I do agree that a well-designed pairing of level design and camera would have made it work far better...
Having said that, I think that those with extensive experience with 3D platformers will agree with me when I say that it didn't cause me any real trouble. And I think this is the primary problem - it's difficult to enjoy them until you get used to them properly, thus creating a barrier to entry.
3D may help, but I don't think it will entirely solve the problem. This is because video game cameras don't work the same as real life perspective, even when in first-person. The problem won't be completely resolved until holodecks or true virtual reality is introduced. In the meantime, the best they can do is design the levels and the camera to minimise that barrier to entry.
