Changes: Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder

Revision as of 15:47, 17 September 2010

This article is about the first game in the Golden Axe series. For other games in the series, see Golden Axe (series).

Golden Axe
File:Golden Axe Coverart.png
Developer(s)	Sega Probe (computer versions) Telenet Japan (PC-Engine version) Bandai (WonderSwan version)
Publisher(s)	Sega Virgin Games (computer versions) Telenet Japan (PC-Engine version) Bandai (WonderSwan version)
Designer	Makoto Uchida, Takosuke, Moto Cbx1000, Ham Tak, Waka (Mega Drive version)
Engine	Engine Missing
status	Status Missing
Release date	Release Date Missing
Genre	Hack and slash, side-scrolling beat 'em up
Mode(s)	Single-player 2 players cooperative Duel (home ports)
Age rating(s)	CERO: A ELSPA: 3+ ESRB: T PEGI: 12+
Platform(s)	Arcade, Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Arcade Legends Sega Genesis Volume 1, Mobile phone, iOS, TurboGrafx-CD, Virtual Console, WonderSwan Color, Xbox Live Arcade, ZX Spectrum
Arcade system	Arcade System Missing
Media	Media Missing
Input	Joystick / game controller, 3 buttons
Requirements	Requirements Missing
Credits \| Soundtrack \| Codes \| Walkthrough

Golden Axe is a side-scrolling arcade hack and slash game released in 1989 by Sega for the System 16-B arcade hardware. It is the first game in the series.

Makoto Uchida was the primary developer of the game and also was responsible for the creation of Altered Beast, a similar game. Several ports of the game were created, most notably for the Mega Drive/Genesis and Master System.

Plot

The game takes place in the fictional land of Yuria, a Conan the Barbarian-style high fantasy medieval world. An evil entity known as Death Adder has captured the King and his daughter, and holds them captive in their castle. He also finds the Golden Axe, the magical emblem of Yuria, and threatens to destroy both the axe and the royal family unless the people of Yuria accept him as their ruler. Three Warriors set out on a quest to rescue Yuria and avenge their losses at the hands of Death Adder. The first 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 long-sword-wielding Tyris Flare, an amazon, whose parents were both killed by Death Adder.

The warriors save the inhabitants of the ransacked Turtle Village, which turns out to be situated on the shell of a giant turtle. The turtle takes the characters across the sea, and they then fly to the castle itself on the back of a giant eagle. Once at the castle they defeat Death Adder, who is wielding the Golden Axe and save the land. In the Mega Drive version and other ports, the characters also battle Death Adder's mentor as the true final boss.

Gameplay

File:Golden axe duelmode.png

The Duel mode

Progress is made through the game by fighting through Death Adder's henchmen, including men armed with clubs and maces, skeleton warriors, and knights. Players are able to attack using their weapon, jump and cast spells that hurt all enemies on the screen. The force of this magic depends on the number of "bars" of magic power currently available. The bars are filled by collecting blue 'magic potions' attained by kicking little sprites who then drop the potions. These sprites appear during regular levels and during bonus stages in between levels. The male warrior Ax is able to cast earth spells. The dwarf Gilius, casts lightning spells and the female warrior Tyris casts fire magic. Each character has a different number of maximum magic bars and varying ranges of attack.

Various steeds known as bizarrians are found in the game. These can be ridden when the enemy rider is knocked off, or if one is found dormant. The least powerful steed is known as the Cockatrice (which also appeared in Altered Beast)^[1], which can be used to knock down enemies with a swipe of its tail. The more powerful dragon, which can either shoot fireballs or breathe fire, is found later in the game.

In addition to the main quest, some home versions of the game included "duel mode", a survival mode type game that pitted players against increasingly powerful foes in consecutive rounds of play. This mode also featured a two-player one-on-one option.

Development

Lead producer Makoto Uchida was fond of action movies, particularly the Conan films and wanted to create a game influenced by these films. He states that the development team for the game was small and development of the game took about a year. ^[2]

Ports and remakes

Several ports of Golden Axe exist for many platforms. The Mega Drive version remained largely faithful to the arcade game, adding an additional level and the aforementioned duel mode, along with a new ending. A one-player only version was later re-released on the Mega CD as part of the Sega Classics Collection, with new Redbook background music and new voice-overs. The Mega Drive version was later released other compilations - Sega Smash Pack, Sega Genesis Collection, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. The Mega Drive port is also available on Virtual Console. ^[3] The arcade version is also on the Virtual Console and Xbox Live Arcade^[4]

The IBM PC compatibles version released in 1990 is similar to the Mega Drive version, but features richer 256 color palette in VGA mode as well as the ability to run in 16 colors (EGA/Tandy 1000), 4 color (CGA) and 2 color (Hercules Graphics Card) modes.The Atari ST and Amiga versions of the game released in Late 1990 by Virgin Software are more similar to the arcade.^[5] Unlike the PC version, the Amiga version is not a port of the Mega Drive version - rather, it is virtually identical to the arcade game with no loss of colors or animations.^[6] The ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 versions suffer from the limitations of the two platforms.

