Golden Axe

Golden Axe
戦斧 logo, utilized in the first Golden Axe
Genres	Beat 'em up, hack and slash
Developers	Sega
Platforms	Mega Drive / Genesis, Mega-CD, Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System, Sega Mega-Play, Virtual Console, iOS, Microsoft Windows
Year of inception	1989
First release	Golden Axe May, 1989
Latest release	Golden Axe: Beast Rider October, 2008
Spin-offs	Action-adventure games, fighting game

Golden Axe (ゴールデンアックス, Gōruden Akkusu^?) is a series of side-scrolling, beat 'em up, hack and slash arcade video games developed by Sega. The series takes place in a medieval-fantasy world where several heroes have the task of recovering the legendary Golden Axe, the mainstay element of the series.

Golden Axe is a side-scrolling arcade hack 'n' slash game released in 1989 by Sega. Makoto Uchida was the primary developer of the game and also was responsible for the creation of Altered Beast. The game places the player in control of one of three warriors each bent on revenge against the vile dictator Death Adder. Death Adder has taken over the once peaceful land of Yuria and murdered their friend and partner, Alex. Several ports of the game were created, most notably for the Mega Drive/Genesis and Master System. Several sequels followed.

The game focuses on three heroes. One of them is a battle axe-wielding dwarf, Gilius Thunderhead, from the mines of Wolud whose twin brother was killed by the soldiers of Death Adder. Another is a male barbarian, Ax Battler, wielding a two handed broadsword looking for revenge for the murder of his mother. The last is a longsword wielding Tyris Flare, an amazon whose parents were killed by Death Adder.