The existence of this obscure Master System title seems to raise some very interesting questions in regards to general gaming discourse. Those questions being:
What constitutes a ripoff? Is a derivative title able to stand on its own? Is mimicry really the highest form of flattery?
Ultimately I dislike drawing comparisons when it comes to different titles from different series by different developers but in this instance I seem to struggle in not doing so, mainly because for better or worse this game is blatantly aping on the formula established by The Legend of Zelda half a decade prior. For the most part.
Golden Axe Warrior is a semi-open ended exploration focused adventure game made by Sega for the Master System. A system that holds very little weight outside of South America due to a variety of factors I don't want to go into for fear of taking focus away from this particular title.
So when it comes to gameplay I must ask:
Have you played The Legend of Zelda? Particularly the NES game? If so you have a good idea how this game functions with a few differences. The game starts with you not only having 3 hearts but 3 magic bottles as well. You are able to use magic in this game for combat, exploration and healing.
There is Lightning for damaging a singular enemy, earth for revealing secrets and stunning enemies, fire for screen wide damage and water for healing. Having these spells in lieu of tools like bombs or arrows creates a different feeling of resource management since they share the same Magic meter. Healing can cripple your ability to explore dungeons unless you get magic bottle drops as an example. This layer of strategy you have adds a fun layer that separates itself from its clear inspiration.
It's a shame combat in this game is suffering at times. Enemies come in droves and they can be ruthless. Mix that in with a constantly escalating power level of your opponents can leave the player in a daze. Exploring is key to find upgrades. You also have two weapons. Your sword and axe. Both get upgraded including to the mythical Golden Axe itself. Both weapons have their unique uses in combat as well. Your sword attacking in a straight line in the four directions while the axe swings in front of you in an arc.
Dungeons are rather simple as well. One thing to note is that the player cannot push blocks rather you can push candles instead. Took me some time to figure that one out. I was shocked at how small and simple the final dungeon actually was as well. Same with the overworld as well. The game pens you in at the start giving you a small chunk of the world to explore and with upgrades and items you open more of the world piece by piece.
Ultimately how I can encapsulate the playing experience through the lens of Zelda is this: Combat is more difficult while exploration is more limited and focused. Now that should give you a decent idea on whether or not you will enjoy this game.
Another factor is a degree of references to the main series of games. Not only do you meet the playable characters from Golden Axe, they also teach your their magic. That and Death Adder being the obvious villain makes this atleast feel like a Golden Axe adventure game. This level of fanservice feels a little more niche in the current year where Golden Axe sits in a sphere of antiquity but those of us who are nostalgic will enjoy the small nods.
Musically things are simplistic but hey I appreciate the remix of the theme to the first level of the original game. The rest of the OST is rather small though. I was surprised when there was no final dungeon or final boss theme, something I feel was standard for 1991.
A key note I should mention is that this game was made for English speakers and that is a big deal for one primary reason: The dialogue won't be garbage. Typically in 8-bit games there is a layer of lost in translation that is missing here. NPCs in towns talk in a very nature way that doesn't feel alien and doesn't lack in punch. Hints are blunt, clear and to the point. No real guesswork in that regard.
The NPCs do make the world feel lived in. You feel a certain level of fear and uncertainty in the population with Death Adder throwing the world into disarray and the game isn't afraid to show this to you. People are melancholic and destroyed architecture houses cold corpses. The story isn't filled with nail biting anticipation or anything. Instead things just feel, to a degree, authentic in a way.
Ultimately though in the end this game sits slightly above the middle in my eyes. I had plenty of fun with this title but it really isn't for everyone. The 8-bit crust is there with its rather annoying at times combat and rather obtuse progression. Your mileage may vary but fans of the original Zelda game will feel at home here. To those who are fans of that style of game I can recommend this to you but to others I can ensure you that you aren't missing out on some underrated masterpiece.
What constitutes a ripoff? Is a derivative title able to stand on its own? Is mimicry really the highest form of flattery?
Ultimately I dislike drawing comparisons when it comes to different titles from different series by different developers but in this instance I seem to struggle in not doing so, mainly because for better or worse this game is blatantly aping on the formula established by The Legend of Zelda half a decade prior. For the most part.
Golden Axe Warrior is a semi-open ended exploration focused adventure game made by Sega for the Master System. A system that holds very little weight outside of South America due to a variety of factors I don't want to go into for fear of taking focus away from this particular title.
So when it comes to gameplay I must ask:
Have you played The Legend of Zelda? Particularly the NES game? If so you have a good idea how this game functions with a few differences. The game starts with you not only having 3 hearts but 3 magic bottles as well. You are able to use magic in this game for combat, exploration and healing.
There is Lightning for damaging a singular enemy, earth for revealing secrets and stunning enemies, fire for screen wide damage and water for healing. Having these spells in lieu of tools like bombs or arrows creates a different feeling of resource management since they share the same Magic meter. Healing can cripple your ability to explore dungeons unless you get magic bottle drops as an example. This layer of strategy you have adds a fun layer that separates itself from its clear inspiration.
It's a shame combat in this game is suffering at times. Enemies come in droves and they can be ruthless. Mix that in with a constantly escalating power level of your opponents can leave the player in a daze. Exploring is key to find upgrades. You also have two weapons. Your sword and axe. Both get upgraded including to the mythical Golden Axe itself. Both weapons have their unique uses in combat as well. Your sword attacking in a straight line in the four directions while the axe swings in front of you in an arc.
Dungeons are rather simple as well. One thing to note is that the player cannot push blocks rather you can push candles instead. Took me some time to figure that one out. I was shocked at how small and simple the final dungeon actually was as well. Same with the overworld as well. The game pens you in at the start giving you a small chunk of the world to explore and with upgrades and items you open more of the world piece by piece.
Ultimately how I can encapsulate the playing experience through the lens of Zelda is this: Combat is more difficult while exploration is more limited and focused. Now that should give you a decent idea on whether or not you will enjoy this game.
Another factor is a degree of references to the main series of games. Not only do you meet the playable characters from Golden Axe, they also teach your their magic. That and Death Adder being the obvious villain makes this atleast feel like a Golden Axe adventure game. This level of fanservice feels a little more niche in the current year where Golden Axe sits in a sphere of antiquity but those of us who are nostalgic will enjoy the small nods.
Musically things are simplistic but hey I appreciate the remix of the theme to the first level of the original game. The rest of the OST is rather small though. I was surprised when there was no final dungeon or final boss theme, something I feel was standard for 1991.
A key note I should mention is that this game was made for English speakers and that is a big deal for one primary reason: The dialogue won't be garbage. Typically in 8-bit games there is a layer of lost in translation that is missing here. NPCs in towns talk in a very nature way that doesn't feel alien and doesn't lack in punch. Hints are blunt, clear and to the point. No real guesswork in that regard.
The NPCs do make the world feel lived in. You feel a certain level of fear and uncertainty in the population with Death Adder throwing the world into disarray and the game isn't afraid to show this to you. People are melancholic and destroyed architecture houses cold corpses. The story isn't filled with nail biting anticipation or anything. Instead things just feel, to a degree, authentic in a way.
Ultimately though in the end this game sits slightly above the middle in my eyes. I had plenty of fun with this title but it really isn't for everyone. The 8-bit crust is there with its rather annoying at times combat and rather obtuse progression. Your mileage may vary but fans of the original Zelda game will feel at home here. To those who are fans of that style of game I can recommend this to you but to others I can ensure you that you aren't missing out on some underrated masterpiece.