Ever since its release in 2020, the Evercade family of systems has been a runaway success with retro gamers. The idea of offering a way of distributing physical cartridges packed with some of the world's most famous games might not sound revolutionary, but Evercade is perhaps the first example of it done right – and, as a result, we've seen two new hardware iterations (the Evercade VS and Evercade EXP) and a flood of carts since then.
Blaze – the British company behind the Evercade – has recently launched a new division called HyperMegaTech, which will be focusing on expanding its retro business in new directions. The first product in this line is the Super Pocket, and it's a device which shares a lot of similarities with the Evercade; in fact, it even runs Evercade cartridges. It's available in Capcom and Taito-themed versions, each with a different selection of pre-loaded games.
However, there are some key differences to note between this product and the more expensive Evercade – some of which make the Super Pocket an exciting alternative, and others which place it in an entirely different sector of the market.
Is it worth a look? We're about to find out.
Super Pocket Review: What's In The Box
Inside the Super Pocket box you get the device itself, a USB-A to USB-C charging cable and a poster / quick-start guide.
Super Pocket Review: Design
The design of the Super Pocket is arguably one of its most appealing qualities. As the name suggests, it's been built with portability in mind and really does fit in your pocket. It's roughly the same size as your typical smartphone, but a little wider and thicker. The unit is comprised of a single piece of plastic, with a front plate which features the controls and screen, so it feels pretty sturdy.
The face of the Super Pocket is dominated by the 2.8-inch IPS screen, which boasts a 320x240 pixel resolution. Below that, you'll find a rolling D-pad, four face buttons and three other buttons – one opens the system's in-game UI menu (for changing settings and accessing save states), while the other two are 'Start' and 'Select' – the latter of which allows you to 'insert a coin' on the many arcade titles which are included.
On the bottom edge, there's a power switch, 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB-C charging port. On the rear, the volume controls can be found next to the cartridge slot, and there are also four additional action buttons (L1, R1, L2 and L2) located approximately halfway down the unit. There are vents on the rear and on the sides which you might assume are speaker grilles, but there's only one speaker – and that's located on the front of the unit.
The D-pad looks a little awkward at first, but it's actually more accurate and comfortable to use than you might think. The true test, of course, is always Street Fighter II, which is pre-loaded on the Capcom variant of the Super Pocket. Pulling off fireballs and Dragon Punches is pretty easy with this D-pad, but the awkward placement of the shoulder buttons on the back makes accessing strong punch and kick commands rather tricky, especially if you have large hands.
Overall, though, the controls are decent, which is commendable when you consider the small size of the device itself.
Super Pocket Review: Display & Battery Life
At 320x240 pixels, the display might not be the sharpest in the world, but it doesn't need to be; you'll mainly be playing retro games on this thing. The most important thing is that it's bright and sharp, with solid viewing angles.
In terms of display options, you can choose between 'Original' aspect ratio (which maintains the aspect ratio but makes the image fill the display vertically), 'Pixel Perfect' (which displays the image at the original resolution, usually with borders) and fullscreen (which stretches out the image so it fills the entire display, and is usually the least appealing option). You can also choose to apply 'subtle' and 'strong' scanlines; these are simply laid over the top of the image, so the effect isn't always convincing.
Blaze quotes around four hours of battery life from a single charge. That should be enough to get you through your daily commute to work, and using a pair of headphones should help you achieve the best playtime.
There's no way to control the screen brightness, however – so you can't drop it down to help eke out a few more minutes of play.
Super Pocket Review: Games
The Capcom and Taito Super Pockets each come pre-loaded with a unique selection of titles.
All games are the arcade versions, unless noted.
Capcom Super Pocket Game List
- Street Fighter II': Hyper Fighting
- Mega Man (NES)
- 1942
- Ghouls 'n Ghosts
- Final Fight
- Strider
- 1943
- 1944: The Loop Master
- Bionic Commando
- Captain Commando
- Forgotten Worlds
- Wolf of the Battlefield / MERCS
This selection mirrors what comes pre-loaded on the Evercade EXP, which might be slightly disappointing to those of you who already own that particular system. Even so, you're getting some of Capcom's most beloved titles here.
