I know what you’re thinking, taking your iPad and making it into an old dusty relic like an arcade machine is just silly. After all, Apple has stated that this thing is a game changer, and it will do everything that a lapto…er..comput…er..smart phone can do and then some! Well forget all those applications and fancy schmancy technological functionality and let’s get down to what the real purpose of the iPad really is: A really expensive toy to play games on.
Now I have to admit it’s pretty clever to turn this iPad into it’s own gaming unit, but given that it’s thin, compact, and looks like a computer monitor you can carry around, it seems to lend itself well to this arcade machine conversion. The physical controls help to alleviate some of the annoyances of a touch screen when playing older arcade games as well. The maker, Freekade, built something that looks a little bit like a similar model we saw at Thinkgeek, the iCade, just less flashy. But I’m a function over form kinda guy, so I really don’t mind so much. Besides the model that was featured over at Thinkgeek wasn’t actually fully functional either. This is the genuine article. The real deal, as it were, even if it is just a prototype at present.
As the video states, this doesn’t use VNC type client controls, everything functions locally on the iPad itself, allowing you to plop it just about anywhere and get your arcade gaming fix. The model is a working prototype but hopefully there will be some more final builds out there that look a little more pleasing to the eyes. I mean I’m sure they could put together a cool lego arcade machine using the iPad or maybe they could give it a nice looking Pokemon skin arcade machine. Who doesn’t like Pokemon anyway? Deep down we are all Pokemon fans I’m sure, even if we don’t like to admit it (shh).
Via: SlashGear
