Golden Axe II is that classic Sega Genesis beat-em-up where you pick between three warriors—axe-swinging barbarian, sword-wielding dwarf, or the quick-moving amazon—and just start wrecking skeletons, lizard men, and other fantasy goons. The controls are simple (slash, jump, magic), but the real fun is in the little details, like kicking enemies off screen or stealing magic potions from those little gnome guys who run away screaming.

It’s basically more of the same from the first Golden Axe, but with a few new enemy types and slightly better graphics. The dragon-summoning magic still feels awesome, though I wish the dwarf’s earthquake spell didn’t take so long to charge. If you’ve got a buddy for co-op, it’s a solid way to burn an afternoon slashing through Dark Guld’s army.