-<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- &&&& &&& && &&&&& &&&&& && && # # # # ## # ## # ## # ## ## ## ## # ## #### # # # ## ### ## ## ## # ## #### # # # # # # # ## # ## # # ## &&&& &&& &&&&&& &&&&& &&&&& && && & && && &&&&& @@@@@@ @@@@@@ # # ## ## # @@ @@ # # ### #### @@ @@ ####### ## ## #### @@ @@ # # ## ## # @@ @@ && && && && &&&&& @@@@@@ @@@@@@ FAQ/Walkthrough >>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>== For Sega Genesis Version Final By Chris Zawada Website: www.z-wad.com User: antseezee E-mail: chris@z-wad.com Created: 02/03/04 Last Update: 03/10/11 Copyright 2011 Chris Zawada -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- Author's Note ---------------------------- Ever since the legendary adventure series of Zelda, many games have attempted to emulate the success that the RPG/action/adventure series spawned. The Golden Axe series was an interesting trio of games developed for the Sega systems that allowed you to play as specific class characters. Using physical attacks, powerful magic, and an assortment of combos, you bash your way through levels. This guide is modeled after Golden Axe II, one of my favorite games in the entire trilogy. You'll find several profiles/descriptions about the gameplay system, controls, hints, and a full out walkthrough to beat the game. Swing your weapon in the name of the Golden Axe! Contributing/Feedback ---------------------------- If you have any contributions, feedback, or strategies you'd like to have added to the guide, contact me via e-mail or on GameFAQs. I'll be more than content to add your segment of information, and will also provide credit. If you have any questions you'd like added to the Common Questions section, ask. I simply don't have the time to sit around thinking of questions. Provide me with what you want to know! Updates ---------------------------- =03/10/11= vFinal Final update. =03/17/05= v Final Last update for this guide. It was certainly one of the more fun side scrolling beat-em-ups I played earlier as a child, but not the best. Probably the best Golden Axe out of the entire series. =02/06/04= v1.0 Finished the FAQ. Roughly around my deadline. Full walkthrough is posted, along with descriptions of enemies, game modes, and additional codes. Enjoy the guide. =02/03/04= v1.0 Started the FAQ. Estimating it to be done sometime around late Friday/early Saturday. Starting with the main control scheme, the basics, and will finish the walkthrough last. - To make it easier on yourself, any chapter with a (#.#) listed afterwards represents that it's part of an "easy search" function. Simply press CTRL + F on your keyboard, then type the number located inside the parentheses. Click find next, and it should bring you to that section immediately. ============================ - Table of Contents - ============================ 1) Introduction 2) Game Basics > Controls > Characters > Items/Magic > Enemies/Bosses 3) Game Modes > Description of each 4) Walkthrough > Ravaged Village (4.1) > Ruins (4.2) > Tower (4.3) > Dragon's Throat Cave (4.4) > Castle Gates (4.5) > Castle (4.6) > Dark Guld's Chamber (4.7) 5) The Duel Walkthrough > Layout of Battles > Combat Strategies 6) Codes > In-game > Game Genie 7) Common Questions 8) Copyright/Distribution/Reproduction Guidelines 9) Proper Credits -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 1) Introduction - ============================ Golden Axe has always been one of those games where it combines essential elements of RPG games, yet retains an exciting sense of action. Golden Axe 2 (II), better know as the sequel to Golden Axe, features some of the great aspects of the original. Players choose one of three characters (an Amazon, a Barbarian, or a Dwarf), and then proceed in a beat-em-up fashion. The game is played from a 2D perspective, similar to most action games back in the 16-bit era. Players would dash through levels killing bad guys, perform special moves in sticky situations, then use their resourceful magic when the scenario looks tough. This basically describes the gameplay of Golden Axe II. It's a beat-em- up game similar to the Double Dragon series, except you have weapons and roles to play. Thankfully, the game is fairly challenging. AI tends to actually avoid old fashioned tactics where you could continually use the same stale moves. Enemies will actually attempt to surround you, rather than approach you from your front side. It's basically you (the warrior) versus hundreds of dark minions of an evil lord, who has stolen a powerful artifact. Can you survive the challenge and free the grips of this villain from a powerful weapon? Or will you die in a valiant effort? Personally, you'll probably die quite a lot. Here's a brief excerpt from the manual of the storyline (credit to Sega): >>## Save the World from Chaos! ##<< The evil lord Dark Guld should have been put away for good the last time he was defeated in battle. But now he has recouped and is back in full force. And he's accompanied by his clan of evil followers who are creepier, slimier, and more disgusting than ever. Dark Guld has come for revenge and he is driven by the desire to see this world revert to chaos. He has taken the powerful Golden Axe, which is a symbol of peace and prosperity, to use for his own evil purposes. His creatures terrorize every town they descend upon. Someone must put a stop to this horror! Once again, three warriors stand up to face the oppressors. One is Ax-Battler, the fierce Barbarian; the second is Tyris-Flare, the ferocious Amazon; and the third is Gilius Thunderhead, the fearless Dwarf. They are willing to risk their lives to put a stop to the terror. They won't rest easy until the Golden Axe is returned to its rightful place. It's time to start the long journey through enemy-infested territory. Don't let the strange reptilian enemy creatures frighten you, because you'll need every ounce of courage you can muster. Fight onward until you reach the final showdown, a battle