Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe

Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe (アックスバトラー ゴールデンアックス伝説 Akkusu Batorā - Gōruden Akkusu Densetsu) is a spin-off from the Golden Axe series released for the Sega Game Gear in 1991.

Game opening
Long, long ago, the gods gave a gift to mortals. This gift was the Golden Axe."

Legends say that the world will bow down to whomever takes the axe in hand.

Countless battles took place among mortals to gain possession of the axe.

Finally the king became full of sorrow and hid the axe deep in his castle where no one could find it. Peace once again returned to the world.

After many years had passed and the name of the axe was forgotten, an army of evil warriors destroyed the castle and stole the Golden Axe.

The peace-loving king called on a young warrior to regain the axe. In doing so, he entrusted the fate of the world to the warrior.

Guided by love and courage, the warrior started on his lonely journey.

His name was... Ax Battler.

Manual
The world was growing grimmer and grimmer, and no one seemed able to stop the impending darkness. Death Adder's forces were spreading further and further over the countryside. The situation was so bad that people could hardly travel outside of their towns anymore. Finally, the Golden Axe that gives power to rule the world was stolen from its hiding place in Firewood Castle.

The Golden Axe's magical powers were so great that whoever owned the axe, whether good or evil, could rule the world. The axe was stolen by the worst villain imaginable; Death Adder.

The king of Firewood must find some way to win back the axe or face seeing the world fall into decay and darkness. The thought of seeing the world overrun by Death Adder's army was more than the king could bear. He must send a warrior brave enough to fight Death Adder's followers and Death Adder himself.

The king found the only warrior with a chance of success. That warrior was Ax Battler.

Gameplay
The gameplay is often compared with Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The game is divided into three different types of gameplay:
 * Map Scene: This mode shows the player's movements in a top-view overworld. Enemies appear randomly, prompting the game to switch to the Action Screen.
 * Town Scene: Similar to the Map Scene, except that there are no random encounters and takes place inside a town, where Ax Battler can talk with villagers/townspeople and enter buildings. Most towns contain an Inn to recover injuries in exchange of Magic Vases, a Training House (TR) to gain new abilities, and a Password House (PW) to learn a password to continue the game.
 * Action Screen: A side-scrolling screen used in battles.
 * In fights started in the Map Scene, only one enemy appears in a small area, and the battle ends when the enemy is defeated or Ax Battler is hit. If Ax Battler wins, he receives Magic Vases that allows him to use magic powers and are used as currency in Inns.
 * In Special Landmarks, this is a platforming environment with many enemies.

Locations

 * Firewood Castle - Town Scene. The starting point, the castle of the kingdom of Firewood, whose king called Ax Battler to Take the Golden Axe from Death Adder.
 * Spooky Cave - Special Landmark. A cave to the east of the Firewood Castle. Ax Battler finds a Bomb (ばくだん) here.
 * Firewood Town (ファイヤーウッドのまち) - Town Scene. The town of the Firewood kingdom, located south of the Spooky Cave but blocked by mountains. Using the Bomb he found, Ax Battler opens a passage to the city and learns the High Jump in the Training House.
 * Peninsula Tower - Special Landmark. A haunted tower near the sea located to the west of Turtle Village. With the High Jump, Ax Battler manages to reach the top of the tower and obtains a Crystal (すいしょう).
 * Turtle Village (タートルビレッジ) - Town Scene. A village south of Firewood Town whose name comes from an ancient legend that in the past the habitants crossed the sea on a giant turtle and settled in the area. A Chicken Leg tells him to use the Crystal in the beach outside the village. Upon doing this, a giant turtle appears and takes him across the sea.
 * Turtle's Back - Special Landmark. While traveling on the turtle, Ax Battler faces fishes, birds, and dragons.
 * Sand Marrow (サンドマーロ) - Town Scene. A town in the shore near the Desert of Death (デスさばく), to the south of Turtle Village. This is where the turtle takes Ax Battler.
 * Death Pyramid - Special Landmark. A pyramid in the Desert of Death. Ax Battler must pass by this pyramid to continue on his quest. In the pyramid's top he finds an old Key (かぎ).
 * Holmstock - Town Scene. A town located west of the Desert of Death.
 * Evil Cave - Special Landmark. A cave in the mountains to the west of Holmstock that is said to be cursed. Ax Battler must pass by this cave.
 * Brookhill - Town Scene. After leaving the cave, Ax Battler continues traveling to the west and enters this Southwood town. Here he finds a wounded soldier that gives him a Compass (じしゃく, "Magnet").
 * Maze Forest (まよいのもり, "Lost Woods") - Special Landmark. Also known as Maze Wood. A maze-like forest to the south of Brookhill with many bats and wolves. With the Compass, Ax Battler passes by the forest and searchs under a tree far to the west to obtain a Fruit (きのみ).
 * Gayn Mountain (ガインやま) - Special Landmark. A mountain to the west of Brookhill. The path is blocked by a barrier that requires a Tackle to go down. There is a giant eagle here, which will take Ax Battler to the north if he has a Fruit.
 * Eagle's Back - Special Landmark. While flying on the great eagle's back, unnarmed skeletons attack Ax Battler. The Eagle takes Ax Battler to the northern continent.
 * North Valley (ノースバレイ) - Town Scene. A town in the far north of Gayn Mountain. From the town, going north and then west takes Ax Battler to an area containing a Magic Stone (M. Stone, まほうのいし). This item isn't required to continue, but protects him from Death Adder's lethal attacks.
 * Ice Cliffs - Special Landmark. An icy cliff that Ax Battler must pass to reach Death Adder's Castle.
 * Death Adder's Castle - Special Landmark. The lair of Death Adder, filled with traps. Ax Battler recovers the Golden Axe and destroys the castle, bring peace back.