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ThinkGeek's 8-bitty controller isn't bad, if you already want one
ThinkGeek's iCade started out as an April Fool's joke. In conjunction with the folks at Ion Audio, that product actually came to be, and it's been so successful that it's launched a whole line of different controller products, most of them from Ion. But ThinkGeek isn't done with this brand yet. It recently released the "8-bitty" controller, which combines a Bluetooth-enabled iCade-protocol controller with a very retro NES-style design. The price is appealing as well: For just US$29.99, you can get a very cool-looking retro controller, designed to work with all of the various iCade-enabled titles. Unfortunately, the same issues that apply to all of the iCade services apply to this controller, and there are a few extra to boot. I'll talk about the 8-bitty-specific problems first, the biggest of which is that as cool as the boxy retro look is, it's just not very comfortable in my hands. Call me a wimp, but though I did spend a majority of my childhood clutching the old NES controllers until the paint fell off, I've definitely gotten used to the much more ergonomic console controllers of today. After just a few minutes with the 8-bitty, I could feel my hands cramping up in strange ways. The d-pad on the controller is strangely wrong, as well -- the thought I kept having while playing was that it felt way too "analog." This is really an issue with the iCade protocol rather than the controller, I think, given that because it's simply sending keypresses over Bluetooth, developers can't do much more than the standard eight directions for d-pad movement. But even so, I also played around with the iCade mobile from Ion, and found that it worked better than the 8-bitty in general. The shoulder buttons on the 8-bitty also seemed strange to me -- I don't know if they should have been completely placed on the back of the controller, but they just felt awkward to hit up on top somehow. And the last problem with a controller like this is something that always comes up when we talk about iCade: It's all about compatibility. There's no question that the iCade is the most supported iOS-controller protocol out there, but when you look at the list of games, iOS' biggest titles still aren't supported at all. That's mostly because the strength of the iOS platform is its touchscreen, so most of the platform's most popular titles take full advantage of touch in a way that a controller just won't be able to match. Too bad, because I actually prefer playing games with a controller most of the time, but obviously until Apple releases its own solution, developers won't have an "official" rule on how controllers should work with iPhones and iPads. Now, all of that said, the 8-bitty is still a well-made controller, and it'll still do what you want it to do when it's paired up with your iPhone or iPad. At $29.99, it's relatively cheap, and it's mostly simple to set up and use. There are two exceptions to that: The battery cover inexplicably requires a tiny screwdriver to get into, and the controller doesn't come with two required AAA batteries either, so you'll have to obtain those yourself. Weird that ThinkGeek didn't consider those problems, but other than that, setup is simple and fast. If you want an iPhone or iPad controller and you don't want to pay for the more expensive, but better, $80 iCade mobile, there's definitely good reasons to pick up an 8-bitty. But if you want a premium controller for playing iCade-compatible games and are willing to pay a bit more, I'd pass on the 8-bitty in favor of the mobile or even the original iCade cabinet. The 8-bitty is cute and all, but not quite necessary.
iCade's 8-bitty controller now out
That "8-bitty" wireless controller announced by ThinkGeek a while ago is now available in the company's online store. For US$29.99, you can grab hold of an NES-style retro controller, with not two but four buttons designed to work with iOS games across the iCade protocol. This is not an Ion Audio product like the rest of the iCade line so far -- this is specifically a ThinkGeek product only. But it does work with the iCade standard, which plenty of developers have taken advantage of (and which is pretty easy to implement, if you happen to be a game developer who wants to let your customers use it). Yes, the controller may not look all that ergonomical, and it's probably not. But if, like me, your hands used that old boxy NES controller for hours and hours as a child, this new version will probably make you feel right at home. [via Touch Arcade]
ThinkGeek's Power-Up brings the arcade controls to your room's light switch
Sure, you could get one of Think Geek's iCade controllers to play actual arcade-style button mashing games -- or you just bring the nostalgia of the joystick to your light switch for $30 with its recently introduced Power-Up Arcade light switch plate. The unit can replace any standard light switch plate, turning it into a faux gaming control panel. A traditional joystick replaces your old switch nub to control the lights, while its two action buttons enable "pew pew" sound effects when pressed. If all that wasn't enough, the Power-Up also acts as a nightlight after you use it to pwn hit the main lights in your quarters (you'll have to provide of a duo of AA batteries yourself). Check out the video below to see it in action for yourself.
