Actraiser archaic.. eheh thats funny.. There are many things that made that game what it was, from the different gameplay types to the epic music. One of the joys was trying to maximize your villages potential, then some great fights with great decending music. A god turned flesh to vanquish the evil in the land. Good times. Oh and it was put together just right, a formula that has been attempted at copying, but never has been done correctly.
As for its archaic, keep in mind, these elements didn't exist back in the day, at least not in a single form. Good times all around. You dont have to like it, but I do for it charms and gameplay. Of course there are some other classics that not many people played as well, like The 7th Saga and Brain Lord.