Publisher: WolfTeam
Developer: WolfTeam
Size: 1 CD
Memory Usage: None
No. of players: 1
Well, not reading *any* Japanese, I can't really give you any kind of accurate description as to why Annette has decided to go out on this adventure. My guess is that she's a very angry young lady, and blames it all on her father, who abandoned her in a tomb(where Earnest found her) and is now taking it out on all males she comes across. Hmmmm, sounds a lot like *every* fucking Lifetime "special" doesn't it?

What's it all about?
It's a beat'em...or more accurately, slash'em up, borrowing heavily from other similar games. Basically, you use Annette to make your way through stages by attacking the enemies with her nifty sword, busting three hit combos, using magic and (of course)kicking them in the nuts. At the end of each level you get to take on an incredibly overpowered boss, then are treated to a lengthy anime cut scene. All in all, it's a LOT like Golden Axe in gameplay, but a lot worse in terms of actual fun and quality(sadly).
Graphics - Very plain, with minimal use of parallax scrolling and animation. The backgrounds are made up of one plane where you fight, and one parallax backdrop...that's it; enemies have about five to seven frames of animation. The magic spells consist of a really lame use of scaling manipulation on the sprites: It looks terrible, it *is* terrible. The only redeeming factor to the graphics would be Annette and the anime cut scenes. Both look really good, but, unfortunately, I think these are the only thing Wolf Team bothered to put any real effort in.
Sound - None of the sound effects, nor voice or music are of particularly poor quality....they're just nothing memorable. It's all really just bland...
Control - Pretty solid. Annette has no real control issues, you move her, she goes. She can run, jump, slide-kick, and it's all done very easily.
AI - Cheap as all fucking hell. Getting hit will send Annette FLYING across the room to the floor, where she takes a good two to three seconds to get up....thus giving the cheap-ass enemies time make there way over there and attack you *again* as you get up(initiating the entire sequence over again). This can go on until they kill you. The *only* thing that saves this terrible AI flaw from ruining the entire game is Annette's constant, recharging magic meter. If you slam the magic button super fast when you get caught in this trap, you'll cast a spell right as you get up, and knock all enemies down(or out)...and away from you.
Replay value - Moderate. Though it's not a great slash'em up, it does have its moments...very few, but it does have them. You may come back from time to time to play again...
Tips for better gaming experiences:
The bosses take off shitloads of energy...and can take you out in as little as five hits. Trying to grab a boss is right out, they break it *every* time, and will almost always break your three hit sword combo(and hit you after doing so) so that leaves jumping and running attacks. EVERY BOSS IN THE GAME can be defeated easily by either using the running swordslash/jumpkick or the running slide-kick. Just time it right, and you'll take them down every time. A quick note, for those going for the gold, the last boss can ONLY be hit with the running swordslash/jumpkick(be sure to try to hit him with the swordslash rather than the kick).  

My rating: 75(out of 100) - It's not a bad game...it's just not a particularly great one...it's kinda in that middle, sorta-mediocre area. What's so depressing about Annette Again is that Wolf Team would let it go out like this...you'd just expect more from a development house like that.

Cat's meowy thoughts: OMG, what happened? This bullshit can't be from Wolf Team, the people that gave us Arcus Odyssey and other amazing Genesis classics. It looks like ass, the magic effects are a disgrace and the action is beyond dull. I very rarely hiss, but if I see this game in the Mega CD again, I will!
Some of the absolute most lame magic effects *ever*.
What would a Japanese game be without aliens or bio-mechanical nightmares.
A lovely, panning shot of Annette...
Plowed into the statue!
Gameplay Videos:
Wolf Team logo, Attract Mode, Options, Intro, Level 1, Continue - 7:45, 63.2 megs

Immediate Streaming - YouTube
Description: The game's animated Attract Mode, complete with cheesy J-pop song accompaniment, as well as the Intro and a play through of the first level. You'll get to see that cheap-ass AI I was talking about as the first level's boss pulls it on me...
Note: You'll need the most recent Divx codec to watch these videos. Also, slowdown and jumps in the playback may not necessarily be the fault of the game so much as the method I am using to record them. If you are having problems watching the videos in your browser, just right-click and download them to your hard drive...
Interesting Tidbits:
This is the third, and final game in the un-named trilogy that consists of Earnest Evans, El Viento and Annette Again.