iCade loses the cabinet and gives iPhones a chance to play

You haven’t forgotten the iCade, have you? The somewhat out-of-reach arcade cabinet that gives the iPad tangible controls? Well, ION has announced the new less-arcadey iCade Core and the portable iCade Mobile, roping in iPhone and iPod touch users in for the fun.

The iCade Core ditches its arcade cabinet enclosure, leaving just the joystick and mashable buttons behind. The new iCade also has a slot for users to string in the Dock Connector cable for a simultaneous charge, while the controller saps the battery through use of Bluetooth. It also provides proper support for landscape orientation of the iPad.

The iCade Mobile boasts similar features, housing an iPhone or iPod touch in a rubber rim enclosure. It comes with a D-pad, 4 face buttons and 4 shoulder buttons, providing the full iCade experience on the go. The enclosure also swivels and locks around the centre to leave the iPhone in portrait or landscape orientation.

The iCade Core and iCade Mobile will be ready for the market in 2012.