07.05
Here on Technology Bytes we always take great joy in reporting the various April Fools jokes perpetrated by the various tech sites around the Internet. One of the more popular was an item advertised at ThinkGeek as the iCade. A device that would turn your iPad into a retro Atari gaming console. This was April Fools Day 2010.
The fake device received a LOT of attention, even from other tech sites. SlashGear called the iCade a “fake with real promise.” Engadget editor-in-chief Joshua Toplovsky tweeted out “man, I SO want the iCade to be real!” Waxy said it was “particularly cruel, because it’s an awesome idea that needs to exist.”
Fast forward to, well…now. ThinkGeek has actually made the iCade a reality.
The iCade is a really clever device. It doesn’t actually plug into you iPad. It connects as a bluetooth device that is paired with your iPad.
Once you assemble the iCade (comes with necessary tools, much like a piece of Ikea furniture) you simply follow the instructions to pair it with your iPad.
You will need to download the Atari Greatest Hits from the Apple app store. The free version contains Missile Command. For an additional fee you can purchase additional games. There’s everything from Asteroids (and Asteroids Deluxe) to Swordquest. 18 classic Atari arcade games and 92 Atari 2600 games. 100 in all.
The iCade is pretty solid and the controls work well enough. It does take a little getting used to being so small. But it is a real hoot and quite a trip down memory lane.
