The NES version impressed me more because it made what it did for the series more obvious. I would try to play through the games in order with the original versions to get a better feel for it.

Honestly, I can't really say because I actually really liked this game and I loved how certain dungeons and boss battles made certain job roles a requirement as opposed to a suggestion you can muscle through. I guess I would have liked to see Xande get some more screen time and perhaps a less subtle conclusion about the true meaning of Noah's gift but honestly I don't think anything but a huge overhaul to modernize the game up would suffice for most fans of the genre.