Review cover Revo K101 Plus (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review

Product Information:

More than a decade after being officially discontinued, the GameBoy Advance is still held dear among gamers partly thanks to its plethora of games and also being one of the first handhelds to boast and kickstart homebrews. This love for the console has kept the console alive to date in the form of clones which include features the original GBA lacked, with the aim to perfect the beloved handheld. Today we’ll take a look at one such clone called the Revo K101 Plus and investigate how it stacks up to the expectations.

Before starting, I’d like to send my thanks to the Revo team for supplying the review unit and helping with the review. That said, let's see what the K101 Plus has to offer!

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Initially released as the K101 in 2012 (check out Another World's review here), the K101 Plus is a revamped version of its predecessor, addressing some issues faced with the latter. Other than the additional ‘+’ symbol, the K101 Plus features the following improvements:

  • Dual ROM – 32MB + 32MB or 32MB + 16MB.
  • You can now switch back to the menu from any ROM.
  • Issues for Saving files of 32MB ROMs solved.
  • Coil whining prevalent when adjusting screen brightness has now been reduced.
  • Reduced default screen brightness. Changes in brightness are now more pronounced.
  • Battery capacity has been increased from 600mAh to 800mAh.
  • Improved the battery efficiency. Battery uses less power when in standby and when switching the device on/off.
  • The built-in speaker shuts down when you connect the AV cable to TV.
  • Screen protector included.

The other features it officially boasts are as follows:

  • Full compatibility with normal hardware GBA games and ROMs.
  • Support for official GBA cartridges
  • Support for pirated GBA cartridges
  • Official and Unofficial GBA link cable support (K101-K101, K101-K1 GBA SP, K101-GBA)
  • Charging via mini-USB cable (powered USB and/or optional wall adapter)
  • Support for standard 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • TV-out via a 2.5 mm AV cable
  • In-game menu, allows for soft-resetting back to the main firmware menu
  • Real Time Clock (RTC) functionality
  • MP3 playback functionality
  • Text reading functionality
  • JPG viewer
  • In-game guide support (ANSI/UTF-8 .TXT)
  • GBA cheat support
  • High-quality LCD with 5 levels of brightness
  • Built in LCD scaling engine
  • Front facing speaker
  • Side mounted system power button and volume adjustment wheel
  • Top mounted AV-out jack, extension port, mini-USB port, and backlight button
  • Micro SD/SDHC support (up to 32 GB)
  • Function shortcut keys (*+L for in-game menu, etc)
  • Built in interrupt controller for cartridge hot swapping
  • Game preview picture support (based on internal GameID)
  • Cheat support (GBA .CHT files)
  • Ability to change the power-on and background images
  • Multiple language support
  • Zipped ROM file on-the-fly decompression


For more technical specifications, here’s what the K101 Plus has to offer:

  • Dual Core system - ARM7+ARM9 compatible
  • CPU - 16.67 MHz
  • DRAM - 50 MHz
  • Frame Rate - 60 fps
  • Graphics - Dedicated GPU hardware circuits
  • Sound - Dedicated SPU hardware circuits
  • LCD - AUO TFT 3 inch screen (960x480 max resolution)
  • Battery - Nokia clone BL-5B 3.7v 890mAh Li-ion rechargeable

How it works

If you are not too familiar with the device here are a few words about how it works, excerpted from the official website:

The Revo K101 runs on ARM7 and ARM9 CPUs. The ARM7 controls the sound and 2D dedicated graphic hardware. The ARM9 is the master CPU for every other function. The system achieves a high compatibility rate via implementation technology which can handle sound, graphic, and data communications in all engines on the  System On A Chip (SoC).

The Revo K101 uses a special memory interface that lets the GBA cartridge interface be "emulated" via a modern DMA and DRAM interface. The K-Card is an access device letting the contents of the microSD card to be consumed by the SoC, and acts as a storage device as well to save files. On-board DRAM comes into play only when K-Card is used and works by accepting the entire ROM.

Here's a look at the PCB:

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PCB shots courtesy of the Revo Team

Now that the techy parts have been revealed, let's take a look at the actual hardware!

