Golden Axe- The Duel

I'm not sure if I have all my facts straight on this, because it's been so long. I remember getting my Sega Genesis when it first came out, and purchasing Golden Axe. At the time, it was my favorite game. It seemed to have everything. Great graphics, smooth gameplay, and was definetely a blast to play. I loved Golden Axe, and longed to see a sequel on my Sega Saturn.

Golden Axe was a fighting adventure game. It wasn't just a fighter. In that game you would go from screen to screen clearing out the baddies (skeletons fighters, ect..), and collecting magic potions from elves to increase your strength.

When "Golden Axe- The Duel" arrived, I was severely disappointed. It was not at all like the Golden Axe I remember. Sure, it had the same characters, and the graphics were similar. It even shared some of the previous games attributes. The swords, elves, magic, all were there. Problem was that this game was strictly a fighting game, and at the time I hated fighting games (I've since changed my feelings on the genere). Anyway, I didn't buy this game till several years after it's release.

It's November 10, 1998. The Playstation is supreme, and fighters abound!! I've been playing a fair share of them, and have become hooked. My current crop includes: Vs., Bloody Roar, Dynasty Warriors, Fighting Vipers, and Marvel Super Heroes. Since I can't seem to get enough of fighters, I decided to purchase Golden Axe- The Duel.

In the game, you have an assortment of characters to choose from. Some from the previous Golden Axe, and some new ones as well. You even have the option of playing as Death Adder, who is the nasty boss in Golden Axe. Here is a summary of those fighters: Kain Blade- Kain is a warrior swordsman. He seeks the Golden Axe to unite the providences of the continent, and end the evil plans of Zoma and Keel. Milan Flare- Princess of the kingdom of Winwood and decendent of Tiris Flare. Not to mention she's one hot babe!! She fights with a sword and seeks the Golden Axe. She does not want Winwood  to fall foreign invaders. Gillius Rockhead- An axe battler who is a decendant of the slayer of Death Adder. Since Death Adder has returned, Gillius has prepared for war. He knows the people must not suffer from Adder again. Zoma- Zoma uses the life energies of captured travelers to sustain himself. He fights with a staff, and is one evil being! He seeks the Axe to rule the continent "without mercy". Doc- As his name implies, is a healer. Doc resigned from his position as a teacher in college to seek the Golden Axe. His vow is to bring the Axe back to the providence. Keel- Keel is a double daggered elf warrior determined to destroy all who oppose him. Keel wants to become the ruler of Crystal. Jamm- Jamm was an orphaned baby girl who grew up with the beasts of the land. She has many fighting styles that were learned from the animals who raised her. Panchos- Ponchos father was an inventor and taught him the trade. Panchos uses his bombs and mace to fight for the Golden Axe. Green- Green is a half human, half plant giant. Green hopes to defeat Death Adder as his armies have attacked the human/plant race of his. Finally Death Adder- Little is known about Death Adder. He was believed to be dead after his battle with Gillius Thunderhead. Yet, he rose again. Twice since he has died and rose again to torment the land. It is now believed he is not a man, but rather an evil spirit. If he gets the Golden Axe, the continent will face an age of horror and despair. Death Adder must be stopped at all costs.
 
Initially, I was very impressed by the game. The hand drawn graphics are gorgeous, and the game fits the previous Golden Axe theme perfectly. The backgrounds are all well done, and the effects look pretty cool. All the characters are likeable, and memorable (Something missing form most current fighters.). There are even blood splatters for those of you with a more morbid sense of reality. It was right up my alley so to speak. I loved the Golden Axe adventure, and I'm quite a sucker for hand drawn graphics. I thought I was in for a real treat.

The game has most every ingredient imaginable for a good fighter. It has plenty of basic moves, and a decent amount of special moves. It has powerups available, special touches for variation (like the elves bringing potions for magic and vitality), and each character is quite unique from the others. It is also a very balanced game. With everything this game had going for it, you'd expect it to get a perfect score.

Problem is it also has a few major flaws that keep it from being great. For one, there are no multi-hit combo moves. It feels like your taking turns when you fight. I prefer to keep nailing them once their down. You know what I'm talking about, when their off balance I like to keep hitting them until they hit the pavement (so to speak). Another thing is that far two few frames of animation are used. I mean, the animation that is used is very good, but it really feels like it's missing something. Last but not least, the opening sequences are very weak. They are mostly composed of non-animated characters standing with a basically still, yet somewhat moving background.
Nowhere near the CG rendered intros you find in todays top fighters.

Here's what it boils down to. Golden Axe- The Duel, is a fun good looking fighter. It is great for a few days, or even weeks of fighting fun. It just doesn't have the depth to compete with today's fighters. I'm not saying it was outdated when it was produced, I'm just saying it is too outdated today to keep your attention for very long. If you can find it cheap enough, I say give it a try. If not, pass! There are newer and better fighters to choose from.
 

 
RATINGS
GRAPHICS 83%
SOUND 79%
GAMEPLAY 72%
ORIGINALITY 73%
REPLAY VALUE 70%
OVERALL 75%