Play Golden Axe online

On UsuArcade, Golden Axe plays as online two-player co-op: you on your phone or PC, your friend on theirs, in the same game and in real time. Golden Axe was a buddy game through and through. You picked the barbarian, the amazon, or the dwarf, stood next to your friend, and carved a path through a sword-and-sorcery world, riding beasts and casting spells that filled the screen with fire.

Then there were those little thieves with their sacks. Chasing them down and kicking the potions loose was almost more fun than the boss fights. Few cabinets feel more like a Saturday afternoon at the arcade.

History

Sega released Golden Axe in 1989, right at the height of the beat 'em up craze. While other games went for street brawls, this one went full fantasy: swords, magic, skeletons, and a villain named Death Adder holding the king and princess captive.

It was a huge hit that led to sequels and home versions, but for a lot of people, the one that sticks is the original cabinet, with its digitized voices and enemies tumbling off cliffs.

How to play

You've got attack, jump, and magic buttons. Combine attack and jump for special moves, or run and strike to bash into enemies. When you're surrounded, magic saves your hide: the fuller your meter, the bigger the spell.

The blue potions the thieves drop fill that meter, and food between stages restores your health. Knock an enemy rider off their mount and you can take it for yourself; some whip their tails, others breathe fire. Use the ledges, too. Knocking a bad guy off a cliff saves a lot of work.

Fun facts

• The three heroes are Ax Battler, Tyris Flare, and Gilius Thunderhead.
• The villain is Death Adder.
• The potion-stealing thieves became one of the game's most beloved bits.

In the arcade

Just like the arcade, only from your own couch: sit down at the Golden Axe cabinet, invite your friend once they're in the lobby and march on Death Adder together, each with your own warrior. Nothing to install: it runs in your browser on phone or PC, gamepad supported, and every game starts with INSERT COIN, free.

Your friend can even jump in after you've already started. Anyone else in the lobby can drop in as a spectator and watch live while chatting, and your scores go up on the arcade's high score board.

FAQ