Game Gear

Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe

Handlingen i spelet är aldrig vidare klurig, problemen handlar snarast om att träna upp fingerfärdigheten så att man klarar att ge neobarbarerna en match. Oftast måste man gå igenom stridsplatserna flera gånger så att man lär sig exakt var fienden trillar ner i ens huvud, man klarar sällan sig igenom bara på flyt. Envist billdoggsbeteende är ett måste för dig vill släpoa hem den gyllene yxan, alltså.

Golden Axe enthusiasts who like fantasy role gaming in small doses will be pleased with Ax Battler. The RPG segments keep the story moving and don't impede the top-notch, traditional, fighting action. The graphics are great by Game Gear standards, and the music and sounds are passable. As for challenge, even unlimited continues and passwords won't stop you from playing 50 hours before Death Adder's final downfall. Final? Well, we'll see. All in all, Ax Battler really cuts it!

Zwar sind die Texte in "Ax Battler" in Japanisch, aber mit ein wenig Fummelei läßt sich dieses prächtige Modul wunderbar spielen. Die Mischung aus herzhafter Action und würzigem Fantasy-Abenteuer macht nicht nur Spaß, sondern ist auch in höchstem Maße suchtgefährdend.

Segas berühmte "Golden Axe"-Serie hat einen neuen Sprößling dazugewonnen. Der "Ax Battler", ein knackiger Schwertschwinger, treibt sein Unwesen in dem gleichnamigen Game-gear-Action-Adventure.

I found this to be a reasonably rewarding role playing game with many of the standard features of RPGs. Mindful of the overhead views of the NES classic Dragon Warrior. However, what sets this apart are the fight scenes. Here it changes into a side-scrolling action scene--not bad.

This game just doesn't live up to the lofty peaks topped by the infinitely more enjoyable arcade experience. It doesn't reach the smaller but still dizzying foothills scaled by the Genesis, nor does it rent the donkey to traverse the path to the mountains like the Master System did. It really is a standard, ho-hum kind of experience. If you really need to get your Golden Axe fix on the go, well, in all honesty, just get an emulator for your PSP. This one should stay on the shelf, or preferably, in the waste basket of our collective conscious.

Gameplay involves guiding a tiny cartoon character across the countryside where you encounter a wandering monster every few seconds. When this happens, both characters are presented on a separate screen in their full-sized, realistic form. However, instead turn-based combat, both fighters simply slash away at each other. It's as shallow as it is repetitious. Once you reach a specific destination (like a cave), the game turns into a more conventional side-scroller, but even these stages are dull and poorly designed. Ax Battler is ill conceived, attempting to incorporate both action and exploration. This ambition weighs the game down. Ax Battler's graphics and sound aren't bad, but you'll need the patience of a saint to finish this.