Amazing game! This new version is a significant improvement! However, I have a few minor nitpicks...
- I prefer the novelty of stabbing fires in the older version- it adds a sense of humor and surrealism to the game- somehow more than the fleshy blob things. It also has the added effect of making the game appear less "wrong" at first glance, especially to the testers who would have played the game in the 80s. But this is so minor that it really doesn't need to be changed at all.
- The physics feel a bit too unnatural. As this is supposedly a port of an old arcade game, tweaking the physics to make them more like something out of an old arcade platformer might be more accurate and add to the feel.
- Finally, the sound effects appear to be default NESMaker sound effects, which appears to be the program you made it in- maybe you should add a credit in the description? It also makes the game sound a bit "stock".
Regardless, this game is great and I cannot wait to see further updates!