The Duo Gamer controller from Discover Bay Games mimics the shape and size of video game controllers and has similar buttons.Part of the appeal of apps like Angry Birds and Cut the Rope is their simplicity. Just tap and swipe. But some of the more advanced app games require more complex finger maneuvers, making you wish you could use a physical controller.
Enter Discovery Bay Games, the maker of the new Duo Gamer game controller for Apple devices.
Duo Gamer connects wirelessly to an iPad or iPhone to play a range of adventure games from the app publisher Gameloft, including titles like Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation and Asphalt 7: Heat.
Duo Gamer mimics the shape and size of video game controllers and has similar buttons, like a D-pad, triggers and left and right thumb sticks. It's comfortable to hold, and the buttons are easy to use. It's not designed for hours of gameplay, but most game apps don't last that long anyway.
In the hands of a casual game player, the Duo Gamer controls are intuitive, especially if you already have experience using a controller. First-person shooter games like Modern Combat are much easier to play with Duo Gamer than they are using tap and swipe movements because you can focus on the game and forget about where your thumbs are. I had less success with the Asphalt racing game, which is more fun to play using the gyroscope in the iPad 2 to steer the cars.
Duo Gamer comes with an iPad stand, but no content of its own. At $80, it should include some free games, but you have to pay separately for the Gameloft apps. It would be gre at if Discovery Bay had partnerships with other app publishers as well. The more games that are available, the better Duo Gamer becomes.