Packaging and Contents

The Revo K101 Plus comes in a sleek black rectangular two part box with a matte finish and a minimalist design of the device itself. The two box parts fit tightly and securely together, giving a sense of overall safety to the packaging. The box itself is made of a relatively strong cardboard material, providing additional protection for its contents.

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Once opened, you'll find the following contents:

  • 1x mini-USB Cable
  • 1x Revo K101
  • 1x 2.3 mm AV-Out Cable
  • 1x USB AC Adapter
  • 1x K-Card
  • 2x screen protectors

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Let's see those goodies in more detail, shall we?

Hardware


Since the K101 Plus mostly addresses the software issues of its predecessor, there has not been any modifications regarding the hardware. If you’re familiar with the original K101, you know what to expect.

  • Aesthetics:

With the K101 Plus, the Revo team kept the landscape design of the original GBA, all the while keeping the same position of the hardware buttons, albeit the additional ones. This setup is my personal favourite as it feels more natural and ergonomic when it comes to handling the console. And sure enough, the K101 Plus felt comfortable when placed in my palms.

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Views from different sides: Front, Left Side, Right Side, Top, Bottom, Back

  • Casing:

The latest addition to the K101 Plus is the crystal clear case which comes in 3 types: crystal black, crystal blue or crystal clear. (The review unit is of the crystal clear type.)

The casing feels sturdy even with its see-through casing. However, on the top of the console where the black plastic stripe meets the crystal case, you can see a slight bulge on either side of the hotkey. This is probably due to the console’s innards but does not make the casing fragile nor is it likely to come off.

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Notice the slight bulge on either sides of the "hotkey"

  • Buttons:

In addition to the original buttons found on a GBA, like its predecessor the K101 Plus features addtitional buttons:

  • "Hotkey": used to adjust the screen's brightness anytime and also for accessing the K-Card's menu in-game
  • Power key: different from that of the GBA and found on the device's left side
  • "X" and "Y" buttons: they have the same function as buttons " L " and "R" and can be used for better control in fighting games. They can also be used for some "hot key" functions.

The buttons cannot be compared to that of the original GBA  and are not as you might expect them to feel. While the directional pad and the left shoulder button allow seamless control, the right shoulder button and the XYAB buttons require slightly more pressure to press and with the ‘Select’ button in my unit, I could barely feel that I’m pressing it which is not the case with the ‘Start’ button just above it. These little but noticeable attributes remind us that we are in fact dealing with a clone.

  • Battery:

As per the advertised features, the unit comes with a rechargeable Li-ion Nokia  battery clone (BL-5B 3.7v 890mAh). Back in the days of ‘dumb’ phones, the Nokia battery was renowned for lasting long from a single charge. And sure enough, I could juice out around 6 hours of play time on a single charge, at the lowest brightness setting. The K101 Plus comes in ready to play, my review unit showed full charge when I first booted it up (if it was really at 100% is up for debate though), you just need to insert your GBA cartridge and game on! The battery will prove faithful enough for long hours of play or to keep you occupied during your daily commute without the need to look for a power socket and since it is removable, you can also carry spare batteries for longer trips with no power source.

  • Screen:

The device has an AUO 3-inch HD LCD screen with its resolution being at 320x3x480. Its aspect ratio and scaling has three modes: 4:3, 3:2 and 240X160(240X160 is the same as what you get on original GBA). The aspect ratio can be conveniently changed via the extra in-game menu using the "hotkey". The latter can also be used to adjust the screen's brightness from its 5 available levels.

Below you can see the three scaling modes:

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Scaling modes: 4:3, 3:2 and 240X160

Although it is arguably better to play at fullscreen, the display isn't as sharp as with the original 240x160 display, but it's up to the gamer to decide his/her optimal gaming experience.

  • K-Card:

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Bundled with the handheld is the K-card, the device’s very own GBA flashcard which will prove to be interesting among homebrew amateurs.

It looks and feels like a standard GBA cartridge but dons a spring-loaded microSD slot on the top to unleash its full potential when launched. However, as the Revo team has informed me (and having personally tested), the K-Card works only on the Revo K101 Plus and not on other GBA systems as it is a hardware clone that has been programmed to function only on the K101 system. Even launching the card on the K-101 displays its dedicated startup screen as opposed to the traditional GBA one:

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One of the most exciting features of the K-Card is that it has embedded 8-Bit emulation for NES, GB, GBC, Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System and PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem. No need for emulators or side loading apps, the flashcard emulates those itself right off the bat! It also functions as a multimedia tool for playing MP3 files, view images and reading texts. These additional features are explored later in this review.

