I didn't make the whole thing, I'm just editing it based on feedback, so I appreciate your words. Still a work in progress, of course, but I think we'll nail something that makes everybody happy. Thanks again for the detailed critique.
Also worth noting: I actually disagree about the turquoise. The additional color is part of the improvement, without it, very big parts of the game will look like bright colored characters on a more or less grayscale background. Other than that, I agree with your suggestions and see the flaws you pointed out.