Technical Information

Developer: Team Shinobi
Publisher: Sega
Release Date: May 1989

Golden Axe is a beat’em up game where your objective is to recover the Golden Axe and rescue the king and the princess, who were kidnapped by the cruel villain Death Adder.

Final Thoughts – Analyzing the Game as a Whole

Graphics and UI

The graphics are okay. Nothing is very detailed, and the animations are pretty simple. There are no weird poses or bizarre anatomical proportions (Altered Beast, I’ll never forget you! hahaha). Considering this was developed by the same team, I see it as a clear evolution.

The highlight is the magic attacks, each character has their own set of animations depending on the level of the spell.

All the stages feel very similar and use the same colors and tones, which creates a strange sensation that you’re not really traveling to different places.

Soundtrack and Sound Effects

The Mega Drive version of this game was part of my childhood, so every piece of music and sound effect feels very nostalgic to me.

In my opinion, all the tracks and sound effects fit the medieval fantasy atmosphere well, but maybe that’s just my good memories talking hahaha.

When defeated, most enemies scream, adding a dramatic tone to the adventure. When you hit them, the sound effect feels like you’re striking a giant piece of heavy wood or something like that.

Gameplay

You can choose between three characters: Tyris Flare (the Amazon), Ax Battler (the barbarian), and Gilius Thunderhead (the dwarf).
The character selection screen is very iconic, with a skeleton in the background, suggesting their destiny is something dark and dangerous. I really like this concept.

One thing that surprised me was how short the game is. I beat it in 21 minutes! The main challenge is the final boss, who is quite tough (I died 15 times! hahaha).

I felt they used a similar formula to Altered Beast, even the physics feel very close.
So, is this a good game? I believe it is. But if you’re looking for a real challenge, the Mega Drive version is a better option.

However, if you want a good score after defeating the final boss, you’ll need practice. On my first attempt, I got the lowest ranking, but on my second try, I improved a bit. The learning curve has a good pace.

Replayability and Game Retention

I recommend playing this game with RetroAchievements enabled. At least that way, you’ll have real challenges, since simply finishing the game is quick and easy.

Overall, it’s a good game to kill time and play casually. It’s also a great choice for people who are not familiar with beat’em ups or are just starting to learn how to play games. 🙂