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Golden Axe 2 Guide
By Save Some FACE

-----~-----~-----~
1. Introduction
-----~-----~-----~

Hello. This is my fifth guide, third full walkthrough to a game, this time it 
is Golden Axe 2, the sequel to one of my all-time favourite games, Golden Axe. 
This game is considerably harder than its predecessor, and because I got it at 
a later date, I am not as experienced in it. Nevertheless I hope to provide you,
the reader, with a good guide to this game and its many secrets. Shall we get 
on with it then?

-----~-----~
2. Contents
-----~-----~

1. Introduction
2. Contents
3. Legal Information
4. Version History
5. Basics and Controls
6. Characters
7. Enemies, Bosses, and Beasts
8. The Story
9. Walkthrough
10. The Ending
11. The Duel
12. Credits
13. Outroduction

-----~-----~-----~-----~
3. Legal Information
-----~-----~-----~-----~

This guide is Copyright (c) 2006-7 Save Some FACE.

You can use this guide for your own or others’ personal use, copy and paste it,
and print it out, even use it on your own website as long as you acknowledge 
that I am indeed the author of this work.

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their 
respective trademark and copyright holders.

-----~-----~-----~
4. Version History
-----~-----~-----~

13th February 2007 – Version 0.20 - Started the guide, completed Introduction,
Contents, Legal Information, Basics and Controls.

13th February 2007 (Night) – Version 0.25 – Finished the Characters section.

15th February 2007 – Version 0.50 – Completed the Enemies, Bosses, and Beasts 
section, and ‘The Story’ section. Did the first two levels of the Walkthrough 
too.

15th February 2007 (Night) – Version 0.68 – Completed the walkthrough up until 
halfway through the sixth level. Only a level and a half to go now. Yay.

16th February 2007 – Version 1.00 – Guide finished – Walkthrough, The Ending, 
The Duel and Outroduction all completed. Guide done in 3 days…That’s pretty 
good for me. Here’s hoping it’ll be accepted.

-----~-----~-----~-----~
5. Basics and Controls 
-----~-----~-----~-----~

If you are new to this series, reading this section may benefit you. In fact,
even if you aren’t, there are a couple of things new to this game from the 
original that you may need to see.

O~O~O~O~O~O
The Basics
O~O~O~O~O~O

~~~~Character Select~~~~

When you choose which mode you want (1 or 2 player, then Normal Game or Duel),
you will be shown the three playable characters of the game in front of a 
backdrop of two axes. If you are playing one player, the characters will be on 
the left, if you are playing two player, the second players’ characters will be 
on the right.

Choose which one looks best to you, read their information in the Characters 
section to see which one suits you, or choose the one you’re most familiar with,
and off you go. In two player, you may not be the same character.

~~~~The Levels~~~~

In the Normal Game, there are seven levels (only the first five in Easy 
difficulty). In each of them, you will face a repertoire of enemies (once you 
have completed a section of enemies, a Golden Axe and the word GO! will 
indicate that you can move on) and may have to dodge large gaps, or face 
dangerous obstacles. To kill enemies, either hit them, or use magic (more later)
– when they die, they will groan and fade away; the same applies to you. At the 
end of each level is a boss battle, where you will face an enemy or enemies of 
significantly harder difficulty than all the other minions you have faced. You 
may also face sub-bosses in mid-level.

~~~~End of Level Rests~~~~

At the end of the first four levels, your character will lie down next to a 
cosy fire and take a rest, but red hooded Wizards (disguised as frogs and 
snails) will come to steal your Magic Books. Your character will wake up and 
can hit the thieves to retrieve the books and get more of them. In the second, 
third, and fourth levels, you can gain Life Bars (more later) from green hooded
Wizards.

Each green wizard carries one or two pieces of meat or bread – each piece of 
food will grant you one life bar. However, you cannot go over the maximum 
amount of life bars per life. The green wizards only appear in the 
aforementioned end of level rests, while the red wizards appear in every rest. 
It is worth noting that red wizards and many other colour of wizards can appear 
mid-level to drop magic books, but they will never drop meat or bread mid-level.

The rest ends when all of the thieves have had their booty stolen.

~~~~Life Bars, Lives, and Credits~~~~

In the Options menu, you can set how many life bars per life you would like, 
from three to five. When you get hit, a life bar may or may not be lost 
depending on the enemy and the attack they use. When you lose however many life 
bars you have set to a life, you will lose a life. You have three lives to a 
credit, and you have four credits, allowing you to continue three times (this 
differs in two player, but this guide is generally written for one player, so 
nyah). This means you have twelve lives.

Once you lose all of your credits, the Game Over message will appear and 
remorseful music will play. You will then be taken to the score screen (more 
later). 

I have also worked out how many life bars you have before you receive the Game 
Over screen, depending on how many you have given yourself in the Options menu:

3 Bars to a life – 36 life bars
4 Bars to a life – 48 life bars
5 Bars to a life – 60 life bars

This does not include the life bars you may receive from meat and bread that 
green wizards may drop in end of level rests.

~~~~Magic Books and Magic~~~~

The aforementioned wizards may appear mid level, at which point you are obliged 
to attack them to steal their blue Magic Books. These fill your Magic Slots on 
the bottom left of the screen – each character has a varying number of magic 
slots and different types of magic, and these are explained in their respective 
part in the Characters section.

Magic Damage is not affected by how many pots you have in a certain level of 
magic (e.g. if, for Ax Battler, you had 1 pot, the damage would be the same as 
if you had 2 books because it is the same level magic – see the Characters 
section to get what I’m on about). The more books you have, the higher the 
level magic you will reach and the more damage the magic will do.

Now for something new. In the Options menu, you can set your Magic to either 
‘Normal’ or ‘Special’. Normal is the conventional method you had in Golden Axe,
where you can not store Magic Books; if your slots are full, it is recommended 
that you use them unless you are saving them for the end of level boss. When 
you use magic for Normal, all of your books will disappear as they have been 
used.

In ‘Special’, you have a little more control over your books. A simple tap of 
the magic button, unlike using up all of your pots as it did in Normal, will 
use one pot in Special, even if you have say 4 pots. To use more, you must hold 
the magic button – the filled magic slots will turn from blue to white as they 
are activated – when you have reached your desired amount of pots to use, then 
release the magic button and the magic attack will take place. Personally, I 
prefer using the old Normal way, although Special arguably offers more tactical 
play.

At the end of the first four levels (three in Easy), the red wizards will 
appear again and steal some of your Magic Books. The way to get these back and 
others is explained in the End of Level Rest section above.

One final thing…you will always start the game with one Magic Book, just to get 
you started. Also, you will receive one book upon starting a new Credit (losing 
your lives for that credit).

~~~~Game Over and the Score Screen~~~~

You will get the Game Over message appear and sorrowful music playing if you 
lose all of your Credits (explained in the Life Bars, Lives, and Credits 
section). Either after this or after you have completed the game (Normal or 
Duel Mode) you will be taken to the Score Screen.

