I played on Keyboard, so it may differ from the controller. If enemies were stunned for a few frames when hit or there was a dash/block move, I think it would help keep the fighting flowing. I think there could be something to the "try to make progress while intermittently fighting off waves of baddies" concept. My intuition is that doubling the number of enemies and releasing them in waves, and also doubling your power in dealing with them would increase the overall fun.
Sprites looked great and the occasional spin-kick was a fun surprise. As was the enemy's friendly fire.
Yeah, I did testing using the gamepad all the way up until the end, so I was disappointed in how the keyboard controls felt. That's a good idea to stun enemies longer on being hit as well as increasing mobility and allowing blocking. And yes, turning the player into a powerhouse to deal with the increasing masses would make for some fun experiences!
As for the sprites, thank the artists on River City Ransom DX! I just took them from the Spriter's Resource page and animated them so I could focus on mechanics over aesthetics. :)