I'm thinking the gist of it is that pixel-art is a art style like abstract art, Pointillism, impressionism, cubism, and all the other schools portraying realism

I'm thinking the gist of it is that pixel-art is a art style like abstract art, Pointillism, impressionism, cubism, and all the other schools portraying realism but in a very particular and deliberate way. Basically theres a set of techniques, theres a discipline, theres a way of doing it "primitive" or low style like the Rambo example and a way of doing it in high style, like the Mighty Final Fight example. Its not retro as such, its about using a limited color range of square tiles to convey a image with some kind of meaning. Pixel-art adds animation as well which is interesting. The comments about the critics "not getting it" are as old as the "art critic" profession itself. Different critics are at different levels of understanding, including none-at-all. I wonder if that auro game would have the same affect if it had high resolution graphics instead? Probably not. Different aesthetic, different audience. Dwarf fortress versus Starcraft.