I discovered Conan The Barbarian and Lord of The Rings too early. I guess that’s one of the reasons why I’m an author of fiction. I was always drawn to it in its various forms whether it be games, books, or movies. In fifth grade over at a friend’s house I discovered the old Sega classic: Golden Axe (1989). Little did I know at the time that it is a difficult game.

Game: Golden Axe (1989)

Developer & Publisher: Sega

Creator: Makoto Uchida

Country of Origin: Empire of Japan

My friends at the time loved Golden Axe. I could see the host of reasons why. There was action; swords, sorcery, and beauty!

Unfortunately, Subotai or Robert E. Howard isn’t watching his back.

This reminds me of Red Sonia and the works of Boris Vallejo

I did not rediscover the game until high school. When one of my best friends who is a brother from another mother and I beat the game and its two sequels. Again, the riddle of steel and Conan’s theme come to my mind when I play this game. Much like Gaunlet.

Golden Axe does not shine as a single-player adventure. I was overwhelmed oftentimes during the arcade mode. I could only complete The Beginner mode with the dwarf character class. The dwarf is the strongest with a melée attack and is the best dressed character.

I’m glad I didn’t spend too much time in the arcade era of games. Otherwise, I’d never be a gamer. The difficulty is immense—time is short.