A look back: Golden Axe III
Yes, that is a snail-dragon. Yes, those hostages are wearing modern dress. No, it doesn’t make any sense.
Golden Axe! Like Streets of Rage’s little, overcompensating brother it took the standard beat ‘em up and injected it with a dose of Conan the Barbarian, followed by a chaser of awkward world mythologies. Now the third entry in this manliest of men’s franchises is on the Virtual Console!
Dare you buy? Read on!
This image pretty much sums it up.
No, really, it does! Take a closer look and you’ll see the metaphorical and allegorical layers. They are too there! Let me explain:
Kain Grinder- hero of the game and wannabe Ax Battler (hero of previous Golden Axes). He stands, sword in hand, valiantly trying to kick ass and take names. He plays a little better than previous heroes, with a slightly expanded move set. He represents fun!
Dudes with spears- murderous rogues trying to kill our man Ax Kain. They lunge at him, spears sharp and pointy. They represent the half-assedness of the game, such as its crappy, crappy animation, step backward in graphical prowess, and a sucky two player mode.
Guy in medieval armor- with his ill-timed sword swing, this chumly fellow represents rushed development and a playable puma character that was laaaaaaame.
Eagle-bird-person-thing- Hell if I know.
So there you have it. It’s four on one, and it doesn’t look good. Granted this one never made it stateside in the Genesis days, but looking at it now that might have been a good thing.
Plus, GAIII is already on the Sega Genesis Collection for the PS2 and PSP. I am going to have to do a roundup of those for hilarity’s sake pretty soon! In any case, this one is…
Not Recommended
Tags: Golden Axe, Sega Genesis CollectionPOSTED IN: News, Nintendo Wii, Retro, Virtual Console
5 opinions for A look back: Golden Axe III
Bryan
Oct 26, 2007 at 12:02 am
I didn’t think this one was the worst of the 3, but then again, I don’t think any of them are very good. I certainly missed Mr. Dwarf. The big cat man was a poor substitute.
Graham
Oct 26, 2007 at 12:23 am
I haven’t yet played this - but surely it can’t be as boring as Golden Axe II… can it?
Kogen
Oct 26, 2007 at 5:47 am
Golden Axe III is played by doing one more and one move only.
> > jump V Attack
With a few exceptions at certain spots, espically boses. This is all you do in the game if you don’t want to be slaughtered. As you can guess, this leads to a boring game.
Also the bird guy is the only thing cool about this game.
shadow1w2
Oct 26, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Am I the only one that likes this game?
Thought it was better than the rest. Not so much as the arcade titles, but I liked it.
And the puma charecter was awsome!
Still wouldnt buy it on the VC shop though.
Garg, I want Outrun 2019 with score saving darn it >.
Bryan
Oct 27, 2007 at 8:53 pm
It’s worth a play with a friend if you already have Sega Genesis Collection (as you should). But certainly not worth a VC buy, no… But seriously, Mr. Dwarf. Why did they take Mr. Dwarf away from us? What was the grand scheme?
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