Blaze Entertainment Adds Heavy Hitters With Taito Arcade 3 And Turrican Collection
Blaze Entertainment has unveiled two new Evercade cartridges. Taito Arcade 3 brings Puzzle Bobble and Cadash to the system, while The Turrican Collection finally delivers the Euro-shmup classics.
Just when you thought your shelf space was safe, the Evercade ecosystem expands once again with a pair of cartridges that actually justify the plastic.
It is becoming a familiar rhythm. Every few months, Blaze Entertainment announces a new wave of colour-coded boxes, and collectors sigh before inevitably reaching for their wallets. This time, however, the offering is significantly more robust than the usual assortment of obscure 8-bit curiosities.
The headline act is undoubtedly Taito Arcade 3. While previous Taito collections have been a mixed bag of genuine classics and "I suppose that's interesting" filler, this third volume appears to be where the publisher has been hiding the good stuff.
The standout inclusion is Puzzle Bobble (or Bust-A-Move, if you prefer the American parlance). It is the sort of addictive, colour-matching puzzle game that ruins productivity, and its absence from the library until now has been baffling. Joining it is Qix, the anxiety-inducing line-drawing game that requires nerves of steel, and Cadash, a side-scrolling action RPG that was arguably ahead of its time in the arcades.
The collection features nine titles in total, continuing Blaze's strategy of bundling arcade ROMs into a dedicated, plug-and-play format.
Perhaps more surprising is the announcement of The Turrican Collection.
For years, the Turrican rights have been a tangle of licensing agreements and limited-run releases, mostly handled by Strictly Limited Games. Seeing Manfred Trenz’s European run-and-gun series make the jump to the Evercade’s budget-friendly ecosystem is a significant win. These games are notorious for their sprawling non-linear levels and crushing difficulty, not to mention the legendary soundtracks by Chris Huelsbeck.
Having these titles on a physical cart, rather than locked behind a premium digital download or a £100 collector's edition, feels like a rare moment of consumer-friendly preservation in the retro space.
Both cartridges are scheduled for release later this year. You can view the full game lists and pre-order details on the official Evercade website.