Stuff Verdict

A love letter to gaming’s past (with one eye on the present), the Evercade EXP is a marked improvement over the original console – although you do pay for the higher quality.

Pros

Much improved screen

TATE mode is excellent

18 built-in Capcom games

Cons

Properly chunky bezels

No two-player option

No Bluetooth support

Introduction

I liked the original Evercade, while also wondering whether it would find a market. Yet through its low price point and dedication to physical media, the system secured a loyal following. This led to the telly console follow-up Evercade VS, and then a second handheld: the Evercade EXP.

How do you improve on a cheap handheld that harks back to ancient times and demands you plug in cartridges, like a gaming throwback? Judging by the EXP, you start by removing ‘cheap’ from the equation. This updated unit was more expensive than its predecessor at launch, and sturdier in the hand. You then build on what you had, perhaps by adding a killer feature. Here we get TATE mode, pronounced ‘tah-teh’ and derived from the Japanese ‘tateru’ (‘to stand’). It’s all about playing games in portrait, to make optimum use of screen space.