Golden Axe II

Golden Axe II is a 1991 beat 'em up video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. It is a sequel to 1989's Golden Axe, and the second installment of the Golden Axe series. The player controls one of three warriors as they attempt to recover the Golden Axe by slaying Dark Guld and his loyal followers. Much like its predecessor, the gameplay is based around side-scrolling levels where the player fights enemies by using their melee weapon, while riding a beast, or utilizing elemental magic. The game revamps and introduces various gameplay mechanics from its contemporary including the ability to select the level of magic used and an attack that hits all around the player’s character.

Upon release, the game received mixed reception from critics. They faulted its easier difficulty and the lack of meaningful improvements from its predecessor. An arcade follow-up to the original game, entitled Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder, was released in 1992, and indirectly addressed the criticisms. Golden Axe II has since appeared on various game compilations and digital game services, and was ported to arcades via the Sega Mega-Tech cabinet.