Altered Beast (1988). Play online

Summary

When I first popped the box, Altered Beast greeted me as the original pack‑in for the Genesis, instantly showcasing the console’s jump from arcade to living room. The side‑scrolling beat‑’em‑up feels solid under my thumbs—punch, kick, jump, and the thrill of snagging three Spirit Balls to morph into a were‑dragon, were‑bear, were‑tiger, or wolf, each granting its own set of attacks. Up to two players can mash the same arcade cabinets side‑by‑side, which turns those Greek‑myth inspired stages into pure cooperative mayhem.

The transformation sequences were a visual stunt even for the 16‑bit era; Makoto Uchida pushed for flashier effects, and the Genesis hardware mirrors the original System 16 board well enough to keep the changes striking. Over the years the game resurfaced on the Sega Smash Pack, Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection, the Mini console, and even mobile via Sega Forever, proving that its simple but addictive core still grabs players. Even the 3D version on 3DS managed to hold onto that original punch‑kick‑jump‑transform formula.

Storyline

In Altered Beast, Zeus summons a dead Roman centurion back to life to rescue his daughter Athena, who has been seized by Neff, the ruler of the Underworld.

The hero must clear five stages filled with undead monsters, collecting Spirit Balls that grant the power to morph into fearsome beasts.

Each level ends with a brief cut‑scene showing Athena’s plight, and after the fifth round the player confronts Neff in a final showdown to free her.

The arcade ending cheekily reveals the whole adventure was presented as a staged film production.