  • Sound:

The only speaker on the device is located just below the XYAB buttons, which is not the best location as you can occasionally obstruct it with your thumb and muffle the sound. The quality is not the best either but everything is fixed with a pair of nice headphones. The volume can easily be adjusted using the volume adjustment wheel located on the right side.

One noticeable drawback is the poor sound quality when running the built-in 8-bit emulators.

Setup

Even if the setup is fairly simple and straightforward, a set of instruction would have been useful if included in the console’s package. However, the Revo team has redeemed itself by providing a comprehensive setup guide over on their website.


Here’s how to proceed:

1. Format the microSD card using the Panasonic Formatter

2. Download and extract the Cheat Database

3. Download and extract the Game Pic collection

4. Make a folder in ROOT of the microSD named ksystem

5. Place the GamePic and Cheat directories into the ksystem folder

6. Drag/Drop some ROMs or Homebrew anywhere in the microSD

7. Insert the microSD card into the K-Card, then insert the K-Card into the  Revo K101, switch on the system and enjoy!

Firmware updates are also made available over here.

Comparison

At the time of making this review, I could only compare the K101 with the original GameBoy Advance, kindly provided by PlayMania. Nevertheless it makes for a good comparison since they both have similar form factor.

The most obvious differences between the two is the lighter weight and slimmer design of the K-101 which makes it a suitable handheld to carry around and fit in your pocket. You can judge by yourself from the pictures below:

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Other minor differences are the power button, volume adjustment wheel and location of the cartridge slot. The power button of the K-101 is found on the left side of the console and functions by long-pressing it, as compared to the bottom located switch-type one in the original GBA. And unlike the original GBA, the cartridge slot is found at the bottom of the K-101.

Since the K-101 has different aspect ratio than the GBA, playing games at full screen isn't as crisp as playing on the native 240x160. However the scaling can be easily modified via the "hotkey" to suit the gamer's preferred resolution.

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Screen Comparision of the GBA and K-101 Plus

Additional Features

The K-Card is not only a gateway to access GBA roms but also additional features like 8-bit emulation, MP3 player, image viewer and text reader. Let's see how the card performs these.

  • 8-Bit Emulation

A very interesting feature of the K101 has been the embedded 8-bit emulation and the new console also includes it. This feature allows for NES, GB, GBC, Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System and PC Engine emulation and plays files of GB, GBC, FC, NES, PCE, SG, GG and SMS format. Accessing the roms is as easy as selecting them from their stored location in the microSD, and voilà!, they’ll launch. As with its predecessor, the emulation isn't the Revo team's original work but based on homebrew emulators, including enhanced copies of PocketNES, Goomba Color/Goomba Paletted, SMSAdvance, and PCEAdvance.

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When tested, all emulators played very well except for a common feature, that of a broken sound quality in all but the GB and GBC emulators which indicates room for improvement, possibly in a future update by the Revo Team.

  • MP3 Player

This one is a basic MP3 player. Just choose the mp3 file from its location on the microSD and it will play. The controls are intuitive; the "Up" and "Down" directional buttons can be used to navigate through your songs, pressing the "A" button will continue/pause the song and "Start" button will play your mp3 files at random. Once playing, the screen will display information about the MP3 file including the file name, kbps, Hz, audio type, play mode and length of the song. Although as stated before the K101 Plus’ speaker is not the best, plugging in your favourite headphones should give you the sound quality you’re looking for.

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  • Image Viewer

This simple image viewer allows you to view only JPG files. It allows zooming in and out with the "L" and "R" buttons respectively. And when zoomed in, you can move the picture around with the directional buttons.

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  • Text reader

Yet another multimedia feature of the K-Card is the text reader. This simple yet effective function allows for the viewing of text files of ANSI/UTF-8 .TXT format for in-game guides and/or reading directly from the microSD, should you have the urge to read on your K-101 Plus. The directional buttons are used to move up, down, right and left if the text does not fit the screen however text file can be adjusted to fit the screen by pressing the "A" button and choosing the "Warp Mode".

