Wow, how old are you?
The home console version was on Genesis, the first one was OK, but the Genny sequels suck balls. The arcade version is the best. But even better, and the final word on that type of game, and one my favorite games, is the arcade Golden Axe II: Revenge of Death Adder. 4-player co-op (all 4 players can pick up an enemy and slam its ass to the ground), kick-ass players (a minotaur, the giant with the dwarf on his back, etc.). Awesome.
Genesis fan here. Metal Thrashing Mark: Phantasy Star II was great, still is. I prefer it to the Final Fantasy "games", which are more cinematics than games nowadays.