A lot of gamers nowadays are constantly on the go. When it comes to traveling, keeping your games portable makes all the difference when it comes to making the choice in what to play. Gamers are playing more games on their phones, tablets, and handhelds now more than ever before. When companies propose a new handheld device, they go through a lot of pros and cons before it ever makes it to market.

One of these cons is the whole concept of portability. When it comes to things like disc drives, there is a big challenge in how to incorporate the idea into a device that works. When a demand is great enough, however, the right provisions can be made just so the gaming can commence, no matter where you are. That’s what happened with The Envision, which allows players to take their Gamecube gaming on the go.

ModRetro member Jonathan Shine concocted this creation when he sought out to find a solution to the disc drive error. The Envision is Shine’s homemade version of a portable Gamecube, but it doesn’t operate in the way you’d think. The device works off of saved information on SD cards instead of using the disc drive like a normal system would. You can see The Envision in working order below, and head here for tech specs and photos of the finished product. Way to go Jonathan! Keep it up!

If you’re a gamer who has grown up with what is now considered as “retro gaming,” then you’re no stranger to emulators. Emulators let you play old-school games right from the comfort of your own PC, without the need to have the actual games or system. If you’re a hardcore gamer, though, you’ve most likely got the games and system, but don’t have them connected for one reason or another. Well, with the aptly-named Retrode 2, you can emulate the right way.

The Retrode 2 is a USB device that lets you play your SNES and Sega Genesis games on your computer, right through an emulator. You can pop in an actual cartridge, connect a controller, and you’re on your way to some nostalgic gaming. Basically, it’s a box of magic, and from it memories of your childhood spew like molten rivers of rainbow glory. Or at least that’s what we get out of it.

Though it’s not too clear why you’d choose to play these games on your computer in an emulator instead of the actual system, seeing as you’d already have the cartridge and controller, this is still a cool device. I guess for those who can pick the games and controllers from online or yard sales, this could come in handy. You can pick it up on it’s official site when it launches on January 23rd for about $85 if you really need to have it.

Volpin Props is known for their insane gaming-to-reality props, and they’re at it again. This time we’re graced with a set of Portal boots that make fear of heights a thing of the past.

If you’ve played through the Portal games, then you’d have seen Chell sporting a pair of these boots herself. She uses them to fall from insane heights without taking damage or shattering any of the bones in her legs. Volpin has made these boots jump from the virtual world to reality, and they make perfect additions to any Chell cosplay one may try to do.

You can see more images of the Heelsprings, as they are correctly termed, on Volpin’s Flickr page. The company amazes us again, as they continue to do with every build. I can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us this coming year.

So Christmas is coming up, and you’ve still got that one gamer on the list who has absolutely everything you could think of. All the new titles are already under the tree, but there’s still got to be something you can purchase. What could it be you ask? How about the Supaboy handheld?

For those who don’t know, the Supaboy is a handheld gaming device that makes playing SNES titles from the old days while on the go. Hyperkin has just announced the release of this amazing device, and it’s completely legit. It has everything you’ll need to play, with the exception of the actual games. Those you’ll have to grab all on your own.

The only drawback to the Supaboy is the short two and a half hour battery life. This means you’ll need to keep by an outlet for those longer games, but if you’re taking a bus ride, or possibly for a walk to a friend’s house. It’s got a 3.5 inch screen, but you can also connect it to your tv, making it a home console as well. Basically, the SNES has been reborn! If you’ve got $80, this great gadget can be yours.

Just in time for the holiday season, Wizards of the Coast has released a brand new limited edition Collector’s miniature set for the D&D fans of the family. This Dragon Collector’s Set offers up a brand new set of dragon miniatures, each with their own special crafting and detail.

As for specifics, this is what the set includes:

• This set includes the five most iconic evil dragons in the Dungeons & Dragons game, with origins tracing back to the game’s earliest editions.

• Two of the dragons are new sculpts that have never appeared in any previous D&D miniatures product.

• The pre-painted plastic dragons in this set appeal to both D&D players as well as dragon aficionados.

Each box contains five dragons, all of them non-random. It’s available right now for the price of $44.99 per set, which makes it an affordable gift that anyone who is a fan of the tabletop game will love. This is especially great considering that two of these miniatures have never been seen before. You’d better get out and grab a set now while they’re still available!

SteelSeries and Gunnar Optiks have come together to produce yet another stunning piece of performance gaming eyewear. This new product has been called the Desmo, and it’s been constructed with competitive gamers in mind. The Desmo has uniquely been designed to minimize peripheral distractions and allows the player to pay full focus to the screen before them.

“We’ve been collaborating with the GUNNAR Optiks team in marketing and events for more than two years now, including the launch of our first co-branded eyewear model, the SteelSeries Scope,” said Bruce Hawver, SteelSeries CEO.  “When we started on this new design, it was important that it was more than just lightweight and comfortable, but that the lens shape, frame style and temples were chosen and perfected in order to impact and improve the way players saw their game. We believe we’ve achieved that goal with the Desmo and are excited for players to try it out.”