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: accessories
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we've got a slew of accessories -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Sure, you may need ultraportables and such to get the bulk of your work done, but you also need a few add-ons to make tasks just a bit easier. In this installment of the back to school guide, we'll offer a collection of accessories that will do just that. From extra batteries to external hard drives and peripherals, what you'll find here should help you get through a day of back-to-back classes, without the need to worry about losing all those term papers if something goes wrong with the SSD. Of course, not all of these are meant to aid in serious, head-down studies. We also tackle a few options for keeping fit and iPad-powered study breaks, too. So head on past the break for the rundown on a gadget stash that'll help you ease back into the flow of things this fall.
iCade Mobile now at Think Geek for $70
That iCade Mobile iPhone/iPad controller attachment thingy we first heard about at CES has made it to retail for 10 dollars less than what was originally announced, which is always a welcome surprise, retailers.The device, now available at Think Geek for $70, features a d-pad, four face buttons, four shoulder buttons and allows for the phone/pod to be set in either portrait or landscape. The enclosure connects to your iPhone 3, 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S or third/fourth generation iPod via Bluetooth and works with any iCade-compatible title on the App Store. It's also works with iMAME4all, a MAME emulator available for jailbroken iThings.
The iCade Mobile puts console-style buttons on your iPhone or iPod touch
We first heard about the iCade Mobile back when the unit was introduced at CES this year, and as mentioned last week, it's now out and available. I've been playing with one for a couple of weeks now, and I can tell you that it's an impressive device. The unit is sturdy, the buttons work great, and the whole device does a terrific job of turning your smaller iOS devices into something like a Sony PSP-style handheld console. There are a few drawbacks, however. The biggest one is the same issue that all of the iCade devices have had, popular as they may be: Compatibility. While the list of games compatible with iCade is already long and growing, the list of games I usually play on the iPhone is even bigger, and most of my favorite games aren't ready. There are a few quality games on the compatible list (including a few giant arcade collections from famous companies like Namco and Midway), so there is definitely plenty to play with the iCade. But if there's a game you love that's not on the list, it obviously won't help you with buying the product. If your favorite game is compatible, pairing your iOS device with the Bluetooth-enabled gamepad is a simple affair. Getting the iPhone or iPod touch inside the rubber holder in the middle is actually the hardest part of connecting the two, though it's not too bad, and once its in, it fits securely. The other main issue with the iCade mobile is that while Ion Audio has wisely and faithfully designed the unit to match up to Sony's handheld PSP console, it has chosen to instead label the buttons as 5, 6, 7, and 8, which are presumably what they correspond to on a Bluetooth keyboard (all iCade units use the same protocol, which makes it easy for developers to program compatibility into their apps). But even games that are compatible with the product don't tend to make use of these markings, so playing with the iCade is often an exercise in trial and error. It's not usually clear if the unit is working right away and which buttons do what. One-button games are obviously not a big problem, but more complicated games can be frustrating. Labeling the buttons with clearer symbols (and having better designed compatibility in the third-party apps) might make the experience smoother. Once you get everything working and know which buttons you're pushing, things work great. The buttons have a nice press to them. They might be a little loud if you're a real stickler, but I like that they're tactile (which is why iPhone users want buttons in the first place). The d-pad isn't the best I've ever used, but it too is well-defined. The triggers are less impressive. They're a little too small, and the bumper buttons can be hard to reach, especially if you have big fingers like I do. But at this point, not many games use them anyway, and I haven't seen one yet that uses all of the buttons available. So it all comes down to developers, essentially. If there's a game that you love that's iCade compatible, I can't see any reason not to pick this device up. It's well built, and it makes games that require precision especially responsive. But odds are that your favorite games on iOS aren't yet included in the list, and if that's the case, you may find it easier to wait. Many of the best iOS games take full advantage of the phone's touchscreen, and obviously you don't need an iCade for that. In the end, Ion is bumping up against the old chicken-and-egg problem: More developers should support iCade, but in order for them to want to do so, more consumers will need to buy iCade in the first place. Hopefully we'll see more and more games support products like this, and these ever-more-popular control units will become ever more useful. At least, until the audience gets big enough, and Apple decides to Sherlock it right away from everyone else.