Note: In order to see your .txt files on the K-Card, you'll have to enable it by going to 'Option" using L/R, then 'File Filter' and change TXT to ON. Else, you won't see where your .txt files are supposed to be.

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Compatibility Tests

During the compatibility tests, in addition to the roms I've tested, I’ve also loaded the roms and homebrews that faced issues with the original K-101, according to Another World's review. I’d also like to thank PlayMania again for providing the GBA cartridges used for testing and comparison.

It should also be noted that the K-101 Plus is not compatible with neither GameBoy nor GameBoy Color cartridges, which is kind of a let down if you wanted to play your retro collection on the device.

GBA Cartridges:

  • Fifa 07 PASS!
  • Spyro 2: Season of Flame PASS!
  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone PASS!
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban PASS!
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! The Eternal Duelist Soul PASS!

GBA Roms:

  • Advance Wars PASS!
  • Boktai - The Sun Is In Your Hand PASS!
  • Dragon Ball Z - Supersonic Warriors PASS!
  • Game & Watch Gallery 4 PASS!
  • GBA Video - Strawberry Shortcake - Volume 1  Problems (same issue as before: slowdown, sound stuttering, fixed by stopping/restarting)
  • GBA Video - Pokemon Volume 1 PASS!
  • GBA Video - Yu-Gi-Oh! - Yugi vs Joey Volume 1 PASS!
  • Golden Sun PASS!
  • Golden Sun - The Lost Age PASS!
  • Mario vs. Donkey Kong PASS!
  • Metal Slug Advance PASS!
  • Metroid Fusion PASS!
  • Mother 1+2 (J) (EngPATCHED) PASS!
  • Mother 3 (English Translation v1.2) PASS!
  • Rayman Advance PASS! (no audio issues as faced with the original K101)
  • Street Fighter II - Turbo Revival PASS!
  • The Legend of Zelda - The Minish Cap PASS! (No slow-down issues faced as before)
  • Wario Ware Inc. PASS!

GBA Homebrews:

  • 3 Weeks in Paradise FAIL! (same issue as before: Black Screen)
  • Airball PASS!
  • Anguna PASS!
  • Another World PASS!
  • Banjo - Advance V2 Kazooie Rescue PASS!
  • Bengt Swinger of Longarm PASS!
  • Goldrunner PASS!
  • G.O.R.F FAIL! (same issue as before: Black Screen)
  • Ishar Advance FAIL! (White Screen)
  • Luigi MasterMind PASS!
  • Pocket Raider FAIL! (same issue as before: Black Screen)
  • Skeet Shoot PASS!
  • Spout GBA PASS!
  • Super Mario - The Last GBA Quest PASS!
  • Uranus 0 EV FAIL! (same issue as before: Does not initialize)

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Ready to use, out of the box
  • Affordable price tag
  • Included flashcard
  • Removeable Nokia battery
  • Real-time clock feature
  • Supports GBA roms and embedded 8-Bit emulation
  • Light weight and slim design
  • Multimedia functions
  • Two screen protectors included
What We Didn't Like ...
  • Recurrent issues with GBA roms and homebrews
  • Broken 8-Bit emulation sound
  • No backward compatibility with neither GameBoy nor GameBoy Color cartridges
  • Poor speaker sound quality
  • Hardware buttons not all coherent
  • Flashcard not compatible with other GBA systems
6.5
out of 10

Overall

The K101 Plus does a decent job enough at being a GBA clone to be considered for a buy. However you have to keep in mind that you are getting a clone and not an official Nintendo product. Ultimately, it will not feel exactly like an official GBA but what is advertised: a clone, with which you can nevertheless do more that what could be achieved by the original GBA. However, the presence of some recurrent issues which were expected to be amended with the K101 Plus leads to an overall feeling of let down. If you had your eyes on the K101, the K101 Plus is definitely the version you should get. With its price tag of $69.99 and improvements from the predecessors, this is the best GBA clone the Revo team has to offer to date although there's still room for improvements.
a clone, with which you can nevertheless do more that what could be achieved by the original GBA.
...except play GB/GBC carts... and for that matter, an original GBA can also do a comparable job of 8bit emulation when using a flashcart and the right homebrew.
There's probably a market for this device, but I'll stick to the 3 genuine GBA's I own.
 
