It’s hard to beatEvercade Alphafor the authentic arcade game experience, and our last batch of cartridges for 2024 are designed to complement that fact — though of course you can also enjoy all these games on Evercade VS(-R), Evercade EXP(-R), the original Evercade handheld and our sister brand HyperMegaTech!’s Super Pocket devices. We’ve already looked at Toaplan Arcade 3, so today it’s time to exploreData East Arcade 2, which is releasing alongside it at the end of November. If you’d like to see the games in action, check out the video below — and if you want to know a little more, keep reading for a transcript, plus some bonus information for being kind enough to drop by our blog.
Data East Arcade 2 for Evercade collects together 12 all-time classics and cult favourites from the renowned Japanese developer.
Data East’s strength has always been the sheer diversity of its output, and this collection is an excellent example of how varied their arcade games have been over the years. Whether you’re indulging your nostalgia with the company’s earlier titles or enjoying the spectacle of its later releases, there’s something for everyone to enjoy here.
Released in 1990, Edward Randy, also known as The Cliffhanger, is a visually spectacular arcade game inspired by classic adventure movies, anime and manga. You take on the role of the eponymous hero as he attempts to thwart the evil schemes of the mysterious Dark Ogre, armed only with that tool beloved of all-action adventurers: a whip.
Edward Randy’s unique selling point, besides its presentation, is how it ties your score and health directly together. The more enemies you defeat, the more points you’ll gain and the longer you’ll be able to survive. Conversely, taking damage causes you to take a hit to your score, too, so only the very best players will top the high score table in this one!
Back in the day, Edward Randy was set to be ported to a variety of systems, including home computers and consoles, but none of these versions ever made it out to market. This Evercade version marks the game’s first official home release.
Originally released in 1990, Trio The Punch: Never Forget Me… is one of Data East’s most notorious games. Ostensibly a beat ’em up that unfolds across a whopping 35 stages, Trio The Punch has become a cult favourite over the years for its offbeat sense of humour, frequent non-sequiturs and casual disregard for conventional game structure, narrative and the laws of physics.
Trio The Punch can be looked upon as a parody of Data East’s other games, since characters from those games show up as enemies and bosses throughout. Each stage offers its own distinct challenge, and part of the fun is figuring out exactly what is expected of you in each scenario!
Trio The Punch: Never Forget Me… is aptly named. It’s hilarious fun that you certainly won’t forget about in a hurry, and with Data East Arcade 2 for Evercade, you can enjoy it at home or on the go as much as you like.
Released in 1994, Joe & Mac Returns is a shift in style for Data East’s popular platformer series. While the previous three entries had all been side-scrolling platformers for the arcades and home consoles, Joe & Mac Returns adopts the single-screen elimination platformer format.
As in other games of this type, your aim in Joe & Mac Returns is to clear each screen of enemies while amassing as many points as possible. You achieve this in classic caveman style: by bopping enemies on the head with your club, then flinging them at your other foes in the stage. You can net yourself additional bonuses by rescuing the cavewomen trapped in each stage, too; each shows their appreciation with a shower of goodies that your high score will very much appreciate.
Joe & Mac Returns is a colourful, exciting arcade game that is great fun played solo or with a friend. With Data East Arcade 2 for Evercade, you can enjoy it to your heart’s content without ever worrying about running out of credits!
In this follow-up to BurgerTime, you once again take command of Chef Peter Pepper. This time things have taken a sweet turn, however, and it’s your job to assemble ice-cream cones by rolling and kicking scoops into them. Peter is once again pursued by errant food items who want nothing more than to make a real mess in the kitchen, so you’ll have to think quickly in order to outwit them — and perhaps make use of our hero’s new ability to jump to avoid them!
UnlikeBurgerTime, which enjoyed numerous home ports (both official and unofficial),Peter Pepper’s Ice Cream Factory never had an official port back in the day, and previous releases of the arcade version have been delisted over the years, making this Evercadeversion the most reliable way to play today!
This tricky shoot ’em up puts you in the pilot seat of an experimental fighter aircraft that has the ability to snap on modular “WINGS” to supplement its firepower. And you’ll need them, as the enemies come thick and fast, with many stages having an almost puzzle-like feel as you attempt to determine the best way to proceed forwards, and the best means of dealing with the obstacles in your path.
