There's this dumb misconception that pixel art automatically says that it's "Retro Style" when in reality it's a choice that was made because it's a rather easy way to develop your game compared to HD sprites and 3D graphics.
A lot of developers tend to be more expressive with Pixel art too, something that wasn't achieved during the NES days.
Pixel art is wonderful but it has been a very prominent focus as of late according to @StaceyPowers... But again, it's not really inspired by anything retro, it just can be its own form of art that isn't necessarily associated with the consoles of old.
Now, are indie games as of late like that? No.
Just this year we've had games like Indivisible and Deliver Us The Moon which have pushed the boundaries of HD graphics and 3D respectively. Not to mention, the current-day gvame engines like Unity and Unreal Engine have been pushed to their limits by indie studios, whether in demos or otherwise.
ç
So no, this market isn't going for too much Pixel art, in fact, I would say it hasn't been done enough... But more importantly...
Did you know @Alyxx never owned Axiom Verge?