Evercade VS on trial: is this the retro gaming solution we’ve all been waiting for?

The Evercade VS, after a long delay late last year, is finally widely available and it’s made quite an impression with the retro gaming community…..but is that impression a good one, over all? In a world with so many different options for playing old school games, does the Evercade VS justify the $100 to $130 investment? Find out in the greatest trial of the century, that’s also about modern consoles made to play retro games (a very small category 😛)!
Thanks for watching dudes 😎
- CCP Management
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Links to other stuff:
Here’s a link to the video from Zilog and Moto that covered Tommy Lasorda Baseball:
kzbin.info/www/bejne/noGmlaupYpWaepo

[@creativecatproductions]

Since this video started production, a few months ago, there have been a number of developments regarding the Evercade VS and Blaze that are worth highlighting. On a negative note, there was the fiasco over the Renovation Collection being released with emulation glitches. There have also been reports of cartridges being released with corrupted data, which is allegedly a greater risk for all cartridges that are re-writable the way Evercade carts are. On the plus side, Blaze swiftly fixed the problems with the Renovation Collection, and people with cartridge issues are being encouraged to exchange their games with funstock or amazon. Further, Blaze surprised everyone by introducing monthly downloadable free games…..yet another major step away from “physical media” and toward another business model entirely. I find that fascinating because that presages implicit recommendations made by our video: while physical, retro media is pretty crummy, the promise of being able to cheaply play home brew and indie games on a convenient alternative console is actually awesome! But, at the same time, Blaze really needs to come to terms with these quality control issues. It’s not acceptable to release games in the state that they released the Renovation Collection, and we find the promise of “physical media” to be extremely disappointing. Physical media is only appealing if (1) it actually works (2) it’s high quality and (3) it’s in no way dependent upon downloads to properly function in the future. That part of their appeal is virtually over, as far as I’m concerned, but the fact that they’ve introduced downloadable indie content seems to me to be a huge step in the right direction. The Evercade VS is a miracle. It should NOT exist, and it shouldn’t be as popular as it is, but it does and it is…. and its living proof that at the right price point, and with just enough gumption, the market can actually bear alternative consoles to the Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox brands. If Blaze goes down the right path, improves their quality control problems, and brings on some elusive exclusives, then I think that they will have a very bright future for a long time to come. So far….pretty good.

[@arcadeguy781]

Yeah, I heard that someone got The Renovation collection, and they played it for 20 mins, and then it stopped working. Luckily Sean from Blaze was notified about this, and their replacement cart should be here soon.

[@creativecatproductions]

Yeah blaze has been working really hard to try and solve these problems and that really has to be recognized. They are no scam business, they are really working hard to put out a good competitive product and I think they deserve the success that they’ve earned.

[@arcadeguy781]

@@creativecatproductions for sure

[@creativecatproductions]

@Mister Black that is the robocop theme from the data East robocop arcade game! It fit the mood 😆 Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@Tarranium]

Would very much love videos like this for other retro consoles!

[@creativecatproductions]

Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@fakeshemp9599]

You been crankin out some bangers lately man 👍

[@creativecatproductions]

Thanks dude! We keep trying….next we have to do an absolutely massive ninja turtles retrospective that I started writing last fall. The timing couldn’t be better 😆 Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@Jenovi]

Holy crap. Everyone in the house is asleep and I can’t stop laughing. 🤣🤣🤣

[@creativecatproductions]

I tried to get my wife (my muse, my love) to watch it, but video games bore her so much she only got halfway. I’m like, “but did you see the jokes?” And she’s like, “all I saw was video games!” Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@KoopaMedia64]

I had no idea what to expect from this video. It had an unexpected presentation but still very entertaining, well done.

[@creativecatproductions]

Thank you very much dude! 😎

[@JCM217]

I just want to say I really appreciate your channel. I’ve been watching since jenovi recommended it god knows how long ago. They’re always fun and informative. I hope the algorithm eventually pumps your numbers up because you deserve it.

