ThinkGeek, the creators of the iCade iPad gaming cabinet have upped the ante with a new Bluetooth enabled controller called the iCade 8-Bitty. The controller is roughly the size and layout of a classic NES controller, with an extra pair of A/B buttons on the right side and two shoulder buttons.

8 bitty
The 8-Bitty offers the same compatibility as the larger iCade cabinet, supporting all iCade-compatible titles and the iCade open development platform. It runs on two AAA batteries.

At the moment, this just an announcement of the 8-Bitty. Interested parties can join a mailing list to be notified when the controller goes on sale. The 8-Bitty will retail for $25 when it is released later this year.

Top Rated Comments

derkunstler Avatar
179 months ago
It was not an unsolicited submission. I was working with them towards securing a position as a creative designer. I created a series of samples within my portfolio to showcase what I could develop for them. Sadly they liked what they saw but felt it better to simply replicate some of my ideas rather than offer me a position. Its common in the design world these days. Thus why the graphic design field is dog eat dog and full of contempt and hate. There is a lot of bottomfeeding and plagiarism. It's simply the nature of the business now. But it does still hurt to see an idea you developed get used without your direct input. Then to read people's reactions to a design or 'look' you promoted. People think of the company as brilliant, yet it was me who promoted the retro graphics look for their products. If you do not believe me I can share with you my portfolio samples and you can see what was lifted. :(

But the fact is that there is no trust any more. Everything is fodder and everyone is material to be used in this industry. I went out on a limb and showed them a portfolio of material on their request. But I should have known what it was all about. Its all very common. I have some changes to make. Ideas are valuable. But there are people, especially in the usa, who disregard art and feel that original ideas are there for others to take without compensation. It is a blatant disregard for the value of art and creativity that has come to a serious crisis in this country. Art is taken for granted. Ideas or artists are often declared 'worthless' until there is something to steal. How can an artist be worthless and valuable at the same time? We wont hire you but we will lift concepts from you. I can not explain to you how angry this makes me. That is why this industry will continue to revolve around mediocrity. The people who are truly creative are held at bay, raped and eventually discarded. There is no respect for innovation or originality. There is only the all mighty buck. And saving a buck worth more than providing someone with potential a chance. That is a death sentence for any industry. It is only a matter of time. The economic depression isnt just about Bush, oil, credit and people living beyond their means. its about an industry selling out and abusing and excluding talent. It's about raping creativity as a resource.

But it doesn't matter. Its my fault I should have known. I was a fool to think that they would be honest with me. I have a lot of changes to make in how I prepare my portfolio. We live in evil times where the human element doesn't matter any more. People look at the atrocities going on in China at Foxcon. People need to look right in their backyard and see the kinds of things that take place right here. And why workers have 0 faith in business these days. Its just dog eat dog. Everyone and everything is fodder.




I must ask, why did you share it with them?

Apple has some pretty significant legalese about unsolicited submissions and how they automatically own all of them so if someone submits something and they come out with something similar, they can't be sued.

In my experience, folks are way too free with unsolicited submissions.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
toddybody Avatar
179 months ago
Pretty overpriced IMO.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclardy Avatar
179 months ago
Now this is awesome. $25 and works with all iCade games? Yes please.

This + iPad/iPhone 4S + Airplay mirroring (or HDMI output) = awesome.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Loafer Avatar
179 months ago
insta-buy for me (x2)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrat93 Avatar
179 months ago
I'm pretty satisfied with my iControlPad. I can't see myself buying this.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jlgolson Avatar
179 months ago
Yes it is, also the graphic design was indirectly based on some graphic designs I shared with Thinkgeek not so long ago. I feel really badly right now guys. I hope to contribute to their company one day and made an effort to. But to see this example that so closely matches a design I came up with is very upsetting to me.
I must ask, why did you share it with them?

Apple has some pretty significant legalese about unsolicited submissions and how they automatically own all of them so if someone submits something and they come out with something similar, they can't be sued.

In my experience, folks are way too free with unsolicited submissions.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps. More features and changes will follow in future ...
ios 26 1 liquid glass opaque

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass. The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
iphone air thickness

Apple Said to Cut iPhone Air Production Amid Underwhelming Sales

Friday October 17, 2025 8:29 am PDT by
Apple plans to cut production of the iPhone Air amid underwhelming sales performance, Japan's Mizuho Securities believes (via The Elec). The Japanese investment banking and securities firm claims that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are seeing higher sales than their predecessors during the same period last year, while the standard iPhone 17 is a major success, performing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones Coming Soon

Friday October 17, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released by the end of next week. Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
Apple iPad Pro hero M5

New iPad Pro Has Six Key Upgrades Beyond M5 Chip

Saturday October 18, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
While the new iPad Pro's headline feature is the M5 chip, the device has some other changes, including N1 and C1X chips, faster storage speeds, and more. With the M5 chip, the new iPad Pro has up to a 20% faster CPU and up to a 40% faster GPU compared to the previous model with the M4 chip, according to Geekbench 6 results. Keep in mind that 256GB and 512GB configurations have a 9-core CPU,...
iPhone Siri Glow

Some Apple Employees Have 'Concerns' About iOS 26.4's Revamped Siri

Sunday October 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by
iOS 26.4 is expected to introduce a revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, but not everyone is satisfied with how well it works. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said some of Apple's software engineers have "concerns" about the overhauled Siri's performance. However, he did not provide any specific details about the shortcomings. iOS 26.4 will...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple's Next Rumored Products: New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and More

Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year. The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
m4 macbook air blue

M5 MacBook Air Coming Spring 2026 With M5 Mac Studio and Mac Mini in Development

Thursday October 16, 2025 3:57 pm PDT by
Apple plans to launch MacBook Air models equipped with the new M5 chip in spring 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple is also working on M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models that will come early in the year. Neither the MacBook Pro models nor the MacBook Air models are expected to get design changes, with Apple focusing on simple chip upgrades. In the case of the MacBook Pro, a m...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New 14-Inch MacBook Pro Has Two Key Upgrades Beyond the M5 Chip

Thursday October 16, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with an M5 chip, and there are two key storage-related upgrades beyond that chip bump. First, Apple says the new 14-inch MacBook Pro offers up to 2× faster SSD performance than the equivalent previous-generation model, so read and write speeds should get a significant boost. Apple says it is using "the latest storage technology," ...