On the face of it, Blaze's Evercade joins a long line of emulation-based multi-game handhelds - but this is a system with a twist. It uses actual cartridges, licensed games and bespoke emulation software included with each cartridge. It's a fascinating approach but also a contentious one. Surely it's all too easy simply to dump a complete set of game ROMs onto an SD card and call it day? Clearly that's one way forward, but the curated approach provides some interesting benefits, while behind the scenes emulation choices deliver a level of quality beyond my expectations.
Hardware-wise, the Evercade is a well-designed piece of kit. It's a reassuringly sturdy handheld with four face buttons, a pair of shoulder buttons and a surprisingly decent d-pad. It's also rather chunky which is perhaps it's best design feature - it's more holdable and surprisingly comfortable. Handheld systems have been focusing increasingly on thin design, but I feel this reduces overall comfort especially with buttons pushed out to the edge. By contrast, the Evercade, is a thick beast that sits more comfortably in the hand as a result. It has a nice weight and doesn't feel like a cheap, hollow device.
The system includes the expected inputs and outputs including a micro-USB charging port, a 3.5 minijack for headphones and a mini-HDMI output for playing the system on your television if you're looking for a big screen experience to complement handheld gaming. Inside, the Evercade features a 1.2GHz Cortex A7 SoC running a customized Linux setup. The 4.3-inch screen delivers a resolution of 480x272 just like the PSP. Battery life is listed as four to five hours which is consistent with my experience as I ran the battery dry three times during capture.
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