Yes, using free graphics would be an option, but I don't like this idea very much. It would make the game less unique...
Update:

items are working now:
- daggers. again. (only useable for Ling in human form)
- three keys for three different doors
- a heart refills some health
- a moonstone: unknown
- a potion: unknown
- heart container: increases the maximum health
Also, the game can now update sprites in VRAM on the fly when the player morphes. This was needed, because Ling in human form needs 112 sprite images and the wolf and morph images need 112 images, too. Too many to be stored simultanously in VRAM, if you want to have enemies... This is really tricky:
- music is disabled: to free temp ram for exomizer
- OAM updates are disabled: to free ram for 16 sprite images (thanks for the hint, rainwarrior)
- now 16 sprites are decrunched the OAM buffer
- then the NMI code copies 8 sprite images from OAM buffer to VRAM (2 times)
- the last 2 steps are repeated 7 times (7*16=112)
- OAM updates and music are enabled again
There is s short freeze (ca. 0.5 s) when morphing, but it is almost not noticable, because you cannot move while morphing anyway.
And the project has a 3rd member: Cyborgjeff is doing the music
cyborgjeff bandcamp pageFeature freeze! No more new game elements, I'm trying to make the game playable now...