I previously bought a ION iCade which turns your iPad into an arcade machine.  This work the same way but turns your smart phone into a gaming device like a DS or PSP.  This gamepad works with any iOS device like the iPhone, Touch and iPad as well as other Android devices.  What’s interesting is the packaging/instructions doesn’t make any mention of Apple, iOS, iPhone, Touch or iPad.  It only mentions Android though.  However if you go to www.gametel.se, you’ll find that it does indeed work with iOS devices.

My iPhone attaches nicely to the clasp horizontally.  It probably would be asking too much to attach it vertically.  Some shoot ’em up games like Shogun are vertical and can’t be played in the horizontal position.  You can also just use it as a wireless gamepad for your iOS/Android tablet or even PC.  It has 4 modes, Android, iCade (iOS), gamepad (PC) and keyboard (PC). With all these modes, it’s compatible with pretty much everything.

It’s an alternative to the iControlpad.  What sets this apart is the cleverly designed clasp to fit various devices even with their cases on.  So why choose this over the iControlpad?  I chose the Gametel because of the design.  I felt the mechanism to grip on the device was more elegant than the iControlpad.  The iCP seems to have a lot of parts that can be lost.  It almost seems like you’re putting a puzzle together.  The iCP has it’s merits, like the dual analog nubs, but most games won’t use them any ways.  I know all the games I play won’t need analog controls since I’m not an FPS fan.

More and more games in the Appstore supporting the iCade.  Which is a great thing because, the Gametel can run in iCade mode to work with them.  A few of my favourite iCade compatible games include Ice Rage, CrossfireHD, EnbornX, Retro Racing and Terra Noctis.  Here is a list of games that work with the Gametel and iCade.

Where this kind of device really shines is emulators.  This requires a jailbroken or rooted device to load emulators.  This opens up your gaming library back decades.  Arcade, SNES, NES, Genesis, GBA, etc are all available to play once you have them installed.  Literally thousands of games.

iOS/Android is a great platform for games but not all games work well with touch controls.  So devices like the iCP or Gametel makes these portable devices much like Sony PSP’s and DS’s.  If you’re a classic gamer, it’s a must have.  If like Angry Birds, then this probably won’t do much for you.