Golden Axe 1989

Is it still worth playing?

A 1989 arcade beat 'em up, with Makoto Uchida as lead designer, in which three warriors set out to free the land of Yuria from Death Adder, who wields the Golden Axe. Each warrior has a magic: the dwarf Gilius casts lightning, the barbarian Ax earth and the warrior Tyris fire. You fight through Death Adder's henchmen, from men with clubs and maces to skeleton warriors and knights, with a weapon or with magic that hurts every enemy on screen. Its force depends on how many magic bars are filled. Kicking a blue thief makes him drop potions that fill them, while a green thief drops food that restores health. On top of that, mounts called bizarrians can be ridden once their rider is knocked off. Magic that clears the screen, fed by thieves you chase down, still makes it a brawl worth playing today.