Variations of the original game have also been released. The Sega Master System version of the game retells the original story from the perspective of Ax Battler, who is called "Tarik" in this game. While the game is only one-player, it features all of the levels and magic powers of the arcade version. In Japan, Golden Axe was released by Telenet for the PC Engine CD-ROM sometime in 1990 with high-quality resampled music and cut scenes. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics and orchestral music was released for PlayStation 2 as part of the Sega Ages line.

References

↑ Retro Gamer magazine, issue 76. Pages 38-45
↑ The Making of Golden Axe: Beast Rider. Part 1.
↑ Parish, Jeremy (2006-10-31). Wii Virtual Console Lineup Unveiled. 1UP.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-01
↑ Xbox Live Arcade: Golden Axe. xbox. Retrieved on 2007-01-07
↑ Penn, Gary (December 1990). "Golden Axe". The One (27): pp. 79
↑ When asked: "Surely having to put all that stuff from the big and hard arcade machine into a poxy little home computer [the Amiga and ST] has meant that he's had to leave stuff out?" programmer Richard Costello replies: "No, not really. The only major difference is minor graphical details." (Penn, Gary (December 1990). "Golden Axe". The One (27): pp. 82 )

External links

Golden Axe at World of Spectrum

cs:Golden Axe fr:Golden Axe ko:황금도끼 lt:Golden Axe pt:Golden Axe sv:Golden Axe tr:Golden Axe

[1] Retro Gamer magazine, issue 76. Pages 38-45

[making-2] The Making of Golden Axe: Beast Rider. Part 1.

[3] Parish, Jeremy (2006-10-31). Wii Virtual Console Lineup Unveiled. 1UP.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-01

[4] Xbox Live Arcade: Golden Axe. xbox. Retrieved on 2007-01-07

[5] Penn, Gary (December 1990). "Golden Axe". The One (27): pp. 79

[6] When asked: "Surely having to put all that stuff from the big and hard arcade machine into a poxy little home computer [the Amiga and ST] has meant that he's had to leave stuff out?" programmer Richard Costello replies: "No, not really. The only major difference is minor graphical details." (Penn, Gary (December 1990). "Golden Axe". The One (27): pp. 82 )