The Desmo has a semi-rimless construction, and improves visual efficiency, endurance, and recovery for when they matter most. They look seriously comfortable, and with a $99 price tag, they can be quite the pair of eyewear to own. You can even inquire about getting them as a prescription through the Gunnar Rx department. For more information on the Desmo, you can head to their official page, where you can also pick up a pair.

Wearable video game items like Mjolnir (master chief) armor shirts, Medpack Hoodies, and lancer belt buckles have always been big hits. So now thanks to J!NX, Long Fall Boot socks from portal 2 are here.

You may not be able to safely fall from in them but they sure look the part (as much as a sock can that is). Most gamers know what the Long Fall Boots are from portal 2. If not you should really play one of the Portal titles, great series.  J!NX has now come out with Officially licensed Portal 2 Socks.

I Absolutely love video game clothing that goes beyond t-shirts and logo hoodies. It is just so much more original. Make sure to pick up your Minecraft sock to get the videogame footwear collection started. Then put on an orange Snuggie, get your Portal 2 Socks and hope for a Portal gun plushie and you’ll be ready to escape Aperture labs… or at least your couch.

Are your feet cold? Well are you wearing socks? I know, it’s hard to wear socks when you just can’t seem to find that perfect pair. After all, they have to be the perfect size, be comfortable, and express your love for your favorite video game that’s still in beta.

Fear not, my Minecraft loving friend! Thanks to Happy Socks, you can turn your feet into pigs, creepers, or just a simple landscape. You might want to think twice about wearing the creeper socks though. One look at the face, and people are going to go with their instincts and run away. Then again, that could be a good thing, depending on the person.

You’re going to have to be a huge Minecraft fan to actually buy these. Three pair (one of each style) is going to set you back a whopping $45. I barely spend that much on three shirts, let alone three pair of socks. Then again, I’ve never paid money to play a game that was in beta before, so I suppose there’s a first time for everything.

We know you can’t get enough of Atlus’ new tempting title, Catherine. Zippo knows this, too, and has decided to help you stay warm and keep your choice girl right with you to light a spark whenever needed. These Catherine-themed Zippos will be shipping starting August 30th.

The only problem? They’re in Japan only, and they aren’t cheap. Each one will set you back about 9,500 yen, which amounts out to be about $120 USD.

If there is ever word that they will be arriving here in the states (which we can’t always count on), we will let you know. For now, if you simply must have one of these babies, you can pre-order one here. After all, you can’t really put a price on love, right?

The iCade Arcade Cabinet started out as just another April Fool’s joke from ThinkGeek, but it soon received so much fan feedback that it was actually put into production. ThinkGeek partnered with Ion to make this dream come to life, and it’s become a huge hit. Most sites had the unit backordered for weeks almost immediately after it hit the internet store in April. The cabinet is priced at $100, and it transforms your iPad or iPad 2 into the classic arcade game you’ve been dreaming of for years. I was lucky enough to catch one of these babies, and now it’s time for the review.

Design and Production

The iCade comes disassembled in its box, complete with instructions and all the parts you’ll need to put this bad boy together. It’s basically five different parts that you simply screw together in a certain order, and viola, you’ve got a sweet cabinet almost ready to go. Just throw in two AAA batteries, and the cabinet is put together and ready for use.

The buttons are thick and mechanical, so they make a loud clicking noise when you use them. Depending on what title you choose to play (as there is an Atari app meant just for this cabinet), you’ll be hitting those buttons a lot which can get annoying. For this we recommend headphones. One issue I had with the cabinet’s design is the top of the joystick. Once assembled, it didn’t look like the top of the stick was set right, and it felt loose every time I played. I tried tightening it, but it would just stay the same. Aside from gluing it, I don’t think you can fix this.

Next is connecting your iPad, which is something I’ll discuss further.

Connectivity and Usage

The iCade connects to your iPad via Bluetooth, and you’ll use the joystick and buttons as a means to input a connection password to link the two. After you get your iPad paired with the cabinet you can use th ebuttons or joystick to wake the tablet up and get right to gaming. Keep in mind that the iCade is meant to work specifically with the iPad, so no other devices will work with it (at least to our knowledge).

Though there are eight buttons, you’ll only be using one-to-five of them during your playtime (at least with the Atari games anyway, as no other apps seemed to work with this specific unit). This is, of course, except for when you enter your Bluetooth password, which may be the main reason why there are so many buttons. The button layout varies with each game, but when using the Atari app you can pause the game and see a layout map of each button.

Back to the joystick, it’s not as smooth as most arcade gamers would expect, but it did just fine. It’s clearly got four mapped directions instead of operating on an axis, but it performs just the way it needs to. Honestly, for a $100 gimmick that started as a joke, it’s not bad.

Conclusion

When you take into account that the iCade was never supposed to actually hit production, it performs extremely well and makes for a lot of fun to be had. The $100 price tag may be a bit steep for an iPad accessory, but as a way of reclaiming the arcade glory days of the past, it works out well. The battery life is impressive, and you’ll find yourself playing for hours. The bottom line – it’s a perfect accessory to own for hardcore gamers, and iPad enthusiasts alike. I urge you to pick up one for yourselves, if they are available.