FWIW, using game controllers is a reasonable thing to do. that game controller? Naw. But a good PS controller? Sure. Xbox? Alright. Nintendo? Only if it’s that weird N64 one.
If you stop and think about it, they’re compact, reliable and comfortable to use. Major consoles invest a relative shit ton of cash into developing it; and there’s plenty of drivers for whatever system you’re using.
There were a lot of straight up stupid design choices, but that wasn’t one of them. (Though their specific choice in controllers… yeah let’s mock that. It’s a terrible controller.)