Many gaming-related accessories graced the CES 2012′s halls and hotels, but no company matched the variety that Mad Catz showcased. From fight sticks to MMO mice to flight sticks (and beyond!), Mad Catz had plenty of wares on display. But enough of our yappin’; check out the gallery below for some most excellent shots of Mad Catz’ new merchandise.

The controller of the pros.

Mad Catz hosted a nice room at CES for us to try out its latest gadgets. Among them, the MLG Pro Circuit controller. The accessory company took a lot of feedback from the major league gaming community to come up with it and boy, those tournament guys are smart.

First thing I noticed about the Pro Circuit controller was the weight. It was heavier than your usual controller. The added grams gave it a nice heft, AND the weight is customizable. Well, everything on the controller is, but the weight?! That really impressed me. You can swap weighted cartridges in and out of the back of the controller.

The swappable magnetic faceplate also impressed me. Just clicking it in and out felt great. I thought it would be cheapo plastic, but it’s actually very resilient metallic material.

Swap out EVERYTHING.

Interchangeable directional pads and analog sticks round out the customizing options. They easily snap out and back in once locked into place. It’s possible to have have a 360-style controller or PS3-style. PS3 and 360 d-pads are included.

Mad Catz even listened to tournament players whose wires become frayed after wrapping their controllers with them and provided a durable, detachable cable in place of flimsy wires.

The MLG Pro Circuit controller is an impressive gadget. It felt comfortable, high-tech, and after giving it a go with a round of Battlefield 3 I found that it did everything as advertised. This thing may be made for pro gamers, but it’s for anyone interested in a well-made, high-value controller.

Memorex, owned by Imation, has come to CES 2012 with a nice-sized handful of gaming accessories mostly targetting Nintendo consoles. A trio of racing wheels for the Wii was on display in its booth along with their own Wii-motes and Nunchucks. The wheels are Red, Blue, or Black trim, while the controllers are metallic plastic in either pink, blue, black. They’re also a dual Wii-mote charger.

For the Nintendo 3DS, Memorex has a steering wheel that let’s you play racing games like Mario Kart. The more interesting 3DS product was the Universal Game Selector. It attaches directly to the 3DS, and allows gamers to instantaneously switch titles using a slider on the rear. The entire unit is sits on the handheld’s back and holds three games.

On the PS3 and Xbox 360 side things are fairly calm. The 360 is getting a vertical charging tower for controllers. The tower will hold two controllers. The PS3 version does the same, but adds the ability to charge two Sony Move controllers as well.

I really wanted to see Memorex bring out their own controllers for the 360 and PS3. Given that first party controllers cost a fair chunk of change, it would have been nice to see another option outside of MadCatz.

Samsung is ready to take the fight to the Razer Blade (aka, the “world’s first true gaming laptop”) with the upcoming Series 7 Gamer, a 17-inch laptop built specifically for gaming. Although we spotted the rig running Battlefield 3 on the CES 2012 showfloor Samsung had no official time period for the machine’s release as it’s holding off production until the next Intel processors roll out.

The Samsung Series 7, as of this configuration, can house 16GB of ram and comes packed with an ATI Radeon 6970 GPU with 2GB of memory. Features of note include a backlit keyboard with the WASD keys lighting separately from the rest in Gaming mode, Blu-ray, and 2TB of storage.

And speaking of modes, there is a dial in the top right corner with 4 different power settings: Gaming, Balanced, Library, and Eco. Gaming cranks up the settings and overclocks the CPU via Intel Turboboost. Balanced and Eco are self-explanatory, but Library is an interesting addition. It gives you more power than Balanced, but keeps the fans running as low as possible and mutes the speaker automatically for quiet gaming sessions.

As a growing trend I’ve seen in laptops, the Series 7 will come in three colors: yellow, red, and matte black.

Pricing wasn’t available, but given the specs, don’t be surprised to see this gaming rig fall in the $1,400 to $1800 price range when it’s finally released.

Want to learn how to fly, but can’t afford the several courses and insurance? Scared of heights, but have dreams of becoming a pilot? MadCatz delivers the goods with the Pro Flight Cessna Cockpit. The entire setup will set you back $4,999, but  penny-pinching pilots can purchase other parts separately starting at $59.99.

