ION® iCade Arcade Cabinet for iPad® $49.99 In-Store or Online + $7.99 Shipping

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ION® iCade Arcade Cabinet for iPad® at Bed Bath & Beyond.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=18449218 OUT OF STOCK ONLINE


ION iCade for only $49.99 if you can find it locally, otherwise ship it for $7.99.

This is perfect for those of us who were able to get in on the iMAME4ALL app that sneaked into the App Store over the holidays and 50% off its original price.

If you're lucky enough to find it locally, you can use a junk email to sign up to their list and they will immediately send you a coupon for 20% off any one item in store only:

http://app.bedbathandbeyond.com/prefs/pref.cfm?src=header&

This will make it $39.99, great deal either way.

Good Luck.
 
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[quote name='Motoki']This is the the guide I used when I installed Android on my Touchpad back in October.

http://www.howtogeek.com/76960/how-to-install-android-on-your-hp-touchpad/

It's less wordy and more no-nonsense than the other guides which in some ways are meant to scare some people off I think.

One important difference in using that guide I linked though is do not use their link for "CyanogenMod 7.1.0 ALPHA 1" as it is outdated. The latest is Alpha 3.5 that you can get here.

If you still have issues PM and I will try and walk you through it. That is if you are using a PC to do the initial file transfer. I'm not really familiar with getting things to work on Macs so I wouldn't be a good person to ask about that.[/QUOTE]

Thanks a zillion and 2%!!!!!!!! And, LMAO @ the name of that 'goo' site! I like it! :D
 
So I was looking to see what other Android games might work with this thing. Supposedly No Gravity does, but I couldn't quite get it to work. It was detecting I had the Icade because it popped up the control layout for it on a splash screen but it just wasn't working.

Then I discovered something even more surprising, there's a WebOS version of No Gravity and it does work with the iCade. I had to set arcade mode on in the options > input but after that it works and the controls are pretty good, really responsive.

The one thing about the iCade on WebOS is that it detects it as a keyboard so when you are paired to it the touch keyboard is disabled. Don't connect to it when you want to type, just connect when you are ready to game and then disconnect when you are done.

AFAIK No Gravity is the only WebOS app that supports the iCade, unless a WebOS MAME comes out someday.
 
For some reason, I have to keep signing in when I try to message you, Motoki. I'm stuck on the 'command prompt' section. It keeps giving me all kinds of invalid type messages.
 
imame with this thing is pretty awesome. Really easy to set up thanks to YouTube.

Looks like there's around 2,000 games that work for it (I'm sure that includes some duplicates). Make sure you own the arcade PCB of the games you download! Nobody likes a pirate.

Wonder if anyone has successfully modded it with sanwa/seimitsus? That's something I'd be interested in doing.
 
[quote name='Motoki']The one thing about the iCade on WebOS is that it detects it as a keyboard so when you are paired to it the touch keyboard is disabled.[/QUOTE]

Same thing is true in iOS. The iCade works by sending keypress combinations when you press buttons/directions. That's why. It *is* a keyboard of sorts.
 
^Sounds like all controllers are "keyboards", then.

And, I haven't figured this FHJJK*****ing^$$^&*($$#w##$ chit out!!!! Why does it have to be so hardddddddd???!!!!!! :cry:
 
[quote name='ChunLiBarbie']^Sounds like all controllers are "keyboards", then.

And, I haven't figured this FHJJK*****ing^$$^&*($$#w##$ chit out!!!! Why does it have to be so hardddddddd???!!!!!! :cry:[/QUOTE]

Newer versions of Android are actually supposed to support proper controllers, but older versions like Gingerbread and Froyo, which the bulk of devices out there are still running, don't so they have to fake it by rigging something up with a keyboard device.
 
Can someone please figure out a better situation for the touchpad to fit in there? I'm afraid it's going to crack the base of the tablet's glass it's so tight.
 
[quote name='Finch106']Can someone please figure out a better situation for the touchpad to fit in there? I'm afraid it's going to crack the base of the tablet's glass it's so tight.[/QUOTE]

Landscape mode works fine and doesn't have that problem because it rests in the groove in front of the cabinet. Some games like Pac-Man though need to be played in portrait mode.

I should probably see if I can unscrew the plastic iPad cradle and maybe put another one in like the touchstone or something. Anyone try it yet?
 
