my Evercade which I didn’t own as I didnt have a Megadrive or Super NES (etc) give me an opportunity to remove myself from the outside world, having to be an adult and doing ‘grown up’ or responsible activities.
All in all, games help me relax and that’s most certainly worth it for me
Re: So, What Music Will Rainbow Islands Use On Nintendo Switch And PS4?
Oh that’s disappointing (as someone who grew up with the Speccy and Amiga versions). Pesky copyright, ey? Yes, the game will play as wonderfully as it ever did, but for me, just won’t feel the same.
Will still buy it, as it’ll be the only legal way to play RI on a modern system.
Re: Rainbow Islands Is Coming To Switch And PS4
Will it have the original music? I still play the Amiga and Speccy conversions because of that. Regardless, this is Pretty much guaranteed to be an insta-buy for me on Switch
Re: Editorial: Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays From All At Time Extension!
Merry Christmas to everyone at TE! Thank you for the reviews, articles and insights - you’re one of the few websites I visit each day. Here’s to a retro 2024!
Re: Review: Gremlin Collection 1 - An Uneven Celebration Of A British Legend
@Damo review is fair and spot on, too. I want to like Brain Blender, as it has Deflector vibes, but not quite getting it.
Re: Review: Gremlin Collection 1 - An Uneven Celebration Of A British Legend
@X68000 A decent list of Gremlin games, for sure. Top Gear 1 & 2 (renamed as Top Racer), plus Switchblade 1 are already on Evercade carts, in the Piko 1 & 2 collections. We won't see Nigel or the Lotus games for Licensing reasons ...
... but can't see why the others wouldn't make an appearance, especially now that Amiga versions are appearing, so no console versions needed.
There's plenty of non-licensed computer games I'd like to see, such as:
those are ones I've played and enjoyed in the past, which should work on the Evercade.
we know just two of 2024's cart collection releases, so who knows?
Re: Evercade's Indie Heroes Collection 3 Arrives Early Next Year
After playing (and completing!) some that were offered as part of the Game of the Month series, it's definitely a cart to purchase. Aside from Donut, which I agree with @mjparker77 on. Big2Small and Bone Marrow are well worth playing amongst a couple of others on the cart.
Slightly disappointed that there a couple of 'extended versions' of previously-released games - Doodle World and Alien Cat 2 though. Alien Cat 2 is a good game to play and tbh Doodle World wasn't worth it the first time around and in my view one of the 'filler' games here.
But as usual, I've pre-ordered it
Re: Review: Team17 Collection 1 - A Fine Celebration Of The Veteran's Amiga Years
@Damo aye; I was aware of the SuperFrog IP & delisted issue. Thankfully I have the PS3-Vita version, which includes one of the rare uses of the Vita as a second screen and controller for the PS3 version. Which also unlocks additional content too!
I would definitely be happy with a second T17 cart and with a review in TE, too!
Re: Review: Team17 Collection 1 - A Fine Celebration Of The Veteran's Amiga Years
This cart plays strongly on my Amiga history as I had many of these on disk back in the day. It’s great playing more than just Alien Breed 92 when it comes to Team 17’s output. I agree that Full Contact and Body Blows don’t compare at all to console BEUs (and they didn’t back in the day either).
But I also agree with the review and hope very much that a Collection 2 appears, with missed-out games such as Alien Breed 3D (a personal favourite), Speris Legacy etc
Re: Evercade Reveals TheC64 Collection 3, Coming In 2024
Boulderdash, Anarchy, Exolon & Paradroid are the games that immediately grab my attention on this cart. There’s about three I’m very likely to not play, with the others worth a play or two. So it’s a good ratio for me.
Re: Review: The Bitmap Brothers Collection 1 - Great Games, Wrong Versions
A well-balanced and fair review. I never really played that much Speedball 2 when I had my Amiga (heresy!!), but recognise its’ greatness. So 3 versions doesn’t appeal to me. Xenon 2 is decent (if showing its age now) and Chaos Engine great.
Would’ve preferred Xenon 1 (or Chaos Engine 2) and dumped Speedball 2100, but at the time the Amiga licensing hasn’t been sorted, so we got what we got.
Hopefully a Bitmap Bros 2 will feature other games (magic pockets, CE2, Gods etc), but not keen on duplicating the others even if the Amiga versions are superior.
Re: Review: Toaplan Arcade 1 - A Shmup-Heavy Delight For Arcade Lovers
good review; this is a great cart for SEU fans. Calling out TATE mode (which is now on VS as well as EXP) is good, as playing vertical games in landscape mode on a handheld isn't fun!
Slap Fight and Flying Shark are my favourites here.
Re: Review: Duke Nukem Collection 2 - A Trio Of Duke's Less Essential Adventures
@RootsGenoa aye, as ridiculous as it sounds, I forgot about the lack of analogue! Hopefully it's not too awkward to control, but should find out in the next couple of days!
And I agree with you about Resi too ... it's infuriating!
Re: Review: Duke Nukem Collection 2 - A Trio Of Duke's Less Essential Adventures
cheers - this is helpful and a 7 / 10 is not a bad score! I'll be keeping these comments in mind when I play, as I'll be picking these up fresh. Some PS1 game graphics have aged badly, so perhaps playing these on the EXPs smaller screen will reduce the - now considered - aged graphical style.