Snakebyte tablet gaming controller for Android and iOS hands-on
If you're a mobile / tablet gaming enthusiast, you may get tired of swiping your fingers across the Retina display or using the on-screen controls. Snakebyte is looking to lend a hand with its upcoming game controller for Android slates and the iPad, so we went hands-on here at E3. The accessory plays nice with tablet PCs running Gingerbread or Ice Cream Sandwich and Apple's portable device outfitted with any iCade-compatible apps. Dressed in a soft-touch coating, the peripheral feels great in the hand and the base is much like a PS3 controller. The unit connects via Bluetooth and pairing it with your mobile gaming device of choice is a breeze. When performing said set-up, you can select from five different modes to suit your needs including gamepad / controller, keyboard and mouse, solo keyboard, solo mouse and iCade mode (iOS-only). You'll always know which setting you've chosen thanks to an LED indicator on the front side of the kit. Touting eight hours of battery life, the gaming accessory charges via USB and will include a simple stand for your slate. Interested? You'll be able to snag one for $40 at the end of July. For now, though, take a peek at the gallery below for a closer look. %Gallery-157503%
iPad gaming adapter iCade Mobile now shipping
Ion Audio, the company behind the iCade Arcade cabinet for the iPad, is shippping its latest product, the iCade Mobile. As its name implies, the iCade Mobile is a Bluetooth game controller for the iPhone and iPod touch. The accessory adds physical buttons and a D-Pad to your iOS device and lets you control games like Temple Run and Frogger Decades. It swivels so you can play in landscape or portrait mode. Also available is the iCade Core, a similarly-designed arcade joystick for the iPad. The iCade Mobile is available for $80, while the iCade Core sells for $100. Both the iCade Mobile and the iCade Core are available now from Toys'r'us and Ion Audio's website. It will also go on sale in the coming weeks at Game Stop and J&R Music. [Via TechCrunch]
Ion iCade Mobile and iCade Core review
The iCade Arcade Cabinet famously began life as an April Fool's joke, pulling the video game equivalent of Pinocchio by transforming in a real salable product. The $100 arcade machine-shaped iPad enclosure / controller hit the sweet spot between functionality and retro gaming nostalgia, proving successful enough that Ion found itself with a solid reason to expand the line. Notable amongst the new arrivals are the iCade Core, which offers up the same feature set as the original iCade in a more portable joystick form, and the iCade Mobile, a re-imagining of the product as an oversized iPhone case. The Core carries the same price tag as its predecessor, while the Mobile clocks in at $20 less. So, are these additions worthy of the iCade name? Or would the line have been better served as a one-off? Insert a coin and find out after the break. Update: Unfortunately, we were provided with incorrect information ahead of the review -- the iCade Core is actually priced at $80, same as the iCade Mobile.
Ion announces release date, price for iCade Core and Mobile
We saw the new iCade Core (one of three takes on Ion's popular iCade iOS joystick accessory) back at CES earlier this year, but now it has a price and a date, for the UK at least. June is when it will arrive in Great Britain, according to the official Ion site, and it'll have a price of ￡49.99, which works out to around $81 as of this writing (probably $79.99 once things are all worked out). The iCade Mobile is set to show up around that same time. That's the one modeled after a PSP, that lets you sit your iPhone or iPod touch right in the middle of a joystick and a button pad. Both were very excellent devices back at CES, so it's good to hear that the wait to buy them is almost over. [via Engadget]
iCade Core coming to a tiny arcade near you in June
Bummed that you won't be making it out to E3 this year? Well, at least you'll be able to console yourself with your very own tiny iPad arcade. According to Ion, the iCade Core, the latest in the company's line of nostalgia-inducing Bluetooth tablet controllers, will be shipping to UK customers in mid-June for ￡49.99 ($81) a pop. The iCade Mobile will be hitting right around the same time for the same price. Now you'll finally be able to experience Pac-Man the way it was meant to played: on a tablet attached to an oversized joystick.
Midway Arcade now compatible with iCade, 100 percent more awesome
Midway Arcade, the iOS collection of Midway arcade classics like Joust, Spy Hunter and Root Beer Tapper has been updated to include support for the iCade iPad dock, increasing the inherent arcade-ness of the experience by 100 percent. All that's missing is a fine, sticky film on every surface.