The Score Screen features your character standing below his ‘Strength’ score. 
I’m unsure how this is calculated but keen gamers will also note it is shown 
during the narrative at the end of each level. On the bottom of the screen is 
the difficulty you played on, and in the middle is the score table, where an 
arrow indicates your class or grade based on your strength level. This is the 
score table:

Note – The ‘~’ seems to stand for less than, when on the left of the number. On
the right of the number the ‘~’ stands for more than or equal to.

~40 = F
40~ = E
50~ = D
60~ = C
70~ = B
80~ = A
90~ = AA
100~ = SA

If you see anyone achieve the SA grade on Normal or Hard difficulty you can 
safely respect them as a God of Golden Axe.

~~~~Conclusion~~~~ 

I hope you are more prepared for the game after reading these vital basics. If 
you are new to the game and/or feel that you will understand better if you have 
played the game, I recommend playing the game on Easy difficulty.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O
The Controls
O~O~O~O~O~O~O

This section will teach you the basic controls for playing the game, and also 
the button combinations for the various attacks you can use (all characters can 
use each type of attack, but their animation and way of performing it will 
differ).

But first, the basic controls and what each button does:

Start – Pauses the game.

Directional Pad – Move up, down, left or right about the landscape. If you 
press left or right in quick succession then you will dash in that direction.

A – You will use Magic.

B – The basic Attack button.

C – Press this to Jump.

And now the different types of attacks:

Combination Hits – Keep attacking (B) and you will hit the enemy three-to five 
times. If you wait for the right number of seconds you can repeat the first to 
fourth attacks. This is hard to do, though. 

If your attack does not hit an enemy, the whole combination will cancel.

Throw – In the middle of your combination hits, move very close to the enemy 
and push forward and attack – you will throw them. You can, unlike in the 
original, throw enemies into eachother.

It should be noted that you can’t throw Minotaurs or Beasts.

Jumping Attack – Simply jump and attack while in the air. This can’t be 
performed while riding a beast.

Dashing Attack – Dash…then attack. This used to be a ridiculously spammed move 
in the original which could be used to defeat many bosses without a scratch, 
but the AI has been improved so this is not as effective.

If you and an enemy dash attack each other the same time, you will always win 
the ‘dash battle’ and your enemy will take damage, not you.

Spin Attack – Evolved from the back attack in the original, this attack now 
hits enemies both in front of and behind you. Press attack and jump at the same 
time to do this acrobatic attack.

Attack from Above – Dash, then jump, and then attack to descend on the enemy 
with a powerful stab. You can’t do this while riding a beast.

And that’s all you need to know about the basics and controls for the game. You 
may want to read about the various characters you will use or the various 
enemies you will face, or jump straight into the game. If it is your first time 
playing, try Easy difficulty first. This is a tough game and you may be 
demoralised by Normal difficulty.

-----~-----~-----~
6. Characters
-----~-----~-----~

These are the playable characters in the game.

O~O~O~O~O~O
Ax Battler
O~O~O~O~O~O

Height – 5’10
Weight – 200lbs
Race – Barbarian
Speciality – All-around

Extra Notes – The Ax Battler is a fearsome warrior who utilizes a long silver 
sword as his weapon of choice. He has long brown hair and wears primitive blue 
clothing, and some arm armour, as well as a necklace of a previous kill.

His mother was killed long ago by Death Adder and his forces.

Ax Battler is the typical all round character, with a solid physical attack and 
decent magic. He has 6 Magic Slots, and his magic attacks are listed here…

Magic Type – Wind/Thunder

Level 1 Magic – 1-2 Magic Books gained – Small tornadoes and some lightning 
strikes whirl around, hurting any on-screen enemies.

Level 2 Magic – 3 Magic Books gained – Many small tornadoes form a large 
tornado over Ax Battler – the enemies are sucked in and Ax Battler throws them 
away.

Level 3 Magic – 4 Magic Books gained – A large tornado expels many small 
tornadoes and thunder appears to badly damage all present enemies.

Level 4 Magic – 5+ Magic Books gained – Two large tornadoes hurl enemies up 
into the air for massive damage.

O~O~O~O~O~O
Tyris Flare
O~O~O~O~O~O

Height – 5’08
Weight – None of your business!
Race - Amazon
Speciality – Magic

Extra Notes – Tyris Flare, the female warrior of the group, utilises a silver 
sword like Ax Battler, but is not as skilled. Her physical attacks are less 
reliable but her Magic is feared by all - only the now-deceased Death Bringer 
could rival it.

She wears a silver headband around her long brown hair and wears red clothing.
Her parents were killed by Death Adder long ago. She has 8 magic slots. Her 
many magic powers are listed here:

Magic Type – Fire

Level 1 Magic – 1-3 Magic Books gained – A large fireball forms many tiny birds 
which hunt down any enemies in sight.

Level 2 Magic – 4 Magic Books gained – Five plumes of fire appear which damage 
all enemies.

Level 3 Magic – 5 Magic Books gained – A small bird of fire falls down, 
spawning fireballs that hurt all enemies.

Level 4 Magic – 6 Magic Books gained – A large plume of lava appears which 
fireballs spawn from, hitting all enemies hard.

Level 5 Magic – 7 Magic Books gained – Fireballs form a giant Phoenix, which 
roasts all enemies in sight for big damage.

Level 6 Magic – 8+ Magic Books gained – A giant Dragon materialises and 
breathes fire onto all enemies, in the most damaging attack in the game.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
Gilius Thunderhead
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Height – 5’03
Weight – 151 lbs
Race - Dwarf
Speciality – Physical Attacks

Extra Notes – Gilius, a wielder of a large broad axe, is clothed in a green, 
horned helmet, and also wears a green shirt and long brown boots with a large 
buckle. He also has a distinctive white beard. His brother was killed by Death 
Adder long ago.

His large axe is the most reliable weapon in the game with the best range and 
allows new players to get comfortable with the game. He only has four Magic 
Slots, though. His few magic powers are listed here:

Magic Type – Earth

Level 1 Magic – 1 book gained – Lots of small rocks fall down onto every enemy 
for some damage.

Level 2 Magic – 2-3 books gained – Many large rocks fall down onto all enemies 
present.

Level 3 Magic – 4+ books gained – Many large rocks flood the landscape for some 
big damage on all enemies.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O
The Townsfolk
O~O~O~O~O~O~O

You will also encounter many townsfolk, but these aren’t playable and to me 
provide some comic relief…Or maybe that’s just me.

-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~
7. Enemies, Bosses, and Beasts
-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~

This section will give you all you need to know about the enemies, bosses, and 
mythical beasts in the game. It’s preferable that you read it before the 
Walkthroughs. However, strategies for each enemy, boss, or beast will be given 
in the Walkthrough.

IMPORTANT NOTE – Attack Level indicates how much damage an enemy can hit you 
for, while I believe the Move Level indicates how much damage they can take.

O~O~O~O
Enemies
O~O~O~O

~~~~Heningers~~~~

The Heningers, along with the Longmoans, form the backbone of The Emperor’s 
army. They are nearly always seen in pairs or with a matching Longmoan soldier 
– it is rare to find one by himself. There is no denying that they are cannon 
fodder, used in the hope that weight of numbers might overpower an elite 
warrior.

