The iCade might have started its life as an April Fools gag but, as Think Geek told us after the Internet went wild for the concept, some jokes have a way of becoming reality. The $100 iCade is now available, and we've had the chance to open one, assemble the hardware, and play for a number of hours. There are a few annoyances here, but this is an impressive way of adding physical controls to the iPad in a package that's both an instant conversation starter and small enough to fit on your desk.

I have yet to see anyone take a look at this thing and not immediately want to play it. My kids have been going ape playing the classic Atari games. It's easy to look past the hardware's uncertain future when the present is already so striking.

The iCade comes in a single box and requires some assembly. All you need is an allen wrench, so anyone familiar with Ikea furniture is going to be just fine; I was up and running in about 20 minutes. There is nothing to hook up or install when it comes to the iPad, it simply slides into the slot where the screen would be in a regular arcade machine.

The joystick and buttons connect via bluetooth, so you'll need to pair the iCade with your iPad. There is a diagram that shows which direction or button corresponds to which number to input when you're syncing the devices. Again, this is simple and only takes a minute. After that, the game automatically picks up on the controller and adjusts accordingly.

And there's the rub, at least for now: there is only one iPad app that works with the iCade, and that's Atari's Greatest Hits. Luckily, that bundle includes 100 games, but the entire bundle will cost you $15. If you'd like to get the hardware and every game that runs on it, you'll be spending around $115 all told. You can see the list of games available via in-app purchases online, and both the number of games and their quality is exceptional. Tempest? That's there. Asteroids? Yup. Centipede? You know it.

The SDK has been released, however, and we've been told that there are multiple teams working on different projects for the iCade. We'll continue to report on new games for the platform as they come out, but this is a review of the current product. Luckily, you have a good variety of classic games to play, including Battlezone, Lunar Lander, Super Breakout, and many more.

I've included a short video of my son playing with the iCade, trying to figure out some of the classic games. These games don't hold your hand for the first 30 minutes like we're used to, and to my delight he took to them like a duck to water, playing for as long as we let him. For children, these games aren't a dated look into our past, they're vital action games that play out in their imagination. I can't buy him an arcade to play in, so he can't enjoy the same experience I had as a youth, but this is close.

The hardware

Once you have everything installed and running, you'll get a chance to sit down and enjoy the hardware. There are eight concave buttons with the shallowest of bowls. They require a heavy finger to push, but there's nothing wrong with a stiff, loud button. The joystick itself is digital, and is actually a little looser than I would prefer. Still, these are passing concerns, and both the button and the joystick worked well under heavy use. I tend to abuse controls when I play arcade-style games, and the iCade held up under my heavy hand.

This is an attractive, capable piece of hardware that does exactly what you want it to do: it makes you feel like you're playing on a slightly smaller than average arcade machine. For $100 this is certainly a niche product, but it's also worth the money you're paying for it, and will look great in your office or home. Let's just hope the developers use the tools available and add more supported games.

Verdict: Buy