EVERCADE BARTOP CABINET
The are three variants of the bartop cabinet, they are the Mega Man Edition, the Street Fighter Edition and the Taito Edition, with the first two having 6 built-in games and the Taito variant having 4 extra with 10 built-in games. Below is a list of the variants and their built-in games.
Mega Man Street Fighter Taito 1 Mega Man - The Power
BattleStreet Fighter II
Champion EditionBubble Bobble 2 Mega Man 2 - The Power
FightersSuper Street Fighter II
TurboSpace Invaders 3 Final Fight Street Fighter Alpha Elevator Action 4 Strider Street Fighter Alpha 2 Puzzle Bobble 5 Carrier Air Wing Street Fighter Alpha 3 The Legend of Kage 6 Knights of the Round Super Puzzle Fighter II
TurboCadash 7 N/A N/A Growl 8 N/A N/A The New Zealand Story 9 N/A N/A The Fairy Story 10 N/A N/A G-Daius I got the Mega Man Edition of the Evercade bartop cabinet for Christmas but had to wait until after Christmas lunch and clearing the table before giving it a go. Of the 6 games built-in, Strider is the one I remember most so plumped for that one to give a go first and it seemed to me to be, as expected, a smaller version of the original arcade cabinet and ran no different to the original.The hardware for all variants of the bartop cabinet are:Processor: Rockchip RK3326 1.5GHz Quad-CoreGPU: Mali 450OS: Customised LinuxRAM: 512MB DRAMStorage: 4GB internal (for OS, game saves)Screen: 8" IPS, 4:3 aspect ratioResolution: 1024x768, 60HzControls: Competition-grade arcade stick and buttonsAudio: Built-in stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jackConnectivity: Built-in Wi-Fi, 2 x USB portsCartridge Slots: Dual slots for all Evercade cartridgesDimensions: Approx. 410mm H x 244mm W x 316mm DPower: USB-C power supply includedSoftware Features: Display settings (aspect ratios, scanlines, bezels), game manuals, quick save/loadAuthentic Feel: Wooden cabinet construction and quality controlsExpansive Library: Plays any Evercade cartridge for hundreds of gamesCustomization: Swappable marquee panelsBluetooth: Does not support Bluetooth controllers, only wired USBBelow are the three previous consoles from Evercade, two of which were handheldsEvercade Vs Spec:Released: December 2021Processor: Arm Cortex A53 1.5GHz Quad-CoreOS: Customised LinuxRAM: 512MB RAMStorage: 4GBScreen: Monitor/TV UsedResolution: Multiple screen ratios (4:3, Pixel Perfect, Full Screen) and scanline filters for authentic visualsConnectivity: HDMI Out (1080p)Battery: Mains PoweredMultiplayer: 4 USB ports, supports various USB controllers, wireless controllers via wireless dongles and the handheld itself as a controllerCartridges: Supports two at once, physical manuals includedWi-Fi: For Firmware UpdatesModern Conveniences: Save states, visual game library, save states transferable to handheldsGame Support: Excellent for 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit era games from consoles, computers and arcades; some handheld-exclusive Namco carts aren't compatibleEvercade Handheld (EXP) Spec:Release: 15/12/2022Processor: Arm Cortex A7 1.5GHz Quad-CoreGPU: Mali 450OS: Customised LinuxRAM: 256MBStorage: 4GBScreen: 4.3" IPSResolution: 800x480 (16:9 Aspect Ratio with 4:3 Option)Connectivity: Micro-USB charging, Mini-HDMI Out (720p), 3.5mm JackBattery: 2000mAh, 4-5 hours lifeCartridges: Plays Evercade cartridges, physical manuals includedWi-Fi: Wi-Fi for firmware updatesModern Conveniences: Save statesGame Support: Excellent for 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit era games from consoles, computers and arcadesSpecial: TATE Mode for vertical screen orientationEvercade Handheld (Original) Spec:Release: 22/05/2020Processor: Arm Cortex A7 1.2GHz Quad-CoreGPU: Mali 400OS: Customised LinuxRAM: 256MBStorage: No Built in MemoryScreen: 4.3" LCDResolution: 480x272 (16:9 Aspect Ratio with 4:3 Option)Connectivity: Micro-USB charging, Mini-HDMI Out (720p), 3.5mm JackBattery: 2000mAh, 4-5 hours lifeCartridges: Plays Evercade cartridges, physical manuals includedWi-Fi: NoneModern Conveniences: Save statesGame Support: Excellent for 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit era games from consoles, computers and arcadesThere are also 6 Hyper Mega Tech hanheld consoleswhich are of a similar size to the Nintendo Game Boy.As you can see over the past five and a half years the hardware has not changed much, a slight bump up from the Evercade (original handheld) to the Evercade (EXP) but very little after that through the Evercade Vs console to the new bartop cabinet, this may seem like Evercade are not putting a great deal of thought into their hardware evolution, but no evolution is really needed, the specifications are ample for the job it is designed to do and any more would be overkill and a waste of R&D time and expense in unnecessary hardware. For example there is no need for the latest SnapDragon Elite processor, a screen resolution of 1920x1240 running at 120Hz, dual screens etc. The following statement fits this scenario: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I also understand Bluetooth being omitted from the specifications as this will have reduced costs, if you wish to play with a second controller then you are not going to be sat on the sofa watching a TV you would be stood next to the cabinet anyway and so a wired controller is more than enough for this need.The bartop cabinet would be a good addition to any Evercade collection, now, not only do Evercade cater for handheld users and those who like to connect a console to a TV they have now introduced a bartop cabinet. With this bartop cabinet Evercade seem to have everyone covered. There are also over 50 unique cartridges released to date, offering access to more than 600 retro and indie games with numbers growing as collections are announced and released.Would I recommend any of these bartop cabinets?If you wish to start a cabinet collection then a bartop cabinet is a good starting point and the Evercade, with its cartridge slots, caters for retro gamers and modern indie gamers and all genre of games are catered for, shooters, platformers, adventure games etc. If you are wishing to expand your Evercade hardware collection then this is the next logical step from the handheld to console and then to the bartop cabinet maybe even a full size cabinet in the future. If you already have a selection of cabinets or even just the one then I would still say this is a good purchase due to its cartridge slots. If you like reminiscing about spending time in amusement arcades when growing up I would say this is for you. I would not say it is a replacement to other cabinets you may own but it is a lovely addition and the size means it is quite portable. If you have already found your niche either handheld gaming, modern hardware or computer gaming this may not be the hardware for you but it may be worth trying before deciding for certain.Are there other cabinets?Yes, but this is a diminutive variant of a cabinet and takes up very little space and is not overly heavy which makes it seem more toy like in some peoples eyes, not mine. Would I like an original Tron cabinet or an original Galaga cabinet, yes, but the Evercade would still be a good companion cabinet and not a replacement these due to its expansive cartridge catalogue.What the future holds for Evercade cabinets?Possibly a full size, free standing cabinet in the vein of Arcade1Up or Iconic Arcade which could give you dual joystick/button configurations allowing for multiple players without the need for additional controllers. Possibly incorporate some sort of TATE functionality for vertical gaming, this may need a wide screen monitor and some way of rotating it 90 degrees or Evercade could produce a dedicated TATE bartop cabinet. More power, as stated earlier not needed.In conclusion I can say I am looking forward to trying out some of the cartridges I own, such as the Duke Nukem games, the Tomb Raider games, some Commodore 64 games and probably excited for trying the Bitmap Brothers cartridges.Michael
