Golden Axe

[XMARLTONX]

So I am exloring the Sega Classics 6 game cart that came with my CDX =) =)

And I just finished playing Golden Axe for the first time, and I gotta say, I wasn't so impressed. It was fun, but not the legacy that I have heard of. Anyone else feel the same?

[nik]

I think the legacy came more from II, I loved II, I was a little bland, but still cool.

[xBino]

golden axe i thoroughly enjoyed and consider it a classic. best beat em up? hardly. but back in its day, a real gem. i think the legacy comes from being one of the first defining beat em ups for the genny along with all the nostalgia is brings.

it's funny, the way you feel about golden axe is what i thought of strider when i played it for the first time last week. what's with all the 95% and 10/10's?

[Nazza]

I remember playing it as a kid and loving it, but I can't play it now for too long because there seems to be no way to stop people behind you from attacking you, apart from one move that I forgot because my friend told me and I don't have the manual.

[Mr Smith]

For me the first Golden Axe game never really got going. It was fun and, as has been said before, as a kid it was great, however, there isn't too much of a challenge and it does get a little repetitive.
The move to stop being attacked is B+C and it's not always effective, especially as Ax-Battler.

[Alianger]

It's fun to play from time to time, since it's so short and easy to get into. I like kicking the little gnomes, riding dragons and using magic, but other than that the gameplay is very sluggish and repetitive. The sequel is a bit better and more of a challenge, though they should've kept the gnomes. Oh yeah, and I love the soundtracks for both I & II.

[Ash]

I first played it as a pack-in for my Sega-CD. As a pack-in, I thought it was a pretty decent game, as a pack-in.

[Mr Smith]

It's fun to play from time to time, since it's so short and easy to get into. I like kicking the little gnomes, riding dragons and using magic, but other than that the gameplay is very sluggish and repetitive. The sequel is a bit better and more of a challenge, though they should've kept the gnomes. Oh yeah, and I love the soundtracks for both I & II.

The dragons and chicken legs were awesome in Golden Axe. They weren't as much fun in Golden Axe 2 though. It was a shame you could only use the red dragon briefly. The wizards in Golden Axe 2 were also nothing compared to the gnomes. :shame:

[Kogen]

I've yet to see any other games as fun in beat-em ups made in the 80s other than Golden Axe, even now I rarely see any games better than it in that genre. All I can think of are Golden Axe II(maybe, it has terrible AI) and the arcade sequel; and the Bare Knuckle series. Everything else is extremely bland and just plain crap(Final Fight, for example). But like most people it seems, if you never played this game back around when it was released it probably isn't going to keep impressing you. I tend to feel the same towards things like Strider, like someone mentioned, and other things like Alex Kidd. And it also seems like you apparently suck a beat-em ups as it's a very easy game besides a few boss fights.

[David J.]

I hated the Genesis version of the original, but I love the sequels.

The arcade version was IMO 100x better than the Genesis version, this is the first game, BTW.

[Kogen]

It has better graphics, sound, and a few more animations(death adder, ending), but plays exactly the same. How is it really that much better? The Genesis version atleast has another level with awesome final boss music, seems better to me. And if you play it on Sega CD, the sound is just as good too.

[David J.]

I know it sounds wierd, but it's some something I have always prefered.

[Quiet Flight]

I wish someone would have ported Death Adder. That is such a great Golden Axe game.

[Russman]

Golden Axe was good because it was an original theme, and the game had very good controls along with significant differences in abilities between the 3 characters. Plus the inclusion of Magic as a secondary super weapon was something not found in most beatemups which usually just featured standard moves/combos for each character and 1 super move that drains energy. I still think its a good game, but it does suffer from those cheap shots, but that's nothing unique to Golden Axe.

[ary incorparated]

Genesis could have handled its arcade counterpart sore it didn’t, but still great game David you’re overreacting 100x better Tisk you must know that isn’t true the game plays identical to the arcade version, but the graphics lack a bit, hats bit sore. Golden axe 2 Holy god 8 channelled music and you can hear PSG+YN2612 while the arcade version only has 2612.Golden axe 3 Is that game for game gear or master system? You know why i say that(Blech shame) tough plays okay. I Have golden axe 2 with faults in it, it really has glitches when you pres right button he does start and left is jump and c is right etc, il keep that ill bet not many people have this one, im going to buy a good version soon.

