Released by Sega in 1989, Golden Axe is a side-scrolling fantasy hack-and-slash that helped define the arcade brawler genre and became a launch-era highlight on the Sega Genesis. You choose one of three warriors — the barbarian swordsman Ax Battler, the fire-wielding amazon Tyris Flare, or the dwarven axeman Gilius Thunderhead — and cut a path through the armies of the tyrant Death Adder, who has stolen the kingdom’s namesake Golden Axe and taken the king and princess captive.
How to Play
The objective is to fight from the game’s opening village all the way to Death Adder’s throne room, clearing waves of soldiers, giants, and bosses to reclaim the Golden Axe. Defeated enemies occasionally drop small potions that fill your magic gauge for a devastating character-specific spell, and meat that restores lost health. You can also knock certain enemies off the creatures they ride and hop on yourself for a few free hits. Use the arrow keys to move and jump, and Z, X, and C for your Genesis A, B, and C buttons (attack, jump, and magic), with Enter as Start.
Tips
- Stockpile potions before a boss fight — the more magic you’re carrying when you cast, the bigger the area it covers, so it’s often worth saving your gauge rather than casting the moment it’s full.
- Grab meat the instant you see it dropped; health doesn’t carry between continues, so topping up early gives you a buffer for the tougher later stages.
- Knock a mounted enemy off its ride and jump on yourself — you get free hits, and the mount can absorb attacks that would otherwise land on you.
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