<s>
is	O
a	O
side-scrolling	B-Application
beat	I-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
up	I-Application
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sega	O
,	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Mega	I-Operating_System
Drive	I-Operating_System
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
June	O
25	O
,	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
North	O
American	O
version	O
was	O
released	O
only	O
for	O
the	O
Sega	B-Application
Channel	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
later	O
re-released	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
times	O
,	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
Collection	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
's	I-Application
Ultimate	I-Application
Genesis	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
for	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
digitally	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
,	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
Classics	O
compilation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Damud	O
Hellstrike	O
,	O
the	O
Prince	O
of	O
Darkness	O
,	O
has	O
taken	O
away	O
the	O
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
and	O
put	O
an	O
evil	O
curse	O
over	O
all	O
the	O
warriors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
heroes	O
has	O
their	O
curse	O
relieved	O
and	O
is	O
sent	O
to	O
set	O
things	O
straight	O
–	O
lift	O
the	O
curse	O
off	O
the	O
others	O
,	O
defeat	O
the	O
villain	O
and	O
return	O
with	O
the	O
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kain	O
Grinder	O
and	O
Sarah	O
Burn	O
are	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
Ax	O
Battler	O
and	O
Tyris	O
Flare	O
respectively	O
in	O
the	O
Sega	B-Application
Channel	I-Application
localization	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
III	I-Application
has	O
many	O
new	O
moves	O
,	O
including	O
blocking	O
,	O
sweep	O
attacks	O
,	O
projectile	O
attacks	O
,	O
defensive	O
and	O
offensive	O
special	O
attacks	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
updated	O
grappling	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
features	O
that	O
were	O
removed	O
in	O
the	O
second	O
game	O
were	O
brought	O
back	O
in	O
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
magic	O
system	O
returned	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
version	O
from	O
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
,	O
with	O
characters	O
using	O
all	O
collected	O
magic	O
potions	O
every	O
time	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
allowing	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
choose	O
how	O
much	O
magic	O
to	O
use	O
by	O
charging	O
the	O
magic	O
meter	O
like	O
in	O
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mounts	O
in	O
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
III	I-Application
have	O
turned	O
into	O
a	O
hybrid	O
snail-ostrich	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
the	O
chicken-leg	O
or	O
the	O
dragon-raptors	O
in	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
four	O
types	O
of	O
Bizarrans	O
in	O
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
choose	O
their	O
own	O
route	O
to	O
the	O
golden	B-Application
axe	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
graphics	O
are	O
by	O
far	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
plain	O
looking	O
on	O
the	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
gave	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
release	O
a	O
5	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
,	O
saying	O
"	O
Legend	O
has	O
it	O
that	O
SEGA	O
thought	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
the	O
product	O
was	O
so	O
low	O
,	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
worthless	O
or	O
,	O
worse	O
,	O
damaging	O
to	O
even	O
publish	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
And	O
whether	O
or	O
not	O
that	O
's	O
actually	O
true	O
,	O
the	O
quality	O
assessment	O
at	O
its	O
heart	O
is	O
on	O
target	O
–	O
because	O
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
III	I-Application
is	O
certainly	O
the	O
worst	O
of	O
its	O
franchise	O
trilogy.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
,	O
they	O
described	O
the	O
graphics	O
as	O
bland	O
and	O
ugly	O
,	O
and	O
particularly	O
criticized	O
that	O
the	O
gameplay	O
showed	O
no	O
advancement	O
from	O
the	O
first	O
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
,	O
even	O
removing	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
advancements	O
seen	O
in	O
Golden	B-Application
Axe	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
