Hard? Earthbound is freaking easy. You even have a specific enemy you can use to power level in a few minutes (you can instant kill him if you grab him from the back). You don't even need it though... the game is easy but I guess not everyone can be a pro player like me.
Agree with you on the item managment, it's very tedious.
The characters are fine. They don't have to be developed like a normal RPG, we are talking about a bunch of kids here. And the overall "light-hearted" tone of the game doesn't demand "character development" so I think they are fine.
You went into the game expecting too much. In my opinion it's one of the best RPG's on the SNES.
PS: Git gud.
"I've Underestimated the Horse Power from Mario Kart 8, I'll Never Doubt the WiiU's Engine Again"
