Golden Axe — Arcade

1989 · Beat 'em up · Arcade

Overview

Golden Axe (1989) is Sega's fantasy beat-'em-up: a barbarian, an Amazon and a dwarf ride beasts and cast magic to defeat Death Adder.

Deep Dive

Ax Battler, Tyris Flare and Gilius Thunderhead fight through Yuria to defeat Death Adder, who has taken the royal family captive and seized the Golden Axe. Each hero has their own magic, strengthened by potions kicked loose from thieving gnomes, and the heroes can ride enemy mounts that bite, swipe or breathe fire. Two players fight together. Designed by Makoto Uchida, whose previous game was Altered Beast, it became one of Sega's defining arcade series.

Developer Story

Golden Axe was developed by Sega in 1989. The fantasy beat-em-up starred three warriors — Ax Battler (barbarian), Tyris Flare (Amazon), and Gilius Thunderhead (dwarf) — each with distinct magic attacks powered by collectable potions.

Did You Know?

Three playable characters had different magic systems: Ax Battler summoned a dragon, Tyris Flare called a full-screen inferno, Gilius Thunderhead commanded lightning.
Magic power was obtained by hitting gnomes who carried potion bags — gnome-kicking became a notable and satisfying gameplay sub-activity.
The Mega Drive port was exceptionally faithful, demonstrating the console's growing muscle for arcade conversions.