5 Cool Game Gear for iPhone and iPad

When it comes to gaming on the iPhone and iPad, there’s no lack of cool accessories available. Be it cases, dongles, or props, there are plenty of gadgets to take your experience to the next level. It’s impossible to list every single gaming accessory for the iPad and iPhone, so we’ve decided to narrow the list down to five top picks, each of which will provide you with a completely unique gaming experience.

The iCade 8-Bitty ($24.99, thinkgeek.com) If you’re a fan of the old-school 8-bit gaming generation that produced classics like Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario Bros, and Castlevania, but have diffi - culty playing them on an iPhone because your thumbs cover up most of the display or the onscreen buttons don’t offer the same level of sensitivity of a “real” controller, you may enjoy the 8-Bitty. Created by ThinkGeek, makers of the iCade, the 8-Bitty is a wireless tactile controller for your iPad and iPhone. It features a D-Pad, four face buttons, and start and select buttons. The 8-Bitty already supports hundreds of games on the App Store, and developers can create games with 8-Bitty support, free of charge, so the list of games should only grow.

JOYSTICK-IT ($8.99 for iPhone; $14.99 for iPad, thinkgeek.com) If carrying around a controller in your pocket isn’t your style, but you still want that physical sensation when playing games on your iPhone or iPad, then Think- Geek’s JOYSTICK-IT may be the solution. It safely adheres to your device’s display via suction, and allows you to play thousands of games, from old arcade titles to fi rst-person shooters. When you’re fi nished, simply pull up, and the JOYSTICK-IT pops right off. This handy accessory works with any device that features a capacitive touch screen and is small enough to carry in your pocket.

Spin Master Appfinity AppBlaster Toy Gun ($24.99, bestbuy.com) If you’re a fan of fi rst-person shooter games, you may really dig the AppBlaster by Spin Master. Simply lock your iPhone or iPod touch in place on the top of the gun, download a few of the supported games, and start shooting. The AppBlaster utilizes not only the iPhone’s accelerometer, but also its gyroscope, allowing you to physically control the game’s camera, turning left, right, up, and down. The only downside to the AppBlaster is that it doesn’t work with every game in the App Store.

Atari Arcade for iPad ($59.99, atari.com) Much like the iCade by Think- Geek, the Atari Arcade allows users to dock their iPads (any generation) and play a massive collection of classic Atari games (like Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command) by simply downloading the Atari’s Greatest Hits app (free, app2.me/4844). The only downside to this accessory is that it really only works with Atari’s app, so unless you’re a die-hard nostalgic gamer, the $60 price tag may be a little too much.

Parrot AR. Drone 2.0 Quadricopter ($299, amazon.com) One of the coolest gaming accessories out there is the AR. Drone 2.0 by Parrot. This Quadricopter takes fl ight and is controlled entirely by your iOS device. The Drone is well built and features incredibly tight controls for accurate fl ying. It also records 720p HD footage with a wide-angle lens while in fl ight, and you can then share your video with the FreeFlight app (free, app2. me/5218). The hull of the device can even be changed with the fl ip of a button for indoor/outdoor use, and it can do awesome fl ips that’ll impress your friends. The price tag is a little steep, as this is no child’s toy, but it certainly promises a lot of fun for any game-and-gadget-loving adult.

Source.iPhone Life Magazine 2012-11-12