Golden Axe goes next-gen

By Paul Loughrey Published 10 May, 2006

Death-Adder on PS3, Xbox 360.

Sega is bringing arcade and Megadrive classic Golden Axe to next-gen platforms, promising a "complete re-imagining of the story" for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Originally released in 1989, the side-scrolling slash-em-up featured undead skeletal warriors, giant S&M boss battles and the frequent opportunity to ride bareback on a fire-breathing beast. There was also a choice of three different characters - a burly man, a buxom woman and, er, a beardy dwarf. Three characters eh? Imagine that!

The idea of "completely re-imagining" a classic is always a little concerning and it could go one of two ways (Altered Beast anyone?) but we're hoping this may be the exception to prove the rule.

The task has been given to one of Sega's recent acquisitions, San Francisco-based Secret Level, and both PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are due for release next year.

We'll bring you more details on the storyline, characters, gameplay and features as soon as they emerge.

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About Paul Loughrey

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Comments (25) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • sport #1 6 years ago

    oh baby - my fav arcade game of all time!!!! woohoo

  • SeesThroughAll #2 6 years ago

    Yes! I loved this game so much!

  • Dizzy #3 6 years ago

    Please no 3D...

    Make it a 2.5D side scroller Sega!
    Edited by 1 at 10/05/06 @ 10:13

  • MrGrumpy.au #4 6 years ago

    Fingers crossed it turns out great, I actually didn't mind the Sega Classics arcade translation of it (but many others didn't).

    Hopefully it doesn't turn out to be a Spike Out: Battle Street failure.

    Off Topic:
    It would be really nice to see Sega redo Power Drift in full 3D next gen glory, using Outrun 2s "over the top" handling (I miss Power Drift, maybe MAME can emulate it now?).

  • bloodflowers #5 6 years ago

    This will be fucking shit. Just take a look at the Sega Ages remake of GA. It'll get turned into another third person runaround with a sword game. SIGH. Now an arcade perfect port of the original with networked player 2 for Xbox Live Arcade? I'd buy that for a dollar (or 5).
    Edited by 1 at 10/05/06 @ 10:23

  • Aysir #6 6 years ago

    They already did a 2D/3D remake of it. Though I think it was Japan only, it was a pretty faithful recreation in the SEGA AGES series a while back.

  • kaosridder #7 6 years ago

    YES YES YES YES YES YES aaaaannnnnndddd JUBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

  • SeesThroughAll #8 6 years ago

    It would be really nice to see Sega redo Power Drift in full 3D next gen glory, using Outrun 2s "over the top" handling (I miss Power Drift, maybe MAME can emulate it now?).

    Aaaaah... That was such a classic... The game that inspired Super Mario Kart.

  • ruttyboy #9 6 years ago

    Yes, but Altered Beast was shit in both forms so they didn't so much as 'cock-up the remake' as 'make another one'. Golden Axe was/is a classic in the true sense of the word.

  • MrGrumpy.au #10 6 years ago

    @Aysir, it was released to PAL territories about 3 months ago as a compilation Sega Classics Collection to mixed reviews. My biggest gripe was it was mostly in Squish-o-vision (a bad NTSC->PAL conversion), the only game which was converted properly was Virtua Racing.

    @SeesThroughAll, really? I didn't know that Power Drift inspired Super Mario Kart, you learn something everyday.
    Edited by 2 at 10/05/06 @ 10:42

  • Cappy #11 6 years ago

    No Wii version?

    I think I see a pattern emerging.

  • special_move #12 6 years ago

    Death=Adder surely?

  • space_ace #13 6 years ago

    great news, but why does it sound like golden axe: seven sorrows to me? it better be better.

  • Aysir #14 6 years ago

    @MrGrumpy.au, ah, I didn't hear anything about any of them being released over here. It seems you do learn something everyday :)

  • RandyBuffalo #15 6 years ago

    Awesome news. Please guys at Sega - don't change it into another generic, by the numbers 3D 'run around and hack mindlessly at things' game - we want to do that in glorious 2D!!!

    //Remembers the magic in the original where a dragon breathes fire over the screen

  • Markusdragon #16 6 years ago

    What I loved in the original was the difference in the characters storylines.

    AX BATTLER: The Barbarian - His mother was killed by Death=Adder.
    TYRIS FLARE: The Amazon - Her parents were killed by Death=Adder.
    GILIUS THUNDERHEAD: The Dwarf - His brother was killed by Death=Adder.

    I hope they have a similarly diverse selection of characters motives in the new one.

  • sickpuppysoftware #17 6 years ago

    This "reimagining" is going to suck more than a brand new dyson in a black hole with a field full of goats.

    Hope all you like but it'll end up a 3D button masher with clumsy controls and paper-thin RPG stats tacked on. Oh and it'll probably have jerky animation and a shop with a busty lady.

  • Triggerhappytel #18 6 years ago

    What I want to know is, will the daddy - the overlord - Death Bringer be in it again?!

    Please don't fuck this up Sega. Don't make it a pure brawler; calm the pace down, give us some room to explore and give it a brain (I'm thinking like Drakan).

    Could be okay but I'm not gonna hold my breath...

  • Rombote #19 6 years ago

    @sickpuppysoftware: Wow - all that from a three-paragraph press release? O_o

  • bloodflowers #20 6 years ago

    @Rombote: I think he got all that from the fact that most remakes are exactly that bad and predictable. People don't want reimagined games - they want the game they used to love. You change that gameplay, and it's no longer Golden Axe except in name. Sometimes a perfect port is bad, sometimes it's good. Games that age poorly probably don't need porting. Golden Axe, the original, is still fun. Hitting skeletons over the head with the handle of your sword is still fun. Glueing a barbarian skin to a Maximo clone is not fun.
    Edited by 1 at 10/05/06 @ 13:56

  • symmetry #21 6 years ago

    Gonna be a bit like God of War I reckon.

  • sickpuppysoftware #22 6 years ago

    Rombote - That and years of bitter experience

  • Blerk #23 6 years ago

    It will be crap. Next!

  • Saii #24 6 years ago

    As long as they inlcude the original games with it I'm sold.

  • Rombote #25 6 years ago

    Footage in the EG.tv SEGA E3 video looks impressive enough for me!

    Not sure I get the knee-jerk criticism - why object to SEGA trying something ambitious for next-gen machines? So it's building it around a venerable old brand - nothing wrong with that is there? That's what brands are for. As long as SEGA doesn't troll out a by-the-numbers action game and rely on the name alone to sell it then it's all good.