Unlike art or music, you don't get immediate feedback while you're working on a program.
Nope, though you can copy and paste what you are doing here for others to analyze it then you have to worry about someone saying you used his code without telling him/her. I'm only saying that because ive seen that said at Mugen Fighting Guide. People be bitching about stealing codes but never complain about using resources for sprites or frankenspriting.
So don't worry, I've heard your situation is pretty common. In game development, project leads are usually the artists/designers or composer/designers or writer/designers, right?
Yup, normally a programmer itself don't have does things. They just know how to implement them
In that case, perhaps Rendering Ranger makes all of us look bad if one man can finish a project of that scale by himself.
Yup thats a good kick in the face.
Pretty much.

I think it took him about 4 years to make it though
Hmm even so you did mention that he was working under a company. So I am sure he got some kind of help. Also its pretty easy as hell if you took the time to make 3D renders and just sprite over them. you dont have to worry about reference or anything being that its all laid there and again, I am sure he know already how to program. Take someone that never programmed in their life. you have a better chance to learn how to do pixel art than what you can do programming.