iControlPad Bluetooth controller for mobile devices

Cracking games

Even after you've cracked your device, you've then got to access the iOS Bluetooth, which I did using the Wiimote BTStack app from Cydia. At that stage, you're ready to play games and emulators, which support a Bluetooth keyboard.

Works at treat on Android tablets

However, if you want to play the best emulators by Robert Broglia, including SNES9x, you'll need to update the iControlPad's firmware. This is available on the iControlPad website, but flashing the controller can only be performed using Bluetooth.

Naturally, the process is a lot simpler in Android. Just pair the iControlPad and download the Bluez IME or GamePro apps from Market and you're away – Bluez IME is recommended as it's free. Yongzh's emulators offer native iControlPad support, for which you'll again need to flash the controller to the latest firmware, but there's little reason to do so once you're accustomed to using Bluez IME or GamePro.

Okay, tutorial over, how does the iControlPad perform. Well, pretty good actually. Although the construction's a little on the hobbyist side, the analogue nubs and face buttons work extremely well. PC players will always prefer to pair a keyboard and mouse for fraggers like Quake III, but console players will feel immediately at home.

Snug fit

Personally, I preferred customising one of the analogue nubs for side-scrolling games such as Gradius III and Super Metroid on the SNES, as the D-pad doesn't quite match the responsiveness of original pads. When it came to 3D movement in N64 and PSOne games, the analogue nubs proved superior to the originals, nowhere more so than in Goldeneye 007, which benefited hugely from dual-analogue controls.