The Tankstick puts old-school controllers like those at left to shame, both in size and capabilities.

You call yourself a serious gamer - but what are you doing fumbling with keyboard controls and a mouse? You can’t call yourself a serious gamer until you get a nice game controller. If you want to let everyone know you’re really serious, then get a Tankstick.

The Tankstick features 24 (no lie!) buttons (including one for programming), two joysticks, an arcade-size trackball in the center, a programming slider, and a USB connector. With all these controls, you can play virtually any game. The Tankstick is 30 inches wide (that’s 2.5 feet!) and comfortable enough for two players to use at once. Weighing in at 20 pounds (as much as two sacks of potatoes!), it’s not designed to rest on your lap, however. The heavy weight is due to the arcade-grade construction. The Tankstick also has a lifetime warranty.

The Mac treats the Tankstick as a keyboard and the trackball as a mouse, so mapping the buttons to play Flash, Java, or GameTap games (when Mac compatible) is a snap. In Mac OS 10.4.10, Keyboard Setup Assistant didn’t recognize the Tankstick, but it worked anyway. The two bundled CDs (Midway Games and the Atari Anniversary Edition) aren’t Mac compatible, however. It’s a bummer. But there’s always Boot Camp.

The bottom line. The Tankstick is for true arcade nuts. It’s built tough and has the feel of a serious controller.

COMPANY: X-Arcade

CONTACT: www.x-arcade.com

PRICE: $199.95

REQUIREMENTS: USB

Built like a tank. Arcade quality. Programmable.

Only one trackball for two players. Weighs a hefty 20 pounds. Bundled games are Windows only.