with Dark Guld himself! ---------------------------- Basically, the game's storyline is fairly decent (although corny at times). Several courageous warriors have met the task of taking down this evil Lord before he causes more destruction upon the planet. _____________________ ##### GAME INFO ##### //////////|\\\\\\\\\\ Players: 1-2 Developer: Sega Released: 1991 Rarity: fairly rare Special Features: n/a Cover Art on box: - Shows all three main characters in battle poses with a dragon roaring in the background -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 2) Game Basics - ============================ The Genesis controller is fairly simple to understand thanks to the A,B,C layout. Not only can you customize the buttons in the game menu, but most have primary functions that can easily be remembered by heart. The following section will detail the in-game controls, along with game basics such as items, each of the characters, and enemies you will encounter during the game. KEY representation for each button: A = A button (black) B = B button (black) C = C button (black) Control Pad = directional pad (black) START = start button (gray) ______________ /Menu Controls/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Up/Down - moves cursor in mode selection screen Left/Right - changes settings in options menu, selects player A/B/C - test sounds in options menu START - bypass opening screens ________________ /Battle Controls/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Control Pad - moves character in designated direction, includes diagonals A - uses magic, hold down to charge B - attacks, uses physical weapon, or close range attack C - jumps - Using magic requires that you have gathered "spell books", or have a special blue bar located in the lower left corner. The bar will continue to extend if you gather any more spell books along the way in the game. Holding down the button will cause the magic meter to power up. Holding it down longer causes for higher level spells to be cast, but also uses more spellbooks at the same time. Pay close attention while using magic in battles. - Depending on how far the enemy is from you, the attack may change to a different battle animation. If the enemy is within range, you will stab or slice them. If they're close, your character may bash them with the end of their weapon handle. If you're right on top of them, you may be able to pick them up, and toss them like a suplex. Finally, at a certain range, you may kick the enemy in front of you. - Tossing an enemy is similar to tossing a projectile. You can knock down other opponents by correctly aiming and tossing an opponent in their general direction. Great for taking down 2 birds with one stone. ______________ /Special Moves/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B + C - performs character's special move, unlimited uses C + B - performs a jump, has your character slice downward control pad (2x) - character dashes, press twice in one direction control pad (2x) + B - has character perform a charging move control pad (2x) + C - jumps higher/further control pad (2x) + C + B - performs a high downward slash, more power - Most character special moves usually have a delay before being performed. Only use them in dire situations, but don't use them as often as necessary. Being surrounded doesn't necessarily require their use. You can usually take less damage by simply doing simple slash/attack combos, rather than a special move. Ax-Battler performs a forward slash, then a jumping slash at the opponent behind him. Tyris-Flare does a back flip attack that hurts all opponents in a 360 degree circle. Finally, Gilius Thunderhead does a spinning kick by mounting his axe into the ground, then using it as a boost. - Get use to dashing in the game. Press the control pad twice in one direction. You'll be using several dash-worthy moves to get out of sticky situations. Ax-Battler performs a running shoulder slam. Tyris-Flare performs a jump kick. Finally, Gilius Thunderhead performs a flying headbutt. ___________ /Characters/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= These are the primary people you will use throughout the game to guide you along your journey. You may only use one of the 3 on your journey, but each have characteristics that set them apart from the others. Choose wisely. As a thumb of recommendation, Gilius Thunderhead (the Dwarf) best suits new players. He has the widest attack range, which should provide useful for those who are just starting out in the game. Ratings are based on a one to five star scale. - Any extra blocks in the magic bar add one damage to the previous spell. If you charged your magic block right before the level 2 spell (like in the Barbarian's magic bar below), one damage would be added on to the level 1 spell. __________________________________________ ==((*))== Ax-Battler (Barbarian) ==((*))== - Pretty much the meathead out of the entire group. Strongest of all available characters. Wields a two-handed sword, and uses brute strength to surpass his enemies. Has medium range, and utilizes the power of wind/tornados to do his bidding. Wears a blue outfit. _________ // RATINGS \\_____ "MAGIC BAR" [SPELLS] ||=========||@@@@@| ___________ ||Attack ||**** | |1| |2|3|4| Level 1: Mini tornados spin across the ||Range ||*** | |---------| screen ||Magic ||*** | | | | | | | Level 2: Small tornados wrap and suck ||Special ||* | |---------| in all enemies on the screen; \\=========||@@@@@| enemies are then tossed into a giant tornado, placed onto his arms, and then slammed into the ground Level 3: A giant tornado shoots out rapid fire wind patterns Level 4: Two gigantic tornados wipe out everything on screen ______________________________________________ ==((*))== Gilius Thunderhead (Dwarf) ==((*))== - Don't let this short man be underestimated. Gilius is one of the most wide ranged attackers in the game. He uses a giant two-handed axe to strike down opponents before him, and has