I love mine, especially the display, but I find saving a chore. When I have a million things going on at once and need to put the unit down for a few minutes I sometimes forget that my gamesave isn't on the 'cart'. I do find my revo k101 plus slightly more portable than my gcw zero and overall better than my SP.
 
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I still don't understand why they abandoned the SP clone look in order to become a half-assed looking Dingoo. Passing this off as a
Micro inspired" design is insane.
 
6.5/10 is a bit harsh. A score like that makes it sound like it has some serious manufacturing issues or doesn't work properly when it's advertised to do exactly what it's suppose to do. What else were you expecting from this?
 
well it's someway interesting, I would like to have if I had spare money xD
But at all I'm with the guys... I would rater have an original GBA with light (and maybe battery?) hack,and flashcard...but ifI could I woud like to have both XD

I saw they are doing an DS like this, based on 2DS ....strange that the example image the screen was like a 3DS clone, even the rest of a DS clone ...wow hahha
Well I still think this interesting but just a DSlite and a cheap flashcard would do the job....unless they come with awesomeneses xD
 
6.5/10 is a bit harsh. A score like that makes it sound like it has some serious manufacturing issues or doesn't work properly when it's advertised to do exactly what it's suppose to do. What else were you expecting from this?
Slightly above average device gets slightly above average score, all in a market where, as others said, there are readily available alternatives that could well be superior for a given use.
 
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6.5/10 is a bit harsh. A score like that makes it sound like it has some serious manufacturing issues or doesn't work properly when it's advertised to do exactly what it's suppose to do. What else were you expecting from this?
I couldn't put it any way better than what @FAST6191 said. While doing the review, I have been critical and impartial so that potential buyers know what to expect. This version is the 3rd console that the team has released and by now should have learnt what was lacking and had the opportunity to fix them and as written in the review, a lot of issues are recurrent and not to mention the overall hardware quality. In this day and age alternatives are almost rife. What makes one stand out would get one a better score.
 
well it's someway interesting, I would like to have if I had spare money xD
But at all I'm with the guys... I would rater have an original GBA with light (and maybe battery?) hack,and flashcard...but ifI could I woud like to have both XD

I saw they are doing an DS like this, based on 2DS ....strange that the example image the screen was like a 3DS clone, even the rest of a DS clone ...wow hahha
Well I still think this interesting but just a DSlite and a cheap flashcard would do the job....unless they come with awesomeneses xD
Yes, there are concepts of a 2DS based clone, as well as a K101 mini. Guess we'll have to give the Revo team some more time to see what they have in store for us!
 
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Everyone is entitled their opinions and impressions, but some of the "cons" are odd. The unit was never sold as a GB/GBC cartridge player, and the K-Card isn't sold as being usable on any other systems. And it seems like it passed all the regular ROMS tested except one. If you want to level a homebrew compatibility complaint ok, but not commercial ROMs.

As far as I am concerned, the unit accomplishes what is promised (except robust emulation for anything but GBA and GB/GBC, because other systems are spotty at best on the unit). The build quality may not be Nintendo standard, but it feels solid enough for me, and is my current daily carry. It's more portable and useful than carrying around a controller to use with my phone, and the screen is overall nicer and brighter than my SP.

They seemingly have raised the price on the units over the past few days and I would be less likely to buy it at the current price, but I feel that the unit is well worth the $70-80 price tag.
 
My questions not in the review:

1. Nintendo is known for their directional pads. Microsoft is also known for theirs, but for the opposite reason. How does the d-pad on this device compare to Nintendo's d-pads?

2. I noticed on the back that the battery is not in the middle, but to one of the sides. Does the device feel okay/centered when holding in your hands? Or do you feel it as a bit lopsided in weight? (I know batteries do not weigh that much, and I notice the d-pad is on the opposite side, but I still wonder).
 
I can provide some feedback on those from my opinion....

