I'm VERY impressed and in awe. I got all the way to the chest for that artifact, then got eat alive by bugs.
You don't play very nice, mister! LOL
This is a very solid incarnation of a 16-bit game. The animations are smooth and the character art is distinct and shows a great deal of expressions and personality. I appreciate the small gestures the characters make at key points in dialogue and interaction. Very creative.
This is mostly likely due to C2's issues with seams between tiles, but it was very evident during movement. But, that's also forgiveable (especially since it's not fair to expect everyone's graphic cards to be running as it did on a dedicated hardware like the SNES).
I was at work and had the sound down, so I couldn't comment on that. I suspect it's equally noteworthy, though.
The introductions and back story feels rich. I liked the way you sought to lay a foundation for the story rather than just say, "Here, go on an adventure." You set the stage in a well-executed manner.
I did find the controls and menu systems a bit difficult to navigate through at first...it might just be because I'm not as accustomed to keyboard controls like this. I'm usually a console man. Still, after some time, I grew better acquainted and all seemed well.
The only other minor complain I have is that the ally seemed to rush up to attack before I ever got a chance to line up my shot. And I wasn't sure if I had to be "within range" or line up the attack with the bugs more precisely. I couldn't tell what the hit detection was like.
All in all, though, this is a SOLID start and I'm impressed. I even loved the puzzle element of following the directions. I would have liked if the clue wasn't so quickly given by the character's dialogue and allowed the player to decipher it (I'm a major fan of the Professor Layton series on the Nintendo (3)DS and can't resist a good puzzle). So I'd like to recommend changing the dialogue there to allow the player to work out the path through the maze of tunnels.
AMAZING game! Please keep up updated!