They’ve undergone a rather large image change from their original Golden Axe 
days. They wear helmets that also cover half their face, leg guards, and some 
leg armour. They have also ditched their spiked ball weapon and opted for some 
long range claws that can be dangerous. Their armour and claws are the same 
colour as the prefix to their name.

They are capable of riding the beasts, and can also dash, and jump.

~Brown Heninger~
Height – 5’10
Weight – 178 lbs

Attack Level – D
Move Level – C

Extra Notes – The very first enemy you will see in the game.

~Green Heninger~
Height – 5’10
Weight – 178 lbs

Attack Level – D
Move Level – D

Extra Notes – The second Heninger you will see, and also the most common.

~Red Heninger~
Height – 5’10
Weight – 178 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – None.

~Silver Heninger~
Height – 5’10
Weight – 178 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – C

Extra Notes – None.

~Gold Heninger~
Height – 5’10
Weight – 178 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – None.

~Dead Heninger~
Height – 5’10
Weight – 178 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – These zombie warriors have a purple skin colour, and wear black 
armour.

~~~~Longmoans~~~~

The Longmoans, along with the Heningers, form the backbone of Death Adder’s 
army. They are nearly always seen in pairs, or more commonly, with a matching 
Heninger soldier – it is rare to find a lone Longmoan. There is no denying that 
they are simply cannon fodder, used in the hope that weight of numbers will 
overpower an elite warrior.

The Longmoans wear heavy upper body armour and a helmet as well as light brown 
boots – the armour and helmet are the same colour as the prefix to their name. 
They wield large clubs, much like a few years ago in the original game.

Longmoans can also ride beasts, as well as dash, and jump.

~Brown Longmoan~
Height – 5’06
Weight – 164 lbs

Attack Level – D
Move Level – C

Extra Notes – The first Longmoan you will see.

~Green Longmoan~
Height – 5’06
Weight – 164 lbs

Attack Level – D
Move Level – D

Extra Notes – The second Longmoan you will see, and also the most common.

~Red Longmoan~
Height - 5’06
Weight – 164 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – None.

~Silver Longmoan~
Height – 5’06
Weight – 164 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – C

Extra Notes – None.

~Gold Longmoan~
Height – 5’06
Weight – 164 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – None.

~Dead Longmoan~
Height – 5’06
Weight – 164 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – These zombie warriors have a purple skin colour, and wear black 
armour.

~~~~Wizards~~~~

Wizards are fairly weak henchmen in The Emperor’s army. They tend to use magic 
to attack the player, but will not hesitate to use their Skull Sceptre if 
threatened at close range. They wear robes, a necklace, and a hood that cover 
their faces, however their eyes are still visible. The robes, hood, and eyes, 
are all the cover of the prefix to their name.

Wizards will also always drop one or two Magic Books when faced during the 
level. In End of Level Rests, Red Wizards will drop Magic Books to fill magic 
slots, and Green Wizards will drop meat or bread to recover life bars. They 
will also not attack during the rests, only run around.

~Green Wizard~
Height – 5’04
Weight – 110 lbs

Attack Level – C
Move Level – D

Extra Notes – They are the first wizards you see.

~Red Wizard~
Height – 5’04
Weight – 110 lbs

Attack Level – C
Move Level – D

Extra Notes – The second wizards you see.

~Grey Wizard~
Height – 5’04
Weight – 110 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level - D

Extra Notes – None.

~Dead Wizard~
Height – 5’04
Weight – 110 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – C

Extra Notes – This wizard is in red clothing, and has purple skin.

~~~~Skeletons~~~~

The Skeletons are undead warriors that use scythes and retain their shields 
from the original game. Sometimes they pretend to be dead and rise from the 
ground, although they should not be mistaken for those who are actually dead! 
They are also often present among Magic Books.

Skeletons are the only enemy to possess the ‘Attack from Above’ manoeuvre (dash,
jump, attack). This is a powerful attack that you should always dodge.

~Skeleton~
Height – 5’02
Weight – 89 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – C

Extra Notes – The basic skeleton, white in colour and wielding a blue shield.

~Blood Skeleton~
Height – 5’02
Weight – 89 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – A rare skeleton that is red/pink in colour and uses a red shield.
They often work in threes.

~Death Skeleton~
Height – 5’02
Weight – 89 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – A

Extra Notes – The most powerful skeleton returning from the first game. 
Grey/black in colour and uses a purple/black shield. Also the most common 
skeleton, unfortunately for you.

~~~~Lizardmen~~~~

New enemies, and arguably the most potent of The Emperor’s regular force. While 
some of them do appear as support for sub-bosses, or in one case are bosses of 
a level, I think of them as normal enemies because of their size and their 
frequency within levels.

The Lizardmen wear black torso armour and kneepads, decorated with gold. They 
also wield a short sword and a golden shield. Their skin colour is the same 
colour as the prefix to their name.

~Purple Lizardman~
Height – 6’00
Weight – 221 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – Four of these serve as bosses of Level 3, thereafter they are 
normal enemies.

~Red Lizardman~
Height – 6’00
Weight – 221 lbs

Attack Level – A
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – None.

~Green Lizardman~
Height – 6’00
Weight – 221 lbs

Attack Level – A
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – This enemy only appears once, at the beginning of Level 6.

O~O~O~O
Bosses
O~O~O~O

These are bosses that are significant or sub-bosses who are obviously made with 
the notion of them being easily distinguishable and of higher power than the 
normal enemy. None of the bosses can ride beasts.

~~~~Minotaurs~~~~

Replacing the Giants of the previous game, the Minotaurs act as powerful bosses 
or sub-bosses, often but not always appearing in pairs. They are capable of 
things all normal enemies can do except jumping due to their massive size.

They wield large black spiked maces that are very powerful, and can also throw 
their enemies a long way. They wear very little armour – only underwear and 
black spiked shoulder guards – because their thick skin is more than enough 
armour. The underwear and skin is the same colour as the prefix to their name.

~Green Minotaur~
Height – 8’03
Weight – 680 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – C

Extra Notes – Appears as the boss of Level 1, and sub-bosses in Level 3.

~Red Minotaur~
Height – 8’03
Weight – 680 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – Two appear as bosses of Level 4, and two more are sub-bosses in 
Level 5.

~Blue Minotaur~
Height – 8’03
Weight – 680 lbs

Attack Level – A
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – Appears multiple times as a sub-boss in Level 6.

~~~~Headless Knights~~~~

The same human Knights from the original, except this time they don’t have a 
head. These opponents are simply re-animated pieces of armour from the original 
knights who were killed years ago in the battle against Death Adder. While they 
may be headless, they are still formidable opponents and perhaps more skilled 
than they were in the previous battle.

They always act as bosses of a level. They wield the same large shield but 
their sword has been improved with small spikes on it this time, and of course 
their entire body is armour.

~Sergeant Bitter~
Height – 6’11
Weight – 271 lbs

Attack Level – B
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – Slightly red/silver in colour, and the boss of level 2. This 
knight did not appear in the original.

~Lieutenant Bitter~
Height – 6’11
Weight – 271 lbs

Attack Level – A
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – Two of these silver knights (only one in the original) act as the 
bosses of Stage 5 on Normal/Hard difficulty.

