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.
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ThinkGeek unveils pocket-sized D-Pad, leveling up the gaming experience of iOS and Android smartphones and tablets
FAIRFAX, VA – February 13, 2012 – ThinkGeek is set to unveil its newest product, iCADE 8-Bitty, at the 2012 Toy Fair in New York City. Its big brother, the iCADE gaming cabinet, began as an April Fool's joke and soon became the most anticipated ThinkGeek product to date. The iCADE 8-Bitty will bring the magic of the iCADE to the pockets of smartphone and tablet users by delivering an enhanced gaming experience everyone can enjoy.
"We're excited to extend on the success of the original iCADE," said Ty Liotta, head of ThinkGeek's GeekLabs. "And with millions of iOS and Android devices in circulation it only makes sense to widen the field and bring the fun of iCADE to every possible device."
The iCADE 8-Bitty is a wireless game controller that sports a classic D-Pad and button layout reminiscent of retro 8-bit game consoles from the 80's and 90's. The 8-Bitty is battery powered, and connects with your device wirelessly. It features a fully-functional directional game pad and eight buttons, just like the iCADE.
The 8-Bitty supports the iCADE's growing list of hundreds of top games, including the Atari Classics collection, Pac Man, Super Mega Worm, and many more. Developers of iOS and Android games can tap into the public API specification to make just about any game compatible with iCADE, and the list of supported games grows every week. More information on compatible games can be found on ThinkGeek's website at http://thinkgeek.com/iCADEGames.
The iCADE 8-Bitty will be available later this year for $24.99 at ThinkGeek.com. To see it up close at Toy Fair, stop by the ThinkGeek booth #3125
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