Golden Axe - Thoughts

Golden Axe was released by Sega in arcades in 1989 before being ported to the Sega Genesis later that same year. It was part of Sega’s effort to bring the arcade experience home: fast-paced, visually impressive, and ideally played with a buddy on the couch. For many kids growing up in the late '80s and early '90s, this was one of the first major cooperative beat ‘em ups available on a home console. At the time, Golden Axe stood out thanks to its high fantasy setting, team-based gameplay, and the inclusion of screen-filling magic attacks, making it a memorable alternative to more grounded brawlers like Double Dragon or Final Fight.

What I Liked 😃

Character Choices

image: Reddit

One of the coolest things about Golden Axe is that you get to choose from three distinct characters:

• Ax Battler, the well-rounded human warrior

• Tyris Flare, the fire-wielding Amazonian with strong magic

• Gilius Thunderhead, the gruff dwarf who swings a giant axe and uses earth-based spells

Each one feels different in terms of attack range, movement speed, and magic strength. It adds a welcome layer of variety to a genre that often just throws two identical characters at you with palette swaps. Even with games that provide different character types, they often aren’t that different. Love it or hate it, each character is very different-both aesthetically and functionally. It gives you three distinct ways to play the game.

Abra-kadabra

image: Subspace Briefcase

The magic system is still one of the most memorable aspects of the game. Throughout each level, you collect blue potion vials-usually by kicking gnome thieves in the head, a hilarious and oddly satisfying act-that power up your magic bar. The more vials you have when casting, the more devastating the spell becomes.

Tyris’s full-power fire dragon is especially satisfying to unleash, while Gilius’s earthquake summons feel heavy and destructive. It’s a simple but cool mechanic that gives you something to plan around besides just mashing attack. Managing magic becomes especially important during boss fights. If you waste your magic on smaller enemies, you may not get enough vials back before facing the boss-and then it’s up to your melee and jump kick skills to carry you through.

What I Didn’t Like ☹️

Golden Ass

image: Retrogame Man

As much as I wanted to enjoy this game as an adult, it can be infuriatingly difficult-and not in a fair way. I went with Ax Battler(also the dumbest name of the three), and honestly, I regretted it. He’s supposed to be the balanced “in-between” option, but he ends up feeling like a jack-of-no-trades. His magic isn’t strong, he doesn’t hit especially hard, and he lacks the reach or unique flair of the other two. Compared to Tyris’s firepower and Gilius’s raw efficiency, Ax is just... kind of there.

I picked him because as a kid, I always chose Gilius and wanted to try something different. I wish I could go back and tell my past self to knock it off. Ax Battler, who by the way doesn’t wield an axe, made the game way more frustrating than it needed to be. My go to move-outside of hoarding magic for boss fights-was the jump kick. That was the only reliable way to avoid getting hit and/or flanked.

Flank Steak

image: NEPA Scene

The combat can be incredibly cheap. If enemies manage to flank you-and they almost always will-you can get stun-locked to death with zero chance to break free. There are no invincibility frames after taking a hit, so once you're trapped between two enemies, they can just keep hammering away until your health bar is gone.

It doesn’t feel like a clever challenge; it feels like the game is trolling you. And since the controls aren’t exactly buttery smooth, it’s not always possible to react in time or avoid getting into those bad positions. Some of that frustration definitely ties back to character choice. DO NOT choose Ax Battler. Just pick Gilius or Tyris and spare yourself the pain.

Overall Thoughts 🤔

Golden Axe is a game I have really fond memories of from childhood. I’d visit my aunt, and her son had a Sega Genesis-Golden Axe was one of the first games I ever played on it. Back then, it felt magical. There were skeletons, dragons, magic spells, and co-op action. What’s not to love?

Well… playing it again as an adult shines a harsh spotlight on the game’s flaws-and there are many. The difficulty often feels artificial, the character balancing is questionable, and the combat just hasn’t aged well. If you're planning to try it for the first time, go with Gilius to save yourself some frustration. And always be mindful of your position on the screen-getting surrounded can quickly turn into a one-way ticket to the continue screen.

That said, I still dig the art style. The music has that classic late-‘80s Sega charm, and the magic system is a fun, strategic twist that gives the game some identity. But overall, the flaws tend to outweigh the fun. There are better beat ‘em ups out there that have stood the test of time a little more gracefully.

Where Can I Play This? 🕹️

Golden Axe is available on several Sega Genesis collections. You can get Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection for PlayStation 3 and XBox 360. If you don’t have those consoles, the Sega Genesis Classics collection is available for Switch, PlayStation 4 and XBox One.

I played the game physically on the Sega Genesis. I picked Ax Battler and beat the game. There aren't any side quests, alternate routes, or collectibles; it's a very straightforward, linear experience.

Up Next 📅

Up next, we are looking at the iconic and legendary Metroid Prime for the Nintendo GameCube!