Whether directly aping a popular franchise or simply picking and choosing elements from top genre entries, Gameloft's usual M.O. with its App Store releases is to deliver a console-like gaming experience on your tablet or phone. And much as folks might groan about its lack of originality at times, no other company is consistently putting those kinds of resources into glossy shooters, racers, and similarly robust titles.

With the Duo Gamer, it's now possible to take that extra step towards console gaming, as the physical Bluetooth controller and stand let you prop up your iPad or smaller iOS device and play compatible Gameloft games much like the better-known titles they resemble. While not the most ergonomic game controller I've ever used, the wireless pad does check all the boxes, from dual analog sticks (for first-person shooters) to an old-school digital pad (ideal for fighters and side-scrollers), as well as four front buttons and two on the top.

Paired with a big, slick shooter like N.O.V.A. 3: Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, the difference is immediately apparent. No more fumbling with fiddly virtual sticks and buttons: with the Duo Gamer in hand, it finally plays just like a console shooter, with precise command of both player movement and the camera. Asphalt 7: Heat is similarly improved, as the speedy roadsters are much easier to whip around turns and bash into rivals with physical controls in hand. And the wireless controller makes it easier to link up your iPad to a television and mirror the apps on a big screen, coming closer than ever to the true console sensation.

It's a drag that the Duo Gamer is designed only to work with Gameloft titles, though the company does pump out a lot of games; but what's really shameful is the lack of support from Gameloft itself. Besides the aforementioned titles, only Order & Chaos Online, Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation, and Brothers in Arms 2: Global Front Free+ currently utilize the Duo Gamer. A couple more titles will be added soon, but even the company's most notable fall release – Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour – doesn't utilize the Duo Gamer at launch, which can't bode well for buyers looking to dive into the company's future headline fare without delay.

At the freshly halved price of $40, the Duo Gamer doesn't seem like a poor deal, but the lack of foresight here is staggering. For a company to release a wireless controller for iOS devices that only works with one publisher's games, yet supports only a fraction of what's available, absolutely boggles the mind. If anything, the Duo Gamer shows why Apple needs to create its own universal controller option, especially if it wants the iPad to truly rival home console games. The Duo Gamer works fine, but there's so little use for it.

The bottom line. Only die-hard Gameloft fans need apply, and even then, the limited list of titles should cause any iOS gamer to take pause.