[@creativecatproductions]

Thank you very much the support dude! We keep on growing steady, bit by bit, but a mushroom of growth would be super cool. Anyway, this means a lot to us. Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@fakeshemp9599]

There was some really top notch jokes in this episode.. the burger time one and Bill Clinton/ Tommy Lasorda comparison lmao

[@creativecatproductions]

What can I say, that picture looks like Bill Clinton! 😂 My favorite joke the one about My Life in Gaming. It makes me laugh even though I’ve seen it like 50 times now.

[@dirkb9788]

I think the stuff Evercade puts out is fantastic. I have the handheld and a vs and I'm having a lot of fun with it. Of course there are games or even entire collections that don't interest me. But i don't have to play or buy it. In addition, it is great that you encounter many surprises on the evercade. games I really like and would never have played otherwise like Aligator Hunt on the Gealco Arcade collection. I like the boxes with manuals and I always enjoy opening a new game and putting it on my shelf. I'm already looking forward to the Jaleco Arcade, Irem Arcade, Toadplan Arcade collection and the Evercade EXP.

[@creativecatproductions]

I’d actually like to do a follow up to this review because I believe the coming Jaleco Arcade, Irem, and Toaplan game collections are a major game changer. With their addition I believe the Evercade VS is officially no longer “on probation” and that I can wholeheartedly recommend it for retro enthusiasts looking for a lower cost and convenient alternative to all the mini consoles and such. Blaze Entertainment really is a great company. They have made mistakes, to be sure, but they always work hard to remedy the problems and make the best possible product, for the best possible price. It doesn’t really get better than that. Thank you very much for watching dude! 😎

[@dirkb9788]

@@creativecatproductions thanks for the reply. I will keep an eye on your channel 😉

[@AlexanderShelestov]

I don't care about the console itself, but I did enjoy the video! It's so f***ng stylish!

[@creativecatproductions]

Thank you very much for watching dude! 😎

[@randallscott4581]

Man this one's great. I'm going to continue watching this repeatedly to help increase views.

[@creativecatproductions]

Dude, thank you very much 😂 I’ve actually rewatched it a few times myself. It came together better than I even imagined. We had no idea what the judge was going to look like, but after hearing my voice recording and how much I said “mediocre”, we knew what to do.

[@randallscott4581]

@@creativecatproductions Also I'm kind of tempted to call that number.😂

[@creativecatproductions]

Please, anything you can do to save the HDMI cables would be greatly appreciated. It’s a non-profit, so I only pay myself $500,000 a year as ceo. But not profit 😆

[@francescosmith7859]

For people who missed out on the mini consoles but still want them be sure to check out the Famicom Classic and PC Engine Mini. They’re available and reasonably priced on the major sites.

[@creativecatproductions]

That’s a good point! The PC Engine Mini seems to still be available at a fair price on eBay. It’s really a great mini console (the best in my opinion). Yes, I’d much rather have the TG16 mini but at least you get the Japanese version of splatter house which is WAY better!

[@GenerationalGamer]

This was very funny. By all means, all of your reviews should put consoles on trial..

[@creativecatproductions]

It was a lot of fun to make this! Thanks for watching our other stuff dude 😎

[@danielugalde5336]

And I was getting ready to buy one...

[@creativecatproductions]

I’m probably going to write a pinned comment about this later today, but it is worth mentioning the quality control issues that blaze keeps suffering from. I appreciate that they do eventually address technical issues, like the bugs on the Renovation Collection, but at this point they really need better quality control….desperately. I think that they’re on their way, but it’s still hard to recommend their products when so often something is wrong with them. Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@arcadeguy781]

I'm happy with my VS. I have carts 1-24 and 2 of the 4 arcade carts. I'll admit that there are some duds, but games like Yar's Revenge are tons of fun. The two PIKO collections are fantastic, in my opinion. So far, my favorites are Atari 1 & 2, Data East, Gremlin, Intellivision, and Data East Arcade. I still have tons of games that I haven't tried yet.

