A great little hack-and-slash-em-up! (Golden Axe)

Member Name: Burning_Darkness

Product:	Golden Axe
Date:	11/07/09 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good simple fun, charming graphics

Disadvantages: feels quite dated

Golden Axe is a cracking little fantasy-themed side-scrolling fighting game from the distant past that still remains good fun today. The game gives you option to play as a burly sword-wielding barbarian, an acrobatic female warrior or Gillius Thunderhead, a musclebound dwarf with a huge battleaxe. Each character has different strenghts and weaknesses, with some being better at melee combat whilst others have stronger magic attacks. You build up you magic by collecting magic potions, which can be procured by kicking little gnome-like characters up the arse and stealing their dropped possessions, and the more potions you have the stronger your magic will be, ranging from rumbling earthquakes and lightning attacks to raining fireballs and a massive firebreathing dragon that can be summoned at will to incinerate your enemies.

The enemies you fight against are quite varied, including knife-and-mace-wielding brigands, huge giants with massive sledgehammers, armour-plated knights with swords longer than your character's body, Jason and the Argonauts-style, schimitar-wielding skeletons, undead warriors and finally Death Adder: a massive axe-wielding barbarian in an executioners mask and final end of game boss.

Though the graphics look pretty dated they still possess a cartoonish charm, and the animation is still appealing, with your characters performing a range of attack manoevres including shoulder-charges and fly-kicks as well as leaping into the air and bringing down down your character's sword/axe onto an enemy's skull. Slashing at your foes causes them to fall to their knees and plead for mercy, at which point you can bash them in the head with the hilt of your weapon before finally finishing them off. You can ride on the backs of animals too, including a bizarre, beaked creature with a long tail that can be used to whip your enemies with and a dragon whose breath can roast your foes alive. The levels are interesting too, with a mythological setting that sees you fighting on the back a giant turtle upon which the world rests, as well as on a massive flying eagle, in a rural village and inside a huge, foreboding castle.

Its quite a short and simple game but its still good for a quick play, either in single or multiplayer mode, although it does feel rather dated now and its sleeker sci-fi cousin Alien Storm has perhaps aged a little better. Golden Axe is still great for a quick, nostalgic hack-and-slash session though.

Summary: a fun little beat em up, good nostalgic fun.