No idea but it might have to do with samba or spanish culture in general, the soundtrack is like an orchestra of amigos, but with a tint of sci-fi.. ^^ This sprite really doesnt do it/him justice, but I had to keep it small..

the name is odd.. opa opa..., were they looking for something like "oompa loompa?"

Opa-Opa is a not-so famous Sega character that used to be a mascot of sorts before Sonic. He starred in the Fantasy Zone shooter games which are similar to Parodius in a way.

I am clueless to as what this is.

Thanks. Well, since it's just an NPC in the RPG (top down gfx), I probably won't be doing a sideview of it :)

OMG! I remember playing that game. But wouldn't a side view be more appropriate? Still, it looks nice.