1. The D pad is a bit squishy. If I was trying to play high level fighting games I'd probably be frustrated. Certainly not Nintendo quality, but sufficient for me. It feels like a taller version of the PSP crosshair with more travel distance (and a solid visible crosshair, not a rocking disc under the plastic making it look like 4 buttons like on the PSP)

2. Battery is on the same side as the crosshair. I just tried to balance it in the dead center and it fell towards battery side. I shifted it about 2mm towards battery side and it balanced/fell away from battery. I had not noticed it before but it is noticeably heavier on battery side if you switch from hand to hand, HOWEVER, the entire unit is very light overall and when resting on your hands and fingers curled around it doesn't feel imbalanced. There is actually a lot of visible empty space in the unit. When in my hands it is so light that there isn't notable hand fatigue or a gnawing feeling that one hand is working harder holding the unit.

Hope some of that helped, and I'm sure others have an opinion on this. Seems to be a very love/hate unit :P
 
Everyone is entitled their opinions and impressions, but some of the "cons" are odd. The unit was never sold as a GB/GBC cartridge player, and the K-Card isn't sold as being usable on any other systems. And it seems like it passed all the regular ROMS tested except one. If you want to level a homebrew compatibility complaint ok, but not commercial ROMs.

As far as I am concerned, the unit accomplishes what is promised (except robust emulation for anything but GBA and GB/GBC, because other systems are spotty at best on the unit). The build quality may not be Nintendo standard, but it feels solid enough for me, and is my current daily carry. It's more portable and useful than carrying around a controller to use with my phone, and the screen is overall nicer and brighter than my SP.

They seemingly have raised the price on the units over the past few days and I would be less likely to buy it at the current price, but I feel that the unit is well worth the $70-80 price tag.
Like you've said, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. However, the K101 Plus is advertised as a GBA clone and hence, GB/GBC compatibility would be expected. And as I wrote before, this console is supposed to be an improvement from its predecessor and should address the issues it faced. I haven't tested all ROMs possible but "GBA Video - Strawberry Shortcake - Volume 1" still has the same issue and the homebrews have been around for quite some time and the homebrew incompatibility issues with the previous K101 had ample time to be addressed.
 
$70? Kinda steep. Why not just emulate using a PC or smartphone and a Wiimote? Or a DSTwo and a DS?
not the same. Revo k101+ is the handheld which you can carry it anywhere you got. Just dive your memorry back to GBA collection with REVO K101 Plus. So far, we don't think other emulators are better than this unit on GBA roms. Or using the original GBA cartridge.
 
...except play GB/GBC carts... and for that matter, an original GBA can also do a comparable job of 8bit emulation when using a flashcart and the right homebrew.
There's probably a market for this device, but I'll stick to the 3 genuine GBA's I own.
Well, with k101 plus you had K-card to play these roms: GBA, GBC, GB, GG, SMS, PCE, NES, FC. At the same time, you can play original GBA cartridge directly on this unit. Finally, the RCT function is great for gaming on Pokemon!
 
well it's someway interesting, I would like to have if I had spare money xD
But at all I'm with the guys... I would rater have an original GBA with light (and maybe battery?) hack,and flashcard...but ifI could I woud like to have both XD

I saw they are doing an DS like this, based on 2DS ....strange that the example image the screen was like a 3DS clone, even the rest of a DS clone ...wow hahha
Well I still think this interesting but just a DSlite and a cheap flashcard would do the job....unless they come with awesomeneses xD
Well, the loading speeds and compability on roms are pretty better on Revo k101+ when you guys compare the flashcard on our unit.
 
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I couldn't put it any way better than what @FAST6191 said. While doing the review, I have been critical and impartial so that potential buyers know what to expect. This version is the 3rd console that the team has released and by now should have learnt what was lacking and had the opportunity to fix them and as written in the review, a lot of issues are recurrent and not to mention the overall hardware quality. In this day and age alternatives are almost rife. What makes one stand out would get one a better score.
In another word, it means there are spaces for us to improve the current version of k101+.
 
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Well, the loading speeds and compability on roms are pretty better on Revo k101+ when you guys compare the flashcard on our unit.
I understand, it's really a system made to do the thing! it's really very more developed than the actual console, and this is what made interesting for me xD
 
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My questions not in the review:

1. Nintendo is known for their directional pads. Microsoft is also known for theirs, but for the opposite reason. How does the d-pad on this device compare to Nintendo's d-pads?

2. I noticed on the back that the battery is not in the middle, but to one of the sides. Does the device feel okay/centered when holding in your hands? Or do you feel it as a bit lopsided in weight? (I know batteries do not weigh that much, and I notice the d-pad is on the opposite side, but I still wonder).
Good questions!

