With the release of Golden Axe at the arcade Sega put its own stamp on the side scrolling Beat em' up genre to compete with The Double Dragons and Final Fight and soon enough we had the opportunity to play it at home on  the Sega Genesis. For me this was a Godsend as I was a HUGE fan of the arcade and felt the home version was pretty admirable (considering the limitations of the genesis). Time had passed and the Arcades around me started closing down and I was left with my local laundry mat that I didn't even know had an arcade machine in the back let alone...GOLDEN AXE 2 !!! JUMPIN JELLYBEANS !! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS A PART 2. When I played it I immediately noticed the differences from the first one. For starters, the graphics were(and still are) drawn to perfection , using bigger sprites and many more frames of animation ..the screen is just a feast for the eyes , bursting with vibrant color and detail ( wait until you see the full powered fire magic WOW!).Alas, none of this would matter if the game play wasn't good... and it IS! The game play is very similar to the original but somehow it feels a little tighter here and you're characters have one or two additional moves. The branching  paths continue here as the original and add some relay value . There are also sequences in which you're characters  move INTO the screen usually to avoid GIANT boulders that adds a fresh break from the hack and slash game play. This was how you should do a sequel !! More time passed and eventually I heard Sega was bringing out Golden Axe 2 for Sega Genesis and of course I was overjoyed! When the day came to pick up my copy for genesis I ran down to the local retailer got home took a deep breath and put the game into the Genesis turned on the power switch and noticed that this was NOT the ARCADE but an original sequel. Why Sega? The first one made it home why not the second?  The game disappointed on every level compared to the original UNLIKE the ARCADE  which to this day remains one of the most underplayed beautiful side scrolling beat em ups  that deserves your attention.Happy Gaming!!!