Midway Arcade brings Joust, Defender, Spy Hunter to iOS without the associated coin-loss
Warner Bros. has busted out an iOS flavored compilation of Midway's classic arcade games. For 99 cents you can re-live the experience of pumping coin after coin in the cabinets of your childhood. The app comes with emulated versions of Spy Hunter, Rampage, Joust, Root Beer Tapper, Defender, Arch Rivals, Air Hockey, Arcade Basketball, Pool and Roll Ball. Once you've finished reacquiring your square-eyes from all that gaming action, two expansions are available as an in-app purchase. One includes NARC, Total Carnage and APB, whilst the other packs both Gauntlet games and Wizard of War. All the company needs to do now is make sure it works in perfect harmony with the iCade and we may never leave the house again.
iCade 8-bitty is your iOS device's new wireless NES controller
iCade is expanding its lineup of weird iOS device controllers once again, with the "8-bitty," a wireless, NES-style controller that connects wirelessly to iPad or iPhone. The device, shipping "later this year" exclusively from ThinkGeek for $25, is compatible with the same lineup of games the as the iCade cabinet, and includes a d-pad, start, select, and (an anachronism we'll learn to deal with) four buttons. It's also got handsome faux woodgrain accents.As with the bigger iCade, there's an open-source SDK, so any app developers out there can add support to their apps and make this thing all the more appealing.
iCade 8-Bitty hands-on (video)
It's still about two months out, but when the 8-bitty hits shelves it might just become our favorite member of the iCade family. At the moment the Bluetooth gamepad is little more than a hand-made prototype with some AA batteries taped to the underside and a sticker printed on the office InkJet slapped on the front. As a production quality controller, though, it should be the perfect handheld button mashers for those of you with a taste for the retro. The boxy, rectangular 8-bitty may be wireless and the final version will likely sport six buttons -- still, you can't help but be whisked back to your days spent blowing into dusty Contra cartridges and tapping out the Konami code. We gave the early prototype a quick try and the D-pad and red buttons feel just like their '80s inspiration. Unfortunately they're not quite as responsive yet, but we're figuring there's still some kinks to be worked out before it ships this Spring. The 8-bitty should be launching exclusively with ThinkGeek for between $25 and $30. Check out the gallery below and the video after the break.Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Ben Heck guts an iCade to build iPhone gamepad, salutes CES in the process (video)
While the majority of the tech industry prepares to go all in on this week's CES madness, a certain Mr. Ben Heck's been busying himself with an homage to the Vegas event. In the spirit of consumer electronics, he's gone ahead and retrofitted a gamepad enclosure to Apple's iPhone. Using a modified circuit board taken from an iCade, Heck was able to craft a plastic enclosure and buttons, made with a 3D printer, to neatly surround the device and borrowed silicon. Click on past the break to watch Ben walkthrough what he does best, which is to say, not gaming.
iCade unveils new iPad arcade stick, $80 iPhone gamepad, tiny arcade cabinet
Ion Audio is following up on its tiny iCade arcade cabinet with two new iOS controller options, announced just in time for CES, when people get totally excited about electronics accessories. The iCade Core is a less arcadey-looking iPad arcade stick, with eight buttons and a joystick, designed to allow the iPad to operate in either portrait or landscape. It interfaces via Bluetooth, using the iPad's physical connection to charge. The iCade Mobile is a gamepad attachment for iPhone and iPod touch that adds a for-real d-pad, four face buttons, and four shoulder buttons to the sides of the device. Once cradled, you'll be able to position the phone in either portrait or landscape. Both the Core and Mobile are due in 2012; the Core hasn't been priced, but the iPhone gamepad will retail for $80, which seems like rather a lot for some buttons. Engadget also discovered a prototype at iCade's CES booth for the "iCade Jr.," a teensy, tiny arcade cabinet for iPhones. The release details for this are still undetermined, but how fun! It seems really impractical to play games with a minuscule arcade stick and tiny, tiny buttons, but it's still far more practical than no buttons.
ION Audio follows up iCade with two new devices, iCade Mobile and the iCade Jr.
