Golden Axe Warrior – I Think I’m A Clone Now

Nintendo vs. SEGA was probably are the classic examples when it comes to the “Console Wars,” across multiple generation of hardware. Like any generation’s console war exclusives are weighed against one another, trying to ascertain which platform was “better” based on frivolous and subjective criteria. I was in the Nintendo camp, and for quite a while I was fiercely proud that it was a Nintendo exclusive property. But there’s always a response to a success, Zelda included. While I’d argue that the likes of LandStalker and Crusader of Centy give a Zelda vibe while being wholly their own animals – and certainly enviable SEGA exclusives – I would say that Golden Axe Warrior is a blatant and obvious clone.

Now, don’t get me wrong here – just because a game is a clone it is by no means bad. Certainly Golden Axe Warrior is a solid game, especially in terms of the Master System. And I will judge it on its own merits. But the similarities between GAW and LOZ are simply undeniable. The Overworld is startling similar – and not just because it has trees. The layout of forest screens, the layout of mountain screens, the dungeon entrances – all very Zelda. We have analogs to Moblins, Keese, Stalfos, Wizzrobes, Zolas and the ilk not just in design but behaviour as well. Dungeons are laid out in a fashion that more than a little reminiscent to The Legend of Zelda.

Look, the list can go on. It’s apparent that this game is aping Zelda’s style. But I repeat – that doesn’t exclude the game from being good or getting its fair shake. Golden Axe Warrior is the quest to gather 9 magic crystals and defeat the evil Death Adder. Of course, Golden Axe is best known for being a defining series in the beat’em’up genre. I’ll be honest with you – I’ve never been the biggest fan of Golden Axe. This may be due to only playing some of the console entries, but the point that stands is that I didn’t expect a Zelda clone from GAW, let alone a game I would end up really digging. I’ve held it in fair regard for a few years now, and now that I’ve sat down and cleared it I feel I can talk about it with some authority.

Due to the Master System’s controllers we have two button functions – action and menu. This means a fair bit of subscreen hopping though the game will default back to your sword after certain items are used or you run out of magic with certain spells. Combat takes some getting used to and will feel a little inaccurate until you become accustomed. The swords have very little lateral reach. You can feel like you’re right in front of an enemy but the sword won’t hit them as it’s pretty thin and will be a little off. The axes have incredible side coverage by contrast, but their outwards reach is much worse. Some enemies feel like they have some invincibility frames and so you need to learn some timing for your attacks. Flailing your weapon in an enemy’s face will get you injured. It’s good that both weapon lines have their uses as it adds a layer of strategy and relevance to encounters, though the combat can feel a little unintuitive in the thick of things.

The Overworld is a fair size, it features three continents and a sea, as well as regional differences between locales and plenty to find. We’ve got old guys in hidden chambers who will pay you money in the forms of Horns or charge you repair fees (gee…), plenty of information to find, and some great equipment to obtain if you’re diligent. Many of the important secrets are pretty obvious, but some of them you just have to search up and down for, testing every tree with your Axe. An advantage this game has over the Legend of Zelda is the presence of actual villages. They aren’t too big but they can house a number of citizens and their tone and dialog really helps set the stage. This goes farther when you factor in a number of ruined villages – showing the destruction Death Adder has left in his wake. These kinds of things go miles towards establishing flavour.

To locate Death Adder we need to obtain 9 Crystals. These dungeons are clearly marked by huge stone entrances on the Overworld. The dungeons are, again, very Zelda. From the aesthetic to many of the mechanisms involved. They do a number of clever things, however, like pushing the torches on the walls for switches or shooting blade traps activated by pressure points. The bosses are a little more complex as well, though they are repeated just as much as in LoZ. I think the big detractor with the dungeons is that they are inconsistent. Sometimes you will have this big dungeon with some intricacy to it. Other times you get this tiny little thing. They’re often just too obvious, even though the game shows the potential for much more.

Of course every dungeon has an item to find. These range from practical, like a canoe to travel in shallow water, to really cool like boots that dramatically increase your travel speed. Bar none, the worst dungeon item was the “Magic Balloon” which is super late in the game and I was particularly excited to test out. However, had I read the manual beforehand I would have known that it is simply the world map. Really, Golden Axe Warrior? Really? The bloody world map after I’ve already seen the whole world? Most disappointing magical air balloon ever, I swear. There’s a decent variety here, however, of utility and support and attack items. We can also learn spells from individuals hidden on the Overworld, and these each have their use as well. Heck, the Thunder spell was my primary weapon to use against bosses.

I think if I were more familiar with Golden Axe I’d like the rogue’s gallery here more. But it does have some cool entries and some strange entries. Like I said, many of these are analogs to Zelda critters, but it does have some really cool beasties all its own. One creature is a desert mushroom that digs holes, and if you fall into one of these holes you lose a bunch of Horns. Another is a tree that hides in the forest, springing to life only as you pass nearby. I also really like the fuzzy dudes in the snowy areas, Dweepies, they’re pretty darn cute.

Golden Axe Warrior is  solid game. It’s a world with a lot of flavour, decent game progression, and mostly good items. It has a few gameplay issues and it’s maybe a little too obvious at times. It does a number of things well, and it probably would have benefited from being released on the Genesis instead, which had been released at the time. The Genesis simply has a better controller than the Master System and half of the issues people will have with GAW is the admittedly poor Master System controller. Though I suppose GAW works better as a late era Master System game rather than entering the 16-bit war.

I suppose some folks want to know how I feel Golden Axe Warrior ultimately stacks up against The Legend of Zelda. Well, I do feel the Legend of Zelda plays better, is less obvious, has better items and enemy variety. And that’s factoring in the years between LoZ and GAW. LoZ just holds up brilliantly. Golden Axe Warrior does have some things it does really well though, like the villages, and it does enough to stand on its own legs. So it’s not as good as its muse, in my opinion, but it’s solid.

Golden Axe Warrior is a fun game, and really a must play for fans of the Master System. It appears to have had a limited release and is currently fetching some serious dough on eBay. It’s apparently been included on “Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection“ as an extra so that‘s a more affordable option. Either way, it’s worth a play. Clones are one thing. But good games are still good games. Go forth, slay Death Adder!