1. The d-pad on k101 plus is much better than other emulator handhelds. But we can not compare it to Nintendo as they are different handhelds. I suggest @Prans can make a video review on telling people this on playing the same game on different handhelds. I love the D-pad while playing "street fighter" as I can be easily make out the Hatuki/ Oyuki.

2. The battery is Nokia clone BL-5B, which is very light not heavy. So you will have a good hand holding on k101+.
 
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Good questions!

1. The d-pad on k101 plus is much better than other emulator handhelds. But we can not compare it to Nintendo as they are different handhelds. I suggest @Prans can make a video review on telling people this on playing the same game on different handhelds. I love the D-pad while playing "street fighter" as I can be easily make out the Hatuki/ Oyuki.

2. The battery is Nokia clone BL-5B, which is very light not heavy. So you will have a good hand holding on k101+.

Thank you very much for the response! I appreciate the info! I understand we will seldom find another d-pad like Ninty's. I appreciate the heads up about street fighter. To me, a good d-pad is one of the most important aspects of a handheld.

Thanks again and awesome review!
 
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Will this play Pokemon roms properly since it has an RTC? Or does the RTC have to be on the cart?
 
In that case I think I can draw a distinction between padded review comments and a developer of a device responding to comments and points from a review and being overt about their position. Indeed I would probably go so far as to encourage such behaviour.

Though if we are doing definitions then http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/shill was the one I had operated under.
 
Will this play Pokemon roms properly since it has an RTC? Or does the RTC have to be on the cart?
You can play Pokemon roms on this unit. The RTC function is one of the great features of this unit- you need to use the K-card to play the roms. Easy to dump the roms into K-card. then K-card to the k101+ slot.
 
GBA link work on this unit. Can link with GBA or k101 link with k101. Sorry but have no idea on what NGC is.
ngc is gamecube. The gamecube had a cable which could link with the GBA.
Most games for it were multiboot things which just used the GBA as a controller/additional screen. There were however some that wanted a specific game to unlock content and even fewer that would speak to the game to load a save. Among the games that will load a save though there is pokemon which will have pokemon stadium for battles and such. Most flash carts being SRAM based are then troubled by this as pokemon on the gamecube will use the protocols for reading flash and thus fall short and nobody has thus far hacked the gamecube games to instead speak SRAM.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_GameCube_–_Game_Boy_Advance_link_cable has more on it.
 
Hmmm at 70 bucks it's almost worth looking into the cheap Chinese Android devices that have the same kind of set up as this thing (physical buttons and all that) Maybe spend a few bucks more and get more or better emulation options.

On the plus side for this device it probably is better for GBA emulation? If that's exactly what your looking for, and you want to play the actual carts. Emulation is good but not being able to use actual carts has it's ups and downs.

I flip flop a lot on emulation VS actual hardware.... This device falls exactly on my hard to decide if I would buy one or I wouldn't spot...
 
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I don't know if this has been answered or not yet, but can we domp roms from retail carts using this unit? I was able to dump GBA roms with the EZ-Writer II That came with my EZ-Flash III and the software for the EZ-Flash II.
 
I really love my K101+ but the compatibility with gameboy carts is really annoying. I have a GB Boy clone but I just wish the K101 team would make a GB clone too :) (And also make it work with a gamecube for cheap 4 swords^^ )
 
I don't know if this has been answered or not yet, but can we domp roms from retail carts using this unit? I was able to dump GBA roms with the EZ-Writer II That came with my EZ-Flash III and the software for the EZ-Flash II.
As far as I know, this cannot be achieved. The K101 Plus is essentially a GBA clone and the extra features can only be accessed via the K-Card, which has to be inserted in the unit to work.
 
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I really love my K101+ but the compatibility with gameboy carts is really annoying. I have a GB Boy clone but I just wish the K101 team would make a GB clone too :) (And also make it work with a gamecube for cheap 4 swords^^ )
that is because Revo k101 plus is designed for GBA hardware clone. You know that since you got the device!
 
Hmmm at 70 bucks it's almost worth looking into the cheap Chinese Android devices that have the same kind of set up as this thing (physical buttons and all that) Maybe spend a few bucks more and get more or better emulation options.

