Hey! Thanks a lot! And yeah, the cartridge stuff was kind of a silly thing to include in a game like this, so I'm glad that the effort was worth it and you ended up enjoying it
In fact I would actually find it cool to have sections of the game that have that sense of depth and subtle storytelling. That is what made the cartridge so good, it is the way it presents itself. Sure you know it is going to be cursed, but the way it goes about it being such a jarring change from the magic we're used to.
Honestly, I hope that the way you unlock the guardian/ally character in the future is crafted in a similar subtle storytelling like this.
I can just imagine, in a courtyard of the curse Kastle, the protagonist finds the statue of an Avian Paladin. Of course it is said to be the statue of a warrior who was known to use star striker, the sword that you gain from fishing with the name mentioned by the T-Rex Knight. Of course, the sword reacts to the statue and you have to learn more about the sword to free the Paladin from his prison. After that he pretty much becomes indebt to you. The idea actually could work but it would depend on when you have time to set up a party system. Granted, I guess the Spirit is one step closer to a party member.