Evercade reveals its first cartridge-compatible Bartop Arcades

Retro game brand Evercade has been teasing its Alpha reveal for some time now, and it turns out to be two Capcom-branded Bartop Arcade machines. But only do these miniature video game arcade cabinets look and feel authentic, they're compatible with Evercade's collection of game cartridges (which feature some of the best games from the 80s).

Evercade Alpha Arcades will release in two models, both licensed from Capcom and featuring six pre-installed games:

The Evercade Alpha Street Fighter Bartop Arcade, as you would expect, features Street Fighter II Champion Edition, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Super Puzzle Fighter II, Street Fighter Alpha - Warriors' Dreams, Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Street Fighter Alpha 3.

The second model, the Evercade Alpha Mega Man Bartop Arcade, comes with a mix of Capcom hits: Mega Man - The Power Battle, Mega Man 2 - The Power Fighters, Carrier Air Wing, Final Fight, Knights of the Round and Strider.

Andrew Byatt, Blaze Entertainment CEO says, "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."

The Evercade Alpha Arcade reveal comes off the back of the retro game brand announcing new models in its excellent handheld and under-TV games consoles - the new Evercade EXP-R and VS-R left me a little confused due to the pricing, but both look like excellent entry models for retro gamers. The current Evercade devices rank No.1 and No.1 in our best retro consoles guide, so I expect good things from these new consoles and the Alpha Arcades.

Technically, the Evercade Alpha Arcades promise a lot, too. Each 410mm tall machine features competition-grade arcade sticks and buttons, two USB ports (these are compatible with any Evercade VS or VS-R controller and third-party controllers and arcade sticks). The display looks better than most bartop arcades, with an 8-inch high-resolution IPS screen and USB-C power (and yes, Evercade includes a cable and plug). Stereo speakers and a headphone jack round off the features.

The new Evercade Alpha Arcades will cost $229.99 / £199.99 if you pre-order before 4th June, with the models releasing November 2024. After release each Alpha Arcade will cost $249.99 / £229.99. This is retro gaming, so of course there's a special Deluxe Edition that features upgrades to a Sanwa arcade stick and comes with an Evercade Alpha branded USB controller and three exclusive marquee designs (and an exclusive retro poster). The Deluxe Edition will cost £249.99.

Visit the Evercade website for pre-order details, or the Evercade blog for news and updates. If you're keen on creating your own games, read our guide to the best laptops for game development.