~Colonel Bitter~
Height – 6’11
Weight – 271 lbs

Attack Level – A
Move Level – B

Extra Notes – Losing his twin, Colonel Bitter, the red knight, acts as the boss 
of Stage 5 and therefore final boss in Easy Difficulty. However, he and his 
twin re-emerge as the final bosses of the duel.

~General Bitter~
Height – 6’11
Weight – 271 lbs

Attack Level – A
Move Level – A

Extra Notes – Also losing his twin, the golden knight General Bitter is the 
boss of Stage 6. From the opening movie you could be forgiven for thinking he 
is The Emperor. But he isn’t…

~~~~The Emperor~~~~
Height – 8’02
Weight – 667 lbs

Attack Level – A
Move Level – A

Extra Notes – Not much is known about this shady figure in command of the new 
horrifying forces that are terrorizing the world’s people. He has stolen the 
Golden Axe and is rumoured to have supreme magic powers, as well as extreme 
fighting skills. He will not be an easy opponent to defeat…

O~O~O~O
Beasts
O~O~O~O

These are the beasts that you can ride in the game (simply walk onto their 
saddle to assume control). You always have to earn them as an enemy will be 
riding them first. Beasts run away after people have been knocked off of them 
frequently, or if they are left with no rider for a while. You cannot manually 
get off a beast – you must be knocked off.

Beasts can jump, but can not attack while doing this, and can perform a dash 
attack. Pressing the attack button will result in them using their speciality.
You can use magic while on a beast. It is also possible for a beast to kill 
itself if it runs into an abyss or water. 

You cannot attack, let alone kill, a beast yourself. Neither can enemies. 
Interestingly though, a hit on a beast will never cause you any damage. Use 
this knowledge well, young one.

~Green Dragon~
Length – 6’8
Weight – 502 lbs

Speciality – Dashing Attack

Extra Notes – This beast’s deadly tail swings both ways. The beast itself is 
mainly green, but also has a tough armoured head, back, and tail and sharp 
claws. It is a weak dragon, unable to shoot fire and its normal tail attack is 
not as good as the Chicken Leg’s. However its dash attack is vicious and 
dangerous.

~Chicken Leg~
Length – 8’10
Weight – 765 lbs

Speciality – Wagging Tail

Extra Notes – Making a welcome return from the original, the Chicken Leg is a 
dark shade of red this time around and is decorated with yellow feathers, a 
large horn, and a beak. Its tail attack is very powerful and can swing both 
ways.

~Purple Dragon~
Length – 6’8
Weight – 502 lbs

Speciality – Fire

Extra Notes – A new breed of dragon, retaining the colour of the Red Dragon 
from the original (as well as purple armour) and the fire breathing from the 
Blue Dragon. However, it is smaller than its predecessors. Its fire attack is 
extremely potent, making it the most dangerous beast.

-----~-----~-----~
8. The Story
-----~-----~-----~

It is a dark time. A few years on from the heroic saving of the King and 
Princess by three elite warriors, and the defeat of Death Adder and Death 
Bringer, a new man who calls himself The Emperor, who should have been 
imprisoned thousands of years ago, has risen to power, and has stolen the 
Golden Axe of legend, using its power to pillage villages and slaughter its 
inhabitants. He has gained many henchmen, some of them old veterans from Death 
Bringer’s reign of terror, and other, new horrifying beasts.

Only those same three elite warriors can save the land from this new threat. 
They have a long journey ahead of them to reach The Emperor’s headquarters, 
armed only with their trusty weapons, a map, and their own bodies. Can they use 
their experience to defeat this shady new opponent, or will he use the power of 
the Golden Axe to bring a shadow of evil over the world?

The journey is about to begin…

-----~-----~-----~
9. Walkthrough
-----~-----~-----~

NOTE – This walkthrough is written for Normal Difficulty. Enemy numbers may 
differ in Easy and Hard Difficulty.

      /-------------\
~----/Level 1        \----~
~----\Turtle Village /----~
      \-------------/

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

A fairly easy level to introduce you to the game. You’ll meet the opponents 
present in every level – Heningers, Longmoans, and Wizards – here, a Green 
Dragon, and a Minotaur at the end to test your grasp of the game.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
End Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

As you valiantly enter the landscape, head right to come across a Brown 
Heninger. You can either use normal/combination attacks to take him down, or 
jumping and dashing if you are still uncomfortable with the controls. Having 
avenged the blue-shirted man’s death (see him in the hut?), another Brown 
Heninger and accompanying Brown Longmoan will appear. Deal with the Heninger 
first, then jump attack the Brown Longmoan in case he dashes you – be ready for 
this once he gets up – move out of the way or jump when you see him coming. It 
shouldn’t be too hard to take the two down.

Having killed these guys, head right to see two villagers fleeing from a Green 
Wizard. He may be preparing a spell (he raises his hands up in the air and his 
sceptre glows), if he is, jump or dash attack him. You can kill him with a 
combination attack after as he is a very bad fighter. You should earn a Magic 
Book, too. 

Further right, you will face three enemies together – two Green Longmoans, and 
a Green Heninger. They can’t take much punishment, and use the fact that one 
Green Longmoan is ‘occupied’ to your advantage. Jumping attacks work well if 
you find yourself getting surrounded – in fact remember this whenever you are 
surrounded, as jumping attacks you will rely on heavily in later stages.

Head right again to face two more Green Longmoans, and a Green Wizard on a 
Green Dragon…lots of greens…Take out the wizard first and try to get on the 
Green Dragon, as you will not take any damage if you are knocked off a beast. 
Use its tail and dash attacks if you can get on it. Either way, take out the 
wizard first for some magic, then deal with the Longmoans using tactics you 
have become comfortable with from the first few fights. Further on you will 
encounter a Green Heninger and Green Longmoan, but they should not provide you 
with any problems, especially if you still have the beast. Afterwards you will 
face a repeat of a previous battle – two Green Longmoans and a Green Heninger. 
You are in a smaller space this time but jumping attacks will aid you well; if 
you do get a break try to get in some good combination attacks as the green 
guys have very low health. The small space also means you are less likely to 
suffer from dash attacks. One more thing to remember – the Heningers, to me at 
least, or slightly more annoying to deal with than the Longmoans, perhaps 
because of their range – if you feel the same way take out the Heninger first 
so he doesn’t give you problems when dealing with the Longmoans.

Now jump up the hill and take out another pair – Green Heninger and Green 
Longmoan. I will assume from now on you’re fairly comfortable dealing with 
these foes, and will not provide you with the usual tactics for beating them 
except in special cases – everybody fights differently, anyway. Once they’re 
dead…

~~~~BOSS FIGHT~~~~

Three Brown Heningers accompany your first boss, a Green Minotaur. Now you 
could just take them all on but that would be an unnecessary waste of life bars.

Just use your magic. There’s no reason not to, not one. With the books you’ve 
picked up so far, it should destroy the Longmoans, if not, just finish them off 
with jumping attacks.

