Hands On: Evercade Alpha Taito Edition 9
Image: Damien McFerran / Time Extension

Evercade maker Blaze has expanded its cartridge-based ecosystem in some interesting ways over the past few years, but the one that has hooked me the most personally is the 'Alpha' line of bartop arcades.

We've already had Mega Man and Street Fighter-themed units, and now it's the turn of Taito to get its very own Alpha offering.

In terms of hardware, you're getting a sturdy and well-built bartop arcade system here, with a responsive stick and nice, clicky buttons. Power is supplied via a USB-C port on the rear, and the illuminated coin slot serves as the power button. Below this is the volume rocker, and to either side, you'll find a cartridge slot that allows you to boot up two Evercade carts simultaneously.

The 8-inch IPS screen is bright and colourful, and the firmware includes screen filters that allow you to apply scanlines. The stereo speakers are quite punchy and feature some impressive bass, which helps recreate that amusement arcade vibe. Finally, the marquee is replaceable, and you get some alternatives in the box. Sadly, there's no TV-out.

The Evercade Alpha Taito Edition comes pre-loaded with 10 Taito classics:

  • Bubble Bobble
  • Cadash
  • Elevator Action
  • The Fairyland Story
  • Growl / Runark
  • The Legend of Kage
  • The NewZealand Story
  • Puzzle Bobble
  • Rastan
  • Space Invaders

If you're an avid collector of Evercade products, that lineup might be cause for concern. You see, we've already had two Taito cartridge collections, as well as a Taito-edition Super Pocket.

Bubble Bobble, Growl, Space Invaders and The Legend of Kage are all included on Taito Arcade 1, while Elevator Action, Rastan and The NewZealand Story are on Taito Arcade 2.

Meanwhile, all of the games included on the Alpha are available on the Taito Super Pocket handheld – as well as another eight games, which ironically makes the cheaper device better value for money in terms of pre-installed software.

So, if you already own these products, then the Evercade Alpha Taito Edition suddenly becomes a bit redundant – unless, of course, you're an absolutely huge Taito fan.

Of course, pre-loaded games are only half of the story here, as this unit will also play all of the Evercade cartridges that are currently available. You also benefit from Evercade's novel 'hidden game' system, too.

At £229.99 / €249.99 / $279.99, the Alpha series isn't cheap, but when you consider the quality of the worksmanship and the sheer volume of available software (with plenty of arcade collections from the likes of Data East, Technos, Toaplan and more), the cost of entry becomes a little easier to stomach.

However, the fact that you get all of the same games (and more) on the £50 Taito Super Pocket (as well as Evercade cartridge support) arguably makes it a better option than the Alpha if you're not bothered about getting the arcade experience.

If you're still on the fence, then consult our exhaustive review of the Street Fighter Alpha unit and then decide if you'd rather be playing Taito games on it – if the answer's a yes, then this might be worth a look.

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