ION Audio has had a hit this last year with its iCade arcade cabinet, a standalone Bluetooth controller for the iPad that turned Apple's tablet into a miniature arcade system. And now the company is following up that success with three new devices, meant to make games on the iPhone and iPod touch a little more tactile. The first is the iCade Mobile, which is a Bluetooth-enabled game pad that the iPod touch or iPhone slips into, with a d-pad on the right side and four controller buttons on the left. There are also trigger controls at the top of the device, and all of those controls map to any iCade-enabled games on the iPhone, although games may require some tweaks to fully exploit the different buttons on the iCade Mobile. ION's rep told TUAW that the company looked at what it thought was the most powerful handheld gaming system out there -- "the PSP, and now the Vita" from Sony -- and mirrored its design off of that system. Obviously, developers will have to make their games compatible with all of the extra buttons (powered by two AA batteries, one inserted into each grip on the side), but the iCade already has a nice list of compatible titles, and that list will likely grow going forward. The iCade Mobile is due out this Spring, and will be $79.99. ION's also making the little iCade Jr., which is basically just a miniature version of the popular cabinet, but with one important difference: There are four buttons on the back of the device, designed to be used as the cabinet is held in your hands, along with four tiny buttons on the front. The iCade Jr. is designed as a smaller, gift version of the iCade, something a little cuter and more "novel" according to the rep. It'll be on sale for $49.99 when it too arrives this Spring. And finally, the iCade Core is a more traditional iPad dock, that loses the arcade cabinet asthetic for a bigger and more tactile set of buttons and an arcade stick. It has a much more open feel than the closed-in cabinet, choosing to focus on the actual gameplay rather than the (somewhat schtick-y) arcade reference. Looks like ION is really trying to take advantage of its popular iCade device (which, you may remember, originally started its life as a ThinkGeek April Fool's joke, of all things). We have another meeting with ION scheduled later on this week, so we'll go hands (and thumbs) on with these devices, and let you know what we think. %Gallery-143403%
iCade cuts the fat for CES, introduces handheld brother (update: video and iCade Jr.)
The iCade has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a ThinkGeek April Fool's gag. After trading out a fictional 30-pin dock connector for a very real Bluetooth radio and well, actual existence, it even spawned a (notably competitive) copycat product. This week, ION is unveiling a pair of new iCade products at CES, streamlining the original nostalgic tablet dock, as well as expanding its tactile toggles to iPhone and iPod touch owners. The iCade Core faithfully recreates the original rig's control setup, Bluetooth connectivity, and passthrough charging cable, but kills the cabinet motif in favor of landscape support. Although there's no word yet on pricing for slimmed down arcade dock, ION says it should launch sometime in 2012. The new iCade Mobile, on the other hand, is penned in for a Q2 launch; it'll set you back $80 and score your iPod touch / iPhone four shoulder buttons, four face buttons and a classic D-Pad. The gamepad dock also swivels your device into landscape and portrait modes. Stay tuned for our hands on, or read on for the official PR. Update: While glancing at Ion's booth, an impressively small, phone-sized arcade cabinet caught our attention. Dubbed the iCade Jr., we're told it's essentially an iCade for the iPhone. The unit we saw wasn't a working model, and there was nary a mention of pricing or availability, but you can catch some close-up shots of the tiny little number in the gallery below Joe Pollicino and Amar Toor contributed to this report.
Arcade emulator iMAME punted out of App Store
Fans of vintage arcade games know that the popular and free emulation tool MAME (stands for "Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator") can be used to recreate the experience of classic coin-op and console videogames on PCs, Macs and jailbroken iOS devices. The catch, of course, is that in order to run the old games you need a copy of the game ROM code; said copies are essentially unavailable via legitimate licensing (except for a few Exidy games). The other catch is that full-scale emulators aren't particularly welcome on the iOS App Store; the ones that have made it through the review process are careful to lock down the ability to run arbitrary third-party programs. That's why it was more than a little bit surprising to see iMAME show up in the App Store this week. The game emulator (which, if you judge it by its splash screen, seems to be a straight-up clone of the jailbreak-only iMAME4All app) plays the ten Exidy legit games as one would expect. The unsung trick, however, is that by using a file transfer tool like PhoneView or iExplorer, it's trivially easy to throw in additional ROMs and have iMAME spin them up. (I've been playing Track & Field for days and still haven't gotten past the long jump.) It seemed too good to last, and sure enough it was. Running arbitrary emulated code is an App Store no-no, and as of 1:30pm today the iMAME app is no longer available in the US store. Sad news for everyone who ran out to buy a discounted iCade cabinet for the holiday. Commenter Spencer points out that he & at least one other developer have built patched versions of the jailbreak-only iMAME4All project that will compile in Xcode and install on properly provisioned, un-jailbroken devices. This only applies, however, to active participants in Apple's $99/year iOS developer program; otherwise there's no way to install the patched app.
