I got a GameCube a while back. It was cheap, and it had neat games, but most importantly (for me), it lets me play GameBoy games on the Big Screen.
Here’s the weird part.
The GameCube itself has little feet, and little holes where the screws go. Stands for GameCubes generally have little indentations for the feet, and little nubs where the holes are, so the GameCube won’t slide off the stand.
The GameBoy Player attachment, designed by Nintendo, does the same kind of thing; it fits very snugly.
But it has feet in different places than the main console, and doesn’t have the little indentations.
So it slides smoothly off the stand.
WHY WHY WHY?
Everything else about it seems to be well designed. It’s still video-cable compatible with my old Super Nintendo. The controller, if perhaps a bit small for my hands, is wonderful. Everything’s neat. Except for the feet on the expansion gizmo.
To write about usability is to notice these little details. Everywhere you look. Every day.