Less of a background in this one and more of a pure-Pixel vibe to it... the nine tile chessboard does feel a bit square and simplistic compared to the previous ones, but character art is top notch as always! As for the trails of red blocks hmm... I feel like accentuating those a bit less, making them smaller, and/or weaving a bit more intricate patterns, that don't all curve towards the characters, would look a bit better.
-cd-