 In a separate full review of the game, Buchanan noted that the game was an improvement over the console's pack-in game "Keith Courage in Alpha Zones"; he said that "The Legendary Axe" was more fun and had good action compared to the former.He noted that the game remained enjoyable almost 20 years after its release because of its simple platforming gameplay compared to more complicated modern video games like "Mass Effect".He praised the game's smooth animation, innovative and detailed backgrounds, enemy designs, and soundtrack – saying that "any classic game tune nerd would enjoy having [the music] on their iPod".