There are zero easier ways with current TVs to play SNES games with original SNES controllers. I still have my OG SNES, but it's a nightmare to hook up to my entertainment center because the composite cables output a signal that the receiver fails to identify half the time, which requires a manual refresh. Emulators require finding files and putting them in the correct places, which, while not hard, is certainly not easier than plug and play (and you have to use knock-off controllers). My purchasing process for the SNES Classic took less than 10 minutes, required no standing in line, no driving around to multiple locations, nothing that I would describe as more difficult than purchasing anything else. So, no, I don't agree that there are easier ways.
Oh, of course, USB modding a controller is vastly easier than buying a set piece of hardware that requires no modifications. What was I thinking?