‘StarCraft II’ fan builds arcade-style custom controller with 29 buttons

Real-time strategy (RTS) isn’t a gaming genre known for its hardware — fans of Command & Conquer or StarCraft are more likely to care about keyboard shortcuts and pointer precision than the details of physical gamepads. But that’s not to say that a custom controller can’t be built. In response to a challenge from gaming blog Shoryuken, StarCraft II fan Mauricio Romano has designed and constructed a full, 29-button interface for the game, taking inspiration from the homemade “fightsticks” often used to play arcade games such as Street Fighter.

It’s certainly an impressive effort. Having modelled the body of the controller using the CAD suite CATIA, Romano sent off to a Swedish company to have it printed, before adding buttons and a joystick himself. Whether the controller provides any advantage over a good keyboard and mouse is debatable — you can watch Romano’s attempts at “uber micro” using the device below. Key quote: “I can’t actually type because it doesn’t have an Enter button.”