 | Digital Release: | Steam October 18, 2020 |
| Delisting: | October 19, 2020 | |
| Developer: | The Eccentric Ape | |
| Publisher: | Sega | |
| Available On: | None | |
| Links: | SteamDB page |
Delisting
As part of their 60th anniversary celebration Sega announced on October 14th, 2020 that four free “mini games” would be released on Steam, once a day, between October 15th and 18th. All four games would then be removed from sale on October 19th, giving players a dwindling amount of time to claim each one. As of October 22nd it is unclear if Sega will make these titles available again in one form or another.
Sega “re-released” two of the titles in November with Streets of Kamurocho being available between November 13th and 16th, and Armor of Heroes available between November 19th and 22nd. At the time this suggested that the remaining two games would also briefly return before the end of Sega’s 60th anniversary celebration on December 13th, 2020.
NOTE: Based on feedback from readers it appears that there are a few methods to claim these and other free titles on Steam. SteamDB offers a walkthrough on one process while you can also simply visit a game’s SteamDB page (check the table above) and try the green “Install” button at top right.
About the Game
At the beginning of this decade, SEGA Studios Australia was working on a series of reboots of classic SEGA IP, known collectively as the SEGA Reborn series. These included 2.5D reboots of Golden Axe, Altered Beast, and Streets of Rage, as well as an endless runner version of Shinobi, all encompassed in a universal hub world.
Sadly SEGA Studios Australia’s doors were shuttered in 2013, and with it the SEGA Reborn project was lost to the annals of video game history.
Until now.
On the occasion of SEGA’s 60th Anniversary, as a special treat to say “Thank You!” to our fans, SEGA is releasing a working prototype of Golden Axe Reborn, a single level created as proof-of-concept, or what’s known in the industry as a “vertical slice.” We’ve dubbed it, tongue in cheek, as “Golden Axed.”
Golden Axed offers a unique glimpse into the prospect of a project that could have been, and a rare peek behind the curtain at the sometimes tumultuous world of video game development.
We reached out to some of the original development team to bring this dusty gem to light, and they are proud that this project could be revived in some form to be shared with you, the fans.