Hey Arcaders!
The next Turbographix title we’re gong to talk about is a brilliant hack and slash platformer that could have been a great pack in game- the amazing Legendary Axe!
The game was developed by Victor Musical Industries, and it was released under the title Makyō Densetsu in Japan for the PC Engine by the same company on September 23, 1988. Prior to its North American release, the game was retitled The Legendary Axe and was displayed with the other PC Engine games and the console itself at the 1989 International Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was released in North America as a launch title for the TurboGrafx-16 on August 29, 1989.
Via The PC Engine Software Bible–
The jungles surrounding the village of Minofu are under the thumb of the evil Jagu cult who require a blood sacrifice. A beautiful young woman named Flare has been selected as this season’s offering, however her boyfriend Gogan will not stand for it. Equipped with the legendary axe ‘Sting’, he braves the six zones of Jagu’s territory to defeat the cult and save his love.
Throughout the zones are breakable Jagu idols which drop various sized gems for points leading to extra lives, health revitalizing orbs of differing strength, crown-like crystal containers, and wing icons. Four crystal containers can be earned which charge the destructive power of Sting’s strike, while up to two wings can be collected increasing the speed of subsequent strikes.
Each time you use the axe, the power meter drains completely then recharges as long as you don’t continue to swing. The added strategy of – is it better to dodge and charge the axe for a crushing blow, or is it better to hack away as fast as possible – sets this game apart from most other hack-n-slashers. When you die, one level of speed and axe power is taken away and you must re-find an icon to get it back. The game doesn’t lock you to only scrolling right, so there are times where you can backtrack to find items.
This game feels like like an arcade game- similar to Rastan. You have some some great powerups, enemies big and small, and some huge bosses! The soundtrack is one of the best the Turbographix has to offer. Give it a listen!
The Legendary Axe Got a sequel in 1990 -The Legendary Axe II.
It is a different story- But it is a great game with amazing graphics and sound. We’ll get to this one in another post!
What do you think of the Legendary Axe? did you ever play this amazing game? Let me know in the comments!
Keep Playin’ Like It’s 1981!
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