Not only the quality of the late game in the original. But I remember really liking how combat was only one option and you could talk your way through most situations if you wanted or use stealth or some other option. Until a certain point in the game and it was like I had built my character around this aspect and all of a sudden in the late missions combat was the only option and I was just getting slaughtered and giving up.
I remember being surprised by Lufia 2 rise of the sinistrals. It was my first RPG other than a Zelda type game as a kid.