Now for the Minotaur. Don’t go too close as he’ll just throw you, and don’t go 
in head on as he’ll bash you with his mace. What I recommend you do is go on 
the opposite side of the screen from which he is on, wait for him to dash you 
and jump attack him, or dash him first. Then use an attack from above (dash, 
jump, attack) to deal big damage – this is the most powerful physical attack in 
your arsenal and is useful on downed opponents, who are just getting up. 
However, it will not hit the enemy if they are too far on one side of the 
screen – this is why I recommend you let him dash you.

If you’re not comfortable with this tactic, use dashing attacks and jumping 
attacks for a slow, but steady win.

~~~~End of Level Rest~~~~

Two Red Wizards with a magic book each will appear for you to steal from. If 
you still had other books, one will have at least one more book.

      /------------\
~----/Level 2       \----~
~----\Ancient Ruins /----~
      \------------/

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Actually quite a difficult second level. You will face more Heningers and 
Longmoans, see your first Chicken Leg, and above all you will face all three 
types of Skeletons. Not too good for a beginning player but you’ll get through 
it :)

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
End Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

‘After the battle in the ravaged village, we decided to start for the Ancient 
Ruins.’

Going forward you will face a Red Heninger and a Red Longmoan. These guys are 
slightly tougher and more powerful than previous henchmen, but just use the 
usual tactics, watching for dashes, and you should be fine. After this, go 
right and get a few hits on the Red Longmoan terrorizing the villager before 
dodging the likely dash from the Red Wizard on the Chicken Leg. Knock the 
wizard off and commandeer the beast, using it to slaughter your two enemies. 
Remember that you should always use beasts as you cannot take damage when 
knocked off them. Try not to let your enemies use the beast as it is a powerful 
tail attack…

Moving on, take the Magic Books lying around before facing your first Skeleton.
Watch out for his jumping attack and vicious combination attack, trying to get 
two combination attacks of your own in, as two full combos will kill the 
Skeleton dead, if he can be dead. You’ll be accosted by one or two more 
Skeletons as you advance, deal with these in the same way.

Now go right for two Grey Wizards, who should pose no problem. Heading further 
right, in your biggest test so far, you will be attacked by three Death 
Skeletons. These guys have a lot of health and can be very vicious in groups 
like they are now. Your best bet is constant jumping attacks (especially to 
avoid their dangerous dashes), then attacks from above while they are still 
getting up. Try not to concentrate on one because you will soon be murdered by 
the other two, but the attack from above is a vital tool in putting a quick end 
to the battle, so try to use it on any opponent you knock down. Further right 
will be two villagers fleeing from two Death Skeletons – deal with these how 
you did with the three before.

Move forward to encounter three Blood Skeletons. Again, jumping attacks will be 
your saviour against these particularly quick foes, but they have less health 
than Death Skeletons. Watch out for their dashes and make sure to be as nimble 
as they are and you should be okay.

~~~~BOSS FIGHT~~~~

Two Skeletons and Sergeant Bitter. A tough fight. Use your magic immediately, 
then concentrate on finishing off the Skeletons (if they aren’t dead already) 
while avoiding Bitter.

Now for the Knight himself. He’s a far better fighter than the knights of the 
original Golden Axe – jumping attacks will be dealt with by a swipe from his 
sword, dashing attacks he will dodge, and fighting him head on will result in a
hit with the shield or the sword again. So what to do?

Dash attack him – he will usually dodge it. Then move up or down, depending 
which way he dodges, and get some combination hits in. You don’t even have to 
dash attack him – a dash will do. This is your most reliable way of attacking 
him well without getting hit. If at any point he does hit you, get straight 
back up and jump attack him – like most bosses, he lets his guard down when you 
have been knocked down, allowing you a free hit. If you can attack him from 
above, great. However this is unlikely, as your dashing will usually be at the 
edges of the arena. Remember that your foe is slow, with no jumping or dashing 
capabilities – you can use this knowledge to your advantage, either to give 
you’re a breather or to lure him into a more vulnerable position (especially 
near the middle where you can knock him down then attack from above).

Good luck in this fight, it may be hard if it is your first time.

~~~~End of Level Rest~~~~

Two Red Wizards – one with a sole magic book and one with two, and a Green 
Wizard yielding a piece of meat will run around. Hopefully you didn’t lose a 
life at the end of the boss fight or the meat will be useless. 

      /---------------\
~----/Level 3          \----~
~----\Enemy Stronghold /----~
      \---------------/

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

An easy level this one, especially compared to the previous one. Prepare for 
your first sub-boss fight here, as well as some Lizardmen who aren’t pleased to 
see you…

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
End Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

‘We found the enemy was using the Ancient Ruins as a base. We have destroyed it,
and now we leave for the enemy’s headquarters.’

You’ll face four opponents right now, your first time facing such a number. 
Fortunately they’re only three Green Longmoans and a Green Heninger so the 
usual jumping and dashing will help you out greatly against these weak enemies.
Moving on, you’ll face your first Silver opponents – a Heninger and Longmoan 
each. These guys are slightly stronger than usual but if you use the jumpable 
steps on the right to your advantage they shouldn’t give you too many problems.
Going up to the right you’ll come across two Green Wizards who should be free 
Magic Books to you by now.

~~~~SUB-BOSS FIGHT~~~~

Two Green Minotaurs will now advance on you and attempt to surround you. 
Instead of wasting your magic, there’s a very easy way to deal with these two,
helped by the fact that they always go for the pincer attack. There should be 
two gaps on the bottom right and left corners of the screen. The Minotaurs can 
be knocked down into these with a simple jump attack – at least one should 
definitely go down within the first blow. Then it’s the simple matter of 
knocking the other one down or defeating him conventionally.

~~~~END SUB-BOSS FIGHT~~~~

A Dead Longmoan will arrive, but if you stay to the bottom of the screen and 
move right towards the gap (but now down it!), he will fall down. If he doesn’t,
he’s not much harder than the usual Longmoan to defeat, just a little more 
health. Two more Dead Longmoans will then come, at least one should fall and 
whoever doesn’t you can throw (get in close while on the ground) them to their 
doom. Go right and lure the Dead Heninger down the gap in the same way. Now go 
right again, above the gap.

On and after the bridge will be a Dead Longmoan and Dead Heninger. Either beat 
them conventionally or use the long fall from the mountain on your left for a 
quick kill. Now head right…

