Unremarkable. The attack options are limited. The enemy variety is lacking. The art style is so-so. The game practically encourages cheesing enemies over-and-over with the shoulder charge due to how poorly considered the combat is.
Golden Axe was a pretty faithful arcade-to-console port. It added an extra level to stand out from the arcade original. Even so, as a beat 'em up fan, I can't think of a reason to revisit Golden Axe. It's a primitive, mostly boring arcade conversation. Perfectly playable, but tepid.