Released by Sega for arcades in 1989, Golden Axe is a defining side-scrolling hack-and-slash beat ’em up that drops players into the fantasy realm of Yuria. You choose from three legendary warriorsโa barbarian, an amazon, or a dwarfโeach with unique weapons and elemental abilities, to battle through hordes of enemies on a quest to defeat the tyrannical Death Adder.
How to Play
The objective is to fight your way through multiple stages, using melee combos, jump attacks, and screen-clearing magic. To perform magic, you must collect blue pots dropped by small, sack-carrying thieves. You can also knock enemies off their mounts, such as fire-breathing dragons, and ride them yourself. The game supports two-player cooperative play.
To play this arcade classic in your browser, press Shift (Insert Coin) followed by Enter (Start). Use the Arrow Keys to move, and use Z, X, and C (or your mapped arcade buttons) to Attack, Jump, and cast Magic.
Tips
- Use dash attacks: Double-tap left or right to run, then press attack to perform a powerful charging strike that easily knocks down incoming enemies.
- Save magic for bosses: Casting magic consumes your entire stock of blue pots at once. The more pots you have, the more devastating the attack, so try to save a full meter for boss encounters.
- Reclaim your mounts: Mounts deal massive damage, but if you are knocked off, they will eventually run away. Reclaim them quickly to maintain an advantage in combat.

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