Taito Super Pocket Game List
- Space Invaders
- Space Invaders '91 (Mega Drive)
- Bubble Bobble
- Puzzle Bobble
- Operation Wolf
- The New Zealand Story
- Rastan
- Cadash
- Chack'n Pop
- Don Doko Don
- Elevator Action
- The Fairyland Story
- Football Champ
- Growl
- Kiki Kaikai
- Legend of Kage
- Liquid Kids
- Volified
The Taito model benefits from more titles (Blaze even added an 18th game, Puzzle Bobble, just prior to release), and while you might argue that none of these can match the likes of Strider, Final Fight or 1944: The Loop Master in terms of quality, there are some outstanding arcade releases here.
The aforementioned Puzzle Bobble is practically worth the price of purchase on its own.
Super Pocket Review: Emulation & Performance
Like the Evercade itself, the Super Pocket offers superb software emulation across all of these titles. Games run perfectly, and the sound is excellent; in fact, despite only offering mono audio, the Super Pocket's speaker is surprisingly punchy. We also love the save state feature, which allows you to save your progress in-game at any point you wish.
As we've already covered, the Super Pocket's cartridge slot grants access to hundreds of additional titles available for the Evercade. These are delivered via curated collections of games, usually focused on a particular publisher or system. However, there are also carts which feature 'new retro' titles, like the excellent Xeno Crisis. Because the Super Pocket lacks the Evercade EXP's 'TATE' mode, games that use this vertical screen orientation will have large borders down either side of the screen.
We tested a wide range of Evercade carts on the Super Pocket and found only a single instance of incompatibility: Cathedral, which is included on Evercade cart #27, doesn't load, giving you an error message stating that it is not currently supported. Cathedral is one of the few titles on Evercade which runs natively on the system, rather than via software emulation – and this could account for the issue. Blaze has told us that this will be fixed in a future firmware update, applied via the unit's USB-C port and a PC-based updater app.
The only other grumble we have about gaming performance is that there's currently no way to remap the buttons, and this can lead to some frustration, depending on the game. For example, in Final Fight, punch is mapped to B (the right-hand button in the four-button cluster), while jump is mapped to A (the bottom button). If you're used to jump always being assigned to the right-most button on your controller, this can result in you constantly having to fight decades of built-in muscle memory.
The really odd thing about this is that the buttons are reversed on the Taito version of the Super Pocket; in all titles, the 'action' button is A, and the jump button is B. We've been told by Blaze it currently doesn't have any plans to introduce this feature in a future firmware update, as it is keen to keep the Super Pocket's UI as simple as possible.
One neat touch we really like is the ability to enable 'easy' mode in the Super Pocket's main UI. This universal setting can be applied to all of the pre-loaded games and manifests itself by automatically tinkering with the in-game dip switches and dropping them to their least challenging settings. You also get the maximum number of lives or health, depending on the game.
This is brilliant for those of you who find some of the coin-guzzling arcade titles too tricky, or if you have young kids who want to get a piece of the action but lack the required years of training in smoky amusement centres.
Super Pocket Review: Price & Where To Buy
The Super Pocket costs £49.99 / $59.99 / €59.99.
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Super Pocket Review: Conclusion
When you consider that the Super Pocket costs around the same price as a single Switch, PS5 or Xbox Series X/S game, it represents stunning value for money, and this fact alone is likely to make it a solid seller as a Christmas stocking-filler.
What you're getting here is a highly portable retro gaming system that not only comes pre-loaded with a suite of classics but also offers access to a growing library of physical Evercade cartridges. That gives the Super Pocket a massive amount of longevity, as, unlike other systems with pre-installed games, you won't be stuck playing the same titles forever. Also, if you already happen to own a collection of Evercade cartridges, you can pick up a Super Pocket for a younger family member and they can share your library of games.
The unit's diminutive size might cause some comfort problems for those of you with large hands, and the control layout isn't ideal for games that require more than four buttons. It's also a shame that you can't remap the buttons, as many of the titles on the Capcom variant have odd input layouts that take some getting used to. However, on the whole, the Super Pocket is an utter delight to use; it's also an excellent way to discover the back catalogues of two of video gaming's most famous companies without breaking the bank.
