Seriously, if the Wii U was the chosen console of all hardcore gamers (as they had planned) this generation did Nintendo think they'd get away with the shittiness of that is the GamePad and Pro Controller? Meh, they're passable. WUPC is pretty all right, I'll give you that.
The one mistake Nintendo made was to release the Classic Controller for the Wii. That was the beginning of the end:
1. Classic Controller was designed to clip on to a Wiimote, making it cumbersome ("wireless" and "wired" at the same time) and dumb
2. It forewent analog triggers with the Classic Controller Pro redesign
3. Developers were divided on controller support, as some games (e.g. Sonic Colors) play better with a GameCube controller vs. Classic Controller
4. Later Wii models and the Wii mini dropped support for the GameCube controller, leaving only space for the mediocre Classic Controller...
5. ...only to be superseded by the Wii U Pro Controller that is much of the same with a few design tweaks, but this time truly wireless operation
In hindsight, I think this is what Nintendo should've done and the huge popularity of Nintendo's GameCube Controller Adapter underlines it:
1. Have only the GameCube controller alongside the Wiimote (which started out as an accessory for the GameCube anyway)
2. Never forego analog triggers, add a second Z-button and improve the D-pad (calling it the "New GameCube Controller")
3. Incorporate WaveBird transmitters inside the Wii U and/or create a "New WaveBird Controller" with Bluetooth support
4. Enable Off TV Play and second screen capabilities for the 3DS and never make the Wii U GamePad
5. Print unlimited money and stick it to Sony and Microsoft
It didn't hurt Sony to keep the same controller design for three generations and improving the existing design for the latest generation model. Why fix what's not broken? Wii Classic Controller was/is very broken compared to the GameCube controller. And if Nintendo can get away with adding a nipple and ZL/ZR buttons to the 3DS and call it the "New Nintendo 3DS", I don't see why fans wouldn't get wet in their pants for a "New GameCube Controller" with a small redesign.