Another possibly stupid question, I snagged iMame on my iPhone before it was pulled from the app store, but didn't download it on my iPad. If I sync my phone to my PC will I be able to transfer it to the iPad even though it's not a valid app on the app store anymore? I realize I could "just try it" but I won't have access to the iPad for a couple of days. Thanks!
 
Grabbed an open box one today for $11 after coupon and tax. Missing wall wart, but works perfect. Anyone know how long these puppies last on batteries?
 
[quote name='TravistyOJ']Grabbed an open box one today for $11 after coupon and tax. Missing wall wart, but works perfect. Anyone know how long these puppies last on batteries?[/QUOTE]

Not sure how long the batteries last as I've only had mine for a few days, but these don't come with an AC adapter so your open box wasn't missing it.

I've been playing MAME4Droid on this thing nonstop since I got it. Best $40 I ever spent.
 
[quote name='Dysheekie']Another possibly stupid question, I snagged iMame on my iPhone before it was pulled from the app store, but didn't download it on my iPad. If I sync my phone to my PC will I be able to transfer it to the iPad even though it's not a valid app on the app store anymore? I realize I could "just try it" but I won't have access to the iPad for a couple of days. Thanks![/QUOTE]


Yes, you can sync it even though its no longer in the app store.
 
[quote name='TravistyOJ']Grabbed an open box one today for $11 after coupon and tax. Missing wall wart, but works perfect. Anyone know how long these puppies last on batteries?[/QUOTE]

I've found Dollar Tree batteries to be better than either Duracell or Energizer(I forget which one), so I stick to those.

8 batteries for $1? SOLD!!!!!:applause::D
 
Any of you using this thing with a Preware HP Touchpad? That Android port got on my last nerve, so I just installed Preware and overclocked to 1.728.

Would like to start playing this thing! In the mean time, I will search for N64 games!:)
 
[quote name='TravistyOJ']Grabbed an open box one today for $11 after coupon and tax. Missing wall wart, but works perfect. Anyone know how long these puppies last on batteries?[/QUOTE]

It lasts quite a while. I haven't changed the batteries that came with it yet. I'm fairly surprised how long they last. Mind you I haven't been using it non-stop, but it has gotten quite a bit of use. I'll put Eneloop batteries in it once this set of alkalines die.
 
[quote name='ChunLiBarbie']Any of you using this thing with a Preware HP Touchpad? That Android port got on my last nerve, so I just installed Preware and overclocked to 1.728.

Would like to start playing this thing! In the mean time, I will search for N64 games!:)[/QUOTE]

Is there MAME for preware?
 
[quote name='Motoki']Landscape mode works fine and doesn't have that problem because it rests in the groove in front of the cabinet. Some games like Pac-Man though need to be played in portrait mode.

I should probably see if I can unscrew the plastic iPad cradle and maybe put another one in like the touchstone or something. Anyone try it yet?[/QUOTE]

I slid the touchstone in rested its edge on the iPad stand. It will fall back or forward if the touchstone's back leg isn't raised a little bit. I don't know if the base for iPad can be unscrewed or if it's all a solid piece.
 
[quote name='Finch106']Is there MAME for preware?[/QUOTE]

I don't know. Maybe I should go fix sammiches. :cry:

I SHALL prevaillll!!! :applause:
 
[quote name='Finch106']Is there MAME for preware?[/QUOTE]


Yes but it's still in the development stages. The developer is willing to add iCade support and seems to be trying to do it, but it's complicated by the fact that he doesn't own the iCade. :whistle2:/

See the thread here: http://forums.webosnation.com/hp-touchpad-homebrew/303015-mame4all-touchpad.html

The last half of page 2 and page three are mostly devoted to the developer communicated with people with iCades and trying to get a handle on how it works. Cross your fingers that he can make it work.

As for other WebOS apps that support the iCade, so far as far as I am aware only No Gravity does. I can personally vouch that it does work with the iCade paired to the Touchpad in WebOS.

The developer for Starstation Quixotic does own the iCade and has stated in a thread at WebOSNation that he will be adding iCade support in a future update for the game.

Also note that the iOS version of both No Gravity and Starstation Quixotic currently support iCade and are available in the Apple app store.
 
Let me say that you cannot simply unbolt the iPad holder from the iCade. It's true that the top and bottom plastic are separate pieces, but you will ruin it if you try and pull the holder off. I almost ruined it trying to cut it off, I need a dremel or hot knife to get to work on it. I've already made it ugly as sin. Back to the drawing board!
 
