Swing, smash, save the day!
The Sega Genesis was a household name with way too many titles to count. Bringing us such classics as Streets of Rage, Sonic the Hedgehog, Earthworm Jim and a catalog of others. One that was popular at the time, but has sort of been lost in the shuffle since, is Golden Axe. Combining 2-D side-scrolling, hack-and-slash gameplay, and a lush fantasy world, Golden axe is 16-bit gold. An evil wizard known as Death Adder has kidnapped the King and Princess of Yuria in a bid to take over the Kingdom and a group of warriors must come together to save the Royal family.Â
We take control of one of 3 heroes, Gilius Thunderhead; an axe wielding dwarf, Ax Battler; a warrior with dual-wielding swords, and Tyrise Flaire; an amazonian with a broadsword. The gameplay is slick and polished, all the characters have their strengths and weaknesses. One will have stronger magic, stronger melee or longer ranged weapons. While it is primarily a hack-and-slash, there are also magic and power ups to collect. The higher the magic = the more powerful the attack. Another feature is the ability to ride beasts and help them aid you in battle. Hopping on a fire breathing dragon and scorching enemies will never not be fun. Also being able to play co-op is always a welcomed feature.
The world this game inhabits is very much influenced by Conan the Barbarian, Lord of the Rings and Dungeons & Dragons. You will traverse forests, a village on a giant turtle, a fortress on a big eagle and an enchanted castle. These are very lighthearted and charming and combined with the music score, creates a world full of wonder. The enemies are straight out of a DnD playbook; knights, living skeletons, and evil wizards- every typical trope that a fantasy nerd can check off his list.Â
This is a quintessential Genesis classic and highly recommended for any fan of side-scrollers or hack-and-slashers. Like many games from its era, it’s short and sweet- this game can be completed in the span of less than an hour. A huge improvement with its modern releases is its implementation of a rewind feature (that will be a huge help with the final boss). Golden Axe has been dormant for decades, however Sega has decided to jump on the nostalgia bandwagon. They have announced a slew of remakes and reboots of their old titles, Jet Set Radio, Shinobi and this one too! I’m very excited to see what new life they bring to these classics. Until then, we will make do with the originals. Grab the golden axe, hop on a dragon and go save the princess (don’t worry she’s not in another castle)
Stay golden dragon boy,
Fil
Verdict: 8/10