At the start of Legendary Axe, the game seems to be a standard action-platformer in the vein of Castlevania. However, it quickly distinguishes itself as the “Axe Meter” comes into play and adds a layer of strategy to each fight. This meter makes the axe do greater damage the more it’s filled, but empties after each swing. Since it takes about four seconds for the meter to recharge when fully upgraded, attacking places high value on precision and patience as opposed to mashing buttons. Considering all the enemies that are much faster and have a wider range than you, making the most of every hit is essential. Thankfully, the game is still manageable as long as you position and time yourself carefully. The labyrinthian fifth level does justify a walkthrough though, and the infinite continue code (I + Select, then hold Left) also helps quite a bit.

As cliche as it is to say, this game is exactly what I’d imagine for a 2D Dark Souls.