Ax Battler - Golden Axe Densetsu (Japan) (v1.5)

The game boots straight to a title screen with Japanese text. Press Start (Enter) to begin. The main menu uses simple kanji and hiragana; the first option is usually "New Game" (たび にでる or a sword icon), while the second may be "Continue" (つづける). Use the D-Pad to move the cursor and the A button (X) to confirm. If you select a wrong option, you can back out with the B button (S).

Once in the game, you control Ax Battler exploring a top-down overworld divided into screens. Talk to NPCs by walking up to them and pressing A. You will enter towns, forests, and caves. Combat is real-time: press B (S) to swing your sword. You have a health bar and magic points. Collect gold and items from fallen enemies. The core loop is simple: explore, fight, level up, and progress through story events. Menus for items, status, and magic are accessed with the Start button; navigate with D-Pad and confirm with A, cancel with B.

The Japanese menus are minimal and mostly use icons. The item menu shows a bag icon, the status screen shows a person icon, and the magic screen shows a wand. Experiment with the D-Pad to see which selection highlights. If you get stuck, remember that the B button often cancels or returns to the previous menu. The game saves progress via passwords, so be ready to write down a code when prompted.