If you love retro games and physical media, you’ll want to check Amazon’s Black Friday deals on Blaze Entertainment’s Evercade hardware and game collections. For a limited time, the Evercade EXP-R handheld and VS-R home console are discounted to $105 (was $130) each. Both systems are bundled with Tomb Raider I-III Collection on cartridge.
These are the first Evercade hardware deals in the US all year. Both systems had been sold out for much of the year until Amazon replenished its inventory in September. Since Amazon is Evercade’s only US retail partner, we wouldn’t expect these Black Friday deals to remain in stock for long. Blaze Entertainment recently launched $120 editions of the Evercade EXP-R and VS-R that aren’t bundled with Tomb Raider, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the bundles are gone for good after this sale.
Amazon also has deals on HyperMegaTech Super Pockets. A spin-off handheld series under the Blaze Entertainment umbrella, Super Pockets are themed around specific retro publishers and have a lineup of preloaded games while also supporting the Evercade cartridge library. Four of these Game Boy-esque portables are on sale for $55 (was $70) each, including the popular Capcom Super Pocket with 12 preloaded games and the Neo Geo Super Pocket with 14 games.
Super Pocket Black Friday Deals at Amazon
Newcomers and current Evercade/Super Pocket owners alike will also want to browse the catalog of discounted Evercade collections. We found 20 Evercade cartridges on sale for $24 (was $30), but keep in mind supply for games is even more limited. The catalog of cartridge deals features some of Evercade’s biggest releases, including Legacy of Kain Collection (Blood Omen, Soul Reaver), Tomb Raider Collection 2 (The Last Revelation, Chronicles), Duke Nukem Collection 1 and 2, and Roguecraft DX, an enhanced version of the incredible turn-based roguelike released on Amiga earlier this year. Duke Nukem Collection 1 includes exclusive remastered versions of the first two games and Duke Nukem 3D: Total Meltdown. Duke Nukem Collection 2 comes with Time to Kill, Land of the Babes, and Duke Nukem Advance. Check out the discounted Evercade cartridge collections below:
More than 75 Evercade cartridges have been released since 2020, including roughly 50 console game collections, 20 arcade game collections, and 10 home computer carts. The table above features a nice variety of 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit games across the three Evercade series.
You can take a closer look at the Evercade EXP-R handheld, VS-R home console, and the budget-friendly Super Pockets below.
$105 (was $130)
The Evercade EXP-R has a 4.3-inch high-resolution IPS display with an 800 x 480 aspect ratio. The 8-way D-pad on the EXP is superb, as are the face face buttons, triggers, and shoulder buttons. The ergonomics and build quality are great, but keep in mind it may not necessarily be pocketable–unless you have large pockets. The EXP-R measures 7.76 x 3.1 x 0.8 inches. For audio, it has a fairly loud stereo speaker and a 3.5mm auxiliary port for wired headphones. It comes with a USB-C cable and runs for 4-5 hours between charges. Firmware updates can be downloaded over Wi-Fi.
Two of the six face buttons are located below the D-pad for TATE mode, an alternate play style for arcade games with vertically oriented aspect ratios. There is a dedicated grip for TATE mode that can be purchased separately, but it’s rarely in stock at Amazon.
$105 (was $130)
For the most part, the Evercade VS-R is the same system, just as a home console with multiplayer support. It connects to your TV or monitor via HDMI and displays in 1080p resolution. The VS-R has two cartridge slots and four USB controller ports.
The bundle includes one wired controller, and additional VS-R controllers for multiplayer are sold separately. That said, you probably already have a compatible wired controller. For wireless controller support, we’d highly recommend the 8BitDo Wireless USB Adapter 2, as it unlocks wireless support for 8BitDo’s Bluetooth controllers as well as controllers made by Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, and other manufacturers.
Similar to the NES, the VS-R has a front hatch that flips open to reveal the cartridge slots. The VS-R has even more hidden games than the EXP-R, but these extra titles–13 and counting–are tied to loading two specific Evercade carts at the same time.
Along with the console, controller, and Tomb Raider Collection, the bundle includes a USB power cord and an HDMI cable.
Each game in Evercade’s sprawling library of classics and retro-inspired games supports save states and full button mapping. You can remap inputs on a hardware level in home menu settings or on a per-game basis. You can switch between three aspect ratios: Original, Full Screen, and Pixel Perfect. You can add scanlines to imitate the look of a CRT TV, and there are a handful of bezel options for games that don’t fill the screen.
Evercade Game Cartridge Collections:
For a pocketable version of the Evercade, Blaze Entertainment’s spin-off hardware brand HyperMegaTech has released six different Super Pocket handhelds so far. released a series of handhelds called Super Pocket. These are vertically oriented handhelds with a Game Boy Pocket-inspired form factor. The Super Pocket has a 2.8-inch IPS display with a 320 x 240 aspect ratio. Each model is preloaded with games from a specific publisher and supports the Evercade cartridge library. The latest additions to the lineup, Neo Geo and Data East, launched in July. The Neo Geo Super Pocket has 14 games, including classics like Fatal Fury Special and Metal Slug X. Unsurprisingly, the Capcom Edition has been the most popular in the US. It has preloaded games, including Mega Man, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Strider, Final Fight, and 1942. The Taito Edition is also worth checking out if you love Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble, Puzzle Bobble, Space Invaders ’91, and more great pick-up-and-play arcade titles.
Blaze Entertainment is launching its third miniature arcade cabinet in the US on November 28. The first two cabinets–Street Fighter and Mega Man–haven’t been available to purchase in the US practically since launch last year. If you’re interested in a cartridge-based arcade machine, it’d be wise to preorder.
The Evercade Alpha Bartop Arcade has an 8-inch display, two cartridge slots, an excellent arcade stick, and six buttons. Like the VS-R, it supports wired and wireless controllers–the 8BitDo USB Adapter 2 is compatible–but you’re limited to two players instead of four. If you want a home arcade cabinet that doesn’t take up much space, I’d highly recommend the Evercade Alpha. It’s my favorite home arcade machine I own due to its premium build and versatility offered by the cartridge library. The upcoming Taito Bartop Arcade is themed around Bubble Bobble and has 10 preloaded games.
For more gaming and tech deals, check out GameSpot’s Black Friday hub.
$280 | Releases November 26
Includes 10 preloaded games:
- Bubble Bobble
- Puzzle Bobble
- Space Invaders
- Cadash
- Rastan
- Elevator Action
- The FairyLand Story
- Growl
- The Legend of Kage
- The New Zealand Story
Learn more about Evercade
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