~~~~BOSS FIGHT~~~~

Four Purple Lizardmen! It’s gonna be a tough fight. Right off the bat use your 
magic to soften them up considerably. Now it’s a matter of timing your jumps 
and combination attacks correctly. While four of them are left jumps and dashes 
are recommended, but as their numbers dwindle use conventional ground 
combinational attacks. Beware of their quick dash attacks (they will thrust 
their sword at you for harsh damage) and their tail sweep which they will use 
when you’re too close. If for some reason you don’t have magic with you this 
may be a long fight. When two Lizardmen are left, it should be a walk in the 
park.

~~~~End of Level Rest~~~~

Two Green Wizards – one with a meat and one with a loaf of bread – and a Red 
Wizard with two magic books will foolishly hang around your resting area. 
Mmm…meat on bread is good. 

      /--------------\
~----/Level 4         \----~
~----\Dragon’s Throat /----~
      \--------------/

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

This is my least favourite level. It’s a long slog through many enemies, 
especially annoying Lizardmen and Skeletons. Two nasty bosses await you at the 
end as well.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
End Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

‘To reach the enemy’s castle which is blocked by high mountains, we reluctantly 
decide to march through the cave called ‘Dragon’s Throat’.’

Almost immediately a Death Skeleton will attack you. Quickly take him down with 
some good attacks from above before moving into the heart of the cave, where 
two more Death Skeletons will attack. There is a handily placed gap on the 
bottom left, though, which may prove useful for dispatching them quickly. 
Further right you will be attacked by no less than four Death Skeletons (there 
will be one further to the right lying on the ground) – once they have all got 
up, use whatever magic you have to take a chunk from their health. Then collect 
the two Magic Books near the top of the cave if you haven’t already. It is 
probably best to preserve these while you use jumping attacks and attacks from 
above to take down the skeletons.

Carrying on forward will lead you to a Purple Lizardman and two Dead Longmoans.
This is a nasty battle where I recommend you take out the Longmoans first with 
jumping attacks, while dodging the annoying Lizardman. If you can throw the 
enemies into eachother, great. Be prepared to lose a few life bars here though.
After that you’ll be attacked by two more Purple Lizardmen…I know it’s tough 
but just keep up with your jumping and dashing and you’ll break through 
eventually. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about their dashing attacks in 
this small space.

Now go up the steps and you’ll be faced with some new faces. A Red Lizardmen, 
who is not much harder than the purple breed, a Dead Wizard (nothing much), and 
a Purple Dragon…Knock the wizard off the dragon and then breathe some good fire 
on your two opponents. It may be best to take out the annoying Lizardman first 
before you deal with the wizard. After this, three more Red Lizardmen will 
fight you. Very dull, I know. Even the dragon isn’t much use here as he is too 
slow so just use your usual tactics. Attacks from above work well here.

~~~~BOSS FIGHT~~~~

Two Red Lizardmen, and two Red Minotaurs will now fight you. Immediately use 
your magic before setting on the quick and annoying Lizardmen and finishing 
them off. Once that’s over, you’ll be faced with the rather large problem of 
two scary Minotaurs. Jumping and dashing in particular work very well here in 
keeping them off of your case. Unlike the knights, Minotaurs can dash which can 
be very annoying. If you can get attacks from above in here you should shorten 
the battle length considerably. Keep concentrating, try not to get too close to 
them, and you should come out with only a few life bar losses.

~~~~End of Level Rest~~~~

Your last end of level rest. Treasure it well, young one. Two Red Wizards – one 
magic book each – and two Green Wizards – a meat and two breads – pay you a 
visit. Thank them by whupping their asses then continue with your journey.

      /-----------\
~----/Level 5      \----~
~----\Castle Gates /----~
      \-----------/

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

A level similar to level three but it is considerably longer, with nasty fights 
in the form of sub-bosses and bosses. Fortunately the Lizardmen and Skeleton 
population are considerably toned down in this level. :)

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
End Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

‘We have passed through the long, red hot cave, and found the castle gate 
standing in front of us.’

Well, okay, two Purple Lizardmen will run from behind you at the start, 
determined to avenge their heavy losses in the cave. Deal with them how you 
usually do (you should be used to them by now). After that, two Silver 
Heningers and a Silver Longmoan on a Purple Dragon will assail you. Make sure 
to knock the Longmoan off the dragon and use it for yourself so you don’t take 
as much damage, and get some good damage in on the enemies. Chances are though 
that you will be knocked off pretty soon by the Heningers. These henchmen’s 
tricks should be nothing to you by now so it shouldn’t be too difficult to 
defeat them anyway.

Now you’ll face an even worse battle in the form of two Silver Heningers, a 
Silver Longmoan, and a Grey Wizard on a Chicken Leg. The enemies are out in 
force, but the Chicken Leg has the best crowd control so use it well. Get rid 
of the wizard quickly before turning on the others. Once they’re gone, carry on,
taking note of the gap on the bottom of the screen. Lure the incoming Silver 
Longmoan and Heninger into the gap, then take on the three wizards across the 
bridge, one of them is on a Chicken Leg which you should use well. Incidentally,
this is the last beast in the game. Say goodbye :(

~~~~SUB-BOSS FIGHT~~~~

A Red Longmoan and Red Heninger will first assault you, but you will probably 
take the battle further right where yet two more Red Minotaurs await. Try not 
to use your magic, and take out the two small guys first before using the 
tactics you used before on the Minotaurs. Attacks from above work so well in 
taking their health figures down, remember. Jumping and dashing attacks should 
be second nature to you by now.

~~~~END SUB-BOSS FIGHT~~~~

Going further right will result in a fight with three Red Longmoans. No 
Heningers so only their dashing attacks should pose any threat. Now be prepared 
for the toughest part of the game so far before moving on…

~~~~BOSS FIGHT~~~~

First, in a fight reminiscent of the third level of Golden Axe, you will have 
to take out two Gold Heningers and a Gold Longmoan. These are the toughest 
versions of the normal henchmen so be on your toes for their fairly powerful 
attacks. Fortunately they’re lacking in the health department so the battle 
should not last too long.

NOTE TO EASY DIFFICULTY PLAYERS – Instead of the usual boss, you will now face 
Colonel Bitter, the red knight. Use the same tactics as you did on Sergeant 
Bitter in level 2, and make sure to take a big chunk of his health with your 
magic. He should go down pretty quickly. The game will now end for you, so go 
try normal difficulty, wimp. :)

~~~~

Now, normal difficulty players, or non-wimps, you will face your toughest 
challenge so far. Two Lieutenant Bitters (silver knights) will emerge from the 
doors. These guys can’t be dash attacked or jumped like the Minotaurs can, so 
you’ll have to apply the dashing, waiting for the knight to dodge, then 
combination attack here, very quickly as well as the knights, while slow, 
aren’t going to wait around while their comrade is being attacked. Obviously, 
use your magic to take off some of their health, before lunging into a tough 
and tense battle. Your options for taking on the knights are very restricted, 
but if you can use their slow pace to your advantage you should make it through.

      /-------------------\
~----/Level 6              \----~
~----\The Emperor’s Castle /----~
      \-------------------/

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

The longest level of the game and toughest so far. What do you expect? It’s the 
last normal level. Be prepared for a tough and long battle, sub-bosses abound 
and a mysterious boss…

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
End Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

‘Our enemy, Dark Guld, must be in this castle.

Now take courage! The real battle has just started!’

First you’ll be up against three Grey wizards, who in their supreme weakness, 
serve as puppets to restore your magic supply. Now a Silver Heninger, Silver 
Longmoan, and the sole Green Lizardman in the game will attack you. The 
Lizardman is nothing special, so deal with him and the henchmen how you usually 
do.

~~~~SUB-BOSS FIGHT~~~~

A Blue Minotaur will be released from the cage. Fortunately he’s on his own so 
he isn’t too hard, jumping attacks and attacks from above work well on bringing 
his high health level down. Apart from his health and power, the fight is no 
different from your first encounter with a Minotaur back in level one. Just 
don’t use your magic.

~~~~END SUB-BOSS FIGHT~~~~

Two Dead Heningers will approach you. Use the handily placed gap on the bottom 
right of the screen to destroy them. Now yet two more Purple Lizardmen will 
attack – their tricks should be nothing to you now so take them down quick.

