In Battle Axe players choose from one of three warriors, Rooney, Fae or Iolo and - in either solo or two-player local co-op - set out across the land of Mercia in order to rescue innocent locals who've been snatched away by the dastardly sorceress Etheldred and her hordes of evil minions. However, a lack of content and modes, alongside tired gameplay that doesn't mix things up in any interesting or surprising ways across a fairly brief running time, leaves this feeling like a rather lacklustre effort. With Nieborg himself on graphical duties and legendary composer Manami Matsumae (Mega Man, Final Fight, Shovel Knight) providing the soundtrack, this one certainly more than manages to nail the look and feel of its most obvious inspirations. Veteran pixel artist Henk Nieborg's old-school throwback, Battle Axe, seeks to replicate the classic top-down hack and slash action of arcade classics such as Gauntlet, Knights of the Round and Golden Axe. Fans looking for old-school arcade action, be it single-player or to play with friends, need to give Battle Axe a spin.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) Battle Axe is not an easy game, but it is exciting and one that you’ll find yourself jumping right back into the fray almost as quickly as you die. Here, surrounded by tougher enemies, flame turrets firing in a curved pattern and a maze-like structure, we fell yet again. With the giant skeleton crab behind us, we made our way to the third level, the Keep. Whether played in handheld mode or on the big screen, Battle Axe stands up to its most iconic competitors in every sense. The audio layout is a treat here too, but that’s no surprise Numskull Games tapped legendary composer Manami Matsumae of Mega Man and Final Fight fame to contribute to the game’s stellar score.
The enemy designs are wonderful, too fun, throwback monster designs that will make you feel like you’re back in the heyday of arcades.
The look and feel of Battle Axe perfectly replicates an old-school SNES title, with its layered sprite art and stunning scrolling backgrounds. This boss is gorgeous to behold, as is the game as a whole. Judiciously using melee and special attacks, we managed to fell this boss - a gruesome skeleton crab shooting poison out of its eyes. Regardless, on Easy, we made it to the end of the second level with a single pip of health and on our last life. Iolo’s melee and range are in the middle, but his special doesn’t damage enemies he only teleports across the screen. Fae, on the other hand, has a lightning-fast melee, but her ranged attack is slower as it can only be fired after the previous one connects. Rooney has the fastest ranged attack, but his melee can be slower. The three heroes are just distinct enough from each other to warrant some strategy, each having three attacks: melee, ranged and special. Supporting both single-player and local co-op, Battle Axe pits the three heroes against waves of enemies in a top-down, isometric perspective. Three champions - Rooney the Marauder, Fae the Dark Elf and Iolo the Druid - enter the fray to put an end to Etheldred and rescue the townspeople she has stolen in her reign of terror. Mercia is ruled by Etheldred, an evil sorceress in an icy tower in the northern wastelands. Battle Axe throws back to the arcade heyday of beat ‘em up classics like Golden Axe and brings with it a story equally as much a throwback.
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