DIY Soldering Project Game Kit Retro Classic Electronic Soldering Kit with 5 Retro Classic Games and Acrylic Case, Idea for STEM High School Family Education Friends by Etoput

This was a great soldering project for my son, and still works well many months later!

User Glaucon already posted a fantastic review, I want mine to complement that one. Please read that first and then come here for the things I'd like to add. (pause)The kit has a full-color instruction sheet with pictures, and is laid out in a way that if you follow the numbers for each step it works rather well. The steps are laid out in an odd fashion but again, follow the numbers. The PDF instructions mentioned in the product description do provide a few other CRITICAL pictures if you haven't done many kits like this or aren't familiar with the parts. Please look in the QA part of this item to see the link to it in dropbox. You want to look at the file called "User Manual new.pdf"The battery box has wires that are very long, but I chose to leave them that length. Iwrapped them once around the box before using the double-stick tape to attach the box to the back of the case. (Be sure to route the wires through the little U-shaped hole on the wall of the case where the USB connector hole is.)DIY Improvements you could do:- The bare LED matrix and number display are a bit bright to my eyes, even if you lower the brightness on the system's menu. I'd suggest either finding some "window tint film" at a car parts store or getting a transparent-color plastic notebook organizer sheet and cutting it to match the top plexaglass part of the case, to make the lights less hard on your eyes. If the manufacturer reads this, if you can order this with a darker or "smoked" plastic, like what sunglasses use, I think it would be a nice improvement.- The Micro USB socket is a bit dated. If you can find a socket that is Mini USB or USB-C and replace the included USB socket with that, you'll have an easier time finding a replacement cable if you lose yours.- I have seen at least one 3d printed case for this on a popular free 3d printing site, if you want to make your own case that does not expose the battery box. It can be found if you search with the words DIY, kit, and brick.

Super fun way to (re)learn how to solder! I admit I was frustrated at first because my solder would not stick to the pins. After some trial and error I found out I was using the wrong flux. After switching to a syringe type of flux, it went swimmingly! And the games worked on the first try! Well worth the money!

The Etoput DIY Game Kit soldering project is a fun little handheld system with a few very simple games included in it. The main draw of it for me and I expect most others is that it's a kit you assemble yourself. It took me about two hours to solder the kit together and it worked the first time I plugged power in. There's a lot to like about it, but there are also some things I wish I'd known prior to deciding to purchase it.Things I liked:1. It's a handheld game system! Maybe only in a very loose sense, but you can play games on it. I spent the better part of an hour just playing Tetris and Snake trying to get a high score.2. You come out with a very finished feeling product. Once the kit is assembled and everything is screwed together and set, it looks great! Everything fits together as it should and it doesn't look out of place next to other handheld systems, albeit looking far simpler.Things I wish I knew before purchasing:1. A lot of what I wish I knew tie back the instructions included in the kit. It's obvious they weren't written by someone who speaks English as a first language. While they provide enough information to put the kit together, it also caused some serious roadblocks for me in assembly. The example that stands out the most to me is the micro USB port. The instructions just tell you to "weld" [yes weld not solder] it in where the picture shows. That's great, but there are 9 leads on the port and not all of them need to be soldered. I wish the instructions had been more clear and maybe even had an electrical schematic or more pictures to go off of for components like that.2. It was unclear how it all fit together. In the end, I did eventually get it, but with very little help from the instructions. For example, how the hardware to keep the case together goes in. I used trial and error and eventually got it together, but it would have been nice if there had been complete instructions for assembly.3. The case comes with protective layers covering the plexiglass. It makes the pieces kind of look like very durable cardboard. You need to use your fingernails or a razor blade to peel these layers off. This shouldn't have confused me as much as it did, but it's something I wish I'd known.So overall, what do I think of this kit? It's great in concept and I love the finished product, but I think the in between has some issues, mainly the instructions. I understand that there's a PDF manual for this, but I've yet to receive it and I don't think you should have to go hunting for it.Would I recommend this kit? Yes and no. If you've never soldered before and don't know much about electricity, wait on this one! There are better kits out there for a similar price that give you a lot more practice and guidance than this one. If you have some soldering and electrical/electronic experience, then I'd say the finished product is worth it. I had fun putting it together despite the issues I have with the instructions. It's also just a fun little game system that's great to kill some time with. The music and games are fantastic.