30
Nov
5 of the best long games on Evercade
The holiday season is coming up, and hopefully most of you reading this will have the opportunity to take a bit of time off and relax. Some nice time away from the daily grind is a good opportunity to get stuck into some long games — and we’ve got a nice selection of these waiting for you on Evercade. So today we’ve picked out five of our favourites.
Some of these present a single story intended to be experienced over the course of multiple play sessions; others feature shorter individual stages that comprise a more substantial whole. All of them are thoroughly meaty affairs that you can really sink your teeth into and get some long-term satisfaction from. So let’s get stuck in!
Dragon View
Dragon View is a really strong game from our launch lineup, available on Piko Interactive Collection 1. This cartridge is now a Legacy cart, meaning that it is no longer in active production, but it is still relatively easy to get hold of if you shop around a bit. It’s the sequel to the peculiar RPG Drakkhen, and learns a lot of lessons from that game while successfully distinguishing itself in a number of ways.
In Dragon View, you take on the role of a single character rather than a party of adventurers, and action sequences unfold a little like side-scrolling beat ’em ups — though your level, statistics and equipment are still important. The story is told in a fashion not commonly seen in console-based RPGs: rather than simply unfolding as dialogue between characters, Dragon View is written in traditional prose, including narration as well as characters speaking. This allows for a lot more nuance in the storytelling than many of its contemporaries and, when combined with the beautiful visuals, excellent soundtrack and satisfying gameplay, helps make Dragon View an enormously memorable game that will keep you busy for a good few hours.
Mega-lo-Mania
Sensible Software’s epic strategy game on Codemasters Collection 1 may start relatively simple, but once you get deeper into the game individual stages can easily go on for several hours. You’ll need to build strongholds, gather resources, research new technology, defend yourself and, when the time is right, go on the offensive against up to three computer-controlled opponents.
The further in the game you go, the more advanced the technology you get to play with. And when you’re ready to prove yourself as the god to rule all other gods, you can take on The Mother of All Battles. Just don’t forget to set aside a few troops to use in said battle, otherwise you might find yourself struggling a bit!
With 28 stages to conquer across 10 distinct “epochs”, there’s a lot of game here to keep you coming back for more. Make good use of the game’s built-in password system or Evercade’s Save Game function to take a break and pick up where you left off later or on another device!
Cathedral
Still a showcase title for Evercade thanks to it being one of the first native releases for the console, Cathedral is an enormously substantial platforming adventure. Between its challenging but fair difficulty level and the sheer amount of game there is to explore, it’s a title that will keep you busy (and happy) for many hours to come.
Cathedral is a great example of “modern retro” indie game development: while it wasn’t specifically designed for vintage gaming hardware, it was specifically designed to evoke the look and feel of ’80s classics through use of a limited colour palette, deliberately low-resolution pixel art and distinctive chiptunes. At the same time, its widescreen display, detailed scenery and huge sprites simply wouldn’t have been possible on classic 8-bit systems, making it unmistakably modern — and on top of that, its gameplay has taken on board all the lessons that the exploration-centric platformer genre has learned over the course of the last 30-40 years, meaning it’s a delight to play, too.
Attack of the PETSCII Robots
While the individual stages in Attack of the PETSCII Robots from Home Computer Heroes Collection 1 are self-contained and can easily be tackled one relatively short play session at a time, the real appeal of this game comes in mastering the various scenarios over the long term, finding increasingly creative and efficient ways through which you can defeat your mechanical foes. While it may be tempting to try and go in all guns blazing, Attack of the PETSCII Robots rewards careful, methodical and strategic play.
And that’s where the longevity of this title lies. You’ll doubtless find your first forays into the world of rogue robot elimination will end with you splattered across the nearest wall, but as time goes on and you get to know the maps better, you’ll develop solid strategies for success. Then it’s just a case of putting them into practice — and perhaps adapting them for the other maps!
There’s lots of game here to enjoy, and you won’t master it quickly. Put in the time, though, and there’s an immensely rewarding experience to be had.
Astebros
Astebros, one half of the excellent Demons of Asteborg/Astebros dual cartridge, has potentially limitless replayability thanks to its randomised dungeons and the ability to play as (and switch between) three very different characters. As a “roguelite”, much of the game’s longevity comes from a combination of its overall challenge factor and the way in which you gradually accumulate power as you continue to play.
If you find the game difficult to begin with, don’t give up! Every little bit of progress you make, even if it’s just finding a bit of treasure to add to the party coffers, will help make subsequent runs just that little bit easier. And think how satisfying it will be when you eventually conquer the game. Then imagine how much fun remains to be had on subsequent playthroughs — and don’t forget you can bring a friend along to enjoy your adventures on Evercade VS, too!
As always, this is just a small selection from the Evercade library, and you no doubt have your own favourite picks from the longer titles we have available. We’ve previously covered fan favourites such as Brave Battle Saga and Canon: Legend of the New Gods in our RPG and strategy game roundups, for example. If you’ve got your own favourite long-form games on Evercade, why not let us know on Twitter, Facebook or Discord?
