iPad Arcade Cabinet 'iCade' Now Shipping

MacRumors · 01:12 AM

What started as a ThinkGeek April Fools joke has now become reality. The $99 iCade iPad arcade cabinet is now shipping to early customers. The iCade offers iPad users an arcade cabinet shell to slide your iPad in and use the physical joystick and buttons to play games. Our sister site TouchArcade has already received theirs and has been putting it through the paces:

Quote:

The iCade comes packaged unassembled. The box contains the main control unit, two side panels, a back panel, a handy flip-up top panel with instructions printed on the inside face, a lovely red joystick knob, screws, batteries, and a set of instructions. Getting the unit together with the help of the illustrated assembly sheet is about 5 to 10 minutes' work.

Out of the box, the iCade supports Atari's Greatest Hits iPad app which offers 100 classic Atari games in a single package. Almost every Atari game is already supported with the iCade. The included instructions show how different controls are mapped to the iCade:

As figured out by @thatdecade, the iCade simply sends out two-letter sequences for each button or joystick movement. That means it should be trivial for any iOS game developer to build in support for the iCade into their future games.

Overall the controls seem solid and a welcome addition to these classic games.

Quote:

I found tearing through these classic games on the iCade to be everything I'd hoped it to be. On the whole, it's just an awesome experience. Holding the stick in your hand, hearing the switches click open and shut, and mashing the fire buttons is absolutely the way these classic games were meant to be played. A proper stick in your hand beats a virtual D-pad every time.

At present, the Atari game pack seems to be the only app to support the iCade. There do seem to be a few frustrations with the iCade acting like a Bluetooth keyboard. For example, when paired, the iPad won't bring up a virtual keyboard in text entry fields as it thinks the iCade is actually a keyboard.

The iCade is available from ThinkGeek but presently is on backorder.

Article Link: iPad Arcade Cabinet 'iCade' Now Shipping

iSee · May 24, 2011, 03:12 PM

I just love this thing! It is awesomely stupid/cool.
I can't quite bring myself to shell out the $$$ though (I know I would not really use it).

jowie · May 24, 2011, 04:43 PM

Fantastic they actually created it! But shame it doesn't look as cute as the original

jtgotsjets · May 24, 2011, 10:05 PM

Um, both the quotes in the article are the same quote.

Michael383 · May 25, 2011, 12:06 AM

I'm glad to see this go into production and not surprised it's currently on backorder. If I had an iPad I'd probably have ordered one.

Born Again · May 25, 2011, 12:14 AM

it's cute but really?

i imagine that will get as much play as a used condom would

b0blndsy · May 25, 2011, 03:46 AM

Wonder if someone will use this 99$ stuff.

nate13 · May 25, 2011, 07:59 AM

now all someone has to do is buy 20 iPads, these things, and rent a place downtown and BLAMO! Arcades are back! haha... wishful thinking maybe, but cool peripheral nonetheless

guzhogi · May 25, 2011, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nate13

now all someone has to do is buy 20 iPads, these things, and rent a place downtown and BLAMO! Arcades are back! haha... wishful thinking maybe, but cool peripheral nonetheless

That would be so fun! Now if only I had the money…

toddybody · May 25, 2011, 03:08 PM

Dont get me wrong, its definitely a cool thing...just not worth the money

Minimoose 360 · May 31, 2011, 01:12 PM

Shut up and take my money!

ipedro · Apr 8, 2012, 04:40 AM

Sorry to revive an old thread but I'm wondering if anybody who's purchased the iCade can tell me if the coin slot leads anywhere. It would be cool to use the iCade as a piggy bank for quarters.

derbladerunner · Apr 8, 2012, 12:26 PM

I would be interested if anyone had experienced issues with the new iPad (3) and iCade ? Since measurements are about the same it should work fine ? Other problems ? Thanks.

ipedro · 02:02 PM

I've heard it works perfectly with the iPad 3. What I'm wondering is if Ion is planning an updated iCade with Bluetooth 4 which would be ideal for this kind of use.