Thanks for the heads-up. Picked up the last one at my local Bed, Bath & Beyond on Friday and assembled it the next day (putting in the front pair of screws took a bit of effort). It's pretty spiffy. Looking forward to ThinkGeek's upcoming iCade cabinet skins!
 
Got it. Brain. Officially. Fried. That stupid f....ing 'how to geek' added a step and missed some other stuff causing me a brain tumor and an early death.

Anyway, thanks to YouTube and Google...I am overclocked to 1.728, have Android, as well as MAME! WOOP! Now. To find some games for this iCade.:applause:


My brain!:drool: :hot:

Thanks, again, Motoki for the CM7 link! :)
 
@ChunLiBarbie: Glad you finally got it working. The tricky part on getting the games is that the mobile versions of MAME are actually based on an old version, so you can just grab any old MAME game because they may not work.

If you search for MAME GP2X_Wiz 2.2 you should be able to find a good set though.

On an unrelated note, has anyone gotten an AC adapter to work on their iCade? I ordered this USB to 5.5mm / 2.1mm 5V DC Barrel Jack Power Cable on Amazon for $1.75. I'm hoping I can just plug it into one of my 5V usb AC adapter plugs for phones and run it off of that. I'll find out soon enough I suppose.
 
New Icade is announced at CES, 2 versions (one new one for tabs and new one for phones). Obviously this is why these are on clearance. Now i'll wait for 20 or less to get one of these knowing they are no longer in production.
 
The new one isn't nearly as fun looking. It also looks doubtful that it will be as stable, due to less wood/weight. I suppose that remains to be seen, though. Still, I'm glad I got an original for $40.
 
[quote name='slamoco']It connects by Bluetooth. And remember to enter the codes on the Touchpad and the Icade for it to connect to each other. I was frustrated because I was only entering the code on the Touchpad and it would not pair until I forced myself to read instructions, lol.[/QUOTE]

Thanks!

Glad I remembered reading something like that here! I was like....Oh no!:hot: Round 2!:whistle2:# Then I came back to your post.

In WebOs overclocked with Preware, etc... It gives 'random codes' to enter on the iCade, only.

On Android, it tells me to enter either 0000 or 1234. So, I typed the 4 number 0's on the Touchpad really fast and hit ok, then I used the iCade configuration(bottom row...far right black button is '0' then I used the far right bottom white button as enter *i know either white 1 is enter*) and pressed 0/zero 4 times, then enter and WALA!!!!!

I beat The Simpsons so fast! LOL!:D

[quote name='Motoki']@ChunLiBarbie: Glad you finally got it working. The tricky part on getting the games is that the mobile versions of MAME are actually based on an old version, so you can just grab any old MAME game because they may not work.

If you search for MAME GP2X_Wiz 2.2 you should be able to find a good set though.

On an unrelated note, has anyone gotten an AC adapter to work on their iCade? I ordered this USB to 5.5mm / 2.1mm 5V DC Barrel Jack Power Cable on Amazon for $1.75. I'm hoping I can just plug it into one of my 5V usb AC adapter plugs for phones and run it off of that. I'll find out soon enough I suppose.[/QUOTE]

Thanks! I will check them out! I have The Simpsons and 1942. Gotta get those Street Fighters And MvC's!!!!!! Chunli's gonna be kicking a** and taking names!!!!!!!! :D:applause:

______________________________________

The Hp Touchpad is a BAZILLION x's more AMAAAAZING than I thought!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:whistle2:o As well as the developers who have/are making it EXTRA Awesome!!!!!!!! Let's remember to DONATE to them, ya'll!!!!!!:D:applause:
 
[quote name='blitz6speed']New Icade is announced at CES, 2 versions (one new one for tabs and new one for phones). Obviously this is why these are on clearance. Now i'll wait for 20 or less to get one of these knowing they are no longer in production.[/QUOTE]

I wonder if the new one is going to be a true controller or still mess around with faking it through keyboard commands. I'm hoping the former as it will ultimately give more compatibility going forward. At very least it would be nice if you could remap the controls on the darned things. I have some mobile games that will work with keyboard directional arrow input, like Sonic, but there's no way I can change the controls on the icade to work that way.
 
I'm still wondering if there are any NES/SNES emulators that work with the iCade -- either on iOS or Android (or WebOS for that matter!)
 
I think we'll keep the iCade. My kids are really enjoying it:

AigxGTPCQAATLeK.jpg


Thanks for everyone's input in this thread.
 
