Ah. Progress! 2nd Level looks very Styxxy!
if time is running out then i would not worry too much about the ground and water texture of it. It does a fine job of conveying the message.
The green glowth saves the day here.
I understand the hassle of reimporting characters. Maybe you can change their pivot so that the tail goes straight upward:

I guess you would have to update the texture but because its head is then on another place the hint of forward motion acosiated with S-cells is gone. And then it just looks more like a flame. But i suspect you already considered it. Also: i think you can change a model's hue by code.
Ill shut up about it now

Its not really about pixelart anymore.
Carry on! Good stuff!
I want to play this game one day? ok?