[@creativecatproductions]

Outstanding. My favorite so far is the Renovation collection because I’ve always loved many of those games. It’s the reason we bought the console. The data East collection is also pretty good, and I love Tanzer. We’re probably going to get Xenocrisis next. Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@arcadeguy781]

@@creativecatproductions you're welcome

[@mattmyers9351]

Great video and very funny video Dude!

[@creativecatproductions]

Thanks for watching dude! We really appreciate your continued support 😎

[@mattmyers9351]

@@creativecatproductions no problemo Dude!

[@randallscott4581]

If it ever comes out, would you be willing to do a video on the Intellivision Amico?

[@creativecatproductions]

Man I’ve thought about that because I think there would be a lot of interest but (1) I don’t think it’s ever coming out at this point and (2) that price point is really high for me. I think I was kind of tempted back when I thought earthworm Jim was going to be a launch game but the way things are going I can’t say what’s going to happen. Plus, $300….holy moly It would be really interesting to review though, given how much drama surrounds that thing. Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@adamdenardis5438]

I hope Earthworm Jim at least ends up on Steam or modern consoles as a digital download. That would be the one good thing to come out of it. 🤔 Maybe get someone to finish developing it?

[@creativecatproductions]

Yeah, that would be awesome, and it’s pretty clear from all of this that there’s some real interest in a new game. I think a new earthworm Jim game could sell very well!

[@adamdenardis5438]

Mega Cat Studios should make more collections. This is cool.

[@creativecatproductions]

I want to get their second cartridge too. There’s a tank shooter on there for the Genesis that looks amazing! Thanks for watching dude 😎

[@ethacade]

I 100% agree with your final verdict, I think Evercade functions better as a indie game console than a retro console

[@creativecatproductions]

I really hope they can get some of these oddball original Mega Drive games like Paprium. I don’t think Watermelon Games would ever agree to that, and I think many people will regard this idea as a violation of some sacred principle regarding original hardware, but it would make the Evercade truly something unique and a great bargain for people looking to re-discover new and interesting games based upon old models of design. Thank you very much for watching dude! 😎

[@ethacade]

@@creativecatproductions yeah indeed, there’s many indie Mega Drive games like Demons Of Asteborg, Paprium, Piers Solar, ZPF and Afinity Sorrow which I want to play but can’t be bothered to track down a working Mega Drive and shell out £70 for the carts Blaze just needs to get more great games on Evercade and then more people will want to add one to their collections Also what’s your opinion on the newly announced Evercade Jaleco Arcade cart and Galeco Arcade 2 cart?

[@creativecatproductions]

@@ethacade honestly that jaleco arcade is a must buy for me. The arcade version of Astyanax is basically the predecessor to the legendary axe on the TG16 and is awesome. Avenging Spirit is a platformer where you play as a ghost who can possess the body of various enemies, and I love that concept. I loved the gameboy version, but I’ve always wanted to play the original….and the shooters look great. Earth Defense Force is awesome and saint dragon is an underrated shooter I recall on the pc engine. I think it looks really really good!

[@ethacade]

@@creativecatproductions see I want the Jaelco Arcade Collection fir Rod Land and Saint Dragon

[@creativecatproductions]

@@ethacade rod land also looks cool! Like bubble bobble

[@harrihaffi2713]

I wanna play shmups or shooters as some call em. Not many of them on the evercade it seems. Haven't seen an game I really wanna play on it yet. and that might be a good thing with all my ps2 games and sega genesis mini to play.

[@creativecatproductions]

Things have gotten a lot more interesting in recent months but I have my doubts about their quality control, in terms of the hardware and the longevity of the games working. They did a pretty nice IREM and Taito collection for instance. I also love Shmup! I highly recommend the TG-16 Mini or PC Engine Mini if you can find it. Those were great Thanks for watching our stuff dude 😎

[@harrihaffi2713]

@@creativecatproductions been drooling after that mini, but decided to go with the genesis mini 2 instead. One controller and energy issue scared me away

[@kjhoskins]

I like my VS a lot. While the boxes may not be as solid as the old Genesis ones, they are certainly better than the cardboard trash Nintendo and other manufacturers gave us. The manuals are nice, but it would be great to have more detail in them. And I would love for them to hire someone to design box art like the old games for Atari. But those days have past, even for movie poster art. These days, it's all about photoshop which makes me sad. As far as the quality of the games per cartridge, they are limited by what publisher the cart represents and the fact that they need to save good games for future releases. It's like when bands or musicians made albums, they always made "crap" songs for filler.

