Video Game Review #497: Golden Axe

Golden Axe

Arcade

Nostalgia Factor:

I last played Golden Axe nine years ago back in 2015, when I reviewed the Genesis version of the game. While I really wanted to like the game, I found it to be a bit overly tedious and frustrating, especially during the final boss battle at the end of the game. I ended up giving the Genesis version of Golden Axe the middling grade of C. You can read this review here if you are interested.

I haven't thought much about Golden Axe since then. Now here we are, nine years later in the year 2024. I fired up an episode of the Cartridge Club podcast, and wouldn't you know it? Golden Axe was the game of the month. A game I hadn't thought of in a long time. It was a good episode, and they discussed the Genesis and the arcade versions of the game, as well as its sequels and spin-offs. The discussion got my mind going. While I wasn't a big fan of the Genesis game, why not check out the arcade version? I have only played the arcade version once in my entire life, and that was when I was a kid. I remember liking it back then. Why wouldn't I like it now?

So I powered on my RetroPie, found the arcade version of Golden Axe, and decided to dive in. Would it truly be better than the Genesis version, or would I find myself disliking this version as well? Let's find out, shall we?

Story:

You aren't given a whole lot of story to work with. If you refrain from entering a coin at the beginning of the game, it cycles through some character introductions. All three playable characters (the male warrior, the female warrior, and the dwarf) have had a family killed by the villain, Death Adder, and now they are looking for revenge.

I like how things are set up once you do begin playing, with your friend Alex falling at the hands of the enemy, and the villagers being attacked by hordes of evil creatures. The game takes you through a series of medieval themed stages, hacking and slashing your way through these enemies until you defeat Death Adder at the end. Pretty standard video game stuff.

The story takes a wild turn after you defeat Death Adder. Action shifts to the "real world" with a group of kids playing this game. The ending scene consists of all of the game's enemies coming out of the arcade unit and into the real world. The heroes follow behind them, and the action spills out into the streets. The end.

I can wholeheartedly say I didn't expect a fourth wall breaking end sequence from this game. It was a fun and welcome surprise, however.

Gameplay:

This is a very basic, and very easy, beat 'em up title. In true beat 'em up style, you walk up and down and left and right on a 3D plane. You fight off waves of enemies by hitting them with your melee weapons. You can jump. You can jump kick. You can charge across the screen by tapping left or right twice. You can perform a charge attack by pressing the attack button as you are charging. Pretty basic stuff.

What makes Golden Axe unique? Each character has a screen-clearing magic spell for you to use at your discretion. As you play through the game, you'll be able to recover your magic meter by attacking these little elf creatures and making them drop magic potions. In fact, there are often scenes that play in between stages when your character is camping out and trying to get some sleep. These little guys try to steal stuff from your camp, and you can attack them and make them drop health and magic items. I've always found these sequences to be very fun. They add so much character to the game.

You can also jump aboard dragons and take control of them. Their tail whip and fire breathing attacks do massive damage to your enemies. Try to hang onto them as long as you can. I had pretty good luck with them this time around, and was able to decimate some boss characters with the dragons' powerful attacks. One hit will result in you getting knocked off the dragon, so always be vigilant about playing defense because the dragon will run away if you get hit three times.

Unlike the Genesis version of the game, the arcade version is quite easy. I wasn't keeping track of how many times I had to continue (AKA how many quarters I had to use), but it was not many. Maybe five or six. And the whole game itself lasted about 20 minutes, if that. I found the whole thing to be very, very easy. 

Is it still fun, though? Yes. 

Graphics:

Does the arcade version of Golden Axe look better than the Genesis version of the game? Uh, probably? It's been nine years since I played the other version of the game. As far as I know, they look pretty similar. But I'm sure the arcade version holds a slight edge. I noticed myself paying closer attention to the stage design this time around. It seems like there are more villagers and NPCs to look at in this game. The medieval setting of the game feels more immersive and like it is a bigger part of things. It's hard to describe, but this version visually has a certain magic the Genesis version doesn't.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the character design. The heroes are iconic, giving players a choice of three very distinctive looking characters to play as. I'm not gonna lie, I picked Tyris, the female character this time around. I'll probably pick her next time I play the game, too. I have, um, reasons. *wink*

 

I never thought I'd find myself thirsting over fictional video game characters, but that's exactly what happened when I played this game.

Sound:

There is nothing about this game's music or sound effects that stand out. Even though I just finished the game, I couldn't hum one tune from the game or tell you anything about its sound effects. They exist. They do the job. That's about the best I can tell you.

Overall:

This is a fun game, albeit one lacking in pretty much any substance whatsoever. It's entertaining, it's short, it's easy to pick up and play. The theme is cool and the graphics are nice. That's about all I can really say about the game. You can beat it in 15 or 20 minutes, and there is not much replay value to be found here. It's not like there are branching paths or you will notice anything on a second playthrough you didn't notice the first time. Play it once and you've seen it all.

As a game, it is pretty good. You're never not entertained when you are playing this. I like it much more than the Genesis version, hands down. It's fun, charming, and very easy to pick up and play. It's also very limited. I want to shower this game with praise and accolades, but it's such a short experience, did it even have time to leave much of a mark? 

Good game: yeah. But I'm not exactly jumping out of my seat over it. At the same time, I do think it is an important title, and something that every gamer should play at least once in their life.

THE GRADE:

B 

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