Golden Axe

Golden Axe began life as Sega's 1989 arcade smash, and this DOS conversion brought the hack-and-slash brawler to home PCs around 1990. Set in the fantasy realm of Yuria, it casts up to two players as one of three warriors seeking revenge on the evil Death Adder, who has kidnapped the king and princess and threatens the land with the titular Golden Axe.

The three heroes are the barbarian Ax Battler, the dwarf Gilius Thunderhead and the amazon Tyris Flare, each with their own reach, strength and magic. The standout mechanic was that magic system, fuelled by blue potions stolen from little gnome-like thieves you kick and beat along the way. Hoard more potions and you could unleash progressively devastating screen-clearing spells. Another beloved touch was the bizarre mounts, dragons and chicken-legged beasts you could knock a rider off and ride yourself, using their tails and fire breath against enemy hordes.

As a beat-em-up it is straightforward, marching left to right through fantasy landscapes clobbering skeletons and armoured brutes, but the co-op play, the magic and the mounts gave it real personality. The PC port could not fully match the arcade's audiovisual punch, and the action is repetitive by today's standards, yet the core loop remains satisfyingly meaty. It is a foundational fantasy brawler that earned its enduring reputation.