Golden Axe (series)
Encyclopedia
The series is a side-scrolling arcade
hack 'n' slash series developed by Sega. The series takes place in a medieval-fantasy world where several heroes have the task of recovering the legendary Golden Axe, the mainstay element of the series.
In 2010 IGN
ranked Death Adder 83rd in "Top 100 Videogames Villans".
hack 'n' slash game released in 1989 by Sega
. Makoto Uchida
was the primary developer of the game and also was responsible for the creation of Altered Beast
. The game places the player in control of one of three warriors each bent on revenge against the vile dictator Death Adder. Death Adder has taken over the once peaceful land of Yuria and murdered their friend and partner, Alex. According to the Killer List of Videogames
, Golden Axe is the most important arcade game
of the year 1989. Several ports of the game were created, most notably for the Mega Drive/Genesis
and Sega Master System
. Several sequels followed.
The game focuses on three heroes. One of them is a battle axe
-wielding dwarf, Gilius Thunderhead, from the mines of Wolud whose twin brother was killed by the soldiers of Death Adder. Another is a male barbarian
, Ax Battler, wielding a two handed broadsword
looking for revenge for the murder of his mother. The last is a Longsword
wielding Tyris Flare, an amazon
whose parents were killed by Death Adder.
Progress is made through the game by hacking and slashing your way through Adder's henchmen, including men armed with clubs
and maces, skeleton warriors (much like those in the film Jason and the Argonauts,) and knight
s. Aiding the characters in this quest is their ability to cast spells
that hurt all enemies on the screen. The force of this magic depends on the number of "bars" of magic power currently available. The bars are filled by collecting blue 'magic potions' found throughout the game. The male warrior Ax, limited to 4 bars, is able to cast Earth spells. The dwarf Gilius, limited to 3 bars, casts lightning spells and the female warrior Tyris can cast devastating fire magic, but her most powerful spell costs 6 bars.
exclusive from a development point of view, it saw limited arcade exposure in the MegaPlay series of arcade machines. Released in 1991, the game featured new magic for each of the heroes with the trademark magic pots from the first game replaced by spell books this time around.
Many video game magazine editors of the time expressed that the game was very likely rushed into production to give Sega another popular title to enable the Mega Drive/Genesis
to compete with its new rival, the Super Nintendo. In most respects this sequel was essentially the same as the original, though it had new sprites for enemy characters and new levels. Many fans were disappointed with this title as they were expecting more than a rehash of the first title. However, the title had the virtue of not straying too far from a successful formula and was still quite popular upon its release.
Only Gilius Thunderhead makes a return, riding the back of new character Goah the giant. The rest of the cast is all new and includes Sternblade the barbarian
, Dora the female Centaur
, and Little Trix, a young lad who carries a pitch fork. The main enemy is once again Death Adder.
The game is an overall improvement on the original with better sound, graphics, and gameplay. As well as introducing multiple paths to the franchise, the magic aspect was adjusted. Though still found in the classic Golden Axe pots, the magic spells did not increase in power with the number of pots collected but required a set number to work. TRODA was the only Golden Axe game in which one of the magic attacks was not offensive as Little Trix grew apple trees with fruit that replenished health.
Though TRODA was released third and not fourth, it is possibly chronologically the final of the four "main games." At the game's end, Death Adder rises one more time. Gilius sacrifices his life to finally end Adder's. In direct contradiction to the game's end, during the end cinematic Gilius is shown in a bar with every other character, and banner appears saying, "See you Next Game!".
, Sega's modem
-based game downloading system. The game's lineup of playable characters includes swordman Kain Grinder (カイン・グリンダー), swordwoman Sarah Barn (サラ・バーン), giant Braoude Cragger (プラウド・クラッガー) and beastman Chronos "Evil" Lait (クロノス・”イビル”・レート). Gilius also appear as a non-playable character at the character select screen.
In this game the object is to travel along a number of truly branching paths and eventually defeat the main boss of the game, the Prince of Darkness. You can choose different branching paths in this game toward that objective just as in Revenge of Death Adder. However these paths are more elaborate than in GA:RoDA and do not loop back together. Many of the characters you encounter are good characters that were possessed and once beaten they are freed. A prince turned into an anthropomorphic eagle is a recurring boss who may possibly be Hellbringer's right-hand man,and is playable in VS mode.
