The Bitmap Brothers were one of the most iconic developers of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their games were slick, stylish, and brutal in the best possible way — and Bitmap Brothers Collection 1 brings five of their classics together on a single Evercade cartridge.
This is cartridge 22 in the Evercade library, and it’s a must-have for anyone who grew up with an Amiga, a Mega Drive, or a SNES. Here’s what’s on it.
THE GAMES ON BITMAP BROTHERS COLLECTION 1
Speedball (Sega Master System) — the one that started it all. A brutal futuristic sport where passing, tackling, and sheer aggression rule the arena. This Master System version is a great way to see where the series began — the original manual is available too.
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe (Mega Drive/Genesis) — the standout of the entire cartridge, and honestly one of the greatest games of the 16-bit era. Faster, deeper, and more satisfying than its predecessor, Speedball 2 is a sport that never existed but feels like it always should have. Upgrading your team, battering opponents into the walls, and chasing that high score never gets old. An original game manual is available if you want to dive into the rules and controls properly.
Xenon 2: Megablast (Mega Drive/Genesis) — a vertical shoot-’em-up with a thumping Bomb the Bass soundtrack and some genuinely demanding shooting action. The weapon shop between levels adds a layer of strategy that sets it apart from other scrolling shooters of the time. You can grab the original Xenon 2: Megablast manual to brush up on the details.
The Chaos Engine (SNES) — a top-down run-and-gun set in a steampunk Victorian world overrun by a rogue machine. Choosing your mercenary pair wisely and working through each stage methodically is enormously satisfying. It’s atmospheric, tough, and brilliantly designed. The original manual — released in the US as Soldiers of Fortune — is available too.
Speedball 2100 (PlayStation 1) — a 3D reimagining of Speedball 2 from the turn of the millennium. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of Brutal Deluxe, but having it here alongside the originals makes for a fascinating comparison and a solid extra.
WHY THE BITMAP BROTHERS MATTER
The Bitmap Brothers had a reputation that went beyond just making good games. Their visual style was unmistakable — dark, detailed, and cinematic at a time when most games were anything but. They understood that presentation mattered, and their releases always felt like events.
On the Amiga especially, titles like Speedball 2 and Xenon 2 were the kind of games you showed people to prove what the hardware could do. The fact that these ports hold up so well on their respective consoles is a testament to how strong the underlying game design really was.
Getting five of their games on one cartridge — spanning three different consoles — is a genuinely good deal, and the quality across the collection is high.
WHICH EVERCADE HARDWARE SHOULD YOU PLAY IT ON?
Bitmap Brothers Collection 1 plays on all current Evercade hardware. If you want the full couch experience, the VS-R is ideal — plug it into your TV and enjoy Speedball 2 on a big screen exactly as it deserves. For handheld play, both the EXP-R and the compact Super Pocket handle it brilliantly. Not sure which device is right for you? The hardware comparison page will point you in the right direction.
Want to see the full cartridge details and manual scans? Head over to the Bitmap Brothers Collection 1 page, or search every game across every cart in the Evercade Games Database. There’s more where this came from, too — check out Bitmap Brothers Collection 2 for further classics from the studio.