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{About|the first game in the ''Golden Axe'' series|other games in the series|Golden Axe (series)}}
-__NOTOC__
+{{Refimprove|date=March 2008}}
-''Golden Axe II: The Revenge of Death Adder'' carried on the ''[[Golden Axe]]'' legacy. Althought home gamers had been treated to ''[[Golden Axe II]]'' arcadegoers had not been forgotten, and SEGA rewarded them with an all-new and unrelated sequel, this time with vastly improved graphics and simultaneous four-way play.
+{{ infobox VG
+| image     = [[Image:Golden Axe Coverart.png|256px]]
+| caption   = European [[Mega Drive]] cover art for ''Golden Axe''
+| developer = [[Sega]]<br />[[Acclaim Cheltenham|Probe]] (computer versions)<br />[[Telenet Japan]] (PC-Engine version)<br />[[Bandai]] (WonderSwan version)
+| publisher = Sega<br />[[Virgin Games]] (computer versions)<br />[[Telenet Japan]] (PC-Engine version)<br />[[Bandai]] (WonderSwan version)
+| designer  = [[Makoto Uchida]], Takosuke, Moto Cbx1000, Ham Tak, Waka (Mega Drive version)
+| composer  = [[Makoto Uchida]], Tohru Nakabayashi
+| series    = ''[[Golden Axe (series)|Golden Axe]]''
+| platforms = [[Arcade game|Arcade]], [[Mega Drive|Mega Drive/Genesis]], [[Sega Master System|Master System]], [[DOS]], [[Amiga]], [[Atari ST]], [[Amstrad CPC]], [[Commodore 64]], [[Handheld TV game|Arcade Legends Sega Genesis Volume 1]], [[Mobile phone]], [[iOS (Apple)|iOS]], [[TurboGrafx-16#TurboGrafx-CD|TurboGrafx-CD]], [[Virtual Console]], [[WonderSwan Color]], [[Xbox Live Arcade]], [[ZX Spectrum]]
+| release   = <span />
+; Arcade (original): May 1989
+; Mega Drive, Master System (original): December 1989
+; Arcade (Virtual Console): {{vgrelease|NA=November 28, 2006|PAL=December 8, 2006|JP=December 2, 2006}}
+; Mega Drive (Virtual Console): {{vgrelease|JP=June 23, 2009|PAL=September 18, 2009|NA=October 26, 2009}}<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/ji_pjvCIWzQYUpIwY339q08pgm7vIGns |title = Nintendo Offers Downloadable Halloween Fun from Axe to Zombies |publisher = Nintendo of America |date = 2009-10-26|accessdate = 2009-10-27}}</ref>
+| genre     = [[Hack and slash]], [[side-scrolling beat 'em up]]
+| modes     = [[Single-player]]<br />2 players cooperative<br />Duel (home ports)
+| ratings   = {{vgratings|CERO = A|ESRB = T|PEGI = 12+|ELSPA = 3+}}
+| cabinet   =
+| monitor   = [[Raster graphics|Raster]], standard resolution 336x240 (Horizontal)
+| input     = [[Joystick]] / [[game controller]], 3 buttons
+}}
+'''''Golden Axe''''' is a [[Side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] [[arcade game|arcade]] [[hack and slash]] game released in 1989 by [[Sega]] for the [[System 16]]-B arcade hardware. It is the first game in the [[Golden Axe (series)|series]].
-== Game data ==
-=== [[Arcade]] ([[System 32]]) ===
-* Published by SEGA worldwide in 1992
+[[Makoto Uchida]] was the primary developer of the game and also was responsible for the creation of ''[[Altered Beast]]'', a similar game. Several ports of the game were created, most notably for the [[Mega Drive|Mega Drive/Genesis]] and [[Master System]].
-{{furtherinfo-noguide}}
+==Plot==
+The game takes place in the fictional land of Yuria, a ''[[Conan the Barbarian]]''-style [[high fantasy]] [[medieval fantasy|medieval world]].  An evil entity known as Death Adder has captured the King and his daughter, and holds them captive in their castle.  He also finds the Golden Axe, the magical emblem of Yuria, and threatens to destroy both the axe and the royal family unless the people of Yuria accept him as their ruler. Three Warriors set out on a quest to rescue Yuria and avenge their losses at the hands of Death Adder.  The first 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 [[basket-hilted sword|broadsword]] looking for revenge for the murder of his mother.  The last is a [[long-sword]]-wielding [[Tyris Flare]], an [[amazons|amazon]], whose parents were both killed by Death Adder.
+The warriors save the inhabitants of the ransacked Turtle Village, which turns out to be situated on the shell of a giant [[turtle]].  The turtle takes the characters across the sea, and they then fly to the castle itself on the back of a giant eagle.  Once at the castle they defeat Death Adder, who is wielding the Golden Axe and save the land. In the Mega Drive version and other ports, the characters also battle Death Adder's mentor as the true final boss.
-==External Links==
-* [strategywiki.net/wiki/Golden_Axe:_The_Revenge_of_Death_Adder StrategyWiki's ''The Revenge of Death Adder'' guide]
+==Gameplay==
-[[Category:Arcade]]
+[[Image:Golden axe duelmode.png|thumb|230px|left|The Duel mode]]
-[[Category:System 32]]
+Progress is made through the game by fighting through Death Adder's henchmen, including men armed with [[club (weapon)|clubs]] and [[Mace (club)|mace]]s, skeleton warriors, and knights. Players are able to attack using their weapon, jump and cast [[magic (gaming)|spells]] that hurt all enemies on the screen. The force of this magic depends on the number of "bars" of magic power currently available. The bars are filled by collecting blue 'magic potions' attained by kicking little [[sprite (creature)|sprites]] who then drop the potions. These sprites appear during regular levels and during [[bonus stage]]s in between levels. The male warrior Ax is able to cast earth spells. The dwarf Gilius, casts lightning spells and the female warrior Tyris casts fire magic. Each character has a different number of maximum magic bars and varying ranges of attack.
