Yeah, Kameo is a flawed gem. Better than most reviews let on, but definitely not the best platformer out there. Have you played Super Lucky's Tale? It's a nice, solid platformer. I think you'd like it.

I also find Nier Automata to be a tad overrated. Which is funny because I find all of Yoko Taro's other games to be severely underrated (at least in terms of review scores).

I love Phantasy Star I and IV, liked II, never played the third (that one doesn't count). I actually prefer the original Phantasy Star series to pre-VII Final Fantasy. With II, even with saving everywhere on modern versions, the game is nearly impossible without a guide, so I never finished it either. I'm looking forward to playing II and IV again with the Sega Classics Collection, but I doubt I'll have the patience to make it far in II.