Golden Axe 2 is a side-scrolling beat-em up developed by Sega for the Mega Drive back in 1991. This second installment came three years after the original, only to carry the same gameplay, characters and visuals. So does the game fare well over its predecessor?

The sequel puts you in the boots of three characters: Ax Battler, Tyris Flare and Gillius Thunderhead. These characters, who were in the original game, are back to defeat the evil forces of the Dark Guild, and save mankind altogether. Golden Axe 2 consists of seven short levels of hack-and-slash gameplay with the end-of-level boss battle. Before starting the game, it’ll give you the desicion of which of the three characters you want to use in battle. Strengths and weaknesses are not factors because the three heroes (heroine) play exactly the same, with the exception of the magical powers (which only have visual difference).

Golden Axe 2 is your basic side scrolling action game, bringing nothing new to the table but poor gameplay mechanics and bland visuals. The combat mechanics are horribly executed, seeing as you can only beat up one enemy at a time. None of the attacks pack a real punch except for the magical powers, which you have limited use of. Its frustrating because it feels as if you are whacking at a rice bag, while someone football tackles you from the back. The game becomes awfully repetitive with generic enviorments and enemy clones.

If you grow weary of the main quest, Golden Axe 2 has a mode which will pit you against enemies 1-on-1 like the average 2D fighter. But its so tedious, you wouldn’t even bother with the mode to begin with. Its a darn shame that dueling with an enemy personale is no different than if you were to fight in the main quest. So what is the point of it, I have no idea.

Golden Axe 2 fails to bring the side scrolling action genre to new heights, instead, it rehashes much from the original title, even the mistakes. The game is short and repetitive, so there is no reason to give it a second go unless you have a friend for 2 player cooperative. But even then it becomes bland and boring. Stick with the exceptional fighters such as Streets of Rage or Final Fight.

Overall Score: 6/10