Golden Axe by Sega

⚔️ A Timeless Arcade Classic

Released in 1989 by Sega, Golden Axe is a classic beat 'em up video game. It was originally developed for arcade machines (System 16B hardware) and was soon successfully ported to computer systems and home consoles. Only the Sega Mega Drive received the full sequels to the game (I, II, and III).

• The game was designed by Makoto Uchida, who also created Altered Beast the previous year.
• Its success led to the development of a franchise, including multiple sequels and various spin-offs.
• Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS versions were released later, in 1990, by Virgin Software.

✍️ The Story

The story is set in the fictional realm of Yuria, a high-fantasy medieval world reminiscent of Conan the Barbarian. The villainous Death Adder has kidnapped the King of Yuria and his daughter, imprisoning them in their own castle. He also seizes the Golden Axe, a powerful magical symbol of the kingdom, threatening to destroy both it and the royal family unless the people submit to his rule.

In response, three heroes embark on a daring mission to rescue the captive royals and seek justice for their personal losses inflicted by Death Adder. The first is Gilius Thunderhead, a dwarf from the Wolud mines who wields a battle axe and seeks to avenge his twin brother’s death at the hands of Death Adder’s soldiers. Next is Ax Battler, a barbarian armed with a broadsword, driven by the desire to avenge his mother’s murder. Lastly, Tyris Flare, an Amazon warrior skilled with a longsword, fights to avenge the death of her parents caused by Death Adder.

🏹 The 3 Warriors

Players choose from three distinct warriors on a quest to liberate the mythical land of Yuria from the evil tyrant Death Adder, who wields the powerful Golden Axe.

• Ax-Battler (The Macho)

A barbarian dressed in blue wielding a longsword. Driven by revenge for his mother’s death at the hands of Death Adder, he is the most balanced fighter among the three characters.

• Tyris Flare (The Amazon Warrior)

An Amazon warrior armed with a sword. After losing her parents to Death Adder, she specializes in powerful magic spells, making her a great choice for beginner players.

• Gilius Thunderhead (The Dwarf)

A dwarf clad in a green tunic who wields a massive axe. Motivated by the death of his brother at Death Adder’s hands, he may lack in magical abilities but compensates with strong combat skills, ideal for experienced players.

✨ Magic Pots

Each warrior can cast magic by collecting Magic Pots—the more pots you gather, the stronger the spell becomes. However, casting a spell consumes your Magic Pots, so use magic strategically, especially when overwhelmed by enemies or facing tougher foes like Death Adder and Knights. The Magic Pot cost varies depending on the mode:

• In Arcade mode, casting magic uses all the Magic Pots you’ve collected.

• In Beginner mode, casting magic consumes 2 Magic Pots from your meter.

Below are the magic meters for the three warriors:

               +--+--+-+-+     +----+-+-+-+-+-+          +-+--+-+
               |1 |2 |3|4|     |1   |2|3|4|5|6|          |1|2 |3|
               |  |  | | |     |    | | | | | |          | |  | |
               +--+--+-+-+     +----+-+-+-+-+-+          +-+--+-+
                Ax-Battler        Tyris-Flare       Gilius-Thunderhead

🗡️ Ports on Home Computers & Consoles

There are also notable variations of the original game. The Master System version presents the story from the viewpoint of Tarik, a barbarian resembling Ax Battler (similar to other barbarians in the series like Kain Grinder, Stern Blade, and Kain Blade). Telenet released Golden Axe for the PC Engine CD-ROM in 1990, featuring high-quality resampled music and animated cutscenes.

The 1990 IBM PC compatible port resembles the Mega Drive/Genesis version, featuring a 256-color VGA mode along with support for EGA, CGA, and Hercules display modes. Atari ST and Amiga versions, released later in 1990 by Virgin Software, remain faithful to the arcade experience.

🕹️ Computers: Amiga, Atari ST,  MS-DOS, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum

🎮 Consoles: Arcade, Sega Genesis, Sega Master System, Mega-CD, Game Gear, PC Engine CD-ROM, Neo Geo (homebrew), WonderSwan, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3

⏭️ Golden Axe Sequels

There were many sequels to the game, reflecting its success among arcade and home video game players.

🏰 Golden Axe II

🎮 Platform: Sega Genesis (1991)

The heroes from the original Golden Axe return in this sequel to face off against the evil Dark Guld. Although Golden Axe II was developed exclusively for the Mega Drive/Genesis, it received limited arcade exposure through the MegaPlay series of arcade machines. Released in 1991, the game introduced new magical abilities for each character, replacing the magic pots from the first game with spell books.

🛡️ Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder

🎮 Platform: Arcade (1992)

In 1992, Sega launched Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder in arcades. Although the game was well-received and popular, it remained exclusive to arcades for many years. It wasn’t until 2020 that it became accessible on home platforms, appearing on the Astro City Mini[2] and Arcade1Up’s scaled-down replica of the original arcade cabinet.

🐉 Golden Axe III

🎮 Platform: Sega Genesis (1993)

Released in 1993 following Revenge of the Death Adder, Golden Axe III was initially launched exclusively in Japan for the Mega Drive. Although it never received a physical release in North America, the game was accessible for a time through the Sega Channel, Sega’s modem-based game download service. Later, it became available in both Europe and North America via the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console.

🔗 Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Axe_(video_game)
• https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/genesis/563326-golden-axe/faqs/60348

■ Golden Axe by Sega

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