Mouse reviewers constantly stress shape above all and it remains the fundamental for every good gaming mouse. Over the years we’ve seen tons of shapes come and go andsome of these have been left behind in the sands of time. These 10 shapes made an impact in their heydey and need to be brought back and updated with new sensors and features.
Zowie Mico
The Zowie Mico is a small fingertip mouse that followed the example set by mice like the Logitech LMO. It was popular among RTS gamers and was adopted by some of the SC2/Brood War Community. It’s since been discontinued but it’d be nice to see Zowie bring it back at some point with a modern sensor as the PixArt PAN3305DK-H sensor on it wouldn’t cut it today.
Steelseries Kinzu
The Kinzu had a minimalist designed that brought it tons of FPS fans. The shape was adopted by some CS pros including the legendary AWPer Guardian who famously stockpiled dozens of the model when he found out that it was being discontinued. The SteelSeries Kinzu v2 was noted back in the day for its improved sensor technology that overcame some of the issues with earlier optical mice. The SteelSeries Kinzu v2 Pro Edition Optical gaming mouse was replaced by the Kinzu v3, which in turn has also retired.
Steelseries Ikari High Performance Laser Gaming Mouse
Another Steelseries FPS mouse that was designed from the ground up for FPS gamers. It’s a ergo shape with a very thic back end. It came at a point where CS 1.6 pros were looking for new mice to experiment with and designed with input from some of the best teams of the era. Esports pros, such as members of Team 3D, mousesports, Team NoA, and SK Gaming had input into the design decisions.
Razer Taipan
The Razer Taipan was a popular choice and had an agressive hump and an ambi shape that worked well for larger hands. The Taipan was discontinued and there isn’t much on the market today that really looks like this shape.
Logitech Wingman Mouse
This mouse is a OG in the mouse game. In fact its so old that it is Logitech’s first gaming mouse design. The original even came with a force feedback design that was thankfully soon scrapped for a more traditional gaming mouse experience. While it lacks side buttons and a scroll wheel, the middle click was a unique innovation at the time. The shape might actually be cool to see upgraded with a wheel and modern convenience as it truly is a classic and comfortable ergo design that stands the test of time.
Logitech G303
The Logitech G303 was a cult favorite. While it had some drastic flaws, the horrible braided cable comes to mind, it still has an awesome shape for claw grip. This also stands out in my mind as one of the best looking RGB lighting implementations of all time. It’s been discontinued but it did have a spike in attention after gamers learned that Shroud used to main it. This sent resell prices spiking on eBay. It’d be cool to see a wireless G303 come out at some point but for now it remains a community meme.
Logitech G300S
I never got to use this mouse before but damn if the Logitech G300S doesn’t look comfortable. It’s packed with features and buttons (9 in total). The mouse also had built-in rubber grips and the aggressive curved design isn’t for everyone but is something I’d love to try. Let’s hope Logitech takes a second look at it soon.
Logitech G100S
While the shape is similar to other Logitech egg shapes, the G100S features flatter sides and a lower profile that makes it super comfortable. Just a timeless shape and design that looks more modern than its release date would indicate. It’s really a shame that Logitech left this shape behind and if this came back in a lightweight wireless form I’d love to give it a try.
Microsoft WMO (Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical)
What word can describe the Microsoft WMO other than legendary. One of the original optical mice back in 1999, it had a clean design with a flatter shape. It was adopted by gamers and despite its lack of side buttons, it had such a good shape and scroll wheel. While Microsoft did re-launch the Intellimouse Pro two years ago, it’s been quiet on bringing back the WMO which would be a welcome retro in today’s mouse landscape.
Mad Catz Rat 1
This is a divisive choice but the Mad Catz Rat 1 was really a special design. Before the honeycomb craze, this mouse attempted to cut weight with the aggressive design. It’s modular lightweight and came in a really sick colorway. While I might not be able to main this, I want to see more drastic shapes and styles in the coming years.