a fairly useful special move. Worst magic user though. Utilizes powers of giant stones as his magical attack. Wears a green outfit. _________ // RATINGS \\_____ "MAGIC BAR" [SPELLS] ||=========||@@@@@| _________ ||Attack ||*** | |1|2| |3| Level 1: Small stones fall from above ||Range ||*****| |-------| ||Magic ||* | | | | | | Level 2: Large stones fall from above ||Special ||**** | |-------| \\=========||@@@@@| Level 3: Hundreds of stones fly back and forth across the screen ________________________________________ ==((*))== Tyris-Flare (Amazon) ==((*))== - One of the most diligent magic users in the game. Quick and agile when it comes to dashing and speed. Unfortunately, lacks physical attack power and range. Thankfully though, this is made up with excellent magic spells. Too bad they couldn't be casted more often. Uses fire magic to do her bidding. Wears a red outfit throughout the game. _________ // RATINGS \\_____ "MAGIC BAR" [SPELLS] ||=========||@@@@@| _________________ ||Attack ||** | |1| | |2|3|4|5|6| Level 1: Small firebirds form ||Range ||* | |---------------| together, and attack each ||Magic ||*****| | | | | | | | | | enemy on screen ||Special ||*****| |---------------| \\=========||@@@@@| Level 2: Flaming pillars shoot up from the bottom of the screen Level 3: Fireballs dance across the screen Level 4: A waterfall of fire rises upward Level 5: A flying phoenix appears on screen Level 6: A giant dragon spurts out a huge wave of flames __________ /Interface/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= There are only a few things that actually monitor your status in Golden Axe II. Most of them are basic elements that are easy to understand, yet complex enough to add a strategic element to the game. [1] Magic - throughout the game, you'll come across several special wizard enemies. Whenever you hit them, they'll drop a magic book which can be collected by your character. Each time you pick up a book, it adds one block to your current magic meter. Collecting more books, and building up your magic allows you to cast higher level spells. View the character profiles above to see the magic capacity of each character. The magic bar is located in the lower left corner with numbers, and a red background. [2] Life Gauge - Every time you're hit by an enemy blow, you will take internal damage. Once you lose 8 "hit points", one of your life bars will decrease by one column. Once your bars have all decreased, you'll lose a life. Once all lives have been used, you are forced to use a continue. This is located to the right of the magic bar, and has blue bars representing life. [3] Lives Remaining - Your character always starts out with 3 lives. You may see how many lives you currently have by looking for a giant number to the right of the life gauge. [4] Character - Shows a face dictating who your current character is. ____________ /Bonus Stage/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= After each level in the game, there's a featured "bonus" round that permits you to refill your character's status. Your character is always shown sleeping by a camp fire. Suddenly, small creatures/bugs will crawl across the screen, and try to sneak by without you noticing. This is where the action takes place. You must strike the opponents as many times as possible to knock certain items out of them. Various items include: + Meat (replenishes health bar) + Bread (replenishes health bar) + Magic Book (adds a block to your magic bar) - Sometimes the creatures will steal an extra stash of books next to your character (happens to Tyris-Flare quite often). Make sure you attack the same wizard who attempted to steal those items to regain your stolen inventory. ___________ /Bizarrians/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= When the going gets tough, we always have our faithful inhabitants on the planet to help us. During Golden Axe II, you'll come across three different creatures that can assist (or hassle) your journey. They're basically creatures that your enemies have domesticated for combat. You'll come across three different kinds: + Chicken Leg - looks like a small rhinocerous, attacks with tail + Green Dragon - green version of a dragon, attacks with hind legs + Fire Dragon - red version of a dragon, attacks with fire - Each of the creatures also possess a rushing skill similar to the 3 main characters in the game. Dash like you would, and press B to perform the creature's dashing ability. - To steal a bizarrian, simply knock an enemy off of one during combat. Then, walk over to jump aboard. You are exposed to attacks when boarding one, so be careful. ________ /Enemies/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The entire adventure of Golden Axe II is filled with various creatures and monsters that must be engaged with. All of your combat takes place against opposing enemies, and they're the only true threat preventing you from taking back the Golden Axe artifact. Each stage is filled with several bad guys that will attempt to kill you in the name of Dark Guld. At the end of each stage is a boss battle, or usually a special enemy that is more difficult than the rest. You may also come across boss battles that involve multiple numbers of souped-up minions. Either way, this section will briefly describe each creature, along with ratings. Boss strategies can be found in the actual walkthrough. >&/\&< Goblins >&/\&< - Pretty much the typical cannon fodder in all of Golden Axe II. These enemies are weak, not very strong, and only have basic combos. Most of their attacks consist of physical swings, although they are provoked to charge and attack if there is distance between their opponent. Most goblins wear light garments, and have helmets shielding their faces. They're also equipped with claws, two-handed clubs, or basic weaponry. DIFFICULTY: * >&/\&< Wizards >&/\&< - One of the more useful enemies you'll encounter in the game. They're small minions who shield their faces with foreign colored