Enter ThinkGeek's latest retro-gaming
accessorry, the iCade
8-Bitty. It's a handheld analog controller that closely resembles
the old Nintendo NES controller--minus the cord. The8-Bitty works
wirelessly (via Bluetooth, I'm guessing, though ThinkGeek doesn't
specify).
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| [Crdit : ThinkGeek] |
The iCADE 8-Bitty controller will work with most Android and iOS devices. (Credit:ThinkGeek)
Remember the iCade? It's the iPad gaming cabinet that started out as an April Fool's joke,
but then evolved into a real product.
Neat, but at $99.99, it's not exactly an impulse buy--and it leaves Android, iPhone, and iPod Touch gamers out of the fun.
(Credit: ThinkGeek)
And it works with nearly all Android and iOS phones and
tablets, though Android support is just a promise at this point:
"Because the 8-Bitty uses a completely open interface system, any app
developer can easily add game support--even to Android devices."
Translation: no Android games support the device--yet.
As you can
see in the photo, the 8-Bitty has a four-way D-pad, four red game
buttons, two shoulder buttons, and Start/Select buttons. The whole thing
is wrapped in wood paneling to complete the retro look.
The 8-Bitty will run you $24.95 when it goes on sale "later this
year." The question is, will you want one?
I ask because I found
the original iCade rather disappointing. Not because the hardware wasn't
cool--it was--but because the games I wanted to play didn't support it.
Asteroids, yes. But Frogger, Galaga, Donkey Kong, and countless other
arcade classics, no.
Admittedly, there's a
fairly substantial list of iCade-compatible games, and the arrival
of the 8-Bitty might lead to more. But there aren't many mainstream
titles on that list--no Madden Football, Dead Space, Need for Speed, or
other games that would benefit greatly from an analog controller.
That's
a shame, because a
lot of the retro arcade stuff just isn't that fun anymore.
Of
course, that's just my inner curmudgeon talking. If the 8-Bitty worked
with the games I want to play, I'd be all over it--especially for $25,
which seems like a reasonable price for an accessory like this. What do
you think?
Posted in: gadgets
