Legendary Axe

Some games etch themselves into memory with their very first impression, and The Legendary Axe is one of them — it was one of the titles that in the early days of the TurboGrafx showed this console could handle serious action. It's a rugged, muscular platformer in which the barbarian Gogan battles through a primeval wilderness armed only with his trusty axe.

Mechanically it's an action platformer where the timing of your strikes and cautious progress matter. The axe is your only tool of survival, and the game introduces a clever charged-power system — if you hold off attacking for a moment, a gauge fills and your next blow becomes significantly more destructive. This turns every fight into a small decision between careful waiting and quick aggression.

The difficulty here is honestly old-school: enemies attack from all sides, platforms demand precision, and every mistake hurts. Yet the game never feels unfair — progress is about learning the level layouts and about patience. This finely tuned difficulty, along with the dark, prehistoric atmosphere, earned it a reputation as one of the better action platformers of its era.

Visually, The Legendary Axe demonstrated what the PC Engine could do — detailed sprites, smooth movement, and elaborate backgrounds that rivaled even more powerful machines at the time. For many TurboGrafx owners it was one of the reasons they bought the console in the first place, and as such it's regarded today among the platform's important early titles.

If you like raw, challenge-packed platformers where mastering the mechanics is prized and every advance is earned, The Legendary Axe will delight you. It's a classic that flexes its muscles not just on its protagonist, but in its design too.

Why play: A raw, superbly tuned action platformer with an inventive charged-axe system — one of the platform's defining early titles.