I'm going to be honest, when Mad Catz announced the $300 controller/stand/keyboard/Bat'leth that is the LYNX 9, I thought the company had gone off the deep end. But their latest Bluetooth combo gadget actually looks sort of cool. Say hello to the The S.U.R.F.R (yeah, the names haven't gotten any better), a Bluetooth controller that crams in a thumb-sized keyboard in a pocket-friendly form factor. Mad Catz will be showing it off at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week.

The SURFR crams a Blackberry-style physical keyboard in between a full set of gaming keys. The layout itself is novel: the standard ABXY buttons surround a joystick on the right side, enabling controls for both standard 2D games and newer fare that relies on twin thumbsticks for movement. It also doubles as a mouse cursor - handy if you're using it for Android TV or in conjunction with an HDMI-out device. I can't tell whether it's possible or practical to use both the buttons and the stick at once, but I'm game to try it out.

The overall design isn't bad either. The SURFR includes extended palm grips for better comfort, standard trigger buttons, and a detachable clip for smartphones so it can switch between phones or tablets and set-top boxes. It will be available in three different colors and it will sell for $79.99, with an estimated retail launch set for May.