5 of our top new games for classic systems on Evercade

Modern retro, homebrew, new games for classic systems, retro indies — whatever you want to call them, we’ve got a great library of them on Evercade, and we have done since day one! Across compilations such as the two Mega Cat Studios Collections and our well-loved Indie Heroes series — plus hidden bonus games on the VS and EXP — there’s a wealth of brand new games to enjoy across our library of cartridges.

While most classic gaming systems have long since stopped being commercially viable for their original manufacturers, modern independent and hobbyist developers are still keen to see what these platforms can do — for all manner of different reasons. Sometimes they want to learn interesting skills like coding in assembly language; at other times, creative types enjoy working within the strict technical limitations these systems offer; at others still, it’s all about the nostalgia, and having the opportunity to make a new game for a platform that was beloved to them in their earlier life.

Whatever the reasoning behind these modern developers wanting to turn their attention to working on classic platforms, the result is the same: more great games for us to enjoy! So today let’s pick out 5 of our favourite new games for classic systems, available now on Evercade!

Multidude (Mega Cat Studios Collection 1)

Developer Retro Souls has made a variety of new games for classic systems on a similar theme: single-screen puzzles that feature distinctive mechanics that you’ll have to master in order to overcome a variety of different challenges.

In Multidude, the twist on the basic formula is that you have a selection of little dudes who all need to make it to an exit. Different dudes have different capabilities — for example, some can ignore gravity and float around, others can break blocks, others still can push objects around to make new pathways.

To succeed in Multidude, you’ll need to understand exactly how each type of dude operates, and how you can make best use of them to solve each level’s puzzle. Plan your moves carefully and take your time over each challenge as you need — can you make it through all the puzzles without running out of lives? Try for yourself on Mega Cat Studios Collection 1 for Evercade.

Deadeus (Indie Heroes Collection 1)

Deadeus, from developer and artist IZMA, shows that you don’t need to be technologically advanced to produce an enormously atmospheric, emotionally engaging horror adventure. Originally designed for a classic 8-bit handheld that boasted just four shades of grey on screen at once, Deadeus tells a compelling tale of the end of the world, and the different ways in which you might handle that event.

Notable for its large number of possible endings, Deadeus is a very replayable adventure with lots to discover. Although presented in a similar style to a classic RPG, Deadeus is instead all about interacting with characters, discovering strange secrets and investigating the truth behind the situation. Choices you make will have a significant impact on the outcome of the story — with the big question being whether or not it’s possible to find a happy ending.

Deadeus is a great game to fire up when the lights are low, the house is quiet and you can truly immerse yourself in its twisted little world. See what it’s all about in the Indie Heroes Collection 1 cartridge, full of new games for classic systems.

Arkagis Revolution (Mega Cat Studios Collection 2)

Back in the 16-bit console era, fans of the two biggest platforms were constantly trying to get one up on one another with technical proficiency. One side often brought up their platform of choice’s ability to scale and rotate visuals in hardware, making for smooth 3D-style effects similar to those seen on arcade machines of the time. And this was hard to respond to — until Arkagis Revolution came along and proved that with some clever coding, it was absolutely possible to do all that without needing specialised hardware.

Arkagis Revolution is an interesting twist on the top-down shoot ’em up formula in which you explore enemy bases in search of various mission objectives. Its unique selling point is that rather than unfolding from a fixed perspective, you can actually rotate your ship to get the best view of the situation, with the environment and objects smoothly spinning around you as you move. It’s something we take for granted in games today, but on the platform Arkagis Revolution was originally built for, this would have been a huge deal back in the day!

As well as being an enjoyable, challenging action game, Arkagis Revolution also has an impressive amount of speech packed into it. It’s one of the most technically impressive new games for classic platforms we’ve seen, and we’re proud to play host to it on Mega Cat Studios Collection 2 for Evercade.

Tapeworm Disco Puzzle (Indie Heroes Collection 2)

Flea! from the first Indie Heroes Collection cartridge was a fan favourite, and its spiritual successor Tapeworm Disco Puzzle is just as fun, sporting banging 8-bit tunes and challenging puzzle gameplay.

As Tapeworm — who lives in a cassette, geddit? — it’s your job to keep the party rocking by collecting musical notes and occasionally helping out your itchy, hairy pals. It’s not as simple as just grabbing the notes, though; Tapeworm can only extend to a particular length, so you’ll have to plan out his movements carefully.

Featuring a wealth of single-player levels and another host of two-player cooperative stages, Tapeworm Disco Puzzle is one of our favourite new games for classic systems. You all loved it back when we gave you a sneak peek back in 2022’s Game of the Month programme, and now it’s yours to keep as part of the Indie Heroes Collection 2 cartridge for Evercade.

Princess Quest (Intellivision Collection 1)

While most of the titles on the two Intellivision Collection cartridges for Evercade are classics from back in the day, Intellivision Collection 1 features a fun addition in the form of Princess Quest, created by Óscar Toledo Gutiérrez in 2015.

While the Intellivision was, in many ways, significantly superior to its main rival in the period, the Atari 2600, it wasn’t especially well known for fast-moving arcade-style games, particularly those which involved scrolling. But Princess Quest proves that it’s possible to make a great game of this type on the humble Intellivision, featuring challenging platform shooting action as you work your way through a series of stages.

Plus, not to blow our own trumpet too much, but our controllers are much more comfortable than the original Intellivision’s notorious disc-and-keypad affairs! See for yourself in Intellivision Collection 1.

Honorable Mentions

Did you know there’s a selection of new games for classic systems built-in to Evercade VS and EXP systems? One of our favourites is Gotris, which you can access by holding L2, R2 and Select on the Evercade main menu with no cartridge inserted. This challenging puzzler combines elements of the classic board game Go and a certain falling block puzzle game to create something entirely unique — and dangerously addictive!

And, if you were intrigued by Kubo 3 on Indie Heroes Collection 1 and wanted to see where our hero got his start, type SEIJIWASHERE into the Secret menu on Evercade VS or EXP to find out more in two short but sweet adventures!

There are more hidden games, too — have you found them all?