robes. Their wisest choice of attack involves a brief charging period where they shoot forth a small magic ball of energy. They also have a staff which can be used for physical attacks. Wizards always drop at least one magic book if they are knocked to the ground by your character. Pick up these books to increase your magic power. Wizards are puny, weak, and have slow reaction times. DIFFICULTY: * >&/\&< Dogbeast >&/\&< - One of the major bosses in the game who eventually turns into more of a mini-boss. Looks like a creature with a dog face, and has a giant spiked mace resting on his shoulder. Has a mighty front-aimed bashing blow that has extreme range. Vulnerable to dashing attacks, or a quick diagonal strafe. DIFFICULTY: *** >&/\&< Skeletons >&/\&< - One of the slightly harder enemies in the game. These are basically skeletons equipped with scythes and shields. They have a pale white look that resembles their lifeless form. Often attacks with a quick slashing combo. Weak life bar though. DIFFICULTY: ** >&/\&< Neo Skeletons >&/\&< - A tougher and faster version of the original skeleton. Most neo skeletons often appear in various colors (black, orange, purple). Their distinguishable look should not be confused. These foes are fast, have excellent reaction speeds, and also can perform damaging dashing attacks. Try to deal with them one at a time. DIFFICULTY: **** >&/\&< Lizards >&/\&< - More of the less rare common enemies you'll face in the game. Lizards are the quickest of any character on the ground, and also have fast slashing attacks. Slow dashing speeds, but this makes up for their fierce attitude. Often found in groups with others. One of their most annoying attacks include a tail back whip. DIFFICULTY: *** >&/\&< Headless Knight >&/\&< - A super sized knight that has shining armor, a sword, and shield, but no head. Appears as a major boss early on, and sort of a mini boss later in the game. They're often fairly slow, but have the widest range of attack for a normal boss in the game. Dashing attacks, combined with slash combos works best to bring them down. DIFFICULTY: *** >&/\&< Dark Guld >&/\&< - Final boss, and the cause for evil to be spreading throughout the world. Dark Guld is your biggest nemesis throughout the game, and the sole possessor of the Golden Axe. He uses the weapon as his primary physical attack, can cast a tremendous rock spell, and has the ability to summon minions during battle. DIFFICULTY: ***** -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 3) Game Modes - ============================ Thankfully, Sega decided to add several game modes to Golden Axe II to increase the playing time in everyone's household. Rather than being some boring beat-em-up adventure game, they gave the ability for two players to join as a team. Other features such as the Duel were added to see if you could gain a high rating, and be congratulated on your success. The following section will briefly describe each game mode, and their function. ________________ /1P or 2 Players/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Each game mode in Golden Axe 2 can be customized for either one or two players. One player games mean only you (the sole player) can engage in the forces that have obtained the Golden Axe. Two player games permit you to choose two different characters to go on the adventure, similar to most co- operative games. You need two genesis controllers plugged in (one for each human player). Also, under two player games, you can hit each other. So be careful of friendly fire. ____________ /Normal Mode/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This is the primary game mode of Golden Axe II. Your goal is to travel through six levels, then finally battle Dark Guld to retrieve the Golden Axe. Levels are filled with enemies in pre-set locations, along with magic books, environmental changes, and Bizarrians. There are also bonus stages pitted between each level where you can refill your health, or magic supply by hitting disguised enemies. _________ /The Duel/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A special "battle arena" mode designed for one-on-one battles between pre-set opponents. The player is presented with a battle between another type of enemy (sometimes in multiple quantities). Your character is thrown into an isolated one screen room where he/she must battle the combatants. Your player uses the same life bar in consecutive matches, so losing a lot of health early on decreases your chances. The Duel lasts approximately 15 battles long, with each battle becoming progressively harder. At the end, you're rated on how well you did - grade wise. ________ /Options/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Pretty much the only feature in the game that allows you to customize your Golden Axe adventure. Various options can be set to increase, or decrease the game's overall difficulty. You may also perform sound tests. The following list is what you may customize in Golden Axe II: + Difficulty --> Easy (enemies have weak AI, lower life) - you cannot complete Normal mode on difficulty. The game stops after the Dragon Throat Cave. --> Normal (enemies have decent AI, average life) - Complete ending. --> Hard (high life, high damage, extreme AI) - Complete ending, just a tad more challenging. + Life Meter --> can be set from 3 to 5 life bars + Magic --> Special (magic power is used based upon how long you hold down the magic button) - this is the default option, and highly recommended. --> Normal (uses all magic power available once magic button is hit) + Control --> provides 6 different control schemes to customize controls + B.G.M. --> let's you test various in-game background music - A or C starts the sound; B stops it. + S.E. --> let's you test various in-game sound effects - A or C starts the sound; B stops it. -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 4) Walkthrough - ============================ The following section will detail a complete