Evercade Alpha is a new cartridge-based bartop

Last Updated on May 30, 2024

The wait for details of the Evercade Alpha is over! Today, we learn the truth:

The Evercade Alpha is a bartop.

Two editions have been announced, each featuring six licensed Capcom titles. The Evercade Alpha Street Fighter edition features various Street Fighter games, whole the Mega Man bartop features Mega Man and Strider.

Blaze Entertainment CEO Andrew Byatt tells the world “At Blaze, our vision for Evercade has always been to create a thriving ecosystem offering diverse ways to enjoy our cartridges. We’re thrilled to introduce Alpha Arcades to our customers, providing the ultimate Evercade Arcade gaming experience for our fans. This continued collaboration with Capcom brings an incredible lineup of arcade classics to Evercade.

“We believe fans will love titles like Mega Man Power Battle and the Street Fighter Alpha Series. After that, they can play hundreds of other games from our Evercade library simply by slotting in a cartridge. It’s an exciting time for Evercade, and we can’t wait for gamers to experience the Evercade Alpha.”

We have some thoughts on this. But first, here’s a list of the games in each version.

Evercade Alpha Street Fighter edition

• STREET FIGHTER™ II’ CHAMPION EDITION
• SUPER STREET FIGHTER™ II TURBO
• SUPER PUZZLE FIGHTER™ II TURBO
• STREET FIGHTER™ ALPHA – WARRIORS’ DREAMS –
• STREET FIGHTER™ ALPHA 2
• STREET FIGHTER™ ALPHA 3

Evercade Alpha Mega Man edition

• MEGA MAN™ – THE POWER BATTLE –
• MEGA MAN™ 2 – THE POWER FIGHTERS –
• CARRIER AIR WING™
• FINAL FIGHT™
• KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND™
• STRIDER™

Evercade Alpha device specs

The mini arcade consoles feature the following hardware specifications:

• Dual Evercade Cartridge slot built-in
• Competition-Grade Arcade Controls
• 2 USB Controller ports for 2P local multiplayer (controllers sold separately)
• Compatible with Evercade and third-party USB controllers
• 8” High-Resolution IPS 4:3 Screen
• Light-up marquee bar with swappable marquees (3 included)
• USB-C cable and plug included
• Built-in WiFi for updates and features
• Stereo Speakers
• Earphone Jack
• Pre-assembled Bartop Arcade Unit
• H-410mm X W-244mm X D-316mm 

Evercade Alpha Deluxe editions

Both versions are available in a deluxe edition. This adds:

• SANWA arcade controls
• Evercade Alpha USB controller
• 6 swappable marquees (one pre-installed)
• Street Fighter Bartop Arcade Marquees: Street Fighter II’ Champion Edition, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha Warriors’ Dream, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3
• Mega Man Bartop Arcade Marquees: Mega Man – The Power Battle, Mega Man – The Power Fighters, Carrier Air Wing, Final Fight, Knights of the Round, Strider
• Certificate of Authenticity
• Exclusive Evercade Alpha Poster

The deluxe editions are £249.

Sounds good, but what about TATE?

First things first: it’s great that there is a new Evercade system. But we’re baffled by the lack of a TATE mode on this unit. Sure, it runs 500+ games, 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit titles from the whole Evercade range… you know what I mean though.

The Evercade EXP was launched to the fanfare of “it has TATE mode.” Various rival systems have a rotating display. Across the Evercade platform are multiple titles that benefit from a vertical display.

But this new system, trumpeted silently (possibly accidentally) and distracting from the variants of the EXP and VS, doesn’t have that.

So, will I be getting an Evercade Alpha?

Prebuilt, with changeable marquees

At this point, I’m undecided. The 41cm tall bartop isn’t off my radar at this stage, but I may require some convincing.

The changeable marquees is a nice option, and no doubt the Evercade community will create its own. I can quite imagine an Amiga, or Dizzy collection custom marquee for the Evercade Alpha. Price-wise, at £199 ($249, these are preorder prices), it looks like a nice option for Christmas (the console ships in November). It’s preinstalled, which may not be to everyone’s liking, but at least that’s one less thing to do when you unpack it.

Dual cartridge slots like the Evercade VS and USB ports for additional controllers are welcome. The former underlines the commitment to secret games; the latter is useful for a single player system.

Building and developing the Evercade ecosystem has been a key aim for Blaze Entertainment, and the Evercade Alpha underlines this. But with the last few years bringing new handhelds and a home console, not to mention a new cartridge type, we wonder what is left for the Evercade line…

Learn more at evercade.co.uk/alpha.