Glad to see an update to the project.
As for the sprite change, for my personal tastes, I must admit that I am not truly sold on the new Tora. I got so used to the one you made originally for Homecoming. Made your project stand out for me and lure me in cause it looked new and unique. Now he's like the old Tora but refined I suppose. Great for the old fans of course! Not for me who has no nostalgia for the OG.
Also, the sprites being cut off at the waist is a shame. I read the official statement of why it was done, and as much as I understand the reasoning behind it, I still don't like it. But it is what it is I suppose.