kind of jumping back in sprites

[G-Haven]

I dunno how much more I should limit the palette and not entirely happy with the hat bill. I'm sure I can hammer that out later today though.

first one I've done in a long while, like.... 6-7, maybe 8 years?

[Kakariko Kid]

That's pretty sweet. I don't know if you could do much more with the bill, but seeing it's a 16(?) bit sprite, totally acceptable.

[Dazz]

Before you make a sprite, you should try to decide on a design before anything else. Your character seems very... plain, and not really challenging any kind of creativity with your palette. You also make alterations to his outfit as you change your restrictions.

You should try to consider that less is more, too - you have very inconsistent shading that could easily be improved by using more solid blocks of colour, rather than just throwing in random shapes to portray folds in the clothing. It can work, but remember that you have a limited size to work with, so making the sprite readable from a distance is your primary focus.

Having a solid design to work to makes this easier, as you can pick out what is important and what isn't, and see what you can include with these limitations in mind. For example, the sprite of Mario in Super Mario Bros. doesn't include the M on his hat, because it would be indistinguishable.

Try to make a more interesting pose, too - you're just limiting your creativity by making a character that has his hands in his pockets. If you don't learn to draw hands, you're never going to make anything besides a standing and walking animation.

You should also try to increase the constrast between colours. You have 3 shades on your face, when only really 2 can be easily distinguished.
edit: Also, always try to show a sprite at its native size. Otherwise, you might as well have made the sprite the size that you're showing it at in the thread. No problems with showing it zoomed in too, but always show it at a native size at the same time.