Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe is an action-adventure

Action-adventure game

An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...

 video game spin-off of the popular Golden Axe

Golden Axe

Golden 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....

series. The game was released on the Sega Game Gear

Sega 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....

 in 1991.

Plot

The protagonist is Ax Battler, the male barbarian character from the original Golden Axe game. The series' primary villain, Death Adder, is laying siege to the entire world. He steals the Golden Axe - a magical weapon that grants its wielder unimaginable power - from its hiding place in Firewood Castle. To prevent Death Adder using its powers to destroy the world, the king of Firewood Castle calls upon the help of his strongest warrior: Ax Battler.

During his journey, Ax Battler must battle through the following 'special landmarks': The Spooky Cave, Peninsula Tower, Turtle's Back, Death Pyramid, Evil Cave, Maze Wood, Gayn Mountain, Eagle's Back, Ice Cliffs and Death Adder's Castle.

Gameplay

Unlike the original side-scrolling beat 'em up

Beat 'em up

Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...

 Golden Axe games, Ax Battler is divided into three different sections of gameplay: -

• Map scene: This mode shows the player's movements in a top-view overworld as he moves across the wilderness. Enemies randomly attack, prompting the game to switch to the below Action Screen.

• Town scene: Similar in appearance to the Map Scenes, except this mode shows the player's actions in a town. The core difference is the ability to talk to NPCs and visit stores.

• Action screen: The game switches to Action Screen when the player encounters an enemy or enters one of the special landmarks. This is a side-scrolling beat 'em up/platform environment.

Ax Battler can collect magic vases, which can be used for his magical attacks or as currency in the towns. He can also learn new attacks in the Training Houses.

Passwords can be collected from the towns to serve as a 'saving' system.

Critical response

The game has been widely criticized due to its similarities to Zelda II: Adventure of Link.