Do we have 'tank' controls a la Tomb Raider of the day, or are there more 'modern day' movements? Tank controls do my head in, so hopefully this wasn't implemented back in the day.
Re: Review: Duke Nukem Collection 1 - The King's First Three Adventures In One Place
Excellent! I've been advised that my Duke carts are on the way, so reading this review is encouraging. The original Duke games never saw an Amiga release (my computer of choice at the time), so this will be my first time playing on them all.
@Damo , did you play these on the EXP or VS (or both)? Just wondering what your impression is in handheld mode as well as tv mode.
Re: Review: Irem Arcade 1 - Come For R-Type, Stay For Genuine Coin-Op History
Yes, really have enjoyed seeing the Evercade carts getting full reviews and not just a couple of lines in a round up. Thank you, @Damo and TimeExtension !
Re: Review: Goodboy Galaxy / Witch n' Wiz - A Must-Have For Your Evercade
@Damo I'm also assuming you'll be reviewing the Duke Nukem 1 & 2 carts? They're causing a lot of excitement in the Discord ever since announcement, and whilst I've got them pre-ordered, I've only ever played one DN game (on the Vita), so interested to see what they review like.
Re: Review: Goodboy Galaxy / Witch n' Wiz - A Must-Have For Your Evercade
Great review - and for the other recent Evercade releases. I'm really looking forward to playing Goodboy next week!
Re: Review: Hyper Mega Tech Super Pocket - A Wonderful Game Boy-Style Retro Gift
@Redkite now that’s a personal choice! I already had the Capcom games as they’re auto-installed on the EXP, so I bought the Taito one as I’m fairly convinced there won’t be a Taito cart on the horizon.
Whichever one you get; enjoy!
Re: Review: Hyper Mega Tech Super Pocket - A Wonderful Game Boy-Style Retro Gift
@Redkite I’ve had a quick play test of both Indie Heroes 1 & 2. The good news is that despite the smaller screen, they all just work without issue (as expected). On IH1 Super Homebrew War is a bit pointless as that’s really a multiplayer game.
I found Eyra on IH2 a little difficult to see due to the detail of the backgrounds, but that could just be my aged eyes.
Re: Review: Hyper Mega Tech Super Pocket - A Wonderful Game Boy-Style Retro Gift
@Redkite off the top of my head, the ones that use TATE mode, so mainly the arcade games, as in their thin vertical strip, they're not great. However, if you're happy with playing them in full screen mode (one of the display settings), then that issue is mitigated. I haven't tried them all, but Alcom on Toaplan Arcade 1 works like that for me.
You should be fine with the Indie Heroes collections - I'll give em a try and pop an update on here if there's any that are particularly poor.
The YouTuber CrazyBurger (who has produced a lot of Evercade videos and are worth watching) posted a "best" and "not recommended" carts for the SP videos on YouTube.
The avoid is this one:
https://youtu.be/EenaPqRGRvc?si=8aT1Xc3fPjymNgGN
And the great carts is this one:
https://youtu.be/Zc1E1r_t06c?si=jB7QP1iWcbkQzuum
Hope this helps!
Re: Review: Hyper Mega Tech Super Pocket - A Wonderful Game Boy-Style Retro Gift
Now that I’ve been able to play one (my Taito SP arrived today), I think this is a good review.
In addition to the built in games - Puzzle Bobble, Bubble Bobble & Op Wolf have been played a fair bit already - I’ve tried a few Evercade carts and overall the experience is a good one. The screen is much better than my OG Handheld too.
It won’t replace my EXP and some games just won’t really suit the smaller screen and lack of TATE mode. However I am more likely to just take it out with me on a whim rather than the EXP.
I’m happy with my purchase, especially as it’s unlikely there will be a set of Taito carts for the Evercade.
It looks super cute as well!
Re: We're Getting A Full-Size Amiga 'Console' In 2024
@BionicDodo , @Zenszulu cheers. I’d be really interested in a machine with a working keyboard, creating a much more authentic experience. Even if it was “just” modelled on an A500.
Re: We're Getting A Full-Size Amiga 'Console' In 2024
“Full sized” Amiga? Could that be an A4000? Or an A1200? Unlikely to be a CD32, given how poorly it sold, so recognition is likely to be low (although I had one).
Could it be something new, akin to an Evercade VS, just focussing on Amiga?
Will certainly keep an interested eye on this !
Re: Review: Hyper Mega Tech Super Pocket - A Wonderful Game Boy-Style Retro Gift
As a confirmed Evercade fan, I wasn’t planning on buying either, especially the Capcom one, as I own an EXP. However I’m a sucker for Taito, so have preordered that one in a moment of weakness. I also quite like the form factor, quite Gameboy style, which makes it a bit different to the EXP (and OG HH).
I am concerned that Cathedral isn’t currently compatible, even if it’s going to get fixed via an update. The game is one of the best in the Evercade library, and being native is concerning with others being developed. Hopefully this will be a minor ‘day one’ hitch that can be easily overcome.
