Older IT Reviews regulars will no doubt be aware that many people's first experience with home gaming involved a rather chunky black box with two similarly chunky wired controllers attached to a TV, offering nothing more spectacular than two white lines bouncing a white box across a screen. Elonex has come up with something rather intriguing with its new iGAME that, to an extent, harks back to those simpler times, albeit with an inevitable refresh for the modern generation.

The design of its iGAME iPod dock/TV games console is in keeping with Apple's penchant for gloss white and curved lines, though the build quality isn't to the same standard and it does feel rather hollow. You're restricted to composite inputs for audio and video and there's also an SD gamecard slot for the supplied card and further expansion for other titles.

Power, reset and source switches on the exterior are the only controls as the majority of operation will be via the Wii-styled controller. This offers a directional pad and range of keys for general navigation, and for the most part is solid, comfortable and easy to use.

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A iPod dock at the front offers support for a range of Apple's devices including the iPod touch, classic, video, nano and mini and although official certification is pending for the iPhone, most should have no trouble accessing basic video and audio files. This is done via one of the two ‘modes' available, where it's possible to browse a video or music library via your TV using simple but clear menus that ape the layout of the iPod itself.

Though we were testing a fairly early version of the iGAME, it was surprising not to see a facility to view photos here. After a quick chat with Elonex, however, we were promised an update to include this feature in the near future.

The iGAME is perfectly capable as a conventional dock, then, but the real appeal will come from its capabilities as a wireless games console. While obvious comparisons will be made with the Nintendo Wii, almost inevitably it's not in the same league as a games machine, at least from a quality point of view.

One controller is provided (others can be purchased separately to allow up to four players at once), which apes the layout of the Wii remote, is motion-sensitive with some fairly weak vibration feedback, but has no infra-red sensor at the front so the majority of games simply use a combination of the various buttons and a swinging motion.

Graphics are colourful and child-oriented but aren't nearly as clean as Nintendo's, and for the most part the sound is limited to the occasional happy tune and some rudimentary voice and in-game effects. The games provided as standard are a mixture of sports and puzzles, with bowling, tennis, ping-pong and darts, to name a few, and tend to be quite basic.

It's clear that the range of movement and subtleties available with the Wii remote have not be carried through here and winning, at least with these initial titles, is usually just a case of swinging the controller at the right time. Puzzle games and classic titles will offer more widespread appeal but in truth we can't see much longevity for adults, though this is largely dependent on what Elonex comes up with further down the line.

Evidence that the iGAME will not simply be lost in a cupboard after a few months comes from the company's ambitions for the platform, and it is emphasising the scalable nature of the project by releasing a software developer's kit to the open market to encourage developers to produce more games. It is also working on an update that will allow Appstore applications to be used directly through a television, so with these future developments in mind it's difficult not to be intrigued by the iGAME's potential.

Despite being unable to stand alongside the Wii in terms of gameplay or quality, you're still getting a hell of a lot for your money with a total of 20 free games provided with the package. The obvious advantages of the iPod dock, future support and the fact that new titles will range in price from 99p to £4.99 mean you're making some serious savings over a full-blown console.

It's fair to argue that the majority of games will appeal more to children than adults and as such this makes the iGAME an impressive, budget, family platform. We can see it being a big hit this Christmas for those with younger children.

It would be foolish to expect anything comparable to a Wii gaming experience from something as cheap and cheerful as the iGAME, but despite this there is still plenty of fun to be had from the games, particularly for children, and while adults may get bored quickly there's undoubted benefit from the iPod dock to view video and play music through a TV or speaker setup. If Elonex's predictions for future support hold true, this expansive platform should be a big hit for families on a budget.