As opposed to Golden Axe II, where the characters, moves, and controls remained largely the same, Golden Axe III brought many changes to the gameplay.The background scenery was less lush and colorful than in previous games, as were the sprites themselves. There was a greater variety of moves. Furthermore, there were several abilities unique to certain characters: for example, the Braoude could throw, while the Chronos and Sarah could double jump and wall jump. Finally, each character had a super-move with its own unique button combination.
Some features were returned to the title that had been cut in previous sequels. Golden Axe III brought back the thieves from the original game, rather than the mages from Golden Axe II. Also, extra lives could be gained by freeing prisoners scattered throughout the levels. The magic system was returned to the original version where all pots are used at the same time, as opposed to the improved system in Golden Axe II that allowed the player to only use as many spellbooks as they wanted.
Though there were innovations in play not seen in the first two, the graphics were less colorful than other Sega fighting games of the time such as the Streets of Rage series.
and PlayStation 3
, being developed by newly acquired game developer Secret Level http://www.sega.com/e3/2006/announcements_tp.php?item=pr_20060510a&id=hp_news. Secret Level has worked on the Xbox
version of Final Fight: Streetwise
, among other projects. A teaser trailer could also be seen during the E3 2006 event http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIP-gLts4kA.
During summer 2007, fans uncovered new art http://www.seganerds.com/2007/08/06/new-golden-axe-concept-art-discovered/ and 3-D models http://www.seganerds.com/2007/07/28/new-golden-axe-enemy-scupltures-surface/ from the game.
On October 2007, Play magazine revealed new details http://www.xboxygen.com/upload/Gallery/ga22.jpg. The game is titled Golden Axe: Beast Rider http://img.objectif-sega.com/Xbox360/63/6320071017142950.jpg and features the return of Tyris Flare, the female amazon
warrior from the first installments of the series. Golden Axe: Beast Rider was released in October 2008.
title tells another epic tale about the Golden Axe. Unlike most of the other games in the series, it is an adventure game very similar to The Legend of Zelda. The story line continued the theme of the original Golden Axe games. The game's unit of currency
is horns, and it is to be imagined that the hero cut these off of the enemies he killed (much like Conan in the film Conan the Destroyer
).
, this adventure title follows the legend of the character Ax Battler. Unlike its console counterpart, it is based more on Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
than the original game. The player moves around a top-view overworld and enemies randomly attacked. However the player can not see them like in Zelda II. When a battle begins, the game zooms down to a platform-style fighting environment. After killing the foe (or the foe wounding them) the hero returns to the overworld.
Unlike previous Golden Axe games, the player can learn new attacks and moves at the training dojos in each town. The currency in this game is pots, the traditional Golden Axe magic-usage item. Pots double as both currency and as an offensive attack.
. Unlike the games before it, Golden Axe: The Duel is a one-on-one fighting game featuring characters who appear to be descendants of some of the characters in the original game. It had a poor reception in both markets; Golden Axe fans shirked from its Street Fighter
-like combo moves, but fans of the more popular fighters did not think it had enough combos.
", which was published by Fleetway
. The series was titled "The Legend of the Golden Axe" and had two six-issue runs, written by Mark Eyles and illustrated by Mike White. Issues 1-6 featured the story "Citadel of Dead Souls", wherein a necromancer attempted to resurrect Dark Guld. Issues 13-18 had the story "Plague of Serpents", which involved a snake-charmer named Cobraxis kidnapping the Queen of Gilius' dwarf race. Although it wasn't based on the original Golden Axe, instead the story takes place in the aftermath of Golden Axe II but it did feature a few notable things from the original such as the thieves that carry the magic potions although they were not the blue thieves, another notable difference is that Tyris Flare has blond hair.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
hack 'n' slash series developed by Sega. The series takes place in a medieval-fantasy world where several heroes have the task of recovering the legendary Golden Axe, the mainstay element of the series.
