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Being a cute and cuddly critter must really suck. It seems like the more adorable something is, the more likely it'll be harassed by zombies or space aliens or something. In the case of Kung Fu Rabbit it's decidedly the latter. An entire village of fluffy bunny children has been abducted and it's up to the lone remaining Kung Fu master to bring them all home.

Players will jump, slide, wall-jump/slide and beat the tar out of baddies throughout 70 levels. With two different difficulty modes, no less. Carrots can be earned and spent on various accouterments, lending a bit of a personal touch to each individual's rabbit. Some will no doubt also like to know that Kung Fu Rabbit will support Airplay (720p), iCloud and the iCade.

Release details are still a bit lacking in specificity, but Kung Fu Rabbit should be making its way onto the App Store in early March. There's also no official word on a price, but it's going to be universal so at least we know

A thousand leagues of evil under the sea…

On This Episode:

Carter speaks to Tunde Olatunji, one of the developers of The Battle of the Wordsmiths to discuss the game, its origins in Yoruba artwork, and the ambitious plans he has for the game and its overarching universe.

Carter speaks to Derek Doucett of Ravenous Games about League of Evil 2, discussing the new art style, supporting old devices, and the challenges faced by the new iCade models that are coming out.

Who We Are:

Host: Carter Dotson

Guest: Tunde Olatunji, Olatunji World

Guest: Derek Doucett, Ravenous Games

Music:

"Beatnes7 (Theme to The Portable Podcast)" by The Eternal - Download on iTunes here:

"Nanocarp" by The Eternal

How to Listen:

Click Here to Subscribe in iTunes:

Click Here to Subscribe via RSS.

Listen Here: [powerpress]

Apps Mentioned on This Episode:

Those rascals at ThinkGeek are at it again, today unveiling the iCADE 8-Bitty, a physical controller for use with iOS games. The 8-Bitty sports a traditional d-pad, as well as four face buttons, two shoulder buttons, and start/select. The 8-Bitty is battery powered and connects to any iOS device wirelessly, and can be used to play any game that supports the iCADE API. Tired of tapping the screen to play Super Mega Worm? Well that won't be a problem much longer.

ThinkGeek has announced that the 8-Bitty will retail for $24.99 and should go on sale sometime later this year. If you happen to be at Toy Fair you can get a look at the 8-Bitty up close and personal, just don't try and steal it because I'm pretty sure ThinkGeek deploys at least three snipers at such events. If you are going to attempt a snatch and grab then please remember to run in a serpentine pattern.

One of the concerns with 60beat’s GamePad has been whether the device would see enough support from developers to make it worthwhile. As promised by 60beat back when it was announced, February has rolled around and some titles are beginning to support the 60beat.

Both Alien Space and Alien Space Retro from Owens Rodriguez have been updated to support the 60beat. Given the number of dual-stick shooters on iOS and the lack of analog joysticks on the external controller frontrunner, the iCade, dual stick games could spearhead 60beat support thanks to its unique-to-this-platform functionality.

Katana Jack, a game that claims to have had its graphics hand-painted on the iPad, has also been updated with support for the 60beat. It also supports the Gametel controller, the iCade, and iControlPad, so this free app is a must-download for anyone with an external iOS game controller, if only because it supports them all.

There’s also No Gravity, a game which started life way back in the days of PSP homebrew development, before seeing legitimate releases on PSN, and now on iOS. Both the Lite and full versions of the game support the controller.

There are likely to be more titles that support the controller, and its particular advantages may prove to be a boon to developers looking to support external controls in their games. The total list of games that support the GamePad is available here.

Ion Audio is getting a ton of press over the new iCades and my personal favorite their Guitar Apprentice, but Guitarlink Air looks pretty cool too. Announced at CES 2012, the system connects a guitar to Mac, PC, iPad or iPhone wirelessly. Guitarlink Air’s uses what it calls “high performance, low-latency technology.” The transmitter, a lightweight clip-on to a guitar strap funnels a 2.4 GHz signal that is amplified by an amp or digital output source without the annoyance or constraints of a cables.

