Dark Guld, the Lord of Darkness, has arisen from his slumber and begun his quest for world domination with the help of his evil followers. As heroes of the last great battle, it is once again up to the Amazon, Barbarian and Dwarf to defeat Dark Guld and recapture the Golden Axe. Only then will peace and harmony be restored to the land…

Golden Axe II is a side-scrolling action game that pits your warrior (a male, female, or dwarf) against several creatures set in a world of fantasy. Skeletons, club-wielding grunts, lizard-men, and magicians will all fall to your sword or axe as you progress through each level in your quest to defeat Dark Guld. The characters' moves are basic, consisting of slashes, charges and jump attacks, but a special move such as a double-sided sword or back-flip attack is available as well. As in the original, you can steal the dragon mounts of some of the enemies and use their attacks against them. One creature will tail-whip, one will kick with its hind legs, and another will breathe fire.

Each character also has an affinity towards magic, the strength of which depends on the number of magic books you pick up along the way. The dwarf draws upon the magic of the earth and can send boulders raining down from the sky, the Amazon has fire based magic and may summon a huge dragon or phoenix to scorch her enemies, and the barbarian can use the power of the wind to swirl away his opponents. Magic is best saved until the end of each level to wear down the powerful bosses and henchmen.

Several features could have been added to help set this title apart from Golden Axe. New twists like riding a dragon through the skies, playing as a monster, gaining levels, mastering finishing moves, or even using different weapons. One thing that has changed are the original game's elves and potions – now they're cloaked magicians and books, respectively. It gives the game a whole new feel… All kidding aside, those looking for a significant departure from Golden Axe should pass on this sequel. It is the same hack-and-slash action with a slight change of scenery.

The graphics have been upgraded and although they are very similar, they are given a lot more detail. The sprites are more detailed and the three characters are given some new features. Gilius has a whiter beard, which shows signs of age while Ax and Tyrus both have headbands, which make them look more like barbarians. Enemies are impressive because of the sheer size of some of them. The Minotaur, for example, has this evil grin on his face. The backgrounds are brilliant, looking much cooler this time around. The castle levels have skeletons lying on the ground, which is great. It looks like the remains of a battle or something. The backgrounds are a massive improvement because they have loads of detail, unlike in the first game.

The music is another improvement and is lot more dramatic. It still has a medieval/fantasy theme that obviously fits in with the game. Golden Axe II's score isn't as creative as its predecessor but can more than hold its own. The overall sound quality is superior, however, mainly because the music is very powerful and sounds so much clearer. Even when you first start the game up you hear this pounding drum beat followed by a dramatic tune that really gets you in the mood of the game.

Golden Axe II game features:

• The 3 characters from the original return
• More enemies and different beasts to ride
• Use a mix of might and magic to defeat the enemies in your path
• Action for one or two players

In this sequel to the arcade and Genesis hit Golden Axe, new skills and magic have been added to each character to help your chances of survival. Slash, kick and throw your enemies as you press on through the game's eight levels. Mount various dragons to either tail-swipe or burn the enemy to a crisp. Once you have reached the end of a stage, a large boss or two will try to make life more difficult.

Along with the normal game, a mode entitled the Duel will test your mettle in a series of battles. Your character will be forced to fight in one arena against increasingly difficult enemies until they (or you!) are defeated. As in the original, you will be graded on your performance in battle, so keep that sword sharp!

Golden Axe 2 Iam10. I think it's good.