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Evercade is responsible for some of the most popular retro hardware on the market, with the Evercade handhelds and and home console boasting a library of over 500 games across 50-plus cartridge compilations. Arcade games have been a major component of Evercade’s approach to bringing classics to the modern era–the Evercade EXP and upcoming EXP-R even offer TATE mode, which has a vertical screen orientation that’s ideal for some arcade games. And later this year, Evercade will introduce an even more authentic method for playing arcade games. The Evercade Alpha is a countertop arcade machine releasing this November. Preorders go live June 4, and you’ll be able to save $20 on your order thanks to Evercade’s introductory offer.
$230 (was $250)
The Evercade Alpha is available in two styles–the Mega Man Alpha Series and the Street Fighter Alpha Series. Both are designed as bartop units and come preassembled so you can start playing right out of the box. Each includes six games, though both cabinets are also compatible with existing Evercade cartridges, allowing you to play over 500 titles using the dual cartridge slots on the front of the machine. The cabinet is designed for solo play, with competition-grade controls for a single player. For multiplayer, you’ll find two USB ports that support a variety of controllers, including Evercade VS gamepads and third-party controllers.
Other notable features include a vibrant 8-inch display, stereo speakers, headphone jack, and Wi-Fi support for updates. There’s even a swappable light-up marquee if you want to change your style. Each cabinet includes a few additional marquees, while others will be sold separately.
The specs are the same across the pair of Evercade Alpha cabinets, but their game lists are completely unique. Here’s a look at what you’ll find on each. Most of these games have never been available for Evercade. The company previously included a built-in library of 18 Capcom games with the Evercade EXP and a smaller library of Capcom titles in the budget-friendly Super Pocket.
Mega Man Alpha
- Mega Man: The Power Battle
- Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
- Carrier Air Wing
- Final Fight
- Knights of the Round
- Strider
Street Fighter Alpha
- Street Fighter 2 Champion Edition
- Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo
- Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo
- Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors’ Dreams
- Street Fighter Alpha 2
- Street Fighter 3 Alpha 3
Shoppers looking for something more premium can step up to the Deluxe Edition, which costs €289.99 (roughly $315 USD). This gets you all available marquees, a certificate of authenticity, Sanwa arcade stick controls, and an exclusive Evercade USB controller. The Deluxe Edition is exclusive to UK retailer Funstock; however, North American customers will be able to order it without paying extremely high shipping costs, as the Evercade Alpha will be shipped from the US warehouses for US buyers.
Evercade has been busy on the hardware front as of late. The Evercade EXP-R and VS-R, new versions of the company’s handheld and home consoles, are set to release this summer.
