After being invited to a secret fan event, a reader goes hands-on with the Evercade Nexus, Alpha, and Super Pocket, while enjoying the pleasures of free drinks and pizzas. The event, held in a Southwark railway arch, was free and ticketed to control numbers, offering attendees the chance to try the Nexus, Alpha, and Super Pocket.
A Community Event for Retro Enthusiasts
The reader, who owns Evercade's first handheld and the VS-R home console, attended the event after remaining on the company's mailing list. The party included a queue of middle-aged men, free drink tokens, pizza slices, and a Doom deathmatch tournament on a large wall display. Blaze Entertainment's CEO Andrew Byatt thanked attendees and revealed three more Neo Geo cartridges are on the way.
The atmosphere was heartwarming, with attendees playing old games on new hardware. The only annoyance was backpack wearers blocking pathways, carrying what seemed like all their worldly goods.
Hardware Impressions: Nexus, Super Pocket, and Alpha
The Nexus is a decent upgrade from the original, which felt plasticky and toy-like. The thumbsticks felt good in hand, and the device was comfortable to hold, as the reader played Karnov and Windjammers without discomfort. The Super Pocket, however, was less impressive, with inaccessible shoulder buttons making moves like Hadoukens difficult to execute.
In contrast, the Alpha, a bar top arcade, impressed with its design and sturdy build, and the reader enjoyed playing New Zealand Story on it.
Upcoming Cartridges and Features
The event showcased two upcoming cartridges: the Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack and The Doom Collection. The reader played Doom, which was playable with a mouse and keyboard on the VS-R, a feature they didn't know existed. They also tried Tate mode, available on both the Nexus and VS-R, which was fun.
Despite the positive experience, the reader won't be returning to the Evercade ecosystem, citing that these games are available on many devices and the numbered cases create a collecting urge that's impractical. They noted the event felt customer-friendly and community-building, a contrast to the 'wring gamers dry' attitude of Sony and Xbox.
The reader concluded with best wishes to Blaze and Evercade, but declined to use the goodie bag's BurgerTime game on the Super Micro handheld due to concerns about ageing wrists.
