![]() ![]() The problem with the collection is that the vast majority of the arcade games included didn’t use a joystick and buttons as their original control scheme. The interface is easy to navigate, includes instructions, artwork, and a lot of control configurations for the touchscreen, and seems to faithfully emulate these games. This is ultimately a minor quibble, and I can’t imagine how much more the folks at Ion and ThinkGeek could have included in this unit without significantly increasing the price. In my mind, the only design flaw is the lack of a built in dock or a pass through hole for a docking/charging cable you will have to take the iPad out to charge it up. The glowing (but non functional) coin door is a nice touch, and the “retro” styling of the artwork is well implemented. The top board of the unit is built on a hinge that allows you to easily insert and take out the iPad, and it also doubles as a good light shield for the screen. The unit itself is fairly light, but hasn’t moved around or jostled during play on the variety of surfaces on which I’ve placed it. The buttons are a little close together for my liking, but having eight buttons in a small space is a nice feature and I never noticed any cramping or uncomfortableness (of course, I also haven’t played any games that require me to use all eight buttons). I would compare them favorably to the feel of the Dreamcast Agetec stick, which is a strong stick that just feels a little stiffer and springier than something like a Hori Real Arcade Pro (which I prefer). The most important hardware on the iCade – the buttons and the stick – feel pretty solid. When the iCade box arrived, it was relatively easy to unpack and setup (although I did accidentally crack one of the plastic screw holders by over-tightening), and after Bluetooth tethering my iPad to the unit (something that took less than a minute) and downloading the Atari’s Greatest Hits bundle (a $15 software package), I was ready to go. Perhaps my summer of arcade gaming could begin! After contacting them about doing a review, they were happy to send me a unit. Fortuitously, ThinkGeek announced the production of their iCade around the same time as I learned I would be receiving my iPad. In May I found out that my employer would be furnishing me with a new iPad 2, and like most gamers my thoughts quickly jumped to the question of “what games can I play on this?” I’d already had my fill of touch-based games on my smartphone, so I wondered what the iPad might be able to offer that was new. My first foray into arcade gaming at home was one that I wouldn’t have anticipated having while I was at PAX. I decided that maybe this summer it was time to actually take that leap. When visiting PAX East in March, I was spoiled by the setup in their ACAM game room and longed to have some kind of similar experience available to me at home. I have even used adapters to hook a few of them up to the PC to play with MAME on occasion, but sitting on the couch or sitting at a desk with an arcade stick on my lap just did not equal the thrill of standing at a cabinet and playing on actual arcade hardware. I have long owned some very nice arcade-style fightsticks by companies like Hori, Agetec, and MadCatz, and swear by all of them for playing shmups or fighters on consoles. ![]() This past summer I decided to take a leap that a lot of retro gaming enthusiasts ponder, but far too few ever follow through with: I decided to add some kind of dedicated arcade experience to my gaming setup. Summer of the DIY Arcade, Part 1: The iCade ![]()
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