Next-Gen has published an interesting feature that examines Nintendo’s failed attempt to simplify and expand gaming even before the Wii. “How’s that?” you ask. With the unique button hierarchy of the GameCube controller (a controller I still believe is the best ever). An excerpt:

All and all, with its “ergonomic” controls, the GameCube was a step in the right direction. Many of the design ideals now embodied by the Wii began here. The only problem was, though the direction was right, the step wasn’t anywhere nearly large enough. The lesson: if you’re going to shake things up, better to make your own new space than to try to reform what’s already there.