This was pretty fun. The gameplay mechanics work well, I think - there's potential in here. I'd be interested in seeing the expanded version you described in the credits. It's the sort of thing that would've probably been a runaway success on old-school Newgrounds, haha.
I do like the art style, too. It's very comic-y, ligne claire almost, and that works very well with the minimal animation style. The character designs are super varied, too, and there's some real personality in there.
Good job!