The updates via PC were not great from a user experience on the Original Evercade HH, and I was under the impression that Blaze wanted the Super Pockets to be standalone and not needing any ‘tech updates’, to fit in with the SP’s proposition as an entry level route into the ecosystem.
I’m still v much looking forward to receiving mine in about a month though!
Re: Best Amiga Games Of All Time
Some great choices there and as the list has to stop somewhere, a good few of my favourites were missed, eg UFO: Enemy Unknown (rebranded as XCOM), Alien Breed 3D, Gloom (two Doom - but on the Amiga - clones), Slamtilt (arguably the best Amiga pinball game), Shadow Fighter (a great BEU hampered by only using one button), Apidya (japan-inspired horizontal SEU with a wasp controlled by the player). Plenty more to go on!
It’s worth noting whilst you reference Chip RAM, the Amiga - all models - had the option of adding additional memory, called Fast RAM, usually up to 8 Megs, unless an accelerator card was used. My own A1200 has 2Mbs CHIP and 32Mbs Fast RAM, as I had a 68040 accelerator card, bumping up the processing speed as well as RAM.
More Amiga articles, please! 😊
Re: MyArcade Launching New Atari Gamestation Pro Console On October 31st
@Ninfan no; it was made over a decade ago when I had some Spectrum books published. It was commissioned to look like the old Crash reviewer ones and could’ve been done by the person who made the retro*gamer ones (but tbh I can’t quite remember who)
Re: MyArcade Launching New Atari Gamestation Pro Console On October 31st
The handheld and the Game Station Pro look cute as anything! The handheld design reminds me very much of the OG Evercade (a compliment!). So whilst I have all 3 EC Atari carts, if the games list of the GS Pro was released and available in the UK, I could see me being tempted as there should be plenty more Atari games released for this than have been for the Evercade
Re: Poll: Handheld Or TV - How Do You Play Retro Games?
I’m a bit of both. I play a lot of retro games on my Switch Lite, so that has to be handheld by definition. My other retro gaming is done through Evercade, so I have the EXP for handheld, which can also output to the TV, handy for the Namco cart collections.
I’ve also got the VS, which is tv-output only, so it does depend on my mood which screen I use.
As an older gamer, I am conscious of small text on the Switch, so will get the Super Switch 2 whenever it’s released so I can ease the squinting!
Re: Pre-Orders Open For New GBA Platformer 'Goodboy Galaxy'
@Krambo42 and that's how I'll be enjoying this game upon release in December! Looks like a good, fun game!
Re: Playing The CeX Retro Lottery
There’s a couple of CEX’s near-ish to me and whilst both have that distinct aroma of sweat, it’s the go-to place for me when I’m looking for Vita games. I’m careful with my purchases and not been too disappointed
Re: The Next Evercade Showcase Airs This Coming Monday
Will be tuning in. I got more excited by the last Evercade Showcase than I did over the last PlayStation one. This one should plug the release gaps for the rest of the year.
Hopefully there’s some more Evercade-native games announced. Cathedral is great (even if I’m still stuck on a boss battle) and it shows what the hardware can do. But will wait and see what happens on Monday!
Re: Grind Aims To Finally Give The Amiga The Doom Clone It Deserves
This does look good, although DOOM (and DOOM II) were eventually playable on A1200s (and machines with a heftier processor), around 1996 IIRC. You still needed to buy the PC DOOM game to play the .wad files but it did happen.
I also really enjoyed playing Gloom Deluxe, Alien Breed 3D and Breathless on my Amiga, all good clones, but they were never going to be the real thing!
Grind will be something special, if it's specifically aimed at the A500 architecture, as that did hold back Doom-style ports and games.
Re: Latest Crop Of Evercade Carts Shows The Ongoing Importance Of The System
@Damo not jealous at all of you getting your hands on the T17 cart two weeks early! I am very much looking forward to losing once again at Project-X, as well as running out of bullets in one of the three Alien Breed games!
Fun times ahead ...
Re: New Mega Drive RPG 'Planet B' Promises Procedural Roguelike Action
Looks good! I'm intrigued at how 'random' the randomness can be, only because you're limited by RAM and storage. But I guess clever programming can squeeze every last byte out of the source machine. Here's hoping for a digital release, or one for the Evercade, so I don't need to buy a megadrive to play this!
Re: Team17 Joins The Evercade Family With 10-Game Amiga Collection
A good selection of games, with enough in the Team 17 pot to comfortably fill a second collection!
Looking forward to blasting through the Alien Breed trio as well as attempting to get past level 3 on Project-X. Even in this, the Special Edition from 1993, it was tough going!
Re: Blaze Announces Three New Evercade Carts And Shares 2023 Roadmap
Good article. Always like reading about Evercade (and Amiga, tbh). However, a minor correction. Blaze's GOTM only started last year, resulting in Indie Heroes 2 out last month. This year sees the second season, not the third.
Re: The Atari Lynx Gets Three Brand New Games Almost Thirty Years Later
was it the OG Lynx or the fatter revision? I always preferred the look of the revised version. You're right about the games; there's definitely something special about them.