A reader who attended a secret Evercade fan event has shared their hands-on impressions of the upcoming Nexus handheld, along with the Alpha bar top arcade and Super Pocket devices, in a new Reader's Feature for GameCentral.
The event, held in a Southwark railway arch, was free and ticketed to control numbers. Attendees could try out the Nexus, the Alpha, and the Super Pocket, with free drinks and pizza provided. The reader, who owned Evercade's first handheld and the VS-R home console, was invited after staying subscribed to the company's mailing list.
Hands-on with the Nexus and other devices
The reader described the Nexus as a decent upgrade from the original, which they called "very plasticky and toy-like." They praised the thumbsticks, saying they felt good in hand, and played Karnov and Windjammers, noting that the device "sort of disappeared behind the gameplay experience," which they took as a sign of comfort.
They also tried several iterations of the Super Pocket but had difficulty with the shoulder buttons, particularly when attempting to perform Hadoukens. In contrast, they had a great time playing New Zealand Story on the Alpha, which impressed them with its design and sturdy build.
Upcoming cartridges and event highlights
The event offered the chance to try two upcoming cartridges: the Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack and The Doom Collection. The reader did not try Banjo-Kazooie, as they did not have an N64 as a child, but they did play Doom and immediately entered a flow state. They were surprised to discover that the VS-R could play games with a mouse and keyboard, and that it could also play games in Tate mode, as can the Nexus.
Blaze Entertainment's CEO Andrew Byatt thanked attendees for their support and revealed that three more Neo Geo cartridges are on the way. The event also featured a Doom deathmatch tournament on a large wall display.
Reader's verdict on the Evercade ecosystem
Despite enjoying the event, the reader said they will not be jumping back into the Evercade ecosystem, as the games can be played on many other devices. They also mentioned the numbering on the cases made them want to buy all of them, but they lack the space. The reader reflected positively on the event, contrasting it with the "wring gamers dry" attitude they attributed to Sony and Xbox recently.
The reader concluded with best wishes to Blaze and Evercade, though they joked about being scared to risk their ageing wrists playing BurgerTime on the Super Micro handheld included in the goodie bag.