That picture is cute!

[quote name='Dysheekie']I'm still wondering if there are any NES/SNES emulators that work with the iCade -- either on iOS or Android (or WebOS for that matter!)[/QUOTE]

Not that I am aware of on the Android or WebOS side and I think I've tried most of the well known ones to check. If someone knows different though by all means please let us know. On the iOS side I'm sure it'd have to be something off in the unofficial jailbroken community, but I really have no idea there.

There are however some old arcade versions for MAME of some of well known and not so well known NES titles like Ghosts and Goblins, Castlevania (under the Japanese title Akumajo Dracula) and Athena.
 
[quote name='Motoki']
Not that I am aware of on the Android or WebOS side and I think I've tried most of the well known ones to check. If someone knows different though by all means please let us know. On the iOS side I'm sure it'd have to be something off in the unofficial jailbroken community, but I really have no idea there.

There are however some old arcade versions for MAME of some of well known and not so well known NES titles like Ghosts and Goblins, Castlevania (under the Japanese title Akumajo Dracula) and Athena.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, I've been hunting around as well and haven't found anything yet. Hopefully a dev for one of the more popular emulators adds in support. I'd love to play some old NES/SNES games with the arcade stick. Until then I'll stick with mame.
 
Good news! There are now apps that let you remap the funky default iCade controls into something more normal that more games can use.

For iOS there's Blutrol. Note that it's a paid app ($6.99) and you must be jailbroken.

See here and here for more info.


For Android there is BluezIME which is free. Go here for the for the APK attachment. The developer just posted a test version for the iCade so it's not rolled out in the version on the Android Market yet, but I just gave it a quick run through on Sonic CD and it worked for me.

To install outside of the market you will need to have "Unknown Sources" checked off in Settings > Applications (if you have the Amazon market installed then you already did this). Then install the test version of BlueIME, go to Settings > Language and Keyboard and check off BluezIME, then go to BluezIME's settings and select your icade under select device (you may need to scan for it), select the Icade (HID) under device driver and then Select IME choose BluezIME. You should hopefully see a message it connected soon after that.

Optionally, you can configure the key mapping too. By default it uses fairly standard ones, so up is dpad up instead of the 'we' the icade sends, down is down etc.
 
I was really tempted to get one of these, but then I realized I could just use my Touchpad running Android, docked in the touchstone charging cradle and using my Wii controller to control the game. Not quite as nice as having a cabinet with a joystick and 6 buttons, but also takes up less space and doesn't cost anything since I already had an extra Wii controller.
 
New to this, so...

Thought I had to delete some games! They weren't taking 'coins'. Accidentally, I found that I had to turn the joystick in a circle then touch the 'coin' logo. Too bad I was twirling the heck out of my manual one, before realizing I have the onscreen 1!:hot:

Also, if I don't feel like finishing a game, so far I have been able to leave it playing(even if I turn off my Touchpad) and come back to it later, as long as I have beaten the enemies on the screen and haven't switched games.

It's like this thing was built for the Touchpad(i know iPad dimensions are similar)! Perfect fit in landscape or portrait!
 
[quote name='Motoki']Good news! There are now apps that let you remap the funky default iCade controls into something more normal that more games can use.

For iOS there's Blutrol. Note that it's a paid app ($6.99) and you must be jailbroken.

See here and here for more info.


For Android there is BluezIME which is free. Go here for the for the APK attachment. The developer just posted a test version for the iCade so it's not rolled out in the version on the Android Market yet, but I just gave it a quick run through on Sonic CD and it worked for me.

To install outside of the market you will need to have "Unknown Sources" checked off in Settings > Applications (if you have the Amazon market installed then you already did this). Then install the test version of BlueIME, go to Settings > Language and Keyboard and check off BluezIME, then go to BluezIME's settings and select your icade under select device (you may need to scan for it), select the Icade (HID) under device driver and then Select IME choose BluezIME. You should hopefully see a message it connected soon after that.

Optionally, you can configure the key mapping too. By default it uses fairly standard ones, so up is dpad up instead of the 'we' the icade sends, down is down etc.[/QUOTE]

This is awesome! Thanks for the info - I will try it tonight.

Edit: When I read the info from the BluezIME post - it sounds like there are some issues with an HP Touchpad running CM7 and connecting to the iCade. That's the setup I have so I hope I'm not out of luck.
 