While you could argue that they're aimed at different audiences, if you're looking for a more complete experience, then the Evercade EXP is probably still the best option as it offers features like a TATE mode, button mapping and TV-out. Having said that, the Super Pocket is a more agreeable alternative for those of you who favour portability and price – and it's one of the most exciting retro products of 2023.
Massive thanks to Blaze for supplying the Super Pocket units used in this review. The Super Pocket launches on November 14th, 2023.
Comments 33
Ugh. Looks so rad and what an amazing price...but Broketober is real. Especially in Current Year, because I'm still catching up. Big time. Maybe in Jan 2024.
Great review!
I went on somewhat of a rant on this site before about how personally I feel this is a very ill advised step for Evercade/Blaze... but much of that comes from my annoyance that this feels like confirmation that we won't see these Taito and Capcom titles (some of which are all time favourites of mine, and I've even bought the physical arcade cabinets of!) on actual Evercade carts. This isn't Blaze's fault but many Evercade fans don't like the concept of digital only games on the system, and making a "compatible" sideline that's not technically part of the Evercade lineup feels like a semi sly workaround.
However, taken on their own merit, its undeniable that these are great value little devices. Good selection of games on both, and at significantly less than the EXP this is a genuine consideration for people wanting to get into Evercade, or VS owners wanting to be able to take their games portably. I actually even prefer the look of these units to the EXP. Feels more retro appropriate with the form factor and colour combinations.
So even though I don't really "like" the fact these exist... I've been very tempted to buy one! Back when anounced, there was one fatal flaw which entirely put me off... Blaze previously stated that the firmware is not updatable, and even said that later carts that require a new firmware (or perhaps beefier hardware specs?) may not work...
However, this review states that Blaze have said that they now do plan to update the firmware to get Cathedral working, and "doesn't plan" to give an update for the control remapping (which surely would be a flat out "its impossible" if they had ruled out updates altogether?). So perhaps my biggest concern about the units has now been changed... I'm still far from confident that Evercade support will be 100% moving forward though, and not being able to remap the controls could be seriously annoying. So I'm still conflicted on them.
Quite a bit of a bummer that you can't remap the buttons, as I prefer the 'X' button (in this case - and on Xbox/Steam Deck), 'Y' on Nintendo systems, 'Square' on PlayStations) as the main action button (and 'A' for jumping and 'Y' - and 'B' - for special actions/weapons etc.).
But I might get the Taito one as:
1. I already played the Capcom ones and I'm not an especially big fan of Capcom's arcade games anyway (except for Street Fighter II - but this is one of the weakest versions of Street Fighter II imo).
2. The Taito games I don't already have - plus they are from my experience not as action heavy/technical as the Capcom ones (some of them only uses one button as well, I think).
Yeah this is actually something I will buy (the Taito one that is); The price is right and it's a really cool looking device too (the screens a bit small - but these are simple games, so I think it will be alright - cool you can use the Evercade cartridges as well).
The screen is just too small, 3.5inch like my analogue pocket is the perfect size for retro handheld device like this I think. Also 4 hours of battery life is kind of bad. But still want it for my retro collection though, the capcom one looks great, I wish the screen is bigger.
Edit: After a bit of search I think I rather buy evercade exp (which has 18 built-in capcom games and irem cartridge) rather than buying super pocket capcom edition. Now I want a couple of evercade cartridge too lol, I want demon of asteborg/astebros, duke nukem collection 1, maybe delphine collection, alwa’s awakening/cathedral, and technos & data east arcade 1 collection.
As a confirmed Evercade fan, I wasn’t planning on buying either, especially the Capcom one, as I own an EXP. However I’m a sucker for Taito, so have preordered that one in a moment of weakness. I also quite like the form factor, quite Gameboy style, which makes it a bit different to the EXP (and OG HH).
I am concerned that Cathedral isn’t currently compatible, even if it’s going to get fixed via an update. The game is one of the best in the Evercade library, and being native is concerning with others being developed. Hopefully this will be a minor ‘day one’ hitch that can be easily overcome.
