For me, pixel art all the way! I spent countless hours as a kid playing old NES and SNES games, and the influence extended even to my music composition, as the stuff I write is all chiptune! My art style isn't an exact 1-1 for the NES, but it is intentionally retro in style and the simple color palettes help to give it that old school look.
I'll admit that much of my early designs were due to a lack of skill, but as I've gotten better at pixel art it's evolved into my own style that I've grown fond of.