As a kid in the ’80s, I was fortunate enough to live in an era when playing video games was all about fun. I still remember visiting friends’ homes in my company to play video games. Even though I’ve been fortunate enough to have access to Nintendo’s classic home systems after so many years, I’m sure there are those who still miss gaming Super Mario Bros gold Contra. I recently received a package from Amkette on my doorstep and, to my surprise, it turned out to be the Evo Fox Game Box. At first it appeared to be a media streaming box, but later I realized that the device could also run my favorite games from my childhood Donkey Kong and Downfall. In fact, the Evo Fox Game Box is a play device with an emphasis on children and families. I’ve been using the Evo Fox Game Box for weeks and here’s what I learned with a device that introduces old school gaming to a whole new generation.
Chain Evo Fox Game Box Price in India: Rs 8,999
Basic design, powerful hardware for casual games
Like its long line of predecessors, the Evo Fox Game Box looks reserved. It’s made of plastic and has a matte black design. The device is small enough and sits perfectly next to your smart TV. It looks like streaming boxes from Xiaomi, although the eye-catching bright pink lighting elements add a nice touch to the design. On the back of the Evo Fox Game Box there are connections for power, HDMI and Ethernet. There are additional ports on the side, including two USB-A ports and an expansion slot for the microSD card. While the Evo Fox Game Box looks simple and neat, I didn’t like the clutter of dongles as both the remote and wireless game controller require dongles to connect to the device.
The device is small enough and sits perfectly next to your smart TV. (Photo credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
The chain is used as a game device and bundles a game controller in the box. This doesn’t compare to the controllers you get with the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, but it feels “perfectly fine” for playing games. The controller offers a secure grip; The D-pad feels clicky and precise, and the triggers feel accurate. I would say this is a good controller – not too good and not too bad.
There is also a remote control in the package. The design of the remote control is different from what I saw with the Amazon Fire TV Stick. It has a comfortable design and the build quality feels nice. It runs on two AAA batteries that are included, and navigation on the remote is quick. There’s a built-in Air Mouse mode that turns the remote control into a real mouse. There is also a button to launch the Google Assistant. You can also use voice commands to launch apps, go straight to some TV shows and movies, and more.
The included game controller feels “perfectly fine” for gaming. (Photo credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
The hardware in the Evo Fox Game Box consists of a quad-core processor, a Mali G31 3D graphics chip, 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of integrated memory that can be expanded via a microSD card. Don’t expect the performance and graphics to be the same as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Amkette does not want to achieve that. The idea is not to sell PlayStation 4-like hardware or step into a room where promises fall flat. Rather, the focus is on making the Evo Fox Game Box powerful enough to run games like Asphalt Airborne 8, Dead Trigger 2, and hundreds of casual titles that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Considering the company never intended to consider the Evo Fox Game Box a full-fledged game console, the hardware works just fine.
The list of available games in the Evo Fox Game Box has some notable omissions that could have been included in place of less popular titles. (Photo credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Show some retro love
When I started playing Doom on my TV, I asked myself a question: why am I so excited to be playing the iconic classic game? The answer to this question is simple: Doom has a strong emotional chord associated with my childhood. Amkette would like to use the powerful marketing tool of nostalgia to sell the Evo Fox Game Box to the 80s generation. 100 classic games that were all the rage in the late 80s and early 90s are preinstalled on the device. There’s Prince of Persia 2, Super Mario All-Stars, Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fighter II, and Mortal Kombat 3 to name a few. The list of available games in the Evo Fox Game Box has some notable omissions that could have been included in place of less popular titles. That is not to say that the selection is bad. I really enjoyed it Venom / Spider-Man: Separation anxiety, a side-scrolling action video game released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. I had never played the game before and was surprised. However, I would like to point out that the pixels would be stretched. Classic SNES games don’t look terrible, however.
Over 100 classic games are pre-installed in the Evo Fox Game Box. (Photo credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Play Android TV games in 1080p
Ultimately, the Evo Fox Game Box is still an Android-enabled streaming box. Like any other Android player, the Amkette device can run games designed for Android TV, although the Evo Fox Game Box feels fast and more responsive. Finally, the additional 4 GB of RAM has an advantage. There are many games to choose from – both free and paid – and some titles are worth playing including The Wolf Among Us, Final Fantasy VI, Real Racing 3, Welcome to Olliwood, etc. However, not every game officially has controllers -Support.
The Evo Fox Game Box is essentially a media streaming box. (Photo credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Excellent as a smart TV box
As for the media streaming box, the 4K-enabled Evo Fox Game Box has access to Google Play Store and OTT services, but it still lacks Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. However, you do get YouTube, Hotstar, Zee5, Sony Liv, and other streaming apps. The interface is fast and responsive. The home screen is a little different, although I wish the company had spent more time on the UI in order to sell the Evo Fox Game Box to casual gamers.
Evo Fox Game Box Review: Should You Buy It?
The Evo Fox Game Box is Amkette’s attempt to bring casual gaming into your living room and hit a new customer demograph that has been ignored by companies for years. In theory, the Evo Fox Game Box is similar to the Mi Box 4K but is marketed for games. The fact that media apps and Android games as well as classic games can be run without having to load an emulator from the side makes it attractive. The power of nostalgic marketing is a great strategy to set the Evo Fox Game Box apart from other streaming devices.