[Genesis Knight]

I don't get the message one recieves after beating Duel mode in Golden Axe. Does anything change in arcade mode once you clear it?

[Mr Smith]

I can't remember the message, but from what I recall the arcade mode remains the same no matter what happens.

[Drixxel]

I really enjoy Golden Axe. Russman summed it up nicely. The fantasy atmosphere and control make it tops in my opinion.. the double-tap run is a feature that every beat-'em-up needs to have. My only real complaint about the game has to do with the occasional cheap hit, which frequently tends to happen when you're attacked from behind while locked in a grapple with an enemy (that grapple is often times far more troublesome than it is worth). Then there's the final battle replete with Death Adder's inescapable magic attacks, which is just a total piss off.

Even so, Golden Axe is awesome. Then again, when I was very young it was a favourite of mine in the arcades, so nostalgia does contribute at least partially to my Golden Axe fondness. It is a genuinely well-designed and inventive beat-'em-up, though, especially for the time.

..and yeah, I've never been able to get into Strider either. It just feels sloppy to me, but maybe that's the appeal...

[Henry Spencer]

Hmmmm, Golden Axe is rather overrated if you ask me. It is still enjoyable now and then, but it just feels bland in comparison the other classic beat em up series on offer - Streets Of Rage and Shinobi, now THEY are awesome.

[ary incorparated]

Yeah theyre good but the series died quickly,GA 1 was great 2 was also great 3 was disgusting man that game i really hate the girl has musscles now the graphics look like Gamgear and lack lots of detail why yes why.

[Genesis Knight]

Does anyone know of some good Genesis alternatives to Golden Axe? I love those fantasy hack 'n slashes, but Golden Axe is getting tiresome for me.

I've heard some good things about Blades of Vengeance, for instance. Any others?

[Drixxel]

Does anyone know of some good Genesis alternatives to Golden Axe? I love those fantasy hack 'n slashes, but Golden Axe is getting tiresome for me.

I've heard some good things about Blades of Vengeance, for instance. Any others?

Consider the following:

Alisia Dragoon ... a really cool action sidescroller. Melf gushes about it for a reason!
Blades of Vengeance ... yeah, as you've heard, it's pretty good. A solid enough fantasy action sidescroller. Worth playing.
Cadash ... RPG elements, fantasy combat, sidescrollin'.
Jewel Master ... ehhh, playable.
The Legend of Galahad ... smooth control, slightly Euro-looking, a sense of exploration, try 'er out.
Saint Sword ... haven't had the chance to try this one out, but I hear it fits the bill for what you're looking for.
Stormlord ... it conveys a dark fantasy atmosphere pretty well, but it gives me a cheap PC Shareware vibe, as if it would have come bundled with Jane of the Jungle or something. Not a fantastic game, but it is fantasy-styled with combat to be had in a horizontally-scrolling world, so you might as well give it a look.
Sword of Sodan ... DON'T.

[Henry Spencer]

You have played TMNT right? Greatest hack and slasher on Genesis if you ask me. I would also class Ghouls 'N Ghosts as a fantasy hack and slash too. Also there is, Chiki Chiki Boys, Aladdin and Castlevania Bloodlines.

[108 Stars]

I think Golden Axe games seem very aged nowadays compared to Streets of Rage.
I remember that in GA 1 everytime a voice sample was played the music stopped. Kind of funny, but it´s a very old game, even for Genesis-standards....

[Genesis Knight]

Thanks for the recommendations, guys.

[ary incorparated]

Blades of vengeance off course its good;) you can see both nipples of the female character trough the latex hmm yeah,it plays difficult but i think its a good games, and the reason i named is one of them. Golden axe 1 yes but the title remains okay, it could have been better same for golden axe 2 actually didn’t make any graphical improvements at all it looked even worser at some glances, But the music in undoubtedly.