[@creativecatproductions]

You make good counter points, and I completely agree about photoshop. It’s fine. Once in a while….but there’s no comparison to the kind of artistry that was once achieved by real graphic artists. Thanks for the thoughtful comment and thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@Acidonia150reborn]

The Namco bit is even worse when you realise Namco Giving At games the Pacman rights is the reason why they will not put Miss Pacman game into anything anymore even games she was in have a edited sprite so it,s not her anymore. All because At game sold Miss Pacman without even asking namco first.

[@creativecatproductions]

Wow, that’s crazy! What a loss. Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@c.s.hayden3022]

MAME emulators are pretty easy to track down. You can get the ol’ five finger discount too. I guess if you really need it portable…

[@creativecatproductions]

This is true but I think that the Evercade VS still has its audience. Not all people are comfortable with emulation or downloading ROMs for a number of reasons. It’s a little dodgy, and so there’s that consideration, but its also intimidating for some people who aren’t deeply entrenched in the intricacies of the computer world. Plus, I think a lot of people are worried about malware and viruses from the sketch places that typically host “free” videogames. I think you’re right, that people do really enjoy the portable component of the Evercade, but I think people will also enjoy being able to easily play these games on their modern HD, flatscreen televisions. It’s one thing to play these games on a small work computer or something, but there’s a certain feeling of “playing a proper videogame” that can only be derived from the consolized format chosen by Blaze. The Evercade isn’t perfect, but it keeps getting better and they have managed to keep the price down to levels that make the thing completely accessible. I have to do a follow up to this video because I think after all these new games have been announced that its more or less a must have for people who love retro gaming and prefer a simple, familiar format. Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@francescosmith7859]

Really good video and excellent points made. I just think there are too many other options that either offer better games or are more cost effective. I think the Switch is a good example and the Super Retrocade from Retrobit is still available and is another option. It offers everything on those two pack ins of the VS and a whole lot more including many excellent Capcom games built in and easy to add more.

[@creativecatproductions]

For sure, the game library for the Evercade is pretty lackluster from the point of view of retro gaming. I guess for Uk gamers it’s better because they like stuff like the Oliver Twins or Codemasters, but I could never get into those games. Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@francescosmith7859]

@@creativecatproductions yeah if they secured more of the new Genesis games like Demons or Paprium it would be another story but just too much of the library is unappealing.

[@classicknuckles892]

Nice

[@creativecatproductions]

Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@Parmandur]

Yeah, I love old games...but the retro options on the Switch kind of kill the deal for me.

[@creativecatproductions]

Yeah, there just aren’t enough must have retro games on the Evercade and I don’t see how that’s a problem that can be overcome. Targeting obscure developers that went out of business decades ago has produced some success, but the games from these entities are pretty mediocre. The renovation collection falls in this category too but I honestly still love those games, even though I have to admit they’re mediocre. I’d love to see some PC engine games. I wish I could say this thing is a must buy, but it’s got too many quality control issues and not quite enough truly great games worth playing. That’s why I hope they get some more indies. Getting tape worm as a free download was a great idea on their part Thanks for watching this video too dude! 😎

[@hanzflackshnack1158]

Switch claims the 30% they take from developer game sales is the “industry standard rate”. What they mean is that’s what Steam charges. “He did it too!” Isn’t a valid excuse to commit a crime. After the engine and taxes take their cut the developer is getting less than half of their profit with a ridiculous 30% just to host the file. Gamers should blacklist this predatory behavior. Someone needs to provide fair business practices in an already difficult industry to survive. Hopefully this is the beginning of something good for both retro players and developers.

