Golden Axe is a seminal side-scrolling beat ’em up and hack-and-slash arcade game released by Sega on January 27, 1989. Developed for the Sega System 16B hardware, it was created by Makoto Uchida, who also designed Altered Beast. 

Gameplay and Story

Set in the medieval fantasy land of Yuria, players quest to defeat the tyrant Death Adder, who has kidnapped the King and Princess and  and seized the legendary Golden Axe. 

• Playable Characters:
  • Gilius Thunderhead: A dwarf wielding a battle axe with powerful lightning magic.
  • Ax Battler: A barbarian using a broadsword and earth-based magic.
  • Tyris Flare: An Amazon warrior with a longsword and the game’s strongest (fire) magic.
• Key Mechanics:
  • Magic System: Players collect blue potions by kicking small thieves. Pressing the magic button damages all on-screen enemies, with the intensity determined by the number of potions held.
  • Mounts (Bizarrians): Players can knock enemies off creatures like dragons or “Cockatrices” (bird-like lizards) to ride and use them for unique attacks.
  • Combat: Features standard strikes, running charges, and a special backward attack triggered by pressing jump and attack simultaneously.