By 
After launching the platform with one jack-of-all-trades handheld, Blaze’s Evercade ecosystem has since moved toward more specialized devices. There’s the VS home system for TV play and multiplayer. There are the EXP handhelds for better portable play. There are even the Super Pockets, offering a lower cost of entry. So the newest offering, the Evercade Nexus, fits in as a premium device with a big screen and expanded controls. It raises the price tag a bit, but it does so while making sure all Evercade carts remain compatible with the economical alternatives.
The clear primary benefit of the Nexus is its nearly-six-inch display. This doesn’t come with a bump in visual fidelity or anything, but a crisp, larger screen has benefits of its own and make things easier for the sorts of people who have been around long enough to have nostalgia for games in the Evercade library. Blaze is never going to abandon the Euro-style D-pad, unfortunately, but for one of those, it’s fairly comfortable. If you’ve used another Evercade device, you’ll know how to use this one; the menus and such are nearly identical.
Headlining the Evercade Nexus hardware bundle, and Blaze’s holiday as a whole, is a two-pack cartridge: Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie. I looked at the first game earlier as part of the themed Super Pocket, but this cartridge release allows for play on more capable systems with larger and wider screens, and the native ports benefit from those upgrades. Given the craft put into these versions, we might prefer these to the Xbox releases, even with the upscaling tech of that platform. I’d really like to see more games get this treatment! I do appreciate the emulated Evercade releases, but these seamless ports really sing on the platform when we can get them.
At this point (and I talked about this when reviewing the new Evercade wireless controller), there’s not a heck of a lot of games in the library that have analog stick support. The two Banjo games are clearly improved by them! So it makes sense that they’re bundled. But at least at the moment, it’s hard to judge the Nexus knowing most of what will justify its upgrades is yet to come.
Another unique Nexus feature, though one that will have a more limited appeal, is EverSync. You can play multiplayer games with another Nexus owner, sort of like the Switch 2’s GameShare. We here at Siliconera weren’t able to test this, unfortunately but understandably. Still, when future devices release that support the tech, it’ll be a lot more likely for someone to own more than one and be able to play with friends and family using the feature.
Also out is The Doom Collection, bundling the first two titles and a suite of map packs in a native port. Doom is famously playable on everything, but this release does treat it with care and add features like local split-screen. (I will say: these do play nicely on the analog sticks.) It’s a clear labor of love, and has challenge modes for variety. Of note: among the bonus campaigns are the two Sigil campaigns, designed by original Doom creator John Romero.
The Evercade Nexus is available now for $199.99, in a bundle that includes Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie. For more of Siliconera’s coverage of the Evercade ecosystem, check out our archive.
We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.
