I got lost in them a lot as a kid but I don't any more. I think they're pretty interesting for a series of maps that use the same 3 or 4 basic structures.

However, that took place at the end of the disc, and this is at the beginning, so players accidentally getting lost at this point would be saddening.

Amaterasu: Not until Part 2, but eventually, yes. I've already planned about the basic structures for all playable characters. The main six are returning, along with a new cast member, possibly Laguna, and there are four temporary members (two in one part and two in another)