Also, is it possible to update iCade's firmware should an iOS update break support?

rhett7660 · Apr 9, 2012, 03:28 PM

I have one, works fine with iPad 3. I just wish more games were made available or could take advantage of it.

May 24, 2011, 03:12 PM	#2
iSee macrumors 68030 Join Date: Oct 2004	I just love this thing! It is awesomely stupid/cool. I can't quite bring myself to shell out the $$$ though (I know I would not really use it). __________________ "Nobody ever reads these things so I can write anything. I'd eat bananas every day if they were crunchy."
	0

May 24, 2011, 10:05 PM	#4
jtgotsjets macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Lawrence, KS	Um, both the quotes in the article are the same quote. __________________ -24" iMac, 2.66 GHz C2D, 4 GB RAM
	0

May 25, 2011, 12:14 AM	#6
Born Again Banned Join Date: May 2011 Location: Norcal	it's cute but really? i imagine that will get as much play as a used condom would
	-1

May 25, 2011, 07:59 AM	#8
nate13 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Fargo, ND	now all someone has to do is buy 20 iPads, these things, and rent a place downtown and BLAMO! Arcades are back! haha... wishful thinking maybe, but cool peripheral nonetheless __________________ MBP Uni 2.53
	0

May 31, 2011, 01:12 PM	#11
Minimoose 360 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: NY	Shut up and take my money! __________________ iPhone 5 64GB 'HAL 9000' - 17"MacBook Pro 2.93GHz, 320GB 7200rpm, 4GB RAM 'Skynet' - Phenom II BE X6 @4.0GHz, RadeonHD 6950 XXX 2GB (2)CrossFireX @ 925MHz, 8GB RAM @ 1600MHz
	0

May 24, 2011, 04:43 PM	#3
jowie macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: London ish	Fantastic they actually created it! But shame it doesn't look as cute as the original
	0

May 25, 2011, 12:06 AM	#5
Michael383 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2011	I'm glad to see this go into production and not surprised it's currently on backorder. If I had an iPad I'd probably have ordered one.
	0

May 25, 2011, 03:46 AM	#7
b0blndsy Banned Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Illinois	Wonder if someone will use this 99$ stuff.
	0

May 25, 2011, 03:08 PM	#10
toddybody Guest Join Date: May 2010 Location: On Mars, thinking about my father...	Dont get me wrong, its definitely a cool thing...just not worth the money
	0

Apr 8, 2012, 04:40 AM	#12
ipedro macrumors 68000 Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Toronto, ON	Sorry to revive an old thread but I'm wondering if anybody who's purchased the iCade can tell me if the coin slot leads anywhere. It would be cool to use the iCade as a piggy bank for quarters. __________________ iMac 27" i7 \| MacBook Pro 17" 2009 \| iPhone5 \| iPad3 \| tv \| Time Capsule
	0

Apr 8, 2012, 12:26 PM	#13
derbladerunner macrumors regular Join Date: Sep 2005	I would be interested if anyone had experienced issues with the new iPad (3) and iCade ? Since measurements are about the same it should work fine ? Other problems ? Thanks.
	0

Apr 9, 2012, 01:52 PM	#14
ipedro macrumors 68000 Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Toronto, ON	I've heard it works perfectly with the iPad 3. What I'm wondering is if Ion is planning an updated iCade with Bluetooth 4 which would be ideal for this kind of use. Also, is it possible to update iCade's firmware should an iOS update break support? __________________ iMac 27" i7 \| MacBook Pro 17" 2009 \| iPhone5 \| iPad3 \| tv \| Time Capsule Last edited by ipedro; Apr 9, 2012 at 02:02 PM.
	0

Apr 9, 2012, 03:28 PM	#15
rhett7660 macrumors 604 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sunny, Southern California	I have one, works fine with iPad 3. I just wish more games were made available or could take advantage of it. __________________ "It's quite an experience to hold the hand of someone as they move from living to dead." "Times are looking grim these days, holding on to everything, it's hard to draw the line"
	0


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