Thanks for playing!
I'm glad the aesthetic worked for you, I think that 1-bit graphics work nicely in a fix.
I can see why it doesn't feel exactly like a shooter, since there are games (like the ones you mentioned) that feel very similar to this one. The "dodge" mechanic is meant to be the main focus, but I added stabbing to make you feel like you have a little more control. The game feels more balanced with stabbing in my opinion, but it does muddy the theme. (My excuse? Metal Slug has a knife lol). With more time, I'm sure it could be balanced properly without the knife.
More on the dodge, another commenter suggested "block" and I think that's a much better name for it, I may go with that moving forward. I did design a few interesting things into the levels that you won't notice if you don't reflect bullets (a couple enemies on high platforms can be killed by reflecting bullets), but I didn't really have enough time remaining to flesh that out.
Also, the music. I've gotten a lot of complaints about it, but if you don't mind I have a few more specific questions about it: would it seem less bad if the volume wasn't unexpectedly way too loud? Is all of the music bad, or just the main theme?
I appreciate the feedback! I'll consider it all when/if this becomes a full project.