Table of Contents
Review of Exeq Gamebox
Are console clones good or bad? You may love or hate them, but the fact is that in the 10 years since the Game Boy Advance SP was discontinued, a huge number of them have been released. And as practice has shown, not all of them are complete garbage.
Since the discontinuation of the Game Boy Advance consoles, their prices first dropped, and then, if it was a popular console, its price sharply increased to values that were even higher than new ones.
Not everyone wants to buy used consoles, especially at the price of new ones, so there is always a demand for clones.
Today we will tell you about the Exeq Gamebox console. In conditions where the original Game Boy Advance SP console costs about 4-5 thousand rubles, the Exeq Gamebox can be purchased for 2.5 thousand rubles.
The Exeq brand appeared on the market in 2005, and in 2011 they started selling various console clones.
In 2011, the Exeq Gamebox console was released. According to Exeq, this console was a hardware clone of the Game Boy Advance SP. But the question arises - is Exeq the developer of the console? The answer is no. It was developed and brought to life by a simple Chinese worker from a console manufacturing factory with the nickname Maxzhou88.
Read more about Maxzhou88 consoles in the article: "History of K-team consoles".
Console Package
The Exeq Gamebox package is generally comparable to the original Game Boy Advance SP console.
The console came in a nice light box.
The package includes:
1. Exeq Gamebox console;
2. Instruction manual;
3. Charger;
4. 999-in-1 game cartridge.
Where to Buy?
Unfortunately, this console is no longer available for sale. In March 2022, I bought it on Avito for 2500 rubles. If you decide to buy this console, you will need to monitor Avito and wait for it to appear.
Also, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this console has an advanced counterpart. With a different form factor and more features – Revo K101+. These consoles have the same developer. Read more about the Revo K101+ in the article: "Review/guide Revo K101+".
Dimensions and Body
The dimensions of the Exeq Gamebox are exactly the same as the Game Boy Advance SP.
Width: 84 mm
Height: 82 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Moreover, the bodies of the Exeq Gamebox and Game Boy Advance SP are interchangeable. For example, you can buy a custom body on AliExpress and "re-dress" the console.
On the left is the Gamebox in the body of the original GBA SP, and on the right is the native body.
It should be noted that this console used quite cheap materials, and it feels much cheaper than the original. The body plastic is not as pleasant to the touch, the hinges do not click, and the back buttons are not as soft as on the GBA SP. Although, in general, all this does not interfere much.
Another disadvantage (though this is subjective, some may not care) is the slightly taller screen. In general, this also does not interfere.
In addition to the slightly taller screen, it is also shifted to the left. If you are a perfectionist, this will be hard for you.
Main Functions
The main function of the console is gaming. It does not have built-in memory, in this regard, it completely copies the Game Boy Advance SP. It should be noted that this console handles almost all games. I tried two of the most problematic games for clones: Doom and Wolfenstein 3D, and they did not lag.
The Exeq Gamebox has a couple of additional features compared to the GBA SP:
1. Sleep mode (if you hold the brightness button, the console will go into sleep mode);
2. Hot-swapping of cartridges (you can change cartridges without turning off the console).
But these two big advantages are compensated by one big disadvantage. This cartridge does not support the main flash cartridges (those available on the market now).
1. Ez Flash Omega – does not work;
2. Ez Flash Definitive Edition – does not work (even in Link B mode);
3. Supercard – conditionally works (you can launch the game, but the cartridge menu is not visible, so everything is blind);
4. Everdrive GBA X5 – works fully.
With older flash cartridges, it's not so simple either. For example, M3 Lite works, but G6 Flash does not. Flash Advance works, but Ez Flash II does not.
And here comes the second problem. The console comes with a multi-game cartridge, but the selection of games is strange.
Mostly, there are games from the NES and Game Boy consoles. There are some Game Boy Advance games, but they are few and far from the most famous ones.
The main problem with this cartridge is that it cannot be rewritten. So, you can't play on flash cartridges (with rare exceptions), and the cartridge that comes with the console has a strange selection of games.
Separately, it is worth noting the network functions.
If the console's network port works well and you can play games online, the Wireless Adapter does not work.
Epilogue
I still wonder: is it worth buying this console? On the one hand, it is cheap and has a bright screen, on the other hand, to play the best Game Boy Advance games, you will need to buy them on separate cartridges from AliExpress.
Of course, everything would be perfect if you already have the expensive Everdrive GBA X5, which is also problematic to deliver to Russia, then you can safely buy this console. But then the question arises, why do you need a clone console if you can add a little more money and buy the original Game Boy Advance SP AGS-101.
The only use for this console is if you want to play certain games (for example, Pokémon). And then you can save a lot by buying the Exeq Gamebox and a Pokémon cartridge from AliExpress.
