I enjoyed those points too, until I realized it was all the game had to offer. I even went back again months later and gave it a second chance, and I still couldn’t get into it.
I doubt Hulst had any say over the order of Astro’s stages… Regardless of the order, both are great IMO. I think leading with GOW was the better option, being that I too agree that it was the better of the two, why not have it be what introduces people to the concept of other game-themed stages?
The nostalgia isn’t what made Astro great to me, though, it was the gameplay. It was the true return to classic platforming that has been missing for so long. It was the innovative use of the controls. It was the fantastic music. The game is just completely polished top to bottom. The nostalgia was just the cherry on top.