Starcraft now works in the browser and it’s amazing

I love the original Starcraft. It’s hands-down the game I’ve spent the most time playing and was my first introduction to dial-up multiplayer back in 1999.

Now, someone’s managed to port Starcraft into the browser for the first time thanks to HTML5.

A user on GitHub, known only by the first name of ‘Ryuta’ uploaded a repository containing the bits, which you can have running on your own in a few seconds.

It requires no installation and shows some basic demos of controlling units, entering combat and even the full animations from the game.

It’s not comprehensive yet — the levels are just demos — but Rutya wrote in the instructions that demonstration even contains the same cheat codes from the original Starcraft.

Despite some oddities and rough corners, it’s an impressive recreation of a timeless game that shows off the power of the Web. I’m rustier than I remembered, but it was a fun blast from the past and made me nostalgic to play the full game again.

The only problem with this HTML5 version of the game is that it uses the original assets and audio without permission, which Blizzard is likely to have a problem with. The company has taken down other projects that used their brands in the past.

A hosted version, so you don’t need to download it, is available here but don’t expect it to last for long.

➤ HTML5 Starcraft [GitHub]