Characters
- Ax Battler is a muscular hero, who uses a large broadswordBasket-hilted swordThe basket-hilted sword is the name of a group of early modern sword types characterized by a basket-shaped guard that protects the hand. The basket hilt is a development of the quillons added to swords' crossguards since the Late Middle Ages...
. Ax has brown hair and wears blue trunks and boots, as well as silver cuffs and necklace. Ax's mother is murdered by Death Adder's forces and this is his motive in the original Golden AxeGolden AxeGolden Axe is a side-scrolling beat 'em up and hack & slash arcade video game released in 1989 by Sega for the System 16-B arcade hardware. It is the first game in the Golden Axe series....
. Ax was given a solo game for the Sega Game GearSega Game GearThe was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
titled Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe, where Ax is charged with saving another kingdom on his own.
- Tyris Flare is a red-hairedRed hairRed hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...
amazonAmazonsThe Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
who wields a sword while wearing a skimpy bikini and red boots. Both her parents are murdered by Death Adder's forces, leading her to seek revenge in the first Golden Axe game. Her magic attacks are all fire based, including the summoning of a huge dragon. PlayStation: The Official Magazine refers to her as "one bad-ass girl." In the next issue of this magazine, Roger Burchill, referring back to his comments in the previous magazine said if he had to choose between Lara CroftLara CroftLara Croft is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Square Enix video game series Tomb Raider. She is presented as a beautiful, intelligent, and athletic British archaeologist-adventurer who ventures into ancient, hazardous tombs and ruins around the world...
and Tyris, he would go with Lara.
- Gilius Thunderhead is a white haired, bearded dwarf in green with a horned helmet. He seeks revenge in the Golden Axe after his brother is murdered by Death Adder's forces and returns again to defeat Dark Guild in Golden Axe IIGolden Axe IIGolden Axe II is a side-scrolling fighting game released for the Sega Mega Drive. It was released on December 26, 1991. It is the home console sequel to the popular game Golden Axe, marking the second game in the series, though the arcade did see a sequel of its own called Golden Axe: The Revenge...
. In Golden Axe IIIGolden Axe IIIis the last installment in the Golden Axe series released for the Sega Mega Drive on June 25, 1993. The cartridge unit was only released in Japan while the North American release was a Sega Channel exclusive....
, Gilius is the only character from the previous games to appear, though he is not playable, he starts each of the characters off on their quest at the game's beginning. When Death Adder returns from the dead in Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death AdderGolden Axe: The Revenge of Death AdderGolden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder is a side-scrolling arcade hack 'n' slash game released in 1992 by Sega. It was the first 32-bit game in the series. It still remains an arcade exclusive as of 2011....
, Gilius rides on the back of playable character Goah throughout the game, and sacrifices his life at the game's end to kill Death Adder.
- Death Adder is a tyrannical GiantGiant (mythology)The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
who wears full Iron helmet, light armor and wields a huge battle-Axe (Golden). In addition to his brutal strength and speed while attacking, he also can cast some Dark Spells. After gathering an army, he enslaves the location of the first Golden Axe game and kidnaps its royal family. He is killed by the game's three heroes, but he is resurrected for Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death AdderGolden Axe: The Revenge of Death AdderGolden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder is a side-scrolling arcade hack 'n' slash game released in 1992 by Sega. It was the first 32-bit game in the series. It still remains an arcade exclusive as of 2011....
. Here, he survives an initial attempt on his life but perishes due to the sacrifice of Gillius Thunderhead.
In 2010 IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked Death Adder 83rd in "Top 100 Videogames Villans".
Golden Axe
Golden Axe is a side-scrolling arcadeArcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
hack 'n' slash game released in 1989 by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
. Makoto Uchida
Makoto Uchida
is a Japanese video game programmer and developer once employed by Sega Enterprises and a member of AM1/Wow Entertainment. Makoto Uchida was the lead creative developer for several Sega Arcade games such as: Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Wing War, Die Hard Arcade, Dynamite Cop, and Alien Front Online...
was the primary developer of the game and also was responsible for the creation of Altered Beast
Altered Beast
Altered Beast is a 1988 beat 'em up arcade game developed and manufactured by Sega. The game is set in Ancient Greece, and follows a centurion who is resurrected by Zeus to rescue his daughter Athena, and to do so become able to turn into beasts such as the werewolf with usage of power-ups...