[Baleog]

It's funny you should mention this, as I just got it and have been enjoying it a lot. Yes, a tad repetitive, but good for 1989. Fun character designs (I like how characters stop to laugh when they knock you down, for example) and a enjoyable fantasy scenario. Yes, some of the adulation for this game is nostalgia, but there is fun to be had here, too.

[Mr Smith]

I remember that in GA 1 everytime a voice sample was played the music stopped. Kind of funny

That always amused me too. Because of that they always seemed to be screaming a good few seconds after they were killed. It also amuses me how the game would pause breifly in a few places when enemies were about to appear. The door in Stage 3 is a good example.

[Henry Spencer]

Yeah Golden Axe has not aged well at all, played it again the other day since a year back, dear me, it has not aged well at all whatsoever.

[ary incorparated]

its just a great game end o line, I aint nagging about the bucks in shinobi 1 do I, hats just the time for instance if i name a few glitches in shinobi itheir are like when you Duck you’re enemy’s duck and the Spiderman boss is one big unfair ..... ....... ....... Man how can i surpass that dude simple without getting trapped in its web.

[Mr Smith]

Just use the Ninjistsu of Kariu and he'll morph into his second form.

[Fonzie]

I was very disapointed by golden axe1... However golden axe3 is one of my fav game, i played it more than street of rage 1 for exemple.

Goldenaxe3 is same level of display than SOR1 (seems they are from same year).
But golden axe 1&2 are same display level of old arcade games (sorry to tell, but the visual is very 80's and wierd)...

In GA3:
The background appear pixelisated, yeah but play it on TV, not emulator... Also, there are lot of backgrounds and a large part of the VRAM was set to the sprites and animation.
Lot of moves, lot of gameplay possibilities, lot of replayability, lot of fun ;P
For those who never deeply played, keep in mind that there are almost twice the number of moves than street of rage 3...

But i'm also a fan of herzorg zwei... who said i love ugly games? :P

Anybody agree?

[ary incorparated]

Just use the Ninjistsu of Kariu and he'll morph into his second form.


Thanx m8,i already surpassed him that way,only the end boss man thats a chore.The entire game is doable.

[3Dchris]

Man! My friend and I just played through golden axe for the bazillianth time and it was just as fun now as it always is. I don't know why people say it's sluggish etc. I find the controls great. You just have to know how each character attacks. My frien always uses the dwarf. I either use the man or the woman because they have the same feel. I LOVE that game. The only crap thing is that the CD version doesn't seem to have a 2 player mode. Only the cartrige

[ary incorparated]

i agree the game is great,bit dated but i actually dont care for that either im still enjoying ROS.

[Mr Smith]

I don't know why people say it's sluggish etc.

Because the controls ARE sluggish. Not enough to make it a bad game, just enough so that it's noticeable and the enemies can occasionally get a cheap hit in.

[Genesis Knight]

I find the AI in GA1 so incredibly frustrating... The way they flank you *every time* drives me nuts. At least they walk down pits of their own accord. Morons.

[ary incorparated]

yeah the gameplay is a bit unresponding,you cant hit the one skeleton while the others rams you in the back,and also when you do a move on on enemy you can escape form the move to hit the other,Yeah bit sluggish but still great game.

[RedAngel]

Golden Axe was a great arcade that made a lot of people love Sega. The Genesis port was not as good because the cartridge memory was only 512kb and also the Genesis hardware was not as powerful as System16. I love both versions.

I made some changes to the original colours and now they look better (at least to me) http://www.eidolons-inn.net/tiki-index.php?page=Hacked+games

[Mr Smith]

At least they walk down pits of their own accord. Morons.

Stage 7 is humerously easy because of the poor AI. Was this fixed by Golden Axe 3? I know in 2 the enemies will happily stroll into various pits. If anybody wants a truely awful Golden Axe game I recommend the Spetrum port.

[sonic417]

So I am exloring the Sega Classics 6 game cart that came with my CDX =) =)

And I just finished playing Golden Axe for the first time, and I gotta say, I wasn't so impressed. It was fun, but not the legacy that I have heard of. Anyone else feel the same?


I felt that way towards SoR. I never had that game back in the day, and was slightly underwhelmed playing it for the first time. I warmed up to it though.

