Oh I'm getting it! :D
It comes out in November, my Birthday is in January. The timing is working in my favor.

Metroid on my flatscreen! GOD BE PRAISED!!!!

It's worth noting that what you refer to as random encounters I find preferable to the most common alternative; namely visible enemies moving in real time.

One problem is that it leads to situations where I get attacked before being able to open the menu to check my condition and heal. That situation never happens with typical implementations of random invisible encounters, where it is only possible to get attacked when moving.

The other problem I have is that it turns the game into an action game when trying to avoid encounters, which I consider unacceptable in a game that tries to be an RPG.

Also, in some games (the SaGa 3 remake, for example), visible encounters are actually worse than random encounters would be. In SaGa 3, for example, late game enemies move faster than you, making it impossible to avoid encounters without stopping time, which is a limited-use ability. As a result, you still have the issue of being unable to avoid encounters (hence not having the supposed advantage of the "visible enemies that move in real-time" system), but you also have the disadvantages of the system that I listed above, leading to the worst of both worlds.

If you want to implement visible enemies in an RPG, I suggest taking Lufia 2's approach, where enemies only move when you do; this keeps the game from turning into an action game.

Oddly enough, this lack of capability may be what makes me ethically OK with buying it; because you can't add games, there can be no DRM to prevent you from copying the games to another mini-NES. Also, this means that you don't need an Internet connection to play the games.

(Note that I am still thinking about how the mini-NES interacts with my "no DRM on digital downloads" policy, but it may pass precisely because it is not a digital download and does not offer the capability to acquire digital downloads.)

i never played metroid actually
the nes was a bit before my time and the current price tags err on the side of insane
a lot of the "great" nes games i actually never played or finished

I only cannot get into games where you have to know what to write (example:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_fiction
and some old dos rpg).
But when I think about Dungeon Keeper (that is old but really good) I understand that there is not old games that are hard to play now, just games that need more effort to get into.

The way I see it, this mechanic reinforces a certain gameplay style found in many early RPGs that I could call the expedition-based style. The way it works is as follows:

1. Assemble a party in town
2. Explore the dungeon, earning XP and gathering loot
3. Return to town to rest and sell the excess loot. This is also a good time to handle things like leveling up, buying new equipment, and saving the game.
4. Return to step 2.

This pattern is a staple of many classic RPGs, including Wizardry 1-3 and 5 (not 4 or 6-8) and Bard's Tale 1 & 2 (3 broke this by introducing Harmonic Gems (common item that restores all spell points) and removing shops, but you still need to reach town to level up). I also notice this pattern in early Elder Scrolls games (Arena and Daggerfall in particular) in which I tend to pick one city to use as my home base, though those games differ from the ones mentioned before in one major respect: In TES games and other modern RPGs, you are expected to finish a dungeon in one trip, while in games like Wizardry and Bard's Tale, you are expected to take multiple trips into a dungeon before you are ready to finish it. (I think easy MP restoration and mid-dungeon save points in JRPGs and the ability to rest in dungeons in WRPGs tended to break this pattern.)

Oh, yeah. I was wrong, sorry. I just checked and loaded my save to see what made me think that.
A tiny spoiler ahead!
...you do get items that are maps. or at least I've found one. That makes the game a lot easier.
Haven't really felt lost much in EotB2 so far. Maybe the design is just very good.

Use a damn pencil on a paper, will ya? :-P

You should see the shit I drew up for the original NES Metal Gear. :D

Those maps would put Prima to shame.

As in, it's the same exact game with the same exact AI and whatnot, just slapped on a different system. If you want the mechanics of the game changed, you're looking for a remaster.
Who were these playtesters? Employees of the company who wanted a bigger paycheck?

back in the day arcade ports were usually enhanced ports just look at all the extra's tekken 2 got
or totally different games see double dragon 1 and 2
because the nes couldnt handle the arcade version

Perfect score no, but I did beat KQ3 without a walkthrough when I was a kid *pats self on back*

I tried playing 7th Legion, and between the bad pathfinding and general randomness of the game I had to stop. Got maybe 4 levels in before calling it quits.

in eye of the beholder it isnt as easy as you think with all the teleports and spin traps

Drop lesser items on the floor to orientate yourself.

Funny that you mention this game - I tried to replay it ~2 years ago and couldn't do it from the very same reason :)