. The game places the player in control of one of three warriors each bent on revenge against the vile dictator Death Adder. Death Adder has taken over the once peaceful land of Yuria and murdered their friend and partner, Alex. According to the Killer List of Videogames
Killer List of Videogames
The Killer List of Videogames is a web site featuring an online encyclopedia devoted to cataloging arcade games past and present. It is the video game department of the International Arcade Museum, and has been referred to as "the IMDb for players."....
, Golden Axe is the most important arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
of the year 1989. Several ports of the game were created, most notably for the Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
and Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
. Several sequels followed.
The game focuses on three heroes. One of them is a battle axe
Battle axe
A battle axe is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes...
-wielding dwarf, Gilius Thunderhead, from the mines of Wolud whose twin brother was killed by the soldiers of Death Adder. Another is a male barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
, Ax Battler, wielding a two handed broadsword
Basket-hilted sword
The basket-hilted sword is the name of a group of early modern sword types characterized by a basket-shaped guard that protects the hand. The basket hilt is a development of the quillons added to swords' crossguards since the Late Middle Ages...
looking for revenge for the murder of his mother. The last is a Longsword
Longsword
The longsword is a type of European sword designed for two-handed use, current during the late medieval and Renaissance periods, approximately 1350 to 1550 .Longswords have long cruciform hilts with grips over 10 to 15 cm length The longsword (of which stems the variation called the bastard...
wielding Tyris Flare, an amazon
Amazons
The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
whose parents were killed by Death Adder.
Progress is made through the game by hacking and slashing your way through Adder's henchmen, including men armed with clubs
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
and maces, skeleton warriors (much like those in the film Jason and the Argonauts,) and knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s. Aiding the characters in this quest is their ability to cast spells
Magic (gaming)
Some role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
that hurt all enemies on the screen. The force of this magic depends on the number of "bars" of magic power currently available. The bars are filled by collecting blue 'magic potions' found throughout the game. The male warrior Ax, limited to 4 bars, is able to cast Earth spells. The dwarf Gilius, limited to 3 bars, casts lightning spells and the female warrior Tyris can cast devastating fire magic, but her most powerful spell costs 6 bars.
Golden Axe II
Each of the heroes from the first game return to battle the forces of evil villain Dark Guld in this sequel. While Golden Axe II was a Mega Drive/GenesisSega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
exclusive from a development point of view, it saw limited arcade exposure in the MegaPlay series of arcade machines. Released in 1991, the game featured new magic for each of the heroes with the trademark magic pots from the first game replaced by spell books this time around.
Many video game magazine editors of the time expressed that the game was very likely rushed into production to give Sega another popular title to enable the Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
to compete with its new rival, the Super Nintendo. In most respects this sequel was essentially the same as the original, though it had new sprites for enemy characters and new levels. Many fans were disappointed with this title as they were expecting more than a rehash of the first title. However, the title had the virtue of not straying too far from a successful formula and was still quite popular upon its release.
Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder
In 1992, Sega released Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder (GA: TRODA) in arcades. It was the first 32-bit Golden Axe game. Despite its high quality and popularity, the game remains an arcade exclusive as of 2011.Only Gilius Thunderhead makes a return, riding the back of new character Goah the giant. The rest of the cast is all new and includes Sternblade the barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
, Dora the female Centaur
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
, and Little Trix, a young lad who carries a pitch fork. The main enemy is once again Death Adder.
The game is an overall improvement on the original with better sound, graphics, and gameplay. As well as introducing multiple paths to the franchise, the magic aspect was adjusted. Though still found in the classic Golden Axe pots, the magic spells did not increase in power with the number of pots collected but required a set number to work. TRODA was the only Golden Axe game in which one of the magic attacks was not offensive as Little Trix grew apple trees with fruit that replenished health.
Though TRODA was released third and not fourth, it is possibly chronologically the final of the four "main games." At the game's end, Death Adder rises one more time. Gilius sacrifices his life to finally end Adder's. In direct contradiction to the game's end, during the end cinematic Gilius is shown in a bar with every other character, and banner appears saying, "See you Next Game!".
