Legendary Axe
Encyclopedia
The Legendary Axe is a horizontal platform
video game for the PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16
. It was developed by Victor Interactive Software
and was published by Victor in Japan and by NEC
in North America. It was released in Japan for the PC Engine on and in North America alongside the TurboGrafx-16's launch on . It is one of the TurboGrafx-16's launch titles. In the game, the player controls Gogan, a barbarian
whose girl, Flare, was kidnapped by the cult of Jagu. The player must navigate though six platforming levels, armed with a legendary axe named "Sting" to defeat Jagu and his minions and rescue Flare. The game features a rechargeable "strength meter" that determines how much damage is dealt from the axe to enemies.
The Legendary Axe received high praise and accolades among video game reviewers, and it received positive preview coverage in anticipation with the TurboGrafx-16's launch, showcasing the new console's capabilities. Reviews from gaming magazines such as Electronic Gaming Monthly
called it one of the best adventure games seen at the time. It was highly praised for its detailed graphics and animation, diverse music and gameplay, difficulty level, and execution. It won the "Best [TurboGrafx-16] Game of the Year" and "Video Game of the Year" (for all consoles) awards from Electronic Gaming Monthly and VideoGames & Computer Entertainment respectively for 1989. The game continued to receive praise from reviewers 20 years after its release for its simplistic gameplay and game design that showed the performance and capabilities of the TurboGrafx-16.
action
/platform
video game in which the player assumes the role of Gogan, who sets out through six differently-themed levels (called "zones") including jungles, caves, and mountains; the object is to defeat creatures such as "frog men", bears, and giant spiders with his Legendary Axe "Sting"; eliminate Jagu and his cult; and rescue Flare. Players must also navigate obstacles and hazards by jumping. Gogan has a life meter that decreases every time he sustains damage from creatures, and the player loses a life when Gogan's life meter runs out or if he falls off the screen. The game ends
when players have lost all their lives, but they get four continues in which they can restart the game at the same section in which they have lost all their lives.
Gogan has a flashing "strength meter" on the top of the screen that determines how much damage he can inflict on enemies when he swings his axe. The strength meter empties after attacking and then slowly refills back to its maximum. The strength meter increases by 25% whenever the player collects a "crystal container". This incorporates an element of strategy in the game in which the player can either make a series of weak strikes with the axe or wait and build the strength meter for a single, more-powerful strike. Scattered throughout the game to help Gogan are miniature statues called "Jagu idols" that reveal power-up
s when destroyed; these power-ups include "crystal containers" that increase Gogan's attack strength, wings that increase the speed of Gogan's attacks, power balls that help replenish Gogan's life meter, crystals that award bonus points, and extra lives. Additional lives can also be obtained by earning certain amounts of points.
The zones in The Legendary Axe consist of different environments; they range from dark forests to caverns to mountain plateaus to fortresses. Players will face many enemies along the way which they need to get through: "frog men" that leap from the water and spit fire; jumping and rolling amoeba creatures in the caverns; "rock men" that spring out and attack on the mountain plateaus; and giant spiders that shoot webs at players. The bosses in the game comprise of guardians of Jagu's cult and are fought at the end of each zone. They include the following: at the end of Zone 1, a pair of possessed grizzly bears; of Zone 2, a magical boulder; of Zone 3, a group of flying slinky
-type monsters called "Aqua Lungs"; and of Zone 4, a pair of creatures with shields and spears called "Punjabbis". Zone 5 culminates with a maze of rooms called the "Pits of Madness" which feature every enemy encountered up to that point plus some new enemies; at its end is a fire-throwing cult demon. Zone 6 consists of the final battle with Jagu himself.
, and it was released under the title Makyo Densetsu in Japan for the PC Engine by the same company on . Prior to its North American release, the game was retitled The Legendary Axe and was displayed with the other PC Engine games and the console itself at the 1989 International Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada
. Later in 1989, NEC
retooled Hudson Soft
's console and renamed it the TurboGrafx-16
for its imminent North American release. NEC sought third-party support to develop for the console; since they were purely a hardware developer, they lacked the ability to develop any software or games. This allowed NEC to publish games developed by those supporting third-party companies in North America. The Legendary Axe was released in North America as a launch title for the TurboGrafx-16 on . The game would spawn a sequel; Legendary Axe II
.