[@creativecatproductions]

Im not sure either company is actually guilty of committing a “crime” for taking 30%. I mean, what SHOULD the rate be, and why? I doubt the cost is just arbitrary, because Nintendo absolutely needs to incentivize developers to sell games on their platform. Indeed, from day one, having lots of small “indie” developers selling their games on Switch has been one of the console’s strongest selling points. At the same time, it’s not FREE to host files on any complex server that constantly has to be maintained by the host company. So Nintendo needs to charge something. There’s no doubt that the independent game industry is a very difficult industry to survive in, but that’s because its a dream job for a lot of people who love video games, which at this point, is nearly everyone on planet earth under the age of 55. There’s a ton of competition out there, with so many people making games now, and it’s almost impossible to get your first game noticed by anyone for any reason. The 30% fee actually ensures that this problem is less of a problem, because if selling games on the platform were much cheaper than even more people would be doing it and that’s probably a lot more people than either Nintendo or the market could actually handle. It’s overwhelming as it is. When everyone wants the same job, because its very gratifying or super cool and fun….or just really easy (game development is not)….then that lowers the potential financial rewards for the job in question because, obviously, people are still willing to produce or work at that job without the incentive of assured large pay. The job itself is its own reward. This is why people can make a good living being a plumber, truck driver, or a garbage collector. While, at the same time, professional musicians are almost always broke and complaining about not being able to get a gig. Because no one wants to drive a truck all day, and everyone wants the glory and fun filled life of a professional musician. Game development has the same problem, and that’s really just natural. Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@CAPCOM784]

Physical always should be preferred over digital. I have a Switch but don't buy digital games on it because I've purchased digital on other consoles and after transferring on another system some no longer play wanting me to purchase them again or will not play whatsoever? So this shows me digital games are not full proof and that physical should always be the preferred choice unless its only digitally available.

[@creativecatproductions]

I think what I’d prefer, at this point, is neither digital downloads or physical media but rather a subscription service (like X-Box live) that allows the player to access a large collection of games, without having to pay $60 a pop to “own” them. I guess the best analogue would be a streaming service like Netflix. There are simply too many games being made to warrant buying or playing every game. Most games are really only fun or interesting for a few minutes. Physical media is my second favorite option, but in this day and age, it’s basically a non-starter. Most “physical media” games (as on the switch) still require substantial digital downloads to either work correctly, or even work at all, and therefore they are just as susceptible to eventual irrelevance due to the shift in the digital hosting habits of companies like Nintendo. One day those physical copies will be about as good as brick since, without the ability to download the rest of the necessary data, the game won’t actually play or will be prone to fatal bugs and glitches. Also, many of the best games being developed by independent developers NEVER see a physical release. The worst choice is obviously blowing $60 on a digital game that you will no longer have access to in 6 or 7 years, unless you permanently store the game file on your console and never ever delete it or lose your hard drive. That just sucks. No doubt game companies would prefer the latter, but I think the entire industry will eventually (in short order) move toward a “streaming” style subscription service. Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@arnoldbaracus8384]

Don’t forget the shit Xbox 360 and it’s red ring of death, and paying 70 quid for a PS5 game that needs updating on day one

[@creativecatproductions]

Totally dude! I’ve never owned either of those consoles, but contemporary gaming has gotten out of hand with all the broken products and need to constantly download patches. That cyberpunk thing was a mess. At the same time I’m not convinced physical media is really the future either, especially when that often doesn’t function as well. I like the subscription model offered by NSO or Xbox live. I don’t want to buy to “own” digital content, but I’d like access to a large library that I can play at my leisure. I really do miss the mega drive though, especially the first few years when the cartridge boxes were so awesome

[@creativecatproductions]

Thanks for watching dude! 😎

[@misfitsteve4356]

yea 3 slotts love em slotts

[@creativecatproductions]

3 slots would be an improvement over two, just as much as two was twice as good as one. Now 4 slots?! That’s just madness 😝 Thanks for watching dude 😎

[@misfitsteve4356]

@@creativecatproductions np i still think 3 is where its at lol

[@Mittens_Explains_It_All]

great vid very funny and informing 🥹

[@creativecatproductions]

Thanks for watching dudes!