Golden Axe (1990)

Golden Axe was released in 1990 for the ZX Spectrum 48K/128K. The game was published by Virgin Games Ltd, with development led by Jason Green, David Shea, and Sound Images. Dermot Power provided the inlay and poster artwork.

This arcade beat-em-up supports up to two players and features AY sound alongside multiple boss fights. Players can control characters using Kempston or Interface 2 joysticks, as well as redefinable keys. The Spectrum +3 disk version includes a recreation of the map screen, complete with an animated quill.

The cassette version retailed for £9.99, while the disk version cost £14.99. The title was also released on several other platforms, including Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Sega Master System, PC/DOS, Amiga, Sega Mega Drive, and Atari ST.

The game holds an average magazine score of 67.17%. It received the Your Sinclair Megagame award in the January 1991 issue.

The game gained significant popularity in Russia, resulting in numerous TR-DOS adaptations by groups such as THD, Scorpion Soft, and MegaStars. Cracked cassette versions by Rajsoft and A.S.P. Hackers Club were also widely circulated. Reviews and comparisons of the game appeared in magazines like Maximum and Teleshow.