step-by-step walkthrough to completing the game of Golden Axe II. I'll try to describe any key strategies to get past certain opponents, along with boss strategies. ______________________ /Ravaged Village (4.1)/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= You'll start off inside a village recently wrecked by the evil forces of Dark Guld. Start off by moving to the right, and engaging the basic goblin. Eventually, 2 more goblins will appear from house doorways to ambush you. Afterwards, some villagers will scramble by. Take care of the lone wizard. Again, you'll have to deal with three more goblins mingling around the village grounds. Continue onward, and you'll finally meet your first Bizarrian of the game. Knock the wizard off of the Green Dragon, then mount on it, and use it against the rest of the minions on the level. Cross the bridge, and keep attacking any goblins who attempt to ambush you. Continue up the hill by jumping up the ledges. You'll eventually reach a plain brown field. This is your first boss battle. *BOSS* - Dogbeast with 3 enhanced goblins - *BOSS* >> Start off by dealing with the three goblins who charge at you. They're slightly stronger than the ones you faced before, but not by much. If the dogbeast gets close to you, quickly turn around, and jump slash (C + B) to knock him down. If you're still riding the green dragon, use the dashing attack to quickly rid of the 3 goblins around him. From here on, I recommend you repeatedly use jump slashes, or a combination of rushing attacks. Do not approach him horizontally as he has a long range of attack. You can also try diagonal strafing. Approach him diagonally and get close enough so you can continually swipe him. He does have a grapple move though, so watch out. ____________ /Ruins (4.2)/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Your delightful travels through the ruins starts out with 2 enhanced goblins. They're slightly faster than their previous predecessors, but concentrate on throws/grapples to rid of them. The next encounter features a sole goblin along with a wizard riding a Chicken Leg. Quickly dismount the wizard, then jump aboard to cause pure havoc. Continue onward, and make sure you pick up the two magic books on the ground. Kill the three skeletons in the stone plateau up ahead. Deal with the two black wizards as well, but only use combo knock attacks to get as many magic books as possible out of them before death (usually 3). The next part is where it gets tough. You're going to encounter 5 black neo skeletons. Quickly cast a high level spell to damage them greatly. Then, finish off the rest using a combination of quick swipes. Spare some magic for the boss battle though. Once you reach the location where there's an idol in the background, three purple neo skeletons will arrive to the location. Fend off as many as you can, and use magic only if necessary. *BOSS* - Headless Knight with 2 normal skeletons - *BOSS* >> Again, deal with the minions first since they're going to be the biggest problem. Thankfully, these are normal skeletons, and are much weaker than the previous ones faced. The headless knight has a powerful and quick attack with plenty of range. Avoid staying parallel to his attack. Also, jump slashing is fairly useless as he tends to swing his weapon before you can reach him. Do the diagonal strafe method because of his slow speed, and quickly toss him by getting in close. ____________ /Tower (4.3)/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= All of this chaos, and it's starting to pay off. Your scenery is quickly met with four generic goblins. The best way to get past this area unharmed is to use your special move in sticky situations. Also, attack an enemy with three slices, then quickly attack one behind you once (back kick), and finish off the same enemy with a stab. It works well as there is no delay between slashes, and tends to eliminate most hostiles quickly when surrounded. Up ahead will be 2 more goblins and 2 wizards as well. Eliminate them much like any other hostile. Here comes the tricky part, quickly get to the bottom of the screen, then continue forth (when the Go sign appears). Don't jump off the ledge near the bottom of the screen. What you want to do is lure the 2 Dogbeasts to fall into the pit by simply walking near the bottom of the screen. If you only manage to get one, you can still knock off the other one by using combat moves. Getting them to fall off the ledge (or tossing them down there works as well). Quickly saves lives and your health. Up ahead are a few purple goblins. Do the same strategy before, and quickly move down to the bottom of the screen to "attempt" to have them fall off the ledge. Cross the bridge, and kill the remaining goblins. *BOSS* - 4 Purple Lizards - *BOSS* >> One of the easier boss battles in the game. Use all of your magic power right off the bat to reduce their life bars. Once this is done, use a combination of combo slashes, jump slashes, and charging attacks. Try to keep as many lizards off your back as possible. They have a fairly annoying back tail attack which can catch you off guard. Also, once they've been reduced in their numbers, their speed greatly increases. Watch out for extremely fast charges. ___________________________ /Dragon's Throat Cave (4.4)/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The battle immediately starts off with several dead skeletons on the ground, along with a fiery background. Start walking up, and the second body on the ground will come to life. Quickly kill it, and take the magic book on the floor. You'll discover two more feigned bodies on the ground that come to life. To make the battle easy, you may want to try tossing both skeletons into the ledge in the lower left hand corner of the screen. You'll finally discover 2 more magic books, along with 4 feigned black skeletons on the ground. Continue the same process from before. This time though, I highly recommend using magic to weaken them (there's no ledge to toss them off). More opposition will come along the way when you have to deal with a purple lizard, and 2 goblins. Continue up until you reach an area with steps. You're gonna have to take care of 2 purple lizards, and eventually a fire dragon (with a wizard) + a new red class lizard. Quickly get on the fire dragon, and utilize it against all of your opponents. Then, three more red lizards will show up on screen to duel with you. You may have trouble dealing with them all at once. If you lose your Bizarrian, quickly cast a spell and deal with them one at a time. Don't get far away from them though. They'll continually charge you if you're out of their combat radius. *BOSS* - 2 Dogbeasts with 2 enhanced lizards - *BOSS* >> First of all, don't use magic in this battle until you've killed both red lizards. The dogbeasts will not engage you if you stay away from them, or hurt them in anyway. So simply avoid them, and deal with the red lizards until they're dead. An easy way of killing both dogbeasts is to cast magic, then stand in the middle of the screen. Continually charge at them. Charge at one to knock him down, then repeat the process for the other. Keep them isolated on separate sides of the screen, and make sure you keep doing it until they die. ___________________ /Castle Gates (4.5)/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As always, your new levels usually start off with a spicening adventure. You'll be ambushed from behind by two purple lizards. Quickly dispose of them, and move forth to the next group of enemies. This time, you'll run into three goblins, including one on top of a fire dragon. As usual, dismount the rider, then wield his own weapon against his own kind. Unfortunately, you may get outflanked in this match, but try to keep the fire dragon as it benefits later on. Move on ahead to find another Bizarrian, and eliminate the remaining hostiles here. Cross the bridge, but before it, go down to have any enemies "accidentally" walk off the ledge. You've gotta love the enemy AI by about now. A few wizards will try to kill you along the way. Make use of the Chicken Leg, and knock them down for extra magic books. You'll run into 2 Dogbeasts, along with a few goblins helping him. If you still have the Chicken Leg from before, try to get as many hits in as possible. Before being dismounted, cast your highest spell to weaken them greatly. Now, finish off the remaining dogbeasts using your cheap back-and-forth dashing tactic. Three more purple goblins will attempt to prevent you from reaching the castle gate. *BOSS* - 3 Golden Goblins + 2 Headless Knights - *BOSS* >> This isn't really a true boss fight, but more of a "representation" ceremony. These are the strongest common goblins you'll find in the game. They have quick attacks. I found the easiest strategy in defeating them it to simply toss one of the goblins into the others to eliminate them. This way, you don't have to worry about being gangbanged. After you finish them off, two headless knights will make their way from the castle door above. This can be tough unless you do the same old strategy. This time, split both of them up. Try to knock one of them down using a dash, and keep them isolated to separate sides. Now, quickly sprint and use a dash attack. You may not hit them, but right after landing on the ground, quickly swipe combo to knock them down. Then, dash to the other one, and repeat the process. Do this about 8-10 times, and the battle is yours. _____________ /Castle (4.6)/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Right away, you'll be forced to take care of 3 black wizards. Boy do I feel pity on their wasted magic books. Move forward, and finish off the goblins. The green lizard will keep his distance away until one of them dies. Afterwards, a dogbeast will appear from a closed gate above. This one is special though. He actually moves backward when you approach him, and has an extremely accurate grapple move which means it's hard to get in close. You can try using continual rushing attacks, or simply cast the highest spell in your inventory. Make use of those spell books from before. Jumping attacks work as well, but you need to time the jumps at least 1/3 the distance across the screen. You'll now notice a pit on the lower right side of the screen. Try to lure your enemies down there, then toss them down, or simply knock them off. Move a bit to the right, get the purple lizards to chase you, then get as many off the ledge as you can. Be careful not to put yourself in harm though. Two blue dogbeasts will appear from the gates above. Use the repeated rushing attacks, and keep them isolated (this tactic works well on nearly every 2x boss in the game). Continue onward, and lure the two feigned skeletons on the ground off the ledge. You can even get one to jump kick off the ledge. Fairly funny to see an enemy commit suicide. Three more red wizards are up ahead to greet you. They're a tad tougher since they tend to get decent distance from you when casting spells. Up ahead are three purple skeletons. Stand on the middle stairway, attack any skeletons to your right, and do one hand stabs to knock the ones on your backside off. Any enemies on the left have to jump up one to reach you, and it's sort of like a blind point where you can't be hit. Two golden goblins will greet you. Keep them grouped together, and use basic combo attacks to neutralize them. Three more golden goblins will greet you before the boss battle begins. *BOSS* - Golden Headless Knight with 3 red Lizards - *BOSS* >> Very tough. Start off by casting your highest spell available. You're going to need their hit points reduced drastically. Kill the lizards first as their speed is a high priority. As for the golden knight, jump slashes are useless. His reaction speeds are fast enough to predict when to strike his sword. What you want to do is use the dashing attack so that it lands you RIGHT next to him. Then, quickly use a slash combo to