I had the opportunity to test this product with a modified Microsoft Flight Simulator X, and a licensed pilot by my side. When I asked him how accurate this was, he said, “aside from the g-forces you feel through your buttocks, the gravitational forces, and the communication, it’s completely accurate. We’re trying to get this product officially licensed for [pilot license] training.”

I was blown away by nearly every aspect. All the knobs, flips, switches—it was incredibly realistic! I won’t say I was very good at flying, but I can tell you that I’m better than the pictured Mr. Jeffrey L. Wilson who is seen in the photos giving all onlookers motion sickness due to his less than stellar flying. I completed a barrel roll without destroying the aircraft. I was really close to landing it, but forgot to pull out the yoke. Total crash and burn.

You can pick up the individual parts right now.

MadCatz is at CES 2012 with some new and somewhat innovative accessories–some of which you’ll read about shortly. For the purpose of this post, however, we’ll stick to the company’s latest fight sticks.

First up,  is the all new Soul Calibur V arcade stick, which should make many fans happy as it’s made with Sanwa Denshi parts and uses an 8 button layout that stays true to the Soul Calibur arcade cabinet style. MadCatz has decided to go a different route with the design on this one, refraining from the solid colors that have defined most sticks in the past to go with a translucent plastic that allows you to see inner workings of the product. It has features vibrant art that depicts the games two prized possessions, Soul Blade and Soul Edge, on the sides.

Street Fighter X Tekken fans got a limited edition stick a few months back, but now that coveted stick comes with a slick redesign. With the same style and parts as the limited edition the “new” stick might not seem like much at first, but it’s fresh black paint job gives it a different look entirely. The stick also comes with the same art design as the limited edition (Cross), but for people looking for something else MadCatz has a second design with more characters in a panel layout (Line).

By far the best stick of the two is the Street Fighter X Tekken VS Fightstick. This stick allows players to use a connector kit (sold separately $19.99) to combine the two sticks side-by-side for intense arcade cabinet action. The main difference between the old stick and the new is the art.

Stay tuned for more MadCatz news from CES 2012.

The King of Fighters-i, Street Fighter IV: Volt, and Double Dragon iPhone are just three of the handful of the hardcore, console-quality games that you can play on mobile devices such as the iPhone. Those games, despite their solid gameplay mechanics, all suffer touchscreen interfaces that offer, at times, less than precise control.

Ion Audio looks to rescue core mobile gamers from the muck and mire of casual-friendly touch gaming with its iCade Mobile. You place your mobile device in the center, connect it to the controller via Bluetooth, and proceed to GAME the eff ON. Devs have to build their games with iCade Mobile in mind–titles won’t work out of the box with it–but Ion Audio has a SDK available for those who wish to build controller compatibility.

That said, the controller worked flawlessly–at least in the single hop-and-bop demo that I tried. Game developers, get behind this device ASAP.

Hit the video for some impressions.

iCade Core

CES kicks off this week, and ION is wasting no time in unveiling a pair of gamer friendly products. The company has introduced the iCade Core (the successor to the original iCade), and iCade Mobile. Both look to give gamers an easier way to enjoy the plethora of apps on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

The iCade Core is more than an iPad dock; the connects to devices via Bluetooth, and has a pass through charging cable to keep your iPad juiced up. It features 8-buttons and a joystick, also if you’re worried about compatibility, don’t be; both the iPad and the iPad 2 are supported. The battery drain due to the use of Bluetooth shouldn’t be a factor, the cabinet is sizeable and isn’t very mobile. Chances are you’ll probably have the charging cable connected most of the time.

The iCade Mobile is the iPhone/iPod touch gamer’s savior. With its four shoulder buttons, 8-way directional D-Pad, and four face buttons any game should be easier to play and enjoy. The dock swivels into landscape or portrait mode for the games that require it, we just have to see how long the two double A batteries last with Bluetooth running.

iCade Mobile

Super Street Fighter IV Volt and The King of Fighters-i, are two games that could greatly benefit from these accessories. Both of these apps, which I found amazing, were impaired by their touch controls. The ongoing partnership ION has with Atari helps these accessories, and considering Atari’s Greatest Hits is available on the App Store, you’ll have a plentiful amount of games to burn through. ION has even shown the jailbreak scene some love. Although we don’t condone jailbreaking, these devices could work wonders with such handhelds. The Original iCade is compatible with the iMAME4all app, and many ROMs–no word if the new products will feature the same compatibility.