The Legendary Axe was previewed by various video gaming magazines before its release. A preview from Electronic Gaming Monthly
called the game "a definite 10" and "one of the best video games we've ever played". In an overview of the PC Engine, VideoGames & Computer Entertainment referred to the game as "characteristic of the PC Engine's advanced sound, graphics and game play". A later preview from the same magazine said that it was one of the console's better games, and they applauded the arcade-like graphics and gameplay. They said that everyone who owned the console should own the game and that it was an "excellent showcase of the game system's capabilities".
The Legendary Axe received several awards and accolades. In Electronic Gaming Monthlys "Best and Worst of 1989", the game won "Best Game of the Year" honors for the TurboGrafx-16. The magazine cited a "perfect blend of action and adventure" and outstanding graphics and sound. It also received an award for "Coolest Boss Attackers" for its final boss Jagu – an award that was shared with 1989 Sega Genesis "Best Game of the Year" Ghouls 'n Ghosts
for its final boss "Loki". The game won "Video Game of the Year" (for all consoles) honors from VideoGames & Computer Entertainment in 1989. They said that the game "has a little of everything: loads of axe-swinging action, layer upon layer of high-quality music and smooth, colorful animation. The combination of these elements brought this action adventure to the top of the video-game heap like rising cream."
The Legendary Axe continued to receive praise from reviewers almost 20 years after its release. In a brief overview of the game in his overview of the TurboGrafx-16's history, IGN
's Levi Buchanan pointed out that the game made the console "an easy sell" for buyers and showed the superior performance of the TurboGrafx-16 over the Nintendo Entertainment System
. He said that The Legendary Axe "made the NES look downright ancient". In a separate full review of the game, Buchanan noted that the game was an improvement over the console's pack-in game Keith Courage in Alpha Zones
; he said that The Legendary Axe was more fun and had good action compared to the former. He noted that the game remained enjoyable almost 20 years after its release because of its simplistic platforming gameplay compared to more complicated modern video games like Mass Effect
. He praised the game's smooth animation, innovative and detailed backgrounds, enemy designs, and soundtrack – saying that "any classic game tune nerd would enjoy having [the music] on their iPod
". Allgame
noted a change in the gameplay near the end of the game; after the fifth level, players must navigate a maze called the "Pits of Madness" which if they take the wrong path, they get sent back to its beginning.
The Legendary Axe has not been released for the Wii
's Virtual Console
service, and IGN's Lucas Thomas rated the game as the 3rd best in a list of "Top 10 unreleased TurboGrafx Titles" for the system. He said that he was shocked to find that this game was not on the Virtual Console, given that it was one of the TurboGrafx-16's flagship titles that were heavily advertised when it was released. UK-based magazine Retro Gamer
, in a look back to video gaming in January 1989, made a similar comparison of the game to Rastan, "with a lot of sword slashing and platform jumping". The reviewer said that the popularity of The Legendary Axe in Japan was what caused it to be released as a TurboGrafx-16 launch title in North America.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game for the PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
. It was developed by Victor Interactive Software
Victor Interactive Software
Victor Interactive Software, Inc. was a Japanese video game software publisher and developer, established in 1970-08-03 as a division of Victor Entertainment.In 1996-10-01, Victor Entertainment Inc. merged with Pack-In-Video Co., Ltd...
and was published by Victor in Japan and by NEC
NEC
, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
in North America. It was released in Japan for the PC Engine on and in North America alongside the TurboGrafx-16's launch on . It is one of the TurboGrafx-16's launch titles. In the game, the player controls Gogan, a 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...
whose girl, Flare, was kidnapped by the cult of Jagu. The player must navigate though six platforming levels, armed with a legendary axe named "Sting" to defeat Jagu and his minions and rescue Flare. The game features a rechargeable "strength meter" that determines how much damage is dealt from the axe to enemies.
The Legendary Axe received high praise and accolades among video game reviewers, and it received positive preview coverage in anticipation with the TurboGrafx-16's launch, showcasing the new console's capabilities. Reviews from gaming magazines such as Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
called it one of the best adventure games seen at the time. It was highly praised for its detailed graphics and animation, diverse music and gameplay, difficulty level, and execution. It won the "Best [TurboGrafx-16] Game of the Year" and "Video Game of the Year" (for all consoles) awards from Electronic Gaming Monthly and VideoGames & Computer Entertainment respectively for 1989. The game continued to receive praise from reviewers 20 years after its release for its simplistic gameplay and game design that showed the performance and capabilities of the TurboGrafx-16.