Golden Axe I have very fond memories of and its just as fun playing through it now as it was back then.

[Alianger]

"Jewel Master ... ehhh, playable."

It does feature an excellent soundtrack though, and an interesting weapons system.

"Stormlord ... it conveys a dark fantasy atmosphere pretty well, but it gives me a cheap PC Shareware vibe, as if it would have come bundled with Jane of the Jungle or something. Not a fantastic game, but it is fantasy-styled with combat to be had in a horizontally-scrolling world, so you might as well give it a look."

Well a look at the screenshots perhaps, but the game is crap.

Another one is Dahna Megami Tanjyo.. jap game that's extremely close to the Golden axe series except it's 1 player, has some platform and shooter elements in it and it's pure 2D. It's worth playing.

Yet another is Wonder Boy III, a kiddy looking beat em up/shooter based on the wonder boy universe. Pretty fun for 2 players, and the soundtrack is good as always.

Finally there's Elemental Master, a top down shooter set in a fantasy world. The game is great, but might not be what you're looking for.

[RiseFromYourGrave]

I was never disappointed with Golden Axe 1. I was too young to have played the arcade version buy the time I had it for the Genesis, and even having played the arcade version after the fact I don't see any terrible downgrading in terms of gameplay. That said I agree about the controls being sluggish. The double tap run doesn't always work as easily as it should, too many cheap hits, ect. And the AI can be pretty smart at times (surrounding you with an enemy on each side, getting into good position to attack) and then be down right awful at others (walking mindlessly into an open pit?). It's not a game that holds up as well as others do, and because everyone remembers how great it once was it can be a little overrated today. However, it's still playable and can be fun which is important, and in the early 90s Golden Axe 1 and 2 (great sequel) were great game experiences.

GA 3 on the other hand I never got to play up until recently, and that was via emulation. I wound up liking it, thought the ability to choose your path was cool, more characters with greater differences between them, better animations, controls were somewhat tighter. I can't see why someone wouldn't be able to have fun with it, even today, regardless of it being a Golden Axe title or not.

[3Dchris]

.... and the enemies can occasionally get a cheap hit in.


HAHAHAHAHA!!! My buddy and I call that the EOS! Or Edge of Screen!! That's the best (worst) way to get hit! I never could figure out why the player couldnt get that close to the edge of the screen... oh well. There will always be a "Oh, DAMN! EOS! EOS!" being cried out when we play! LOL! This truly is one of my favourite games :)

[Black_Tiger]

I think that the original Golden Axe arcade wasn't such a very good game technically gameplay wise, but all the aesthetics including the music are what made it so fun. Same with most of the big beat'em ups. I don't think Final Fight would've been as popluar if it looked more P.O.W.(I like both games and own the pcb's).

Death Adder is one of my favorite characters, because of the cinemas in PC Engine version. The actual game portion may be by far the worst GA port around, but the CD music and everything else made me love Golden Axe in general so much more.

I can understand how the Genesis and arcade games may not have aged well for many people, but for me, the game is more of a vehicle for the theme and it'll always be cool, even the PS2 version.

It's kinda the same with Altered Beast, except my friends and I never went crazy for the arcade and we weren't too impressed by the Genesis port when it first came out. It doesn't seem to lose much of an impact when I play it now, since I never really loved it in the first place, but if anything I appreciate the theme more than ever.

[Joe Redifer]

It's kinda the same with Altered Beast, except my friends and I never went crazy for the arcade and we weren't too impressed by the Genesis port when it first came out.
Your friends would have been blown away if it had been a whole bunch blurrier.

[Black_Tiger]

Your friends would have been blown away if it had been a whole bunch blurrier.

Actually, at the time the soon to be SNES-lover was still a Genesis-4-lifer and both were still floored by the cinematics and music and forgave the lack of a decent game inbetween.

[Joe Redifer]

They would have loved Valis.

[Black_Tiger]

They would have loved Valis.

I think that I was the only one really amazed by Valis III Genesis for some reason. I always loved the sounds used for voices, I prefer it to the Turbo-CD voices.