Rockers can also use Guitarlink Air and an iOS device to practice with headphones or in conjunction with apps like AmpliTube and Garageband^. and a free amp is included. The package, scheduled for a Q2 release, comes with Guitar Rig LE software that, according to Ion’s press release “shapes guitar sound with emulations of classic amplifiers and effects pedals.” No word yet on price, but its yet another one from Ion Audio for the wish list.

Remember April Fool’s day 2010? ThinkGeek showcased a retro-fied iPad cabinet, complete with 70’s Mork-suspender's striping as a gag. Well, the laugh was short-lived, as the product took hold and became a top seller. At CES 2012, as we reported, ION AUDIO, who make the real product, announced a new line-up of iOS gear including a line of streamlined iPad controllers with the same arcade style 8-point joystick and 8 buttons, and for the small iOS screens, a controller-case that most resembles the PSP.

But, as 148apps writer Jenifer Allen pointed out in her coverage of the Gametel Controller: There’s “no use [for add-on controllers] without good software support.”

Like many, I’ve been holding out for one very special arcade classic that screams joystick like no other: NAMCO BANDAI’s PAC-MAN for iPad. Actually I’m lying, I really want Ms PAC-MAN, which if the product shot from ION’s press release is any indication is coming soon, but I’ll more likely consider ponying up for just the little male yellow chomper. And now he and his ghostly nemeses are officially iCade compatible.

In the press release Fred Galpern, Brand Manager, at ION says. “It’s thrilling to add Pac-Man to the list of iCADE compatible games … adding this beloved classic is truly exciting.” Thrilling may be overstatement, but if this signals a general alliance with NAMCO BANDAI, and other old-school gamehouses, the exuberance on ION’s part, and mine, is well founded.

Crates, boxes, and velocispiders, oh my!

On This Episode:

Carter discusses the recent release of Super Crate Box with the game's developers, Vlambeer.

Carter and Gavin Bowman discuss the release of DoubleTake on Android, along with the recent new iCade peripheral announcements.

Who We Are:

Host: Carter Dotson

Guests: Rami Ismail & Jan Willem Nijman, Vlambeer

Guest: Gavin Bowman, Retro Dreamer

Music:

"Beatnes7 (Theme to The Portable Podcast)" by The Eternal - Download on iTunes here:

"Nanocarp" by The Eternal

How to Listen:

Click Here to Subscribe in iTunes:

Click Here to Subscribe via RSS.

Listen Here: [powerpress]

Apps Mentioned on This Episode:

Just as the death of arcades hasn't stopped Ion Audio from putting out cool, new iCade accessories, they aren't letting the decline of games like Guitar Hero keep them from getting into the plastic instrument race. However, like their previous Piano Apprentice iPhone accessory, the upcoming Guitar Apprentice isn't a game. Instead, it's a musical teaching tool.

The device is a full-sized guitar shell that the iPad docks into. The onscreen frets light up to show players where they need to place their fingers and whether or not they are strumming the right chords. From there, players can learn and record songs with compatible apps like GarageBand and Ion Audio's own upcoming Guitar Apprentice app.

The Guitar Apprentice accessory will soon hit retail for $99 in America before arriving in the rest of the world. If this works, imagine what other instruments Ion Audio could plug an iPad into. The second image shows that a drum accessory is in the works. What else could be coming? Saxophone Apprentice anyone?

Gaming on a touch screen is pretty effective. As our gaming review archives show, countless titles demonstrate what works so well for iOS devices. However, options are good and many gamers used to physical game controllers prefer to use input devices such as the iCade.

The iCade serves the arcade gaming market perfectly with its chunky, retro appearance but that doesn't mean there isn't room for a more traditional gaming controller. This is where Fructel's Gametel enters the picture and is set to provide plenty of great functionality to gamers.

Previously only compatible with Android smartphones and tablets, the Gametel clearly has the pedigree to be a great addition to the iOS peripheral market.

The device is smaller than other iOS focused controllers while still offering a 4 way joystick with 4 face buttons as well as 2 shoulder buttons on the back. Comfortable to use with a snug clamp to keep the iOS device steady while Bluetooth does its connectivity magic, the Gametel is looking great hardware wise. A nine hour battery life just goes to back up that idea.