The updates via PC were not great from a user experience on the Original Evercade HH, and I was under the impression that Blaze wanted the Super Pockets to be standalone and not needing any ‘tech updates’, to fit in with the SP’s proposition as an entry level route into the ecosystem.
I’m still v much looking forward to receiving mine in about a month though!
As good as these handhelds are, I already got most of these games on Switch or my other emulation handhelds. Would had been nice if Blaze went to get some totally rare or exclusive titles from these developers for example instead of Street Fighter II and Mega Man, would had been better to get the Game Gear version of Mega Man and the arcade version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo. I would buy it just for the addition of those two titles.
I’ve preordered the Taito version. I only have the VS home console. I couldn’t justify the EXP as it is a bit more expensive than the VS and won’t ever leave the home.
The Super Pocket is less than half the price of the VS and can fit in my pocket.
Plus as it’s a handheld it will work with the Namco carts. I would have been unsure about that but retailer FunStock has the console bundled with them.
I just bought one Namco cart separately as the bundles include other carts as well.
I also preordered the Taito one along with the Technos Arcade 1 (there were some interesting looking games on that one and I've never played any of the games) and the Duke Nukem Collection 2 (Time to Kill is pretty good and the Gameboy Advance FPS looks interesting) cartridges.
I own an EXP and it doesn't have button remapping yet (but I'm launching a firmware update as I type this).
Pre ordered the Capcom edition can't wait 😀
The resolution of the screen means the games don't really fit. I find the lack of closeup screenshots a bit worrying. But from the shots above the screen seems pretty bad quite grainy. And only 4 hours on a charge? And 9/10? In the same breath as the RGB30? You're having a laugh.
Wasn't Forgotten Worlds essentially a twin-stick game?
That is the one I can immediate think of that might have control issues.
(The Genesis port is also somewhat know as one of the games supposedly completely incompatible with the 6-button controller. Even with the Mode switch?
It causes errors that make the game register you as dead the instant the start play.)
@RootsGenoa Mapping is active on the EXP, as per the last update I think?
@gingerbeardman The resolution is actually (almost) perfect, as most of the arcade games have an very similar resolutions. I was amazed at how sharp the games look on this display.
As for the comparison with the RGB30, you're comparing two totally different devices aimed at two different demographics. The Super Pocket is more straightforward to use, doesn't come loaded with unlicensed ROMs (something a lot of people are uneasy about) and has the added benefit of running physical carts, too. And it's cheaper than the RGB30 by almost half (and the battery life is almost the same).
The Super Pocket is clearly aimed at younger players, and the casual retro gift market - and with that in mind, it's a brilliant product.
@Damo Fair point regarding the RGB30 comparison.
With the Super Pocket it's not just about resolution but also how pixel aspect ratio is honoured.
Bubble Bobble seems to be centred, which makes sense given it runs at 256×224. Though maybe it should be stretched slightly to maintain the correct aspect?
Street Fighter 2 runs at 384×224 (even though it's 4:3 aspect) so would need to be compressed horizontally to fit.
On high resolution displays these odd pixel aspect ratios can be honoured without much loss of visual clarity, but on a 320x240p this could only result in either blurring or missing pixels. At least they let you choose which.
So I'd still like to see some macro shots of the display!
They definitely look like more rugged versions of the Game Boy Color. Annoyingly I would prefer the colour of the Taito model but with the Capcom games on it. I wonder if they will release these collections on cartridge? As they seem to like having certain games licenced only for specific handhelds.
@Damo Actually, I was told it was available since May but I had no idea (or maybe I had forgotten). In my defense, I couldn't find it even after looking for it, since it's not available in game (the controls menu only show the default controls). It's still in beta though, which might explain why it's in the "..." menu.
Anyway, I don't really feel the EXP adds much more to the Super Pocket considering its price: few games benefit from TATE mode and I never play connected to a TV. So I suspect I'm gonna play way more with the Super Pocket in the future.
