Product Review #018: EvoRetro Essential Starter Kit (Nintendo Switch)

Reviewed by: Bradford E.

Company: EvoRetro

Price (at time of review): $24.99

Buy the Essential Starter Kit from the EvoRetro's website here.

Introduction

Accessories are essential for gadgets of all shapes and sizes. I refuse to not have a good case and screen protector on my phone, so I sure as heck refuse to leave my Nintendo Switch naked and vulnerable. With so many cases and screen protectors out there how do you choose? Especially when a screen protector alone averages between $12-$15 and a decent case can average $15 or more. I am super picky about what touches and goes onto not only the Switch itself but even the Joy-Cons. I recently even got my kid his own Switch which really heightens the stress of good protection. EvoRetro has you covered with some of the most basic of accessories with this very handsomely priced Essential Accessory Starter Kit. Let's dive in and take a look at all the goodies that you get in the Starter Kit.

Looking at the Bigger Picture

The kit comes with a good amount of essential accessories to get anyone going that just got a Switch and doesn’t want to invest a lot more money just in accessories. It comes with a pen and stylus combo, headphones, two tempered glass screen protectors, a cleaning cloth, a carrying case that holds 25 games, a small, portable, hard case that can hold 4 games, a power cord (USB style, so you will still need a little power adapter), silicone covers for the Joy-Cons (blue and red), and thumbstick covers (1 red, 1 blue, and 2 black). I’m going to go full throttle with this review and say right away that my favorite accessory was the headphones and my least favorite is the silicone covers for the Joy-Cons.

I have very sensitive ears and I’m very picky about the headphones I use and I can tell you that the pair that comes with this set fit very nice and snug and was comfortable. The sound quality that came from them was rather good and I didn’t expect good quality. I was a little biased before trying them and thought they'd be cheap, especially because you can spend $25 just on headphones and get a crappy product but that wasn't the case with these bad boys. And I liked how the tips had a nice metallic polish to them; one blue and one red. The Joy-Con silicone covers I wasn’t thrilled by because they feel a bit on the cheaper side and I like durability, especially when it comes to protecting my gaming investments. I get that this is a starter kit and is at a very handsome price, I just felt that the silicone could be a little more durable.

Well What About Everything Else?

I really like the little hard plastic cartridge holder. It opens on one side and can hold two games, turn it around and it can hold another two games. The plastic is a light grey so you can pretty much make out which games are on what side. It is a nice sturdy plastic and I trust it to hold my games. The actual carrying/travel case is durable enough to start any new Switch owner or kid off. I noticed that I was able to squeeze it with my bare hands and kind of warp the shape of the case and then was able to bend it back into shape again. So, if you are looking for a super hard case I would maybe start off with this one while looking for a hard shell and then keep this as a nice backup. I do like that the case can hold about 25 games and in the top has a netted off section that can be opened and closed via a zipper allowing to carry some other accessories like the cleaning cloth, headphones, and the stylus/pen.

I am very picky about screen protectors - heck, even for my phone I am very picky. The tempered glass protectors that come with this kit are bit of a sad case. I had them them in the netted part of the travel case and as I pulled one out to put on the kid’s Switch it snapped and I had to throw it away. The other one made it out of the case, but again cracked real easy, so neither screen protector even got to make it to a Switch. The stylus and pen combo was very nice. The pen writes really nice and I always need to keep a pen on me, for I never know when I'll get a random idea that I need to jot down that I’ll never get to do while my work life runs the show. The stylus worked really smooth when it came to the touchscreen of the Switch, which means less fingerprints on the screen which makes me a happy Bradford.

Wrapping It Up

Overall this kit is exactly what it's called; “A Starter Kit." It has an excellent selling price point especially for everything you get, but I wouldn't use this as my permanent set up. This kit is also great for kids to teach them how to take care of accessories without investing a lot of money just to have them get lost and destroyed. I would recommend this kit to anyone just buying a Switch or making it a gift for a Switch owner you know. This kit is right there with that saying “you get what you pay for." I do wish they had those nice EvoRetro headphones as a standalone accessory on their site, like I said that was my favorite part of the kit. The score I am about to give is based off of the following"

Price point
It's a Starter Kit
How many accessories are in the total package

If I were to score the products individually the silicone Joy-Con covers and the tempered glass would be on the lower side. The case, USB cable, stylus, and cleaning cloth would be between 7-7.5. The little plastic case and headphones would be between 8-8.5. But this is a total package so like I said I'm going to base it on the overall package, price point, and the fact of what you get in the starter kit and that's why this starter kit will get a lovely 7.5/10.