The world's premier resource for SEGA's arcade and console hardware legacy!
Golden Axe is synonymous with hack-‘n-slash, and Sega gave us one hell of an upgrade with 1992’s Revenge of Death Adder. The game declared the series’s triumphant return to coin-op form and served up a memorable adventure that somehow never got ported to a Sega console.
Sega gave Master System owners a Zelda-style game set in the Golden Axe universe, and though it’s far from original, it’s a an excellent homage to Nintendo’s 8-bit classic. A large world, good story, and lots of secrets make this often overlooked title one worthy of addition to any Master System library.
Sega’s arcade hack-‘n-slash coin-op spawned a franchise that has lasted for decades and became an instant classic. Released amid a flurry of Double Dragon clones, its fantasy setting and awesome magic effects gave it a strong identity that caused brought in tons of quarters. This is the one that started it all.
Most everyone loves the Golden Axe series. The main trilogy is considered sacred by hack-‘n-slash fans, but all cringe when talk of the spin-offs comes up. For some reason, Sega was never able to really capture the same magic (vases) with later outings, and most of what’s out there is better left untouched. Case in point: Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe for the Game Gear. Is it trying to be like Zelda II? If so, we don’t think Link has too much to worry about with this one.
Sega recently plunged its arm into the reservoir of properties its been sitting on for years. What it pulled out was a new Golden Axe game, one that would reboot the franchise and bring it into the current generation. Unfortunately, the reboot resulted being more like a swift boot in the ass, as Beast Rider is everything a Golden Axe title should not be. Sega-16 put the game through its paces, and we’re not only disappointed; we’re downright mad. Instead of a great new game destined to bring the series back to greatness, what we got was a snoozefest with a weak combat system, bland level design, and a horrible camera.