In RETROspect: Golden Axe

I've been trying for a while now to figure out how to go about discussing a retro game. It's such an obvious move for me because I love retro games, and they're why I'm a gamer, but it's tough because you can't really evaluate them under the same standards as today's games. Normally you'd basically just ask yourself: "could they do better?" but it's kind of pointless to ask this of a retro game because most of them are 20+ years old and nobody is really going to change them now (yes, they could port or reboot, but then I'd be reviewing that…).

So I thought I'd try to begin to conquer this curious territory with Golden Axe, because God knows I talk about it enough, and it's a pretty well-rounded retro game that helped set a lot of standards for console games at the time (and some arcade games, too!).

There is no way I could possibly recall my first impressions of Golden Axe, but I can ask myself this: how much could I figure out without the manual?
In this case the answer is "everything you need to know". At the beginning of the game, you get a handful of screens and text boxes explaining who the characters are and why they're seeking Death Adder. The controls are painfully simple and the rest of the game doesn't take long to figure out.

The Elite Four: Two Player Genesis Games

In case it's not already clear, the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive is probably my favorite console. We go way back. In my home in the 80's and 90's, Nintendo consoles came and went like high school boyfriends, and Atari would make the occasional booty call, but I guarded my Genny with my life. No one "borrowed" it, no one had a chance to break, and no one sold it. As such, I've spent considerably more time with my Genesis, so it's got a pretty big space in my heart, and I have a decent library to match.

Being the token Genny girl in town, I would often drag people to my house and make them help me with the many two player games the system offers, so here are my Top 5 Two Player Genesis Games (non-fighters).