Tbf, even a simple macro assembler gets you closer to a proper high level language dev-experience than programming in machine code. We're just not used to the idea of macro assemblers anymore because our only contact with assembly code is when staring at the messy disassembly of high-level-language compiler output.

But that's very different from working in a properly commented and 'macro-assisted' Z80 or 6502 assembly code base.