knock him down. Retreat back, repeat the process. He doesn't have a grapple move, but rather a short uppercut which is hardly used during the match. Repeat this, and you should be victorious. __________________________ /Dark Guld's Chamber (4.7)/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= *BOSS* - Dark Guld - *BOSS* >> For being the final boss in the game, I was fairly surprised at how easy this battle is. Start off by casting any spells you have to yield damage to his body. Now, there are primarily three elements of Dark Guld's battle structure: 1) Close uppercut Golden Axe swing - takes up about 1/5 of the screen. Always uses it when he rises up after being knocked down, or you're within his proximity 2) Summon Skeleton - casts an energy ball that spawns a normal white skeleton 3) Casts Mega Rock - hundreds of rocks scroll back and forth across the screen (same as Gilius Thunderhead's final spell) The easiest way I've found to get past him is to use his own minions against him. Attack one of the spawned skeletons, then get in close to pick them up. Toss them in the direction of Dark Guld to knock him down. He usually casts the Mega Rock spell when he has all three skeletons summoned on screen. To prevent this from happening, jump slash him when he raises his hand, and an energy ball starts to appear. When this happens, avoid all contact with the minions, and immediately jump slash to interrupt the casting. Dark Guld takes about 12-15 life bar knockoffs to finish. ***After Dark Guld has been killed, you are congratulated for defeating the dark emperor. The Golden Axe artifact has finally been freed from the clutches of evil forces. The ending screen shows villagers of the first ravaged village celebrating in glory now that the evil reign is over with. Congratulations! You are a true hero to your society.*** -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 5) The Duel Walkthrough - ============================ The Duel is a special battle mode designed for characters to go through the game, and defeat as many monsters in an arena. If you manage to defeat all monsters in consecutive matches (with the same extended life bar), then you successfully win. Matches progressively get harder, and tougher AI is involved. The following will briefly discuss on how to complete this extra mode. _____________ _________________________ ________________ | Battle #1 | --> | Battle #2 | --> | Battle #3 | | Goblin | --> | Chicken Leg w/ Goblin | --> | Green Lizard | ------------- ------------------------- ---------------- ______________ __________________________________ ________________ | Battle #4 | --> | Battle #5 | --> | Battle #6 | | 2x Goblins | --> | 2x Green Dragons w/ 2x Goblins | --> | 2x Skeletons | -------------- ---------------------------------- ---------------- ___________________________________________ ___________________ | Battle #7 | --> | Battle #8 | | 2x Goblins on Chicken Leg & Fire Dragon | --> | Headless Knight | ------------------------------------------- ------------------- __________________ _________________ _____________________ | Battle #9 | --> | Battle #10 | --> | Battle #11 | | 2x Red Lizards | --> | 2x Dogbeasts | --> | 3x Golden Goblins | ------------------ ----------------- --------------------- _____________________ _____________________ ________________ | Battle #12 | --> | Battle #13 | --> | Battle #14 | | 2x Purple Lizards | --> | 2x Blue Dogbeasts | --> | 3x Skeletons | --------------------- --------------------- ---------------- ___________________________ | Battle #15 | | 2x Red Headless Knights | --------------------------- __________________ /Combat Strategies/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= #1 :=: Pretty much an easy battle with a lone enemy. Finish him off like any other. #2 :=: Jump slash the rider on the Bizarrian, then use the creature to kill him. #3 :=: Watch out for the back tail whip. Other than that, use moves that jam him up. #4 :=: Keep both goblins on one side. Use special move in tacky situations. #5 :=: Fairly harder. Immediately, attack the rider on the right, then use his Bizarrian against the other rider. Finish them off accordingly. #6 :=: Basic normal skeletons. Avoid approaching horizontally, but rather from an angle. #7 :=: Take out the rider on the fire dragon, and use its extended flame attack to take out the other one. #8 :=: Use sprinting attacks, or the dash-slash technique to get in close. #9 :=: Fairly hard battle. Use the isolated dashing technique, or keep tossing one lizard into the other. Do not get surrounded. #10 :=: Shouldn't be too hard if you can keep one dogbeast on each side of the screen, and you use repeated charge attacks. #11 :=: Another easy battle. Toss one of the enemies into the entire group. #12 :=: Similar to battle #9. Just be weary as these lizards are faster. Try jump slashes if you get surrounded. #13 :=: Repeated dashing technique works, but the blue dogbeasts tend to get a few charging knee strikes in on your character as well. Try using jump slashes if they're charging in fast, or using a slash combo to knock them down briefly. Avoid getting in close as they have a dangerous grapple toss. #14 :=: Not much you can do in this battle. I pretty much mixed all of my combat techniques into one. Change your moves quite often. Try to eliminate one of the skeletons first to increase your odds of winning. #15 :=: Do not use the dashing attack technique as these knights retreat back when you approach them. Instead, use a charge attack so that it lands you next to a headless knight. Then, quickly swipe combo them to the ground. Repeat the strategy for the other one, and keep moving back and forth until they're dead. ***You will then be congratulated for completing the Duel mode. It then says for you to try another game mode.