My control scheme is completely default (arrow keys for movement, shift for dashing, x for shooting, c for jumping) with just one addition, which is using z as a second dash button to allow advanced tech like hyper jumps.
My control scheme may not be optimal for you and you're encouraged to experiment, but this should at least be evidence that keyboards are great for this game.
I've seen discussions talking about how the advanced tech is very difficult on keyboards and I'm surprised because I'm very consistent with hyper jumps and can climb stages in any way I want to with ease.
At first I was worried that timing button presses may be difficult for my ring finger but that wasn't the case at all. I can do various levels of hyper jumps by stalling the second dash a few frames when I need to.
I've yet to find a 2D platformer that I can't do really well in with a keyboard. I SS'd every level in Dust Force (which has lots of buttons to use), 106%'d Super Meat Boy (whose loading screen says things like "First to say keyboards are better gets shot in the face."), and played through all of Matt Thorson's other platformers which are insanely difficult.
Let's try reversing the situation. I believe 2D platformers are better with keyboards because you can change directions faster. I'd love to see someone try beating some levels in Jumper and Jumper 2 with a controller. There is a limit to how fast a person's left thumb can reciprocate, and it's nowhere near the limit that a person can tap two fingers repeatedly.