I’m not sure the NES was affordable per se. On release, it cost about $500 in today’s money. And then you had to buy games at extra cost. In a world where you could go to an arcade with your pocket money and have a decent amount of fun, I don’t think it was a great value proposition in the eyes of many.
Not really, I just think it’s the best controller. Ergonomic shape, octagonal stick gate (which is a criminally underused feature), good button layout… the only thing wrong with it is that the analogue triggers have a bit too much travel on them.
I know the topic isn’t about HR, but as a huge fan of that game, I recently replayed the non-DC version and found myself really appreciating the yellow tint. It ties the aesthetic together, and the DC always looked a bit flat and unfinished without it. But that’s just me.