The DS's controls have been used to make games much more accessible. For instance, my girlfriend always found GC games a bit too complicated to play (not that she had many opportunities to try, but still), and has played through PH. Or small things like choosing items in Mario, which expand the controls a little bit without using more buttons than the original games.
(I would agree that PH controls were a bit too simple, but my point is valid all the same)