A more ambitious third Golden Axe with four heroes and a branching path system. Often overlooked, genuinely interesting for fans of the series.
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Category
Beat-'Em-Up1 player12+
Description
Heroes battle Axt's tyranny in the third Golden Axe Sega saga entry for Mega Drive. Published by Sega, released in Japan in June 1993. Beat'em up with several selectable characters with varied attacks, fantasy levels and sorcerer Axt's bosses.
Golden Axe III review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The third instalment widens the character gallery, from the massive warrior to the agile fighter by way of a furred creature, each with their own drawn combinations. The scenery leaves the hills of the first episodes for swamps, overrun temples and bridges suspended over the void.
The soundtrack keeps the series' heroic colour while hardening the timbres: rougher brass, tribal percussion, insistent bass lines. The swamp and underground themes take a darker turn, and the final confrontations build in intensity through the gradual addition of voices.
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
More ambitious, this third installment opens branching paths and slips welcome transformations into the fray. The fresh cast invites experimentation while the forks make you want to explore everything. The fun springs from that newfound freedom and strikes that hit as fiercely as ever. An overlooked 16-bit finale that genuinely deserves another dive.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
The Japanese edition of Golden Axe III is the Japan-exclusive pressing of Sega's third entry in limited local print, with no Western boxed release at the time (the game being available in the US only via Sega Channel). Exceptional collector value: the only cartridge pressing of the game in the world.
Is Golden Axe III still worth playing in 2026?
A direct sequel to the famous Sega beat'em up, Golden Axe III offers four new characters of distinct styles and a multi path system with branches. The fantasy art direction stays faithful to previous entries, the epic soundtrack still works and the two player cooperative mode is excellent. Often considered the peak of the trilogy, the title keeps an essential place in the Japanese Mega Drive catalogue. For fantasy beat'em up fans, an absolutely essential recommendation today still here truly indeed for any returning veteran fan now.