@Zenszulu That probably won't happen. It's suspected that the reason why Capcom and Taito games are included in the handhelds rather than on carts is that Capcom and Taito ask for a lot more money, and Blaze doesn't want to sell carts at a higher price. So they prefer to 'hide' the cost of the games in the systems. Also Capcom and Taito might think that carts may compete with their own compilations/reissues on modern systems.
@RootsGenoa I can see the logic behind that but it does seem like a way to sell every different handheld they release to the same people rather than have one model that has access to all the games. Oh well would have been nice.
Now that I’ve been able to play one (my Taito SP arrived today), I think this is a good review.
In addition to the built in games - Puzzle Bobble, Bubble Bobble & Op Wolf have been played a fair bit already - I’ve tried a few Evercade carts and overall the experience is a good one. The screen is much better than my OG Handheld too.
It won’t replace my EXP and some games just won’t really suit the smaller screen and lack of TATE mode. However I am more likely to just take it out with me on a whim rather than the EXP.
I’m happy with my purchase, especially as it’s unlikely there will be a set of Taito carts for the Evercade.
It looks super cute as well!
@LikelySatan
Brokevember through Brokuary are generally pretty rough too ive found.
PS - kind editors i wouldnt mind a taito vs capcom poll, just for fun 🙂
Still waiting for my evercade exp, I bought it maybe about 2 weeks ago, I hope I can play my exp soon since the package just arrive at my country customs. Maybe it will arrive either tomorrow or the day after.
@michaelf which games do you think are unsuited for the smaller screen? Im thinking of getting this or an evercade exp. Its the indie-heroes collections and other modern-retro games that id be most interested in playing.
@Redkite off the top of my head, the ones that use TATE mode, so mainly the arcade games, as in their thin vertical strip, they're not great. However, if you're happy with playing them in full screen mode (one of the display settings), then that issue is mitigated. I haven't tried them all, but Alcom on Toaplan Arcade 1 works like that for me.
You should be fine with the Indie Heroes collections - I'll give em a try and pop an update on here if there's any that are particularly poor.
The YouTuber CrazyBurger (who has produced a lot of Evercade videos and are worth watching) posted a "best" and "not recommended" carts for the SP videos on YouTube.
The avoid is this one:
https://youtu.be/EenaPqRGRvc?si=8aT1Xc3fPjymNgGN
And the great carts is this one:
https://youtu.be/Zc1E1r_t06c?si=jB7QP1iWcbkQzuum
Hope this helps!
@michaelf yeah thats amazing, thanks for your help!
@Redkite I’ve had a quick play test of both Indie Heroes 1 & 2. The good news is that despite the smaller screen, they all just work without issue (as expected). On IH1 Super Homebrew War is a bit pointless as that’s really a multiplayer game.
I found Eyra on IH2 a little difficult to see due to the detail of the backgrounds, but that could just be my aged eyes.
@michaelf brilliant- thank you! Ive got aged eyes as well, but i think ill still go with a super pocket. Hard to argue with £50 really!
Now just need to decide between the capcom or taito one…!
@Redkite now that’s a personal choice! I already had the Capcom games as they’re auto-installed on the EXP, so I bought the Taito one as I’m fairly convinced there won’t be a Taito cart on the horizon.
Whichever one you get; enjoy!
I like the size and form factor. The triggers look a little uncomfortable, but otherwise, it looks good. I doubt many games in Evercade's library have heavy trigger usage anyway. This is a good replacement for the OG Evercade, leaving the EXP as a premium version. I honestly wonder if this will negatively impact sales of the EXP. I'm in for the Taito version.
I got my limited edition combo in (both editions in translucent plastic) and I have been very impressed. I actually prefer it over the EXP. The screen just seems better suited for the vast majority of Evercade games, and the form factor is better IMO. A real bargain if you buy a standard edition.
Nice system, screen is to small for me personally. Dpad is a bit finicky as well. Should of bought the XP or VS.
If you could remap the buttons, I might buy this. Without that option, I don't think I can convince myself.
I found the Atari Lynx collection 2 doesn’t work. The cartridge simply isn’t read, so it appears no cartridge is inserted. The Lynx collection 1 does work.
Otherwise it’s a good console. I’ve been spending more time with the 18 Taito games than other carts.
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