This picture was scanned from the NES box.

It would seem that they felt it necessary to take the controller cables, run them behind the NES and television, under the table and then up to the boys so as not to have any messy cables showing.

I don't see how anyone would want to hold the controllers like that when they are playing. They must have no clue what they are doing. The way they have their hands cupped on the game pads, it would be an awkward reach to press the A and B buttons. Of course, then there's the fact that the kid in the blue shirt probably has the worst view of the screen of the bunch and he's supposed to be a player.

- Thanks to Matthew S. Carpenter for this stupid scan -