~~~~SUB-BOSS FIGHT~~~~

Now two Blue Minotaurs will attack you. The fight is not much different from 
the battles with the Red Minotaurs you’ve had, except they’re slightly more 
dangerous. Jumping, dashing, you know the drill. Feel free to use magic on 
these guys as well. These are the last Minotaurs you will face. I love to 
remind people about enemies last incarnations. Don’t ask me why.

~~~~END SUB-BOSS FIGHT~~~~

Now go down, and to the right. Two Death Skeletons will attack, and they’re 
quite clever so they never seem to go near the gap. Unfortunately you’ll have 
to take them on how you normally would rather than bringing a quick end to 
their lives. Another one to the right may get up off the ground and join the 
fight. You may wish to delay his coming by keeping the fight to the left of the 
screen, then taking him on solo. Three Dead Wizards, the last wizards in the 
game, will then attack you. Make sure to take all of their magic books before 
going up the steps and moving on.
</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
Three Blood Skeletons, the last skeletons in the game, will now assault you. 
Use the fairly small space in which you’re fighting and the steps to your 
advantage and keep on top of them with jumping attacks and they should go down 
without too much fuss. You’ve fought this battle before in level 2 anyway. A 
fairly simple battle of a Gold Heninger and Gold Longmoan will then attack you,
but if you keep them in the same place this will be very easy. Now move into 
the main area. Two Gold Heningers and a Gold Longmoan will arrive. Take them 
down with your usual tactics. These are the last of these henchmen you will 
face, incidentally. Are you sad? Nah, thought not.

~~~~BOSS FIGHT~~~~

Three Red Lizardmen and General Bitter now rise to attack you. Use the knight’s 
slowness to move around the arena, taking out all of the Lizardmen (last three 
in the game). DO NOT use your magic, I know it’s tempting but it will help you 
later.

Taking out the Lizardmen is perhaps the hardest part of this battle, what with 
the knight always around and their nasty dashes and such. Jumping and dashing 
are the evasive moves of the day, and eventually those Lizardmen will go down.

Now General Bitter (who you could be forgiven for mistaking him for Dark Guld,
from the opening movie) is not much harder than Sergeant Bitter or Lieutenant 
Bitter. Use the usual dash, wait for the dodge, then combination attack. You 
just have to be more careful this time as the golden knight’s attacks are more 
vicious, and he has more health (especially seeing as you can’t use magic). 
Good luck.

      /---------------\
~----/Level 7          \----~
~----\Dark Guld’s Lair /----~
      \---------------/

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

The final level, in which you face The Emperor and the power of the Golden Axe.
This battle is the hardest in the game, so be prepared for a tough fight! Good 
luck!

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
End Level Overview
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Dark Guld is an extremely difficult opponent to beat, especially seeing as he 
is using the Golden Axe. He has three attacks, which I will go through first so 
you get an idea of what you’re up against.

First, and his main attack, is an upward sweep of the axe. This basically 
eliminates any chance of a frontal combination attack or a jumping attack 
hitting, unless you’re just getting up off the ground in which case you do get 
a free attack, preferably a jumping one. Second, he raises his hand up in the 
air to create an orange ball, and a Skeleton will form out of this. He can 
summon up to three Skeletons at once, and he will always try to replace them 
when one is killed. It is probably best to use jumping attacks on these 
Skeletons as they only have fair health and you don’t want four opponents on 
your case. Lastly, he can raise his hand up in the air and use your character’s 
most powerful magic attack – while the damage is reduced this is unfortunate as 
when he uses it seems to be completely random, and there is no way of 
protecting yourself from it. You’ll just have to grit your teeth and bear it. 
Possibly the only time he doesn’t use it is when you’re close to him.

So, jumping attacks aren’t going to work because of his axe (incidentally, two 
swipes of this will take off a life bar), he dodges dashing attacks…what are 
you gonna use? Well, straight away, you should use your magic. This is the 
final battle so there’s no reason not to. One way you can get a good hit in is 
when he is summoning skeletons – he will have a moment of weakness when he does 
this and you can get a good attack in. You may even be able to circle him for a 
combination hit. However, you do have to be close to him, which is risky.

One way of beating Dark Guld is to lure him into the centre of the arena, or 
near to it. Let him hit you, then get up and jump attack him towards the centre 
of the arena. Then use an attack from above (dash, jump, attack) while he is 
getting up. If you really near the centre you can use it again. This takes off 
a lot of health and is actually quite recommended.

Another way is to throw the skeletons he summons into him, but to do this you 
need to be fairly close, and something I’ve noticed is that he uses magic 
whenever I’m about to throw the skeleton. Still, if he is at the edge of the 
arena, this may be a good thing to try.

There is no absolute certain way of winning this battle. There isn’t a trick to 
it; the makers have made sure of it. You’ll just have to take your chances, and 
with some luck, you might just beat him.

-----~-----~-----~
10. The Ending
-----~-----~-----~

Dark Guld lets out an enormous roar and dies. The Golden Axe is returned to its 
rightful place, and the magic power from Guld encircles the heroes and returns 
them to Turtle Village. The inhabitants of the village run towards the heroes 
to congratulate them, the screen darkens, and the credits play.

You are then taken to the score screen to find out how well, or how badly you 
did.

‘After the long, hard battle you finally defeat the evil emperor. Now the world 
will be at peace again.

You are a true hero!’

However…

The few survivors of Dark Guld’s army have gathered in his castle and 
challenged you to a series of battles. This is known as Duel Mode, which was 
actually always available but serves as a final challenge to test your true 
skill after Dark Guld’s fall.

So, will you accept? You better, because it’s the next section!

-----~-----~-----~
11. The Duel
-----~-----~-----~

The Duel mode can serve as a training ground or a place to truly test your 
might against the remainder of Dark Guld’s army.

You will always start with ten life bars, and these are the only bars that you 
will get. You do not have access to any magic of any kind. Next to your number 
of life bars are the enemies’ number of life bars. Obviously when all of these 
are depleted the enemy will die. If you are facing more than one enemy, it 
should be noted that they do not share the life bars – if you concentrate on 
one and bring them down to one life bar, then the other one will remain with 
three, unlike the original. 

Also unlike the original your remaining life bars are fully healed at the end 
of the battle – say in round 6 you got hit so much that you had 7 life bars and 
one more hit would bring you down to 6, if you defeated the enemies without 
being reduced to 6 life bars, then you would have the full 7 life bars in round 
7 and you would be able to take a few hits before going down to 6 life bars.

If you are killed in one of the battles the Game Over music will play and you 
will be taken to the score screen.

Completion of The Duel will result in you seeing this message:

‘Congratulations! You bravely fought against all the enemies and have emerged 
the victor! Now, try arcade mode!’

Or something like that…

Uhh, we’ve just done Arcade Mode, haven’t we!? HAVEN’T WE? No u. You will then 
be taken to the score screen.