Plot
The Legendary Axe takes place in a faraway land, where its inhabitants have been under the control of the cult of Jagu. The cult, who has regularly pillaged the countryside, is led by a half-man half-beast named Jagu. The game's protagonist, Gogan, lives in the village of Minofu, who must hand over one person as a human sacrifice to the Jagu every year. Gogan was away in a remote village studying warfare when he finds out that his childhood friend, Flare, has been selected by the Jagu as their annual sacrifice. Rushing back to Minofu, he finds that she has already been taken by the Jagu to the "Evil Place" located in the mountains. The village elders hand Gogan the Legendary Axe named "Sting" which gives him great strength to fight the evil cult. Armed with this axe, he sets off to the Evil Place to defeat Jagu and his cult and rescue Flare.Gameplay
The Legendary Axe is a side-scrollingSide-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
/platform
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game in which the player assumes the role of Gogan, who sets out through six differently-themed levels (called "zones") including jungles, caves, and mountains; the object is to defeat creatures such as "frog men", bears, and giant spiders with his Legendary Axe "Sting"; eliminate Jagu and his cult; and rescue Flare. Players must also navigate obstacles and hazards by jumping. Gogan has a life meter that decreases every time he sustains damage from creatures, and the player loses a life when Gogan's life meter runs out or if he falls off the screen. The game ends
Game over
Game Over is a message in video games which signals that the game has ended, often due to a negative outcome - although the phrase sometimes follows the end credits after successful completion of a game...
when players have lost all their lives, but they get four continues in which they can restart the game at the same section in which they have lost all their lives.
Gogan has a flashing "strength meter" on the top of the screen that determines how much damage he can inflict on enemies when he swings his axe. The strength meter empties after attacking and then slowly refills back to its maximum. The strength meter increases by 25% whenever the player collects a "crystal container". This incorporates an element of strategy in the game in which the player can either make a series of weak strikes with the axe or wait and build the strength meter for a single, more-powerful strike. Scattered throughout the game to help Gogan are miniature statues called "Jagu idols" that reveal power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s when destroyed; these power-ups include "crystal containers" that increase Gogan's attack strength, wings that increase the speed of Gogan's attacks, power balls that help replenish Gogan's life meter, crystals that award bonus points, and extra lives. Additional lives can also be obtained by earning certain amounts of points.
The zones in The Legendary Axe consist of different environments; they range from dark forests to caverns to mountain plateaus to fortresses. Players will face many enemies along the way which they need to get through: "frog men" that leap from the water and spit fire; jumping and rolling amoeba creatures in the caverns; "rock men" that spring out and attack on the mountain plateaus; and giant spiders that shoot webs at players. The bosses in the game comprise of guardians of Jagu's cult and are fought at the end of each zone. They include the following: at the end of Zone 1, a pair of possessed grizzly bears; of Zone 2, a magical boulder; of Zone 3, a group of flying slinky
Slinky
Slinky or "Lazy Spring" is a toy consisting of a helical spring that stretches and can bounce up and down. It can perform a number of tricks, including traveling down a flight of steps end-over-end as it stretches and re-forms itself with the aid of gravity and its own momentum.-History:The toy was...
-type monsters called "Aqua Lungs"; and of Zone 4, a pair of creatures with shields and spears called "Punjabbis". Zone 5 culminates with a maze of rooms called the "Pits of Madness" which feature every enemy encountered up to that point plus some new enemies; at its end is a fire-throwing cult demon. Zone 6 consists of the final battle with Jagu himself.
Development
The Legendary Axe was developed by Victor Interactive SoftwareVictor Interactive Software
Victor Interactive Software, Inc. was a Japanese video game software publisher and developer, established in 1970-08-03 as a division of Victor Entertainment.In 1996-10-01, Victor Entertainment Inc. merged with Pack-In-Video Co., Ltd...
, and it was released under the title Makyo Densetsu in Japan for the PC Engine by the same company on . Prior to its North American release, the game was retitled The Legendary Axe and was displayed with the other PC Engine games and the console itself at the 1989 International Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Later in 1989, NEC
NEC
, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
retooled Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
's console and renamed it the TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
for its imminent North American release. NEC sought third-party support to develop for the console; since they were purely a hardware developer, they lacked the ability to develop any software or games. This allowed NEC to publish games developed by those supporting third-party companies in North America. The Legendary Axe was released in North America as a launch title for the TurboGrafx-16 on . The game would spawn a sequel; Legendary Axe II
Legendary Axe II
Legendary Axe II is a horizontal platform video game created in 1990 by Victor Interactive Software. The Japanese name is loosely translated to "Dark Legend". It is a sequel to Legendary Axe.-Story:...
