10 SEGA Mega Drive Games That Deserve a 21st Century Overhaul

Technically a re-imagining of Golden Axe already exists – it's called Beast Rider and was released in 2008.

It doesn't count.

Beast Rider was terrible, not only because it wasn't a particularly good stand-alone game, but because it didn't stay true to it's origins. For one, the original was really hard and almost relied on entirely on being played as a local multiplayer for you to survive it.

By teaming up with a second player, the challenge – while still tough – became do-able. Golden Axe set the bar for side-scrolling hack-and-slash games, with an awesome fantasy setting, three completely different playable characters with their own abilities, fun mini-games at the campfires, and hugely challenging boss fights.

Fans don't want another single-player re-imagining like Beast Rider, but a more loyal remake of the original classic. Give us Gilius the dwarf, Ax, the warrior, and Tyris, the Amazon, and unleash us on a lush, 3D world inspired by the Conan universe, full of undead skeletons, imps, beasts and demons for us to hack our way through.

RPG elements could help lend some permanence to the world – with campsites or towns to protect and build up, weapons and armour to craft, and powers to unlock – but the focus needs to be the fighting and co-op play.