+Various steeds known as bizarrians are found in the game. These can be ridden when the enemy rider is knocked off, or if one is found dormant. The least powerful steed is known as the [[Cockatrice]] (which also appeared in ''[[Altered Beast]]'')<ref>[[Retro Gamer magazine]], issue 76. Pages 38-45</ref>, which can be used to knock down enemies with a swipe of its tail. The more powerful [[dragon]], which can either shoot fireballs or breathe fire, is found later in the game.
+In addition to the main quest, some home versions of the game included "duel mode", a survival mode type game that pitted players against increasingly powerful foes in consecutive rounds of play. This mode also featured a two-player one-on-one option.
+== Development ==
+Lead producer Makoto Uchida was fond of action movies, particularly the ''Conan'' films and wanted to create a game influenced by these films. He states that the development team for the game was small and development of the game took about a year. <ref name="making">The Making of Golden Axe: Beast Rider. Part 1.</ref>
+==Ports and remakes==
+Several [[porting|ports]] of ''Golden Axe'' exist for many platforms. The Mega Drive version remained largely faithful to the arcade game, adding an additional level and the aforementioned duel mode, along with a new ending. A one-player only version was later re-released on the Mega CD as part of the ''Sega Classics Collection'', with new [[Red Book (audio CD standard)|Redbook]] background music and new voice-overs. The Mega Drive version was later released other compilations - ''[[Sega Smash Pack]]'', [[Sega Genesis Collection]], ''[[Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection]]''. The Mega Drive port is also available on [[Virtual Console]]. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3154811 |title=Wii Virtual Console Lineup Unveiled |accessdate=2006-11-01 |last=Parish |first=Jeremy |date=2006-10-31 |publisher= [[1UP.com]] }}</ref>  The arcade version is also on the Virtual Console and [[Xbox Live Arcade]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/g/goldenaxexboxlivearcade/ |title=Xbox Live Arcade: Golden Axe|accessdate=2007-01-07|publisher= [[xbox]] }}</ref>
+The [[IBM PC compatibles]] version released in 1990 is similar to the Mega Drive version, but features richer 256 color palette in [[VGA]] mode as well as the ability to run in 16 colors ([[EGA]]/[[Tandy 1000]]), 4 color ([[CGA]]) and 2 color ([[Hercules Graphics Card]]) modes.The [[Atari ST]] and [[Amiga]] versions of the game released in Late 1990 by Virgin Software are more similar to the arcade.<ref>{{Cite news | last = Penn | first = Gary  | title = Golden Axe | newspaper = [[The One (magazine)|The One]] | issue = 27 | pages = 79 |date=December 1990 | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> Unlike the PC version, the Amiga version is not a port of the Mega Drive version - rather, it is virtually identical to the arcade game with no loss of colors or animations.<ref>When asked: "Surely having to put all that stuff from the big and hard arcade machine into a poxy little home computer [the Amiga and ST] has meant that he's had to leave stuff out?" programmer Richard Costello replies: "No, not really. The only major difference is minor graphical details." ({{Cite news | last = Penn | first = Gary  | title = Golden Axe | newspaper = [[The One (magazine)|The One]] | issue = 27 | pages = 82 |date=December 1990 | postscript = <!--None-->}})</ref>  The [[ZX Spectrum]] and [[Commodore 64]] versions suffer from the limitations of the two platforms.
+Variations of the original game have also been released. The [[Sega Master System]] version of the game retells the original story from the perspective of Ax Battler, who is called "Tarik" in this game. While the game is only one-player, it features all of the levels and magic powers of the arcade version. In Japan, ''Golden Axe'' was released by Telenet for the [[TurboGrafx-16|PC Engine]] CD-ROM sometime in 1990 with high-quality resampled music and [[cut scene]]s. An [[video game remake|enhanced remake]] with 3D graphics and orchestral music was released for [[PlayStation 2]] as part of the [[Sega Ages]] line.
+==References==
+{{reflist}}
+==External links==
+*{{WoS game|id=0002081}}
+{{Golden Axe series}}
+[[Category:1989 video games]]
+[[Category:Amiga games]]
+[[Category:Amstrad CPC games]]
+[[Category:Arcade games]]
+[[Category:Aspect Co. games]]
+[[Category:Atari ST games]]
+[[Category:Beat 'em ups]]
+[[Category:Commodore 64 games]]
+[[Category:Cooperative video games]]
+[[Category:DOS games]]
+[[Category:Fantasy video games]]
+[[Category:IPhone OS games]]
+[[Category:Sega arcade games]]
+[[Category:Sega games]]
+[[Category:Sega Master System games]]
+[[Category:Sega Mega Drive games]]
+[[Category:Tiger handheld games]]
+[[Category:Virtual Console games]]
+[[Category:WonderSwan Color games]]
+[[Category:Xbox 360 Live Arcade games]]
+[[Category:ZX Spectrum games]]
+[[cs:Golden Axe]]
+[[de:Golden Axe]]
+[[es:Golden Axe]]
+[[fr:Golden Axe]]
+[[ko:황금도끼]]
+[[it:Golden Axe]]
+[[lt:Golden Axe]]
+[[ja:ゴールデンアックス]]
+[[pt:Golden Axe]]
+[[ru:Golden Axe]]
+[[sv:Golden Axe]]
+[[tr:Golden Axe]]
+[[uk:Golden Axe]]