Golden Axe III
Released in 1993 a few weeks after Revenge of the Death Adder, the third Golden Axe game on the Mega Drive was not released in the United States. However, the game was available for a while in North America on the Sega ChannelSega Channel
Sega Channel was a project developed by Sega for the 16-bit Sega Mega Drive/Genesis console. Starting in December 1994, Sega Channel service was provided to the public by Time Warner Cable and TCI, which later was acquired by AT&T during its cable acquisition spree that formed AT&T...
, Sega's modem
Modem
A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
-based game downloading system. The game's lineup of playable characters includes swordman Kain Grinder (カイン・グリンダー), swordwoman Sarah Barn (サラ・バーン), giant Braoude Cragger (プラウド・クラッガー) and beastman Chronos "Evil" Lait (クロノス・”イビル”・レート). Gilius also appear as a non-playable character at the character select screen.
In this game the object is to travel along a number of truly branching paths and eventually defeat the main boss of the game, the Prince of Darkness. You can choose different branching paths in this game toward that objective just as in Revenge of Death Adder. However these paths are more elaborate than in GA:RoDA and do not loop back together. Many of the characters you encounter are good characters that were possessed and once beaten they are freed. A prince turned into an anthropomorphic eagle is a recurring boss who may possibly be Hellbringer's right-hand man,and is playable in VS mode.
As opposed to Golden Axe II, where the characters, moves, and controls remained largely the same, Golden Axe III brought many changes to the gameplay.The background scenery was less lush and colorful than in previous games, as were the sprites themselves. There was a greater variety of moves. Furthermore, there were several abilities unique to certain characters: for example, the Braoude could throw, while the Chronos and Sarah could double jump and wall jump. Finally, each character had a super-move with its own unique button combination.
Some features were returned to the title that had been cut in previous sequels. Golden Axe III brought back the thieves from the original game, rather than the mages from Golden Axe II. Also, extra lives could be gained by freeing prisoners scattered throughout the levels. The magic system was returned to the original version where all pots are used at the same time, as opposed to the improved system in Golden Axe II that allowed the player to only use as many spellbooks as they wanted.
Though there were innovations in play not seen in the first two, the graphics were less colorful than other Sega fighting games of the time such as the Streets of Rage series.
Golden Axe: Beast Rider
As part of E3 2006, Sega issued a press release touting a new entry to the Golden Axe franchise for the Xbox 360Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, being developed by newly acquired game developer Secret Level http://www.sega.com/e3/2006/announcements_tp.php?item=pr_20060510a&id=hp_news. Secret Level has worked on the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
version of Final Fight: Streetwise
Final Fight: Streetwise
Final Fight: Streetwise is a 3D beat-'em-up produced by Capcom, released in North America and the PAL region for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in . It is a spin-off of the original Final Fight developed by the American team of Capcom Production Studio 8...
, among other projects. A teaser trailer could also be seen during the E3 2006 event http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIP-gLts4kA.
During summer 2007, fans uncovered new art http://www.seganerds.com/2007/08/06/new-golden-axe-concept-art-discovered/ and 3-D models http://www.seganerds.com/2007/07/28/new-golden-axe-enemy-scupltures-surface/ from the game.
On October 2007, Play magazine revealed new details http://www.xboxygen.com/upload/Gallery/ga22.jpg. The game is titled Golden Axe: Beast Rider http://img.objectif-sega.com/Xbox360/63/6320071017142950.jpg and features the return of Tyris Flare, the female amazon
Amazons
The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
warrior from the first installments of the series. Golden Axe: Beast Rider was released in October 2008.
Golden Axe Warrior
This Sega Master SystemSega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
title tells another epic tale about the Golden Axe. Unlike most of the other games in the series, it is an adventure game very similar to The Legend of Zelda. The story line continued the theme of the original Golden Axe games. The game's unit of currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
is horns, and it is to be imagined that the hero cut these off of the enemies he killed (much like Conan in the film Conan the Destroyer
Conan the Destroyer
Conan the Destroyer is a 1984 American action fantasy film directed by Richard Fleischer, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mako returning to resume their roles as Conan and Akiro the wizard, respectively. The cast also includes Grace Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, Tracey Walter and Olivia d'Abo. It is...
).
Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe
Released for the Sega Game GearSega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
, this adventure title follows the legend of the character Ax Battler. Unlike its console counterpart, it is based more on Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, released as in Japan and often mistakenly called The Adventures of Link, is an action role-playing video game with platforming elements. The second installment in The Legend of Zelda series, it was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment...
than the original game. The player moves around a top-view overworld and enemies randomly attacked. However the player can not see them like in Zelda II. When a battle begins, the game zooms down to a platform-style fighting environment. After killing the foe (or the foe wounding them) the hero returns to the overworld.
Unlike previous Golden Axe games, the player can learn new attacks and moves at the training dojos in each town. The currency in this game is pots, the traditional Golden Axe magic-usage item. Pots double as both currency and as an offensive attack.
Golden Axe: The Duel
Released in 1994 in the arcades and in 1995 for the Sega SaturnSega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
. Unlike the games before it, Golden Axe: The Duel is a one-on-one fighting game featuring characters who appear to be descendants of some of the characters in the original game. It had a poor reception in both markets; Golden Axe fans shirked from its Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
-like combo moves, but fans of the more popular fighters did not think it had enough combos.
Other appearances
- Ax Battler, Gilius Thunderhead and Tyris Flare all make a cameo appearance in the arcade version of Alien StormAlien Stormis a 1990 beat 'em up arcade game by Sega, later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega Master System. The Sega Mega Drive version was also released on Wii's Virtual Console in 2007...
, they can be found on one of the ingame television screens in that game, a Golden Axe logo can also be seen during that cameo. - Also in the arcade version of Alien StormAlien Stormis a 1990 beat 'em up arcade game by Sega, later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega Master System. The Sega Mega Drive version was also released on Wii's Virtual Console in 2007...
, Gilius Thunderhead makes another cameo appearance, this time as part of a panel of judges to rate the players score. - In Shining in the DarknessShining in the DarknessShining in the Darkness, released as in Japan, is a 1991 RPG for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game console. It was one of the first RPGs released for the system, and began the Shining RPG series that would span four Sega video game consoles as well as the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation 2.On...
, Gilius Thunderhead takes the role as a blacksmith, he has his axe next to him. Also next to him is a head shot of a blue thief. - Gilius Thunderhead is a playable character in Sega Superstars TennisSega Superstars TennisSega Superstars Tennis is a tennis video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. The game was released on March 17, 2008 in Europe, on March 18, 2008 in North America, and on March 27, 2008 in Australia. The game includes 16 playable characters and 10 courts from Sega franchises...
. - Chickenleg, the pink cockatriceCockatriceA cockatrice is a legendary creature, essentially a two-legged dragon with a rooster's head. "An ornament in the drama and poetry of the Elizabethans", Laurence Breiner described it...
with the tail lash from the first game, first appeared as an enemy in Altered BeastAltered BeastAltered Beast is a 1988 beat 'em up arcade game developed and manufactured by Sega. The game is set in Ancient Greece, and follows a centurion who is resurrected by Zeus to rescue his daughter Athena, and to do so become able to turn into beasts such as the werewolf with usage of power-ups...
.
Comic miniseries
Golden Axe was featured in the British comic "Sonic the ComicSonic the Comic
Sonic the Comic, known to its many readers as STC, was a UK children's comic published fortnightly by Fleetway Editions between 1993 and 2002...
", which was published by Fleetway
Fleetway
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
. The series was titled "The Legend of the Golden Axe" and had two six-issue runs, written by Mark Eyles and illustrated by Mike White. Issues 1-6 featured the story "Citadel of Dead Souls", wherein a necromancer attempted to resurrect Dark Guld. Issues 13-18 had the story "Plague of Serpents", which involved a snake-charmer named Cobraxis kidnapping the Queen of Gilius' dwarf race. Although it wasn't based on the original Golden Axe, instead the story takes place in the aftermath of Golden Axe II but it did feature a few notable things from the original such as the thieves that carry the magic potions although they were not the blue thieves, another notable difference is that Tyris Flare has blond hair.
External links
- Death Adder's Castle fansite
- Retrospective Feature from NTSC-UK
- Sega-16's retrospective on the Golden Axe series