Most everyone loves the Golden Axe series. The main trilogy is considered sacred by hack-’n-slash fans, but all cringe when talk of the spin-offs comes up. For some reason, Sega was never able to really capture the same magic (vases) with later outings, and most of what’s out there is better left untouched. Case in point: Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe for the Game Gear. Is it trying to be like Zelda II? If so, we don’t think Link has too much to worry about with this one.

Sega recently plunged its arm into the reservoir of properties its been sitting on for years. What it pulled out was a new Golden Axe game, one that would reboot the franchise and bring it into the current generation. Unfortunately, the reboot resulted being more like a swift boot in the ass, as Beast Rider is everything a Golden Axe title should not be. Sega-16 put the game through its paces, and we’re not only disappointed; we’re downright mad. Instead of a great new game destined to bring the series back to greatness, what we got was a snoozefest with a weak combat system, bland level design, and a horrible camera.