B-Wingsis a little-known entry inData East’sback catalogue, though it did have an 8-bit home console port back in the day. WithData East Arcade 2forEvercade, you can challenge the original arcade version as much as you like!
Shoot OutfromData Eastis a colourful third-person shooter in which you take on the role of a private investigator seeking to, rather ill-advisedly, take down the Mob single-handedly. Using simple, straightforward controls, you can fire at enemies both in the foreground and those which approach you from the sides, as well as dodge-roll to avoid incoming shots.
Shoot Outis another arcade game that never saw a home port back in the day, and whose arcade version has been delisted from several digital storefronts, making this Evercadeversion another interesting rarity well worth exploring.
Last MissionfromData Eastis a top-down shoot ’em up in which your aim in each stage is to destroy enough enemies to reveal the boss ship, then take it down. The open, multidirectional scrolling environment in which each stage unfolds conceals a variety of structures that contain helpful power-ups, with a range of different weapons on offer to help you fend off the relentless enemy hordes.
Last Missionhad a couple of home ports back in the day, but only on home computers, so its inclusion inData East Arcade 2forEvercadewill likely be many players’ first encounter with it. It’s a fun shooter with some interesting ideas, well worth spending some time with.
Express Raideris an interesting take on the beat ’em up in which you play a train robber in the Old West. Stages alternate between you fighting your way along the top of the train to reach the engine, and riding alongside a train on horseback, catching treasures thrown to you by passengers. The fighting sequences have a particularly intriguing mechanic where both you and your enemy share the same health bar, making each battle something of a “tug of war” where you must completely dominate your opponent in order to win.
Express Raideradopts a similar vibrant colour palette toShoot Out, making it immediately stand out as a visually striking game, and its challenging gameplay is a lot of fun to get to grips with. Just remember, kids, only rob trains on yourEvercade, as it’s somewhat frowned upon in real life.
The follow-up toDarwin 4078fromData East Arcade 1,SRD: Super Real Darwinadopts the same “evolutionary” power-up system as its predecessor, in which collecting power-ups causes your ship to morph and change between a variety of forms… and getting hit by bullets causes it to “regress” into a small, weak form.
There are a lot of secrets to discover inSRD: Super Real Darwin, including a variety of powerful “mutations” you can apply to your ship. Your first challenge is surviving, though, as this is a tricky shoot ’em up that takes no prisoners!
The arcade version ofMidnight Resistancediffers from its console incarnation (which you can play onData East Collection 1forEvercade). Probably the most notable change is that you can play the arcade game with two players simultaneously, while the console port was single-player only. The plot also differs a little between versions.
Midnight Resistanceis a classic run-and-gun title in which you can direct your shots independently from your movement. Collect keys throughout each stage to unlock weapons lockers and arm yourself with powerful weaponry, and take aim for the dreaded King Crimson!
Crude Busteris the arcade version ofTwo Crude Dudes, whose 16-bit console version you can play onData East Collection 1forEvercade. Playing as one of the biggest, beefiest characters in all arcade game history, it’s your job to reclaim New York from a terrorist invasion by thumping everything in your path in the face. It doesn’t have to be a living thing, either; if a wall is in the way, just punch it until it is no longer in the way.
Crude Busteris a fondly regarded game for its exaggerated comic book-style presentation, huge sprites and satisfying brawler gameplay. WithData East Arcade 2, you can enjoy the original arcade version at home or on the go to your heart’s content.
Finally, we close outData East Arcade 2 with the official sequel to the classicBurgerTime. This time, you’re taking control of Chef Peter Pepper Jr. — apparently culinary ambitions run in the family — and you are once again tasked with building a better burger. This time around, though, rather than walking across each bit of burger, you just have to jump up and down on each piece a few times.
More detailed graphics and catchy music make this an excellent follow-up to an all-time classic, and a title we’re sure you’ll be coming back to time and time again onEvercade.
Data East Arcade 2 for Evercade will be available from November 2024. Find out more on the official cartridge page.