That's no use without good software support, however. Fortunately, it's looking good for the console style controller with all iCade suite titles already supported as well as other iOS games such as No Gravity, Silverfish, Super Crossfire HD and Terra Noctis also covered. Regular 148apps readers will note that all these titles are great examples of quality iOS games making it an ideal starting point for such a device. It's looking pretty attractive to gamers in need of a more console style control system.

No solid release date has yet been given for the GameTel in the US. While it's available in selected European countries, at the moment it doesn't support iOS while the relevant app works its way through the approval process. We'll be sure to keep up to date on any release date for the device.

It is that magic time of the year where electronics manufacturers trot out their prize show ponies at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show.  Aside from being the first big trade show of the year, it is also used as an opportunity for companies to debut their new products.  After the standout success of ION Audio's iCade, at last year's show, it only seemed like a matter of time before we were treated to their next innovative takes on the peripheral.

Today they were proud to announce that they have not one, but THREE new additions to the iCade line, two of which are aimed at making better use of your more portable iOS devices.  Here is the full rundown of what you can expect to see in 2012:

iCade Jr

If it wasn't obvious from simply eyeballing it, this is a miniaturized version of the original iCade cabinet that started it all.  Featuring a fully articulated joystick, the device also has four front facing buttons as well as four that are around the back of the cabinet's assembly.  Why exactly are there four buttons around back?  Who knows, but you can bet that the first person to figure it out could stand to make quite a bit of money from the App Store.  Meant to nestle a iPod Touch or iPhone inside, this is perfect for the arcade junkie on the go.

iCade Mobile

Just in case you couldn't tell from the image above, this next re-envisioning of the iCade brand retrofits an iPhone or iPod Touch into something that more resembles the form factor of Sony's early iterations on the PlayStation Portable.  What it lacks in joystick it makes up for in a D-pad, which could be either a really good or really bad thing, depending upon the quality of the materials used to construct the device.  Based purely upon the image above there also appears to be some sort of ergonomic hand grips behind the molding of the chassis, which should hopefully ease the wrist strain that has previously been associated with gaming on the smaller iOS hardware.

iCade Core

Remember everything that you liked about the iCade?  Well what if we told you that you could have the same functionality, without having to haul around that gigantic cabinet everywhere?  The iCade Core will attempt to do this by removing the exterior case assembly and focus on keeping the form factor to a minimum.  Simply put, all of the core mechanical pieces of the previous monolith have been shrunk down to fit into a glorified joysick arcade pad.  In the back of the station is a grove and docking station where gamers can securely dock their iPad and get back adventuring down retro gaming memory lane.

These all look like great additions to the already outstanding iCade family.  What could be coming next an even smaller model for your iPod Nano?  We sure hope not, but only time will tell...

There's a new gamepad available for iOS devices, and this one should appeal to those who prefer their controllers wired instead of wireless. 60beat's GamePad, now available, is a $50 external game controller with 6 face buttons, 2 analog joysticks that can click in as buttons, a d-pad, and 2 shoulder buttons. It doesn't use the dock port or USB to connect - instead it connects through the headphone/mic port, in a similar method to the iRig. While this naturally means the speakers won't work, a headphone cable splitter is included. As the demo video below shows, games can recognize when the GamePad is plugged in and support all of its controls immediately. This will offer a low-latency way for games to be playable with physical controls.

Will it be popular, though? With no unified gamepad standard defined by Apple, external gamepads have been a kind of chaotic wasteland. The only thing close to a standard has been the iCade, which dozens of games support; the iControlPad offers iCade emulation support along with its own modes of operation. The availability of analog joysticks and an easy setup process should prove intriguing to developers and gamers interested in physical controls. However, the new standard that would need to be implemented would be a challenge; finding some way to make it work with some extra code alongside iCade support would go a long way in terms of adoption.

However, the road to developer and consumer adoption may be tricky indeed. Right now, only 2 games support the GamePad, and while the list is set to expand in February, the price will need to be justified through a more expansive list of games. Still, this wired controller should promise to be a more elegant and easy to use solution than the battery-draining and occasionally laggy Bluetooth keyboard emulation techniques that other external controllers have so far used.