*** -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================= - 6) Codes - ============================= Sega decided to be a little "nifty" in their code making scheme. Most of the in-game codes to Golden Axe II are actually hard to perform, hence to prove that cheating is a non-supported tactic. These cheats usually require that you hold down certain buttons when advancing through menus just to get a minimal effect. I'd like to give credit to: http://www.gamewinners.com/ - for these excellent in-game cheat codes. ____________________________ |_;#;_| Level Select |_;#;_| > Hold A + B + C and press START at the introduction screen. Release B and C, but continue to hold A during the code sequence. Place the cursor over the Option selection, and press B + C. Highlight the Exit selection, and press B + C. Highlight choice of players, and press B + C. Pick the Normal game mode, and press B + C. Highlight the character, and press UP + B + C + START. A black screen will now show a single number in the center of the screen. Release A, and use A & B to select a different level number. Press START when you have the correct level number selected. _______________________________ |_;#;_| Extra Continues |_;#;_| > Highlight the options selection on the title screen, hold A + B + C, and press START. Release A, but continue to keep B + C pressed down. Select your options, and make sure it's set to normal game difficulty. Exit the options menu, and eight credits should be seen on the player selection screen. _________________ /Game Genie Codes/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thankfully, the Game Genie makes Golden Axe II much easier to cheat with, rather than those pesky button codes. Simply enter these codes line for line into the genie, and enable the codes when you turn on the game. I'd like to give credit to: http://www.gamegenie.com/ - for these Game Genie cheat codes. {%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%} \\ Code \\ Effect // [======================================================] [ BEBT-AADN \\ Player 1 starts with 9 lives ] [ BEBT-AAE2 \\ Player 2 starts with 9 lives ] [ BGXA-AADR \\ Both players continue with 9 lives ] [ BTJA-AA48 \\ Infinite lives, both players ] [ FEPA-BJYA \\ Magic books are worth 2 ] [ FEPA-BNYA \\ Magic books are worth 3 ] //======================================================\\ {%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%} -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 7) Common Questions - ============================ )) Gameplay (( ---------------------------- << How does this compare to other beat-em-up games on the Genesis? >> - The Golden Axe series is one of the more well-known adventure/fighting series on the Sega Genesis. Compared to most games, it's probably one of the best you can find. My only recommendation that can beat out the Golden Axe series would be Streets of Rage 2, which has more fighting elements combined. Aside from that though, Golden Axe 2 has unique elements from most RPG games that you would not find in an action game. << What are the differences between Golden Axe 2 and the rest of the series? >> - I honestly don't know. To tell you the truth, I've never played the original Golden Axe, or the final game in the trilogy. As far as I know, the game has a similar plot to the original, which had Dark Guld stealing the Golden Axe in the first place. The sequel is pretty much the same as the first, because Dark Guld has returned yet again to steal the Axe. << What's your highest rating on Normal Mode/The Duel? >> - I've only managed a D, and an A on the Duel. Beating Normal mode is an accomplished task. This is one of the most challenging beat-em-up games you'll ever play. Aside from Double Dragon III, the enemy AI in Golden Axe is smart, and will actually try to flank you from opposing sides. The Duel is much easier as most battles have specific pre-planned strategies to get by. The D is humiliating, but honestly, most of my 2D skills have gone to waste playing classics like Halo 2. -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ========================================================== - 8) Copyright/Distribution/Reproduction Guidelines - ========================================================== This FAQ/Strategy Guide/Walkthrough is my own published work, and copyrighted by Christopher Zawada. Whatever you do, DO NOT edit this FAQ in any way. DO NOT steal anything from this FAQ. If you want to use some information in your own guide, simply ask me. If you want to place this guide on your website, either link to the GameFAQs game page, or download the file and place it on your own web server. Basically, you can post this on your website as long as its in ORIGINAL form, and not linking directly to GameFAQs. Aside from that, all proper credit is due when necessary. Also, don't even think about selling FAQs. Trying to prosper off of other people's work will get you in big time trouble (coming from an eBay seller myself). This is a list of the current known sites that host my FAQs: - http://www.gamefaqs.com/ - http://www.ign.com/ - http://www.neoseeker.com/ - http://www.cheatcc.com/ - http://www.cheatplanet.com/ -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 9) Proper Credit - ============================ I'd like to thank the following people for their help in making this FAQ possible: )) CJayC (( for constantly updating GameFAQs, and dedicating his entire life to it. Takes a lot of effort to keep a site going this long. )) Gamewinners.com (( for providing the button cheat codes that can be used without a cheating device. I actually got one of them to work on my cartridge version of the game, but it took a few tries. )) Gamegenie.com (( for providing the official Game Genie codes to the game. Boy did these help me out a lot when it came to providing multiple strategies and things of the such. )) One guy at the Flea Market (( for selling me the Sega Genesis lot bundled with several games. It just so happened that one of these games was Golden Axe II, a worthy title I enjoyed quite thoroughly. "Some people make sacrifices to make other people happy." - Chris Zawada