Golden Axe launched in 1989 and provided a welcome change to the standard belt-scrolling brawler format.
Instead of controlling a leather-clad vigilante in some grim cityscape, you assumed the role of three fantasy warriors, battling across a fantasy world not entirely dissimilar to that seen in Robert E. Howard's iconic Conan novels (and the subsequent Hollywood movies).
Over a decade earlier, Atari launched its VCS / 2600 home console in North America, which might lead you to assume that hosting a port of Golden Axe would be far beyond its capabilities – but Brazilian coder alfredtdk has other ideas.
Before you get too excited, it's worth noting that the original coin-op isn't serving as the template here; alfredtdk is porting the Master System version of Golden Axe to Atari's legendary console instead, as that is their "favorite version" of the game (Sega's 8-bit console was incredibly popular in Brazil, and will have been many people's first gaming platform in that region). The game's title is Tarik - A Golden Axe Story.
"I love the Master System version, so I'm trying to bring maximum visual fidelity to SEGA's 8-bit console in this port," explains alfredtdk. "It also brings an arcade element missing from home consoles: when opponents are finally defeated, they transform into clay creatures. While it's still a work in progress, we currently have two transitional screens available, but it's already quite enjoyable."
If you fancy checking out the progress of the port so far, you can download it here.