I can conjecture a few things. Maybe the kid saw all those fancy 3D games and thought 2D ones were too simple, and associated with JRPGs overall. Or maybe he didn't like the story since it is kinda shallow indeed.

But to me at least, it sits in a similar position as FFII (Firion's FF, not Cecil's), where story is shallow and forgettable, but both gameplay and OST make well up for it. Also both games allow some cheesing, which is something I love. e.e