GameVice Review: Hardcore Gaming, on Your Phone Made Easy

June 21, 2016 Patrick Hickey Jr. Video Games 0

There’s a big difference between games that you play on your phone and those you play at home. From wacky puzzle games to card-based RPGs, mobile gaming has become its own separate beast, one that many hardcore gamers can’t connect with.

That hasn’t stopped AAA developers from releasing their classics on your phone, though. Far from it. From Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog to the upcoming Pokemon Go from Nintendo, big time publishers know that gamers want better games on their phones.

While there are plenty of controller peripherals out there, many using Bluetooth technology to try and simulate a console experience, but the GameVice turns your iPhone 6s (or other Apple device) into a gaming machine. Easy to install and aesthetically designed, it’ll turn your phone into something else entirely.

The coolest part of the GameVice is that it just snaps into your iPhone. There’s virtually no guess work. Just put both ends of your phone in it, tighten it in the back and you’re good to go. As far as comfort goes, it essentially feels like you have an Xbox One controller in your hand. Although the analog sticks are smaller than those on a console controller and the triggers aren’t as deep, they are comfortable and responsive. The end result is a cool-looking peripheral that feels comfortable in your hands.

Add in a lengthy battery life (our GameVice worked for over four hours of gameplay) and there’s plenty to like with the GameVice.

Compatible with hundreds of games, the GameVice Live App makes it easy to try them out or even purchase them. For the sake of this review, we played Grand Theft Auto 3 on the iPhone 6 with the GameVice and the end results were awesome. Responsive, smooth and on par with the original experience, the GameVice does exactly what it claims to do. With the addition of my games, it’ll become a peripheral no hardcore game can be without on the go.

The only sticking point for some would be the price. Tailor-made for your iPhone or another iOS device, 100 bucks may be too much for someone who wants to get their game on while on their phone. Also considering that many hardcore gamers would rather opt to use a Nintendo 3DS or PlayStation Vita for their mobile gaming needs and the GameVice, although a well-working and solid peripheral, may not have the staying power it needs to make as big an impact as it should.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14316 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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