As of now the iCade Mobile is slated for a Q2 launch, and will run you $79.99. The iCade Core is scheduled for a 2012 release.

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a hands-on with these products.

Need an extra controller for your kids, but don’t want them to ruin your $55 Dualshock 3? Have small hands and the PS3 pad design just doesn’t cut it? Power A has the solution!  With the Power A Mini Pro Elite Wireless for PS3 ($34.96, Amazon), your problems are solved without burning a hole in your wallet. Plus, Power A gives you a lot more than any other third-party company can offer.

The Mini Pro Elite is a fully wireless controller for the Playstation 3. It comes packaged with a mall USB-dongle, and a six-foot USB-to-mini-USB cord for recharging–as any wireless PS3 controller should. Unlike other third-party controllers which are usually wired or require a couple of AA batteries, Power A’s new controller makes sure you not only spend less money initially, but save money in the long run.

This controller also has full SIXAXIS support, unlike other non-dualshock controllers. The Mini Pro Elite fits nicely in the hands and is very lightweight, do executing moves (such as throwing grenades in Uncharted 3) will be much easier. The SIXAXIS support is very responsive, and I have not experienced any lag with the device. In addition, there’s dual rumble motor support for those of us who rage at the thought of lives without vibration feedback.

I have a weakness for flashing lights and colors, and there’s plenty found here. Your four main buttons and your L1 and R1 buttons light up in a nice blue color that compliments the controller. Unlike the Afterglow controllers, the LEDs are not blinding and are a nice subtle touch to the overall design of the controller. If you just don’t want the LEDs on at all, you can turn them off by pressing the button on the back.

Overall, Power A did a fantastic job with the Mini Pro Elite Wireless PS3 controller. I’m not typically a fan of smaller controllers, but this one really fits well in the hands and does a good job of being one step ahead of the other third-party Playstation 3 controllers.

The job of the professional reviewer is to provide a fair and balanced assessment of a product, even on the occasion when the examiner encounters an item that excels on every front, making it a tad difficult not to gush. The X-Arcade Tankstick + Trackball is one such item.

Measuring nearly 28 inches wide and tipping the scales at 15 pounds, the $200 X-Arcade Tankstick certainly lives up to its moniker. It’s a beast of an input device–calling it a controller is an insult–that simply oozes quality and excellence.  Because of its girth, the Tankstick + Trackball is designed to be placed on a tabletop; it’s a little too heavy and wide for lap use. X-Arcade crafted the Tankstick + Trackball from authentic arcade parts, which you can feel; the stick resistance and tactile feedback from the buttons will take any gamer old enough to remember the bustling arcade scene of the ’80s and ’90s back to those golden years.  I would’ve liked the joystick to be a bit stiffer–I like the stiff sticks–but it’s not bad by any means.

It’s more than just Tankstick + Trackball’s feel that elevates it over the competition.  Between the twin joysticks (which brings the magic back to two-player fighting games), the abundance of buttons, and trackball, it resembles a mecha guidance system. There are eight buttons (six of which are in the familiar Street Fighter II layout–perfect for six button fighters) to the right of each joystick, two additional buttons south of those, a trackball in the middle, pinball buttons 0n the sides, a trackball lock button on the back, and 1P and 2P start buttons. Basically, you can use the Tankstick  + Trackball with nearly any genre.

X-Arcade includes the Atari Anniversary Edition and Midway PC Game Bundle to get you started, and once you play Smash TV with this puppy, say night-night to your remaining waking hours. Pulling off combos and supers in Garou: Mark of the Wolves is absolutely effortless, and if you’re a GameTap user, you can program the beast to work with that service.

Also boxed with the Tankstick + Trackball are cables for connecting it to a Linux, Mac or PC computer, and its fully compatible with  MAME. But don’t fret, the joystick works with consoles; you can purchase $20 adapters for the Dreamcast, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, GameCube, and Wii. Very cool, as the X-Arcade suddenly becomes backwards compatible with older systems, and holds the promise of being compatible with the inevitable PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720. In other words, you investment goes a long, long way.

The X-Arcade Tankstick + Trackball is a man’s joystick that can withstand petty much any abuse you toss its way. After several days of using it, I can see it being an active part of my gaming universe, outlasting many of the consoles to come. There’s a high price of entry for sure, but the usability and quality is well worth every dollar.