Midway Arcade Adds iCade Support - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Midway Arcade Adds iCade Support

by

midwayarcadeMidway Arcade, a collection of classic Midway video games ported to the iOS, has received an update adding support for the iCade iPad gaming add-on. The iCade started life as a ThinkGeek April Fool's joke, but has since become a well-supported iOS game controller. Ion Audio, the company behind the iCade, announced new versions of the product at CES this year.

TouchArcade, writing about the update:

Morphing drug pushers into plumes of viscera and leg parts has never been easier, thanks to the latest update to Midway Arcade. The arcade collection app, which features tons of classic arcade titles including NARC and Rampage, now features iCade support. We spent a moment or two in the app this morning and can confirm that the added support is sharp. We can also confirm that NARC is still the greatest game that has ever been made.

The iCade is available from ThinkGeek for $99.99.

Midway Arcade is available for $0.99 on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

187 months ago
I assure you, your finger is aware of whether it's going left or right without a joystick.

Regarding virtual buttons, they should be done away with. Use gestures aware of relative motion (direction, speed, duration... number of fingers... you can get well into the hundreds for number of distinct gestures a single hand can make... you need only come up with a dozen or two to emulate even the most complicated of controllers.)

All of your comments are spoken like an educated person that understands software/hardware interaction.

And not like a person that has ever played a video game.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Moonjumper Avatar
187 months ago
It's to give you a joystick and buttons so you can play these emulations the way the way the originals were played.

I, as a developer, wonder whether it makes sense to make all new games that use the iCade instead of a multitouch surface. (Clearly offscreen joystick is better than onscreen multitouch in some cases, but wouldn't an offscreen multitouch be better than an offscreen joystick in those cases?)

A joystick provides physical feedback, something a multitouch screen does not. That is the main point of iCade.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
187 months ago
Why is it I can't help but feel the real winner here is ThinkGeek?

The iCade is $99.99... How much of that is Midway collecting? Apple? How much covers the bills at ThinkGeek and how much is pure profit?

Every company has a right to price their products or services as they see fit. If you don't like the price, then don't buy it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
187 months ago

A joystick? That's not new. And TBH, I think the iCade should just be multitouch surface that doesn't obscure the iOS screen.
You apparently have no idea what the purpose of the iCade is.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Moonjumper Avatar
187 months ago
Is it necessary to have physical feedback, though?

What if you could just see what was happening?

I think the issue with onscreen touch isn't so much the lack of being able to feel it so much as the lack of being able to perceive it in any way.

Your thumb is on the screen, thus obscuring a portion of the screen... potentially the only portion where the visual cue is. Separate the touch surface from the screen, though, and you can always see everything. You don't need to feel the joystick, because you already felt how far / fast your finger moved, and you can see the results on the screen.

Physical feedback is important for many games. You just don't have the precision without it. On arcade games you want to know precisely how close you are to changing the input from left to right for example. And fingers can miss virtual buttons with ease.

Some games don't need it, some can be made to work without, but would benefit from tactile controls, while others are greatly compromised.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
satcomer Avatar
187 months ago
I'm looking at it from a developer standpoint, not a consumer standpoint.

I'm wondering whether I should make my apps compatible with the iCade. Ultimately, I decide not to.

Then again, I'm planning on making my future Mac OS x games require multitouch (not just support - require.) Why? I feel multitouch has some real potential that hasn't been realized yet in desktop video games. Simply using the gestures in Mac OS is fun - I think replacing keyboard / mouse with a multitouch surface can lead to some intuitive and fun (and new) gameplay mechanics.

A joystick? That's not new. And TBH, I think the iCade should just be multitouch surface that doesn't obscure the iOS screen.

Well classic games (such as Pac-Man, Astroids, etc.) that were developed for smash buttons and joystick would be a great app for the iCade!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Skipping iPhone 18 This Year

Apple Skipping iPhone 18 Launch This Year

Wednesday August 12, 2026 6:59 am PDT by
Apple supplier Pegatron today indirectly confirmed that the standard iPhone 18 model will not be released until next year, according to a new report. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Pegatron held an earnings call for the second quarter of 2026 today. On the call, Taiwan's Economic Daily News said Pegatron indicated that one of its customers will be changing its...
iPhone 18 Pro Rumored Colors

What's Coming in September: New iPhones, Apple Watches and More

Thursday August 13, 2026 4:20 pm PDT by
Apple will introduce at least five new devices at its iPhone-centric event next month, and it's also possible we'll get devices waiting on Siri AI like the Apple TV. iPhone 18 Pro The iPhone 18 Pro is going to look like the iPhone 17 Pro, but with a smaller Dynamic Island. It's getting some internal updates, including a new Wide camera with a variable aperture for more control over lighting ...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Tuesday August 11, 2026 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a recent report, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition, the...