The M570 looks like a mouse with a big blue ball on the side. That ball is what controls the mouse pointer on the screen and you can swirl it around using your thumb. The M570 also has a scroll wheel, two mouse buttons, and two more buttons on the side.

The wireless device connects using a nano receiver and the batteries promise up to 18 months of use per set. The M570 might also be a good thing for users who have too little workspace for a normal mouse. The M570 will work with Windows and Mac computers and can be pre-ordered for $59.99 (USD).

With a metal ball, an optical mouse, bits of PS2 controllers, and a little help from Arduino, Kellbot put together the roll-a-riffic controller of all Katamari lover’s dreams. Now if only we could get that in, say, a giant beach ball form.

Kellbot calls the controller “a hella fun way” to experience Katamari Damacy, and the video footage makes me want to agree. It also looks hella accurate, while we’re throwing qualifiers around.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[Life-Size Katamari Controller via CrunchGear]

The WeraMouse V2 (aka the Ergotouch Mouse) is just a little smaller than a conventional mouse, but you don’t put it on your desktop. Instead, you hold the WeraMouse in your hand and operate your computer wirelessly from up to 25 feet away.  Technically, it’s not a mouse at all – it’s a trackball with a scroll wheel and a pistol-grip button. The one-handed wireless controller is said to reduce wrist strain and allow you to remain in a more neutral posture than you do when using a traditional mouse (although the guy in the picture above looks like he’s setting a pretty bad example for “good posture”). Battery life for the WeraMouse is rated at up to 28 hours on a single charge, and when it’s not in use, there’s a charging dock that’ll juice the WeraMouse back up in about 90 minutes.

The WeraMouse V2 retails for $99 (USD), and it looks like the Ergotouch guys are working on a WeraMouse V3 that uses a trackpad instead of a trackball, in case you prefer your mice without any balls.

The Logitech Optical Marble Mouse features an ambidextrous design and a comfortable baby robot head trackball that reduces hand and wrist movement. The ball is also dirt-resistant. According to George Cochrane of Cool Tools, the large left and right buttons are “situated directly under your thumb and ring finger”, while the other tiny buttons are programmable, but I think they’re not easy to reach. Then again it’s only $19!

You can buy the Marble Mouse at Amazon. But make sure to look at the price of the trackball, because Amazon is also offering a “newer” Logitech Marble Mouse that looks exactly the same and has the exact same functions as the $19 Marble Mouse, except that it’s $31.47. Umm… April Fools’?

That’s right. In between rounds of Dig Dug and Space Invaders, you and your buds can grab yourself a tall cold one. The Gamerator comes loaded up with over 180 licensed arcade classics, but can also be connected to a game console of your choice. But who am I kidding? A few frothy brewskis and you won’t care if you’re playing that arcade game based on the rock band Journey or Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker.

In addition to the systems authentic arcade joysticks, buttons and trackball, there’s also a generous 24-inch LCD display for you to get your game on. But the best detail is the two cupholders embedded right next to the controls so you can enjoy you can keep your buzz going while you play.

You can find the Gamerator is floating around on eBay right now for a starting bid of two grand. Expect the price to rise from there.

[via BBPS]

In what’s probably the least subtle cabinet design ever made, Official Game Haven’s CrystalCade arcade system is loaded up with tons of brightly- colored LEDs which cycle through various programmable patterns.

If you can get past the bright lights and ridiculous array of speakers mounted on top, the CrystalCade actually has some pretty decent specs. The cabinet is loaded up with arcade-quality joysticks, buttons and a full-size trackball, and is big enough for two gamers to play head-to-head. Under the hood is a reasonably powerful PC running emulation software, a 21-inch flat screen monitor and a THX-certified 5.1 surround sound system.

If the flashing colored lights aren’t Vegas enough for you, they also offer gold, chrome and platinum plating on the controllers. The only thing this cabinet is missing is some marble columns.

[via Chip Chick]

Let me start off by saying that the Tankstick is a one mammoth controller. It’s meant for serious arcade game fiends, and those who just have to have the biggest toys on the block.

First and foremost, the Tankstick is designed with PC gaming in mind, with a definitive bent towards those who like to play arcade and console emulators. There are adapters available so you can use the Tankstick with any console, but since these are optional, I didn’t get to try out the controller on my Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii.

I knew I was in for something special when this giant box showed up on my doorstep. Packed neatly inside, the controller is a whopping 30-inches wide, and weighs in at about 20 pounds.

While you certainly can play with the Tankstick in your lap, its really way too big for anything but desktop or countertop placement. Build quality of the Tankstick is exceptional. It’s made from heavy duty arcade-grade materials, and includes real arcade joysticks, buttons and a full-size trackball.