There are fifteen long and tough battles during the duel. I will tell you what 
they are and give you information that you will need to beat them. I recorded 
myself playing at average level in this, so I will give you the number of life 
bars I had left at the end of each battle so you can check your progress. Of 
course, you needn’t worry if you fall behind this, because one good battle will 
enable you to get back on your toes. That’s one thing you should remember in 
this survival test – never give up.

~~~~Battle 1 – Brown Longmoan~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 2

This is a very easy fight, possibly the easiest in the whole game. The Longmoan 
should not stand a chance against your combination attacks and etc. Toy with 
him if you want.

My Life Bars at the end - 10

~~~~Battle 2 – Green Heninger on Chicken Leg~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 2

Simply knock the Heninger off the beast then use it on him. Make sure to time 
your sweeps right so you are not vulnerable. If for some reason you do not want 
to use the beast, deal with him in the same way as the Longmoan, just a little 
more cautious.

My Life Bars at the end – 10

~~~~Battle 3 – Green Lizardman~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 4

Another easy battle, you just need to beware of the Lizardman’s sword swipes 
and tail sweeps. Don’t go too far from him, lest you be the victim of a dash 
attack, but don’t get in too close while being inactive or you might pay the 
price. Just keep up the pressure and he’ll go down easily.

My Life Bars at the end - 10

~~~~Battle 4 – Two Green Heningers~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 2 Each

Easy if you can keep them in the same place. If you can’t, use jumping attacks 
to get around their dashes and be wary of those long claws that can actually be 
quite dangerous. It’s an easy battle though, really.

My Life Bars at the end - 10

~~~~Battle 5 – Two Red Longmoans on Green Dragons~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 3 Each

Make sure to knock the Longmoans off their beasts first. Then jump attack them 
both again without getting on the beasts, so they don’t knock you off. Then get 
on one of the beasts and dash attack them repeatedly. Remember that you don’t 
take any damage when knocked off a beast so use them well.

My Life Bars at the end - 10

~~~~Battle 6 – Two Skeletons~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 2 Each

Still easy if you use jumping attacks and are wary of their speed. Watch out 
for the dashing attacks if they have you in a pincer movement but otherwise 
they don’t take long to kill at all. I’ve got to say that the skeletons in this 
game aren’t as dangerous as they were in the original, so be less fearful of 
them this time, but still careful.

My Life Bars at the end - 10

~~~~Battle 7 – Two Silver Longmoans on Chicken Leg and Purple Dragon~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 3 Each

Again, make sure to knock the Longmoans off their beasts straight away. Then 
it’s your choice whether to use the dragon’s dashing (or even flaming) or the 
Chicken Leg’s sweeping – both are powerful attacks, although I prefer a 
combination of sweeping and dashing from the Chicken Leg.

My Life Bars at the end - 10

~~~~Battle 8 – Sergeant Bitter~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 7

Use the usual tactic of dashing towards him then repeated combination attacks. 
He doesn’t actually take that long to go down. Remember if you do slip up and 
get hit, you get a free jumping attack or potentially a free combination attack 
if you are close enough. Not that hard, to be honest.

My Life Bars at the end - 10

~~~~Battle 9 – Two Red Lizardmen~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 5 Each

The difficulty rises a little here and it’s where I lost my first life bar. The 
Lizardmen are quick and powerful and if you don’t keep your guard up then they 
will punish you. If you can use jump attacks consistently and get in attacks 
from above (dash, jump, attack) while they are getting up then the workload is 
lessened somewhat.

My Life Bars at the end - 9

~~~~Battle 10 – Two Green Minotaurs~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 5 Each

Even harder. The Minotaurs are very similar to the Lizardmen when it comes to 
capabilities, only they are more powerful. Use jumping attacks and attacks from 
above even more here, and if you have to, dash them repeatedly so you aren’t 
surrounded. It’s unlikely you’ll get both in the same place except if you dodge 
one of their dashes (risky), so don’t be afraid to keep dashing them repeatedly,
even if it is a little slow.

My Life Bars at the end - 7

~~~~Battle 11 – Gold Heninger and Two Gold Longmoans~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 3 Each

Jumping attacks are your best friend in fights like this. They can get you out 
of trouble easily. Concentrate on the more dangerous Heninger first before 
getting in some good combos on the Longmoans.

My Life Bars at the end - 5

~~~~Battle 12 – Two Purple Lizardmen~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 5 Each

Very similar to the Red Lizardmen battle, in fact there’s not much difference 
at all. Use exactly the same tactics as you did against them against these guys 
and they shouldn’t give you very many problems.

My Life Bars at the end – 5

~~~~Battle 13 – Two Blue Minotaurs~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 7 Each

Also similar to the battle against the Green Minotaurs, except the blue guys 
are more powerful and have more health. This can be a difficult battle for that 
very reason, so again don’t be afraid to use dashes to chip away at their high 
health levels. If you can get attacks from above in on both of them then you’ll 
find they don’t have much time at all.

My Life Bars at the end – 3

~~~~Battle 14 – Three Skeletons~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 5 Each

Perhaps a battle slightly harder than the two skeletons one, not helped by 
their increased health levels. As usual in one-on-three battles, jumping 
attacks work very well, especially seeing as you probably have very little 
health now. There’s not much else I can say for this battle other than jump, 
jump, jump, and be nimble.

My Life Bars at the end – 2

~~~~Final Battle – Two Colonel Bitters~~~~

Enemy Life Bars – 8 Each

The classic battle from level 5 of the original Golden Axe is replicated here. 
Two Red Knights versus what is likely to be a very weak you. If you are ever 
knocked down, always use a jumping attack on one or maybe both of them to give 
yourself some space – they will always surround you on both sides and you do 
not want one knight to come up behind you while you’re teaching his brother a 
lesson in fighting. Use the same tactics as you did against Sergeant Bitter, 
only quicker and at the same time more careful and you should just make it 
through – dash, combination attack…make it a ritual. Good luck!

My Life Bars at the end – 1

----END THE DUEL----

You should also note that The Duel can be played multiplayer. Obviously you 
will require a second controller, so plug that in and you can play together, 
but you must fight against eachother. You will also have to choose separate 
characters. Now you can test your mettle against your brother/cousin/dog/hacker 
and show them who's best once and for all! Or who can reduce the other's eight 
life bars to nothing before theirs is. Meh.

Bored? Why not act out your favourite scenes from the game in real life!?

SERIOUSLY.

-----~-----~-----~
12. Credits
-----~-----~-----~

Myself – It would be silly not to put myself in the Credits.

The Offspring – The sole band I have listened to while writing this guide. I 
still listen to Green Day and The Killers, don’t worry! :D

Sega – For making this impressive sequel to such a legendary game.

CJayC, Sailor Bacon, and GameFAQs – The runners of the best gaming help site on 
the internet.

You – Thank _you_ for taking the time to read and/or use this guide.

-----~-----~-----~
13. Outroduction
-----~-----~-----~

Whew! Another guide done. I’m pleased with how this one has turned out, 
definitely on par with my original Golden Axe one. I hope you’ve enjoyed 
reading it and maybe it’s helped you somehow, if it has then my work is done.

Thanks for reading.

Bye!
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