Reviewed
07.29.2000
Publisher
Wolfteam
Developer
Wolfteam
Format
CD
Origin
Import
Available
1993
(Japan)
Exclusive
Yes
Difficulty
Adjustable
Dimensions
2D
View
Side
Genre
Action/Fighter
Players
1
Options
6
Button
Arcade
Stick
CDKey
Pro
CDX
Requires
n/a
Importable
100% |
INTRO:
> Most knowledgeable gamers are aware of Wolfteam's great presence on the
Genesis/Mega Drive and Sega CD/Mega CD. Anet Futatabi (AF), an action
fighter, stems from El Viento (Genesis/Mega Drive) and Earnest Evans (Genesis/Mega
CD). The main character in AF, Annet, starred in El Viento while
Earnest (from Earnest Evans) plays a part in the cut-scenes. AF departs
from the straight action of its roots to include the fighting of Streets
of Rage, and the magic of Golden Axe.
> Finding this Japanese Mega CD game isn't easy -- playing it is.
It's perfectly importable with all English menus and game screens.
The speech and ending credits are the only Japanese parts of the game.
GRAPHICS:
> The FMV cut-scenes look great and help to tell the story in between levels.
After that, there isn't too much visual splendor in this game. The
various backgrounds range from average to good and include limited multi-scrolling.
For the most part, the enemies look good. The further you get in
the game, the better looking they become. Annet moves fine and has
a bunch of different animations. At the end of each round, you'll
go up against a big boss, who usually wields a weapon. Annet has
5 levels of magic at her disposal. Unfortunately, they are all bland.
Overall, there's a certain connection with Streets of Rage here, sans the
awesome graphics.
CONTROL:
> Basic, tight gameplay with some special moves best describes AF's control.
The buttons are magic, attack, and jump. Certain combinations yield
a flash kick, sliding kick, and tumbling jump. If you get in close,
you can do a hold and throw a la Streets of Rage. You have unlimited
magic to fight the normal enemies, but it has to be charged after every
use. For some strange reason, however, you can't use magic against
the bosses!?! Throw in some HP power-ups and you get the idea...
SOUND:
> As expected, the music is pretty good as it comes straight off the CD.
You'll hear mainly upbeat rock and jazz tunes which keep the game flowing.
The sound effects are essentially identical for every Wolfteam game --
must be the "Wolfteam Library". I think they're OK, but the enemies
could use some more effects.
FUN:
> The game has a decent length, but the gameplay gets kind of repetitive.
For sure, the cut-scenes help keep your mind on continuing to play.
It's a nice ride the first time through, but the replayability is low.
I wish there was a two player mode...
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