Impresive, but needs antialiasing desperately.

antialiasing  yes he needed, i hope i can update this.

And sketch for animation snakes. 4 frame - I think thats will be enough.

This stripe off snake will be move in right and other direction (down, left, right)
I paint also another stripe for diagonal directions (45 deg.)
Also urn i paint in 3d dimensions as the sketches (as tresure chest).
And when click on urn - she will be destroyed and snakes become out in 8 direction (vertical, gorizontal, diagonal)

too bad about the lighting...
this new piece is awesome.  it looks like the right side of the railing is over 1-2 pixels too far.  and then the bottom floor and basement windows arent aligned directly with the columns, looks like the far right column (the corner piece) is closer to the middle than the left.  good luck.

I think it's the middle column that's out of line rather than the windows.

If i right understand you.... I not see this earlier, thanks. Anyway, i think this is was better.

Thanks. I hope my trouble - chest with snakes, will be so nice....

Very funny sprites! Good.
But something about race  , you fish race a very like as bird race. On you sketch (http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/4651/fishnp1.jpg) personage more fishy than on pixel. Because on pixel his mouth like as beak, and haven't bulging eyes. Want see distance between eyes maybe more bigger and mouth up to eyes. His hand too much long. Maybe my small edit help you:

With this eyes you did can more emotion for you character.
And color will be more fishy.
Also you must small work with shapes.