This was a terrific review, dagoss, and it's good to see you contribute to the site again. I haven't read the story on which this series of games is based, but I've played some of Koei's later games (including some in the RotTK series) and I can understand the feeling that there's a bit of magic hidden there underneath the rough crust. I do own this game on cartridge for the NES, I believe, so perhaps one day I'll play it. By the way, when you say "exasperates the problem", do you mean "exacerbates the problem"? I think you probably do. Otherwise, your writing throughout was flawless and you're probably one of the only people who could write a review of this game today and make it seem so intriguing.
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality
"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world
"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world
