IcadeMobile
Latest
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.
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.
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]
Hands-on with ION Audio's Guitar Apprentice and new iCade models
We first saw ION Audio's really impressive iCade followups at the beginning of CES last week during CES Unveiled, but that little taste at the crowded event wasn't really enough for us, so later in the week we went by the company's booth to get a better look and actually hold and play with the new products. Of the various iCade implements on display, the most impressive was undoubtedly the iCade Mobile -- that's the (mostly) PSP-based Bluetooth controller setup which your iPhone or iPod touch can plug into. The company had the great Mos Speedrun working on the device, and the buttons felt great and were very responsive. The one issue with the controller is that the "triggers" (normally L2 and R2 on PS3 or Xbox controllers) aren't really triggers -- they're just buttons, and a lot of gamers, especially those who play shooters, often prefer the Microsoft style trigger controls rather than just wide buttons. The model we played with had buttons that were actually just an extension of the metal around the side, so they sort of "bent" in as you pressed them, but the ION rep told us that the final version will be separate from the side metal, which means they'll press in straight. Still, just having buttons back there might not be quite as nice as full triggers, if there are games that make heavy use of them in the future. Given that developers step up with compatibility on their apps (and ION has had a lot of success with that on the original iCade cabinet), this device could be a must-have for a lot of hardcore iPhone gamers. Of course, it bears mentioning Apple doesn't really provide a great deal of support for gaming peripherals. In fact, all of these devices are simply sending button presses (like a keyboard would), so until iOS supports more input controls, Ion will similarly be limited. he handheld launches sometime this spring, and will be available for $79.99. I also got to play with the iCade Jr., a much smaller version of the iCade cabinet that's designed for iPhones or iPod touches rather than the iPad. The model on display wasn't a working version, but it was enough to feel what it was like to hold the device and press the buttons on the backside. Unfortunately, the whole thing felt about as gimmicky as it looked -- I'm sure the games will be playable when they're finally released, but obviously the mini cabinet isn't built for comfort so much as it is a cute little version of the larger thing. That one will also be out in a few months, for $49.99. And finally, we checked out ION's other big iOS product this year at CES, called the Guitar Apprentice. This one is huge -- it's a "guitar controller" for iPad, so it's a plastic guitar-shaped device with dozens of little buttons on it designed to serve as the frets on a guitar. Your iPad is actually inserted straight into the frame on the guitar's body, and eventually (though this wasn't yet working at the show), the idea is that you'll press buttons on the guitar controller's neck, and then "strum" by swiping across your iPad. It was an interesting idea, but the app wasn't done by CES, apparently, so all that the Guitar Apprentice did so far was when you pressed any of the fret buttons, the iPad would play the appropriate musical notes. It actually worked well -- I could play chords or "pluck" specific frets with ease, though the mechanics were obviously different than playing a real guitar. Hopefully, if ION makes a solid app for the iPad, the controller will serve as a nice set of training wheels for anyone wanting to actually learn a little bit of guitar. The controller itself will be $99 when released, and the app will be available for free. ION had some really excellent offerings at CES this year -- the company seems bolstered by the iCade's success, so we can probably expect to see even more cool iOS products from ION Audio in the future.
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.
