For the past few years, two new Evercade cartridges have launched every two months. This month however the moons have aligned, and five new cartridges are due on 28th November – an amount not seen since the retro-dedicated format launched in 2020.
There is a reason behind this surprise glut. NeoGeo Arcade 2 and NeoGeo Arcade 3 were originally due in October, only to be hit with a last-minute delay in Europe due to a packaging issue. As for launching the other three carts simultaneously, word has it that Activision Collection 1 has been ready to go for a while. As in, years. Now the deal has been greenlit alongside the anticipated Rare collection – who also come under Microsoft’s wing – we’re getting a ‘bonus’ cartridge of sorts. That’s our theory, at least.
What delights can be find on these cartridges, then?
NeoGeo Arcade 2 features six games, a few of which are fan favourites: Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Art of Fighting 2, Metal Slug 2, Crossed Swords, Ninja Commando, and Sengoku 2. Likewise, NeoGeo Arcade 3 has six titles: The King of Fighters ’97, Metal Slug 3, Twinkle Star Sprites, Samurai Showdown II, Ghost Pilots, and Super Sidekicks.
All twelve of these have a two player mode, making them ideal for the Evercade Vs.
The long time coming Activision Collection 1 has 15 games from the Atari 2600. A couple are a bit on the duff side (Tennis, we’re looking at you) but the rest are amongst some of the console’s greatest – Activision knew how to get the most out of the system, much to Atari’s chagrin. The contents list reads as: Beamrider, Crackpots, Demon Attack, Enduro, Fishing Derby, Freeway, Grand Prix, MegaMania, Pitfall, Private Eye, River Raid, Sky Jinks, Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space, StarMaster, and plain ‘ol Tennis.
It’s likely a second collection will release in the coming months, presumably featuring such absentees as Pitfall 2, Keystone Kapers, and H.E.R.O.
Then there’s Rare Collection 1, offering 12 games across a mixture of formats. It’s the ZX Spectrum that’s represented the most, with the NES second. Included are Jetpac, Lunar Jetman, Atic Atac, Sabre Wulf, Underwurlde, Knight Lore, Gunfright, R.C. Pro-Am, Cobra Triangle, Battletoads, Battletoads Arcade, and the Game Boy Color’s Conker’s Pocket Tales – which wasn’t present on the Xbox’s Rare Replay.
A second collection seems likely here too, possibly featuring the SNES and Game Boy Battletoads brawlers, along with Snake Rattle ‘n Roll and its sequel, and maybe the GBC version of Perfect Dark. We wouldn’t due out the GBA’s Sabre Wulf and It’s Mr. Pants either.
Finally, there’s the Llamasoft Collection, which has a grand total of 27 titles – the most on any Evercade cartridge to date. These come from a mixture of home computers, varying from 8-bit to 16-bit. Highlights include Super Gridrunner, Sheep in Space, Revenge of the Mutant Camels and the Robotron inspired Llamatron: 2112.
While it’s neat to see Llamasoft on Evecade, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story launched on consoles and PC in 2024 and has an almost identical line-up. Playing Llamatron on the go is a very enticing proposition though, and it looks set to offer decent value for money.
All five cartridges are expected to retail for £19.99 each. Amazon is your best bet (affiliate link) although it does seem that Argos and The Game Collection are stocking the Evercade again during the holiday season.