I look at it as less is more. 128 bytes of ram. A simple instruction set. Simple sound. It is easier to focus on learning and being imaginative. Atari 8-bit and NES programming require going up a much steeper learning curve. More options and capabilities but more distractions and expectations of what you should achieve and do when learning.
For anyone interested in exploring this idea without having to go full on assembly warrior, give Batari Basic a try. It's actually quite well done and it exposes the limited resources of the VCS in an easy to understand way.
Your basic program is compiled down to 6502 machine language and it all runs at basically native speed.
I found it extremely productive. One can knock out a simple game concept in an hour.
And yes, the sharp limits really does boil down to less is more. You won't find yourself looking through tons of options and or making one of a very large number of possible choices either.
https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=chunkypi...