On the plus side for this device it probably is better for GBA emulation? If that's exactly what your looking for, and you want to play the actual carts. Emulation is good but not being able to use actual carts has it's ups and downs.

I flip flop a lot on emulation VS actual hardware.... This device falls exactly on my hard to decide if I would buy one or I wouldn't spot...
Not only for GBA emulation but hardware. You can use the original GBA cartridge and play games like you do on GBA.
 
The GBA is a prtty simple hardware device to clone, with no region locks, encryptions, or OS blocking us out of things. I could see them either gutting parts like CPU and RAM from dead SP systems and recycling the chips, or they really did clone the hardware... Unless it's emulated GBA, and just reads roms of the carts... That would be evil. :/
 
Unless it's emulated GBA, and just reads roms of the carts... That would be evil. :/

Given how this iteration fails to load flash carts and will instead load the loaders as though they have no SD card or whatever then that is what you are seeing.
 
I really want to get a Revo k101+ next week, can someone tell me if its really worth it and what is saving like !!!!
 
I really want to get a Revo k101+ next week, can someone tell me if its really worth it and what is saving like !!!!
Whether or not it's worth it ultimately depends on what you want it for. If it's just to play GBA roms, you can also do that on your phone now. As for GBA homebrews, bear in mind that it has issues with some. And if it's to relive nostalgic Nintendo handheld memories, note that it is also not compatible with neither GameBoy nor GameBoy Color cartridges. But if you've been wanting a K101, the K101+ is the model to get. Read the review for a more complete take on what it offers and not.

About the save, it saves normally as in any GBA cartridge.
 
Hi, anyone buy stuff fr Aliexpress before ? saw the REVO selling at Aliexpress for about 25bucks less than REVO official webstore.......aliexpress reliable or should i buy from REVO official webstore instead ? thanks
 
Hi, anyone buy stuff fr Aliexpress before ? saw the REVO selling at Aliexpress for about 25bucks less than REVO official webstore.......aliexpress reliable or should i buy from REVO official webstore instead ? thanks
I've shopped several times on Aliexpress myself. Aliexpress itself is safe to purchase from, with buyer protection and refund systems, but it's the sellers that you have to be weary about. Some of them are dishonest, might not give you a properly functioning product and the refund process can be quite a headache. Best thing to do is check if the seller has any reviews/feedback from other customers, read what they have to say about the seller and product. You can also message the seller privately and ask for more information and pictures and judge their authenticity by yourself.
 
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Had mine for roughly a year now, and it's great. Only problems I've noticed are strange sounds in a few GBA ROMs (Mainly Castlevania Circle of the Moon, the normal save sound is replaced by what sounds like MIDI bleeps, not sure if it's an incompatibility with the game itself or the sound card used) and a certain favorite GBC rom not working (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, seconds into beginning the game, the textures go to hell and it looks like a complete mess. Bugged me too much to try to force myself to continue and see if it persisted.) Other than those two little problems, I love this thing. A little upset that the blue was the only color when available at the time I initially bought it, and it appears besides the price going up a lot, they no longer sell replacement shells, which especially sucks because they've since introduced a plain (non-transparent) black. At the current cost, I couldn't recommend it, buy a PSP or use your phone/tablet/computer. But I'm in love with mine, I literally take it everywhere. Plus the tiny battery is very friendly to even cheap power banks, let alone my 13,000 mAh one.
 
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Just got my unit last week. Did anyone experiencing 'sleep' bug, when I wake up my unit from sleep, the unit will hang/freeze, especially my unit under sleep mode for a few minutes? Have tried all 3 firmware and all the same. The only way to prevent this is to let my unit not go into sleep mode.
 
I also played FIFA 17 from ukingame and find this game is awesome. I would like to play it again and again.
I want to thanks to UkinGame who allow me to play this game.

I would like to suggest others alos to enjoy this game. this is affordable game at all.
 
Just finished playing Tactics Orge on my K101+, pretty satisfying. Now playing Minish Cap, very nice so far. I like the K card interface compared to the Everdrive (I have a EDGB for my GB Boy Colour).
 
Hi there, I just bought one and it's really great, but, most important thing, my multiplayer adapter doesn't work at all! (I have original pokemon versions) Does anyone had some problems in this direction? thx
 
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