The Tankstick features dual eight-way digital joysticks and eight buttons per player. This setup lets you play pretty much any arcade game ever made (other than games that demand a spinner or a wheel input.) The dual stick design works extremely well for classics like Smash TV and Crazy Climber, which both used two sticks in their original arcade incarnations. With dual controls and a name like Tankstick, the first game to pop into my mind was BattleZone. I was really looking forward to that one, only to find it virtually unplayable, due to the lack of any button or trigger directly on the joysticks. Regardless, pretty much any other joystick-based game I tried played just like it did in the arcade. The dual stick design is also really nice for two player games, assuming you put the controller on a hard surface instead of your lap.

Joystick and button responsiveness is excellent, and everything feels like the “real deal” here. In addition to the dual sticks and buttons, the controller features four side mounted buttons, which can be used for functions such as pinball-flipper games, or for coin-in triggering. There are also player one/player two start buttons, which each have nifty people symbols on them (oh the little touches!)

Setup was a bit more challenging than I’d prefer, but since this controller is really geared towards techie types, I won’t hold it against X-Arcade too much. The Tankstick comes with both USB and PS/2 interfaces, and all the cables you need to hook it up to your PC. You’ll need to make sure you have two available ports for this controller. One cable connects to the trackball, and the other one connects the joysticks and buttons. Once connected, I decided to give it a whirl with my install of M.A.M.E., the leading classic arcade emulator.

Since all of the digital functions are designed to emulate keystrokes, mapping keys to buttons is pretty straightforward, but can be time consuming. Thankfully, there’s already a configuration built into M.A.M.E. for X-Arcade’s sticks, making it fairly painless to get up and running (assuming you read manuals.) On the other hand, I had a heck of a time getting M.A.M.E. to recognize the trackball. After a bit of research, it turns out that the more recent versions of that emulator can support multiple analog devices, and I had to manually edit my configurations to get it to use the trackball instead of a mouse.

Once I worked out the trackball kinks, though, I was hooked. Classics like Marble Madness, Centipede and Crystal Castles all thrive on trackball play, and with the Tankstick’s full-sized orb, it felt so good to play those classics the way they were meant to be played.

I’ve spent alot of time talking about how well the Tankstick works with classic arcade games. Heck, X-Arcade even includes a handful of arcade games from Atari and Midway on two included CDs (real gaming snobs won’t settle for less than the original arcade versions under M.A.M.E., though.) However, since all of the controller’s buttons and joystick contacts are user-programmable, you can use the Tankstick with just about any PC game, as long as it can use the keyboard and mouse. I was even able to get the Tankstick working with Half Life 2, but I’m pretty old school when it comes to playing first-person shooters, so it felt awkward to me.

At $199.95, the X-Arcade Tankstick isn’t for everyone. It’s a massive piece of equipment and a bit challenging to set up at first. Its built like a tank, so unless you plan on dropping it on the floor, you get years of gameplay out of it. For serious arcade enthusiasts, it’s about as close as you’ll get to the real arcade without dropping thousands on a full-size arcade cabinet.

Technabob Review Scores
Functionality:
9 out of 10

Build Quality:
10 out of 10

Ease of Use:
6 out of 10

Value:
8.5 out of 10

Overall Score:
8.5 out of 10

Each Katana personal arcade system is custom assembled, so you can pick your own selection of console graphics and marquees, as well as the control scheme. The base system ships with over 200 licensed arcade classics, and since the system is based on a Windows box, you’ll also be able to play PC games on it too.

Standard controls include a true arcade joystick, buttons and trackball. Optional upgrades let you add a spinner, side-mount pinball buttons, a mini-racing wheel or a light gun among other things. Visuals are presented on a nice bright 17″ LCD flat panel, so you don’t need to worry about the burn-in that arcade CRT screens can get. The built-in sound system has stereo speakers plus a subwoofer for some extra thump. In addition to a nifty arcade game menu system, it’s got a cool digital jukebox interface that looks a lot like the ones you’d see in your neighborhood bar.

The Katana weighs in at about 70 lbs. and is designed to be placed on top of a table or countertop. The base configuration runs $2495 for a complete system, with most add-on options costing between $50 and $200 each.

The $1799 Dreamcade 2.0 is a Windows-based arcade system with over 145 licensed games pre-loaded. Arcade games include titles from Atari, Midway, Namco, Digital Leisure and Capcom. There’s even a number of classic Atari 2600 games thrown in for good measure.

The system has some really nice touches like a 19-inch arcade CRT monitor, two sets of real arcade controls, backlit buttons, and even a trackball. There are even side-mounted buttons for playing pinball games as well. It’s got a lighted marquee that lets you install your own custom artwork, and the cabinet is made of a sturdy 3/4-inch laminate, just like real arcade cabinets.

Unlike some systems the Dreamcade is completely ready to go, and can play games right out of the box. Plus, since it’s Windows-based, you can add your own games too.