Golden Axe

Golden Axe is a side scrolling combat game where players select one of three protagonists to confront the villain Death Adder. This antagonist has seized the Golden Axe and taken the kingdom's ruler and heir captive.

Gameplay involves fighting through adversaries to reach Death Adder. The available characters are Ax Battler, Gilius Thunderhead, and Tyris Flare, each possessing a unique magic attack. Potions for these spells are obtained from specific small creatures, while others provide health restoring food.

Certain foes are mounted on beasts like dragons, which players can commandeer after dislodging the rider. The experience is generally challenging, with the Commodore 64 version presenting notable technical simplifications. These include a limit of one on screen opponent at a time and a reduced selection of mountable creatures.

While the original design supported two player simultaneous action, this cooperative feature was omitted from the C64 port.