Yeah that seems to be a pretty common complaint with the message box. I tried it with an 8 bit one a while back but it just didn't seem right.
You know, now that I look at the HUD(s) again, there are a few things that should probably be changed: like getting rid of the orange health bars (something I really have no experience with so far and don't know if it requires a script or not). I'm going to have to put 8bitifying it on the to-do list.
Lately I've been pretty focused on content and less on system graphics but this is definitely food for thought.
Thanks!