If the character comes out of a battle or has been running, make the idle loop more noticeable while reducing its scale when the character is not exhausted. (guidohenkel.com)
On top of this, you could swap characters in and out of battle as long as they were still standing. (16bitdad.com)
You'll need to know how to use them to get the most out of your battles or else you're headed for the recycling bin. (ign.com)