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[quote name='Dysheekie']This is awesome! Thanks for the info - I will try it tonight.

Edit: When I read the info from the BluezIME post - it sounds like there are some issues with an HP Touchpad running CM7 and connecting to the iCade. That's the setup I have so I hope I'm not out of luck.[/QUOTE]

I am running the touch pad w cm7 & I did manage to get it to work. It doesn't always connect the first time but once it does it stays connected.

Make sure everything is set to the icade settings. Also the icade goes into sleep mode really fast sometimes so I wiggle the stick or push a button etc while bluexime is trying to connect to keep it active.
 
Sounds cool - I'll try tonight and will report back. I'm pretty excited about this as I was looking for a way to play NES/SNES games -- sounds like this will do the trick. Thanks again
 
Although I have not tested on an emulator yet, it should work for those. The stick works on pretty much every game I have tried. The buttons are a little trickier and may need to be remapped.

I still have to figure out what mapping for button mappings works for what apps, but hey I was playing GTA III on my iCade (at least with the stick for moving/steering) so that's pretty cool.

*Edit: Found another option for remapping the iCade controls on Android.

App: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.poke64738.usbjoy

Info: http://wiki.greenrobotgamer.com/index.php/Using_USB/BT_Joystick_Center_for_Most_Games

Note that this one is a paid app ($4.79) and it requires at least Android 3.2 or higher so Cyanogen Mod 7 users are out.
 
[quote name='Dysheekie']I'm still wondering if there are any NES/SNES emulators that work with the iCade -- either on iOS or Android (or WebOS for that matter!)[/QUOTE]

Have you tried Street Fighter 2 on it? That works well in MAME4droid with the iCade.... All 100(sarcasm) versions of SF2! LOL! Also, I could've sworn I had a HORRIBLE version of TMNT on NES, but this 1 looks good. Must be SNES(not Turtles In Time).

Oh yes, it has to be SNES. It reminds me of Turtles In Time.


I see the MvC's are MAME. Gonna try and figure out how to get those to play on here.
 
[quote name='ChunLiBarbie']Have you tried Street Fighter 2 on it? That works well in MAME4droid with the iCade.... All 100(sarcasm) versions of SF2! LOL! Also, I could've sworn I had a HORRIBLE version of TMNT on NES, but this 1 looks good. Must be SNES(not Turtles In Time).

Oh yes, it has to be SNES. It reminds me of Turtles In Time.


I see the MvC's are MAME. Gonna try and figure out how to get those to play on here.[/QUOTE]

I thought my iCade was going to be delivered yesterday but it was today -- so I haven't had a chance to try it yet. I'm going to build it tonight and then try some emulators. I'll let you know :)
 
After jumping through hoops to get this iCade, I finally put it together tonight...and it's defective. Moving the joystick to the left is unresponsive (no audible click either).

This really sucks. I had my local store call another out of state store to ship me one. Now I don't know if I should bring it back to BB&B or deal with the iCade company. Argh....
 
I will let this thread die after this post - just wanted to let people know that I was able to get NES/SNES emulators working with the iCade on my HP Touchpad running Cyanogenmod 7 (using the BluezIME app). It was a bit kludgy going through the setup but in the end it work. However, I found that a lot of SNES games are very difficult to play with an arcade stick -- due to less precision. Oh well, it's fun anyway.
 
Is the entire SNES library available for iMame4all? I've been checking out youtube videos but they mainly show arcade, and NES games.
 
There may be a handful of SNES games there were also arcade games - but definitely not the whole collection. To get those, you'd need to use an SNES emulator.
 
Right, MAME stands for Multi Arcade Machine Emulator so it's basically arcade games, while there are a fair number of classic games for various systems that started out as arcade games, you definitely won't get the entire library for NES/SNES/SMS/Genesis etc and certain genres that don't really work well in an arcade environment, like RPGs, Simulations etc, are pretty much entirely absent from MAME.

You can, however, remap the icades controls to something more standard with BluezIME and use it on pretty much any game or emulator. Like Dysheekie mentioned, it can take some finagling to get to connect, but I've found once it connects it does stay connected for the entire session without issues.

How the controls work and the responsiveness can vary somewhat between games, remember it's not a true controller but basically sending out keyboard strokes, but IMO it's still better than the touch controls for many games, which amounts 'virtual' sticks and pads most of the time. I'm really not a fan of the whole virtual stick thing.
 
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