Blaze Entertainment have done a marvellous job of finding themselves a niche in the gaming space with their Evercade line of products with the platform not only providing a unique slice of retro gaming but a number of indie titles that really show that the system is carving out its own niche in the gaming lanscape.

I’ve had the EXP handheld for some time now and have found it be a great package overall but if there was one issue that stood out it was that playing multiplayer games was not going to happen which as a shame considering the number of games in the catalogue that supported it. And that is exactly where the VS home console steps in, not only allowing up to four players but also having two cartridges plugged in at the same time.

When the refreshed version of the VS (known as the VS-R) was announced and it would be bundled with the Tomb Raider trilogy, I finally jumped. On opening the package, first impressions are just how compact it is… it’s definitely an attractive little unit with 4 USB ports at the front and a flip cover hiding the two cartridge slots. On powering up, a strip on the front lights up a pleasant blue which is handy for darker rooms when you’re trying to plug in an extra controller.

Only downside might be because it is so compact and light, it could be easy to yank the console off a table if you pull on your controller cord to hard… though the controllers do have a healthy 3m length on them to compensate for it. Consider placing it somewhere that can help anchor into position. The initial set up process was mostly painless with setting up a language and wifi connection (for system updates) and then you’re right into it.

Note: I did encounter an issue in being able to download the latest firmware update however a factory reset fixed that issue and everything has been good since then.

As with the other Evercade systems, the cartridges are hot swappable, meaning you can add/remove cartridges while the system is running. For old school gamers that can be an odd concept to get used to but it works and it’s neat seeing the menus update as you change games. A cool bonus for the VS and the two cartridge slots is that some combinations will rewards players with bonus games. For example, having the first two Toaplan collections plugged in will make a Megadrive version of Twin Hawk available to play.

It can’t be understated how cool it is to finally play my Evercade collection on the big screen. Though I technically could do that with a cable to my EXP it wasn’t what I’d consider convenient. This however works a treat and the controllers are more than adequate for the needs of most games. Having only played the Tomb Raider series on PC, I’ve been enjoying these PlayStation versions and with the scanline filters applied it hits the right retro notes for me.

I have a feeling now that the VS-R will be my go to machine for the vast majority of my Evercade gaming. Though it’s a shame I can’t take my Capcom games (from the EXP) with me the rest of my collection will work perfectly fine here. At the same time I picked up the VS-R I also got my hands on the Thalamus collection and having some banging C64 tunes coming from my surround speakers never gets old.

I’ve had my VS-R for a few months now and there’s a lot to like here – if you have an interest in retro gaming but not the wallet to chase down original copies from the era this is a really good alternative to modern consoles that is accessible, fun and easy to get hooked on. 🙂