The home arcade market has seen numerous ups and downs in recent years. iiRcade went out of business, but Arcade1Up is still limping along. Now Evercade, maker of cartridge-based home and portable consoles, is throwing its hat into the ring. The Evercade Alpha will launch with two models, one focused on Street Fighter games and one filled with Capcom arcade classics (including several co-op titles). They both play regular Evercade cartridges too, making for an exciting home arcade experience.
The Evercade Alpha Street Fighter Bartop Arcade includes: Street Fighter II' Champion Edition, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter Alpha 2, and Street Fighter Alpha 3. This is the first time that the Street Fighter Alpha series has appeared on a licensed home arcade cabinet, which is exciting. Street Fighter Alpha 3 sometimes has a cooperative mode, so it will be interesting to see if that feature is included in this version.
Meanwhile, the Evercade Alpha Mega Man Bartop Arcade includes: Mega Man: The Power Battle, Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, Carrier Air Wing, Final Fight, Knights of the Round, and Strider. Those Mega Man games are arcade games that feature 2-player co-op boss battles. Actually, five of the six games on the unit are co-op. The include games encompass a fair variety of genres, too: beat 'em ups, shoot 'em up, and platformers.
Evercade Alpha specs:
- Pre-built bartop arcade unit in officially licensed Capcom Street Fighter or Mega Man design
- Dual Evercade Cartridge slot built-in
- Compatible with all Evercade cartridges (500 plus)
- 6 built-in games per arcade (see below for the list)
- 2 USB Controller ports for 2P local multiplayer (controllers sold separately)
- Compatible with Evercade and third-party USB controllers
- 8” High-Resolution IPS 4:3 Screen
- Light-up marquee bar with swappable marquees
- USB-C cable and plug included
- Built-in WiFi for updates and features
- Stereo Speakers
- Earphone Jack
- Pre-assembled Bartop Arcade Unit
- H-410mm X W-244mm X D-316mm
- Standard units are available to pre-order at a special introductory price: $229.99 | €229.99 only available during the pre-order period (Normal price $249.99 | €249.99 after pre-order period).
- The Deluxe Editions SRP is £249.99 | €289.99 each exclusively from Funstock UK.
The regular unit will feature "competition grade" arcade controls, whereas the deluxe edition will include genuine Sanwa controls, a controller, and extra marquees. The only important feature these bartops are lacking is HDMI output. You won't be streaming the Evercade Alpha on Twitch. Still, the cool lineup, reasonable price, and affordable availability of additional games via Evercade cartridges makes these bartop arcade units fairly attractive. Maybe we'll get one!
The Evercade Alpha units launch in November of this year. Preorders open on Tuesday, June 4.