Also the pointer feature (something not replicated by the PS3) is very very significant. It makes mouse-style games viable on a console for the first time ever.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNES_mouse
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.videoplay.ru/imgp/PS_Mouse_for_PSX_Topway.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.videoplay.ru/description.php%3Fid%3DPS_Mouse_for_PSX_Topway&h=293&w=270&sz=20&hl=en&start=9&tbnid=AFq_bdlmoKXF1M:&tbnh=111&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522PLAYSTATION%2BMOUSE%2522%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN ]
..Woah thats one large link!