.
The Legendary Axe was previewed by various video gaming magazines before its release. A preview from Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
called the game "a definite 10" and "one of the best video games we've ever played". In an overview of the PC Engine, VideoGames & Computer Entertainment referred to the game as "characteristic of the PC Engine's advanced sound, graphics and game play". A later preview from the same magazine said that it was one of the console's better games, and they applauded the arcade-like graphics and gameplay. They said that everyone who owned the console should own the game and that it was an "excellent showcase of the game system's capabilities".
Reception
The Legendary Axe received positive coverage upon its release. It was reviewed in Electronic Gaming Monthly in September 1989. In the review, Steve Harris said it was one of his favorite games, praising its theme, graphics, sound, and execution; he added that its features were unsurpassed by any video game at the time. Ed Semrad used this game to criticize Rastan, saying The Legendary Axe "is how [a platform game] should have been done". He added that it should be the first game TurboGrafx-16 owners should buy. Donn Nauert called the game one of the best adventure games seen at the time and echoed Harris' praises. Jim Allee repeated Semrad's observation that the game is Rastan but with better graphics; he praised its detailed sprites, the diverse music and gameplay, and difficulty level and concluded that it "is everything you could want in a game". Later in that issue Nauert presented a partial walkthrough of the game, where he further praised the game for breathing new life into the platformer genre. An abridged walkthough was published in VideoGames & Computer Entertainment in November 1989.The Legendary Axe received several awards and accolades. In Electronic Gaming Monthlys "Best and Worst of 1989", the game won "Best Game of the Year" honors for the TurboGrafx-16. The magazine cited a "perfect blend of action and adventure" and outstanding graphics and sound. It also received an award for "Coolest Boss Attackers" for its final boss Jagu – an award that was shared with 1989 Sega Genesis "Best Game of the Year" Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Ghouls 'n Ghosts
is a platform game/run and gun developed by Capcom and released as an arcade game in 1988, and subsequently ported to a number of other platforms. It is the sequel to Ghosts'n Goblins and the second game in the Ghosts'n Goblins series.-Gameplay:...
for its final boss "Loki". The game won "Video Game of the Year" (for all consoles) honors from VideoGames & Computer Entertainment in 1989. They said that the game "has a little of everything: loads of axe-swinging action, layer upon layer of high-quality music and smooth, colorful animation. The combination of these elements brought this action adventure to the top of the video-game heap like rising cream."
The Legendary Axe continued to receive praise from reviewers almost 20 years after its release. In a brief overview of the game in his overview of the TurboGrafx-16's history, 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...
's Levi Buchanan pointed out that the game made the console "an easy sell" for buyers and showed the superior performance of the TurboGrafx-16 over the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. He said that The Legendary Axe "made the NES look downright ancient". In a separate full review of the game, Buchanan noted that the game was an improvement over the console's pack-in game Keith Courage in Alpha Zones
Keith Courage in Alpha Zones
Keith Courage in Alpha Zones is multiplatform video game by Hudson Soft that was released for the TurboGrafx-16 and the Nintendo Entertainment System...
; he said that The Legendary Axe was more fun and had good action compared to the former. He noted that the game remained enjoyable almost 20 years after its release because of its simplistic platforming gameplay compared to more complicated modern video games like Mass Effect
Mass Effect
Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios...
. He praised the game's smooth animation, innovative and detailed backgrounds, enemy designs, and soundtrack – saying that "any classic game tune nerd would enjoy having [the music] on their iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
". Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
noted a change in the gameplay near the end of the game; after the fifth level, players must navigate a maze called the "Pits of Madness" which if they take the wrong path, they get sent back to its beginning.
The Legendary Axe has not been released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
service, and IGN's Lucas Thomas rated the game as the 3rd best in a list of "Top 10 unreleased TurboGrafx Titles" for the system. He said that he was shocked to find that this game was not on the Virtual Console, given that it was one of the TurboGrafx-16's flagship titles that were heavily advertised when it was released. UK-based magazine Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Although launched as a quarterly publication, Retro Gamers soon became a monthly...
, in a look back to video gaming in January 1989, made a similar comparison of the game to Rastan, "with a lot of sword slashing and platform jumping". The reviewer said that the popularity of The Legendary Axe in Japan was what caused it to be released as a TurboGrafx-16 launch title in North America.