Considering the bad reputation Altered Beast has, I don't mean to defend it from the hate it's got. Why make a personality out of dissing old games? This is a 1988 title, a port of an arcade game, I don't want to gatekeep you saying "you had to be there" to understand, but the full potential of playing basically an arcade game on your home console wasn't lost on anybody at the time. I wasn't there specifically, but I remember playing Tekken 3 on the PS1 as a kid and feeling the same sense of wonder about the future of videogames. Generation after generation we all have had the same expectations about the future.
Altered Beast is by no means a masterpiece but it's funny. It's hard and controls aren't intuitive (did you know you can kick up by crouching and kicking?), but bit by bit I reached the end of the game and saved the day. If you don't consider every restart, since every time you lose all lives you go back to the beginning, the game doesn't last long, but it gave me something: everytime the player would power up twice and he'd become this big mountain of a man, when hit he'd be laying down on the grass in a funny pose (see the sprite in the bottom). Like the Peter Griffin pose, that caught me off guard. If someone asked me if it's something worth to take out of a game, I'd say it is, I had a good amount of fun and once the gameplay loop hits, it becomes addicting in a way.
What bummed me were the bosses: the game's difficulty comes from enemy placement during the side scrolling sections, but then the bosses have each a pattern easy to avoid and to exploit. Add the single continue, after which it's game over, you can see why this game is reviled. Me? I find that falling animation funny and the transformations were goofy enough to keep me invested, but if it's worth something I cheered at the golden werewolf, "Just like Super Sonic!" I thought.
Conclusion: I would say Golden Axe is better, but why wouldn't it be? I can see where Team Shinobi and the porting team learned their lessons right here. I think it's worth checking out because it's funny and there shouldn't be any bias when playing games, since there are standards and I understand, but we should all be able to enjoy things nonetheless. I mean come on it's 15 minutes long at least give it a try!
Altered Beast is by no means a masterpiece but it's funny. It's hard and controls aren't intuitive (did you know you can kick up by crouching and kicking?), but bit by bit I reached the end of the game and saved the day. If you don't consider every restart, since every time you lose all lives you go back to the beginning, the game doesn't last long, but it gave me something: everytime the player would power up twice and he'd become this big mountain of a man, when hit he'd be laying down on the grass in a funny pose (see the sprite in the bottom). Like the Peter Griffin pose, that caught me off guard. If someone asked me if it's something worth to take out of a game, I'd say it is, I had a good amount of fun and once the gameplay loop hits, it becomes addicting in a way.
What bummed me were the bosses: the game's difficulty comes from enemy placement during the side scrolling sections, but then the bosses have each a pattern easy to avoid and to exploit. Add the single continue, after which it's game over, you can see why this game is reviled. Me? I find that falling animation funny and the transformations were goofy enough to keep me invested, but if it's worth something I cheered at the golden werewolf, "Just like Super Sonic!" I thought.
Conclusion: I would say Golden Axe is better, but why wouldn't it be? I can see where Team Shinobi and the porting team learned their lessons right here. I think it's worth checking out because it's funny and there shouldn't be any bias when playing games, since there are standards and I understand, but we should all be able to enjoy things nonetheless. I mean come on it's 15 minutes long at least give it a try!
1988 beat 'em up with auto side scrolling that you can beat in less than 10 minutes. It's not bad.
The controls are stiff, it's very easy to completely decimate the bosses, the voice acting is ridiculous, and yet here I am, telling you to give it a try. I can't help it, but every game I have fun with is a good one in my book.
The controls are stiff, it's very easy to completely decimate the bosses, the voice acting is ridiculous, and yet here I am, telling you to give it a try. I can't help it, but every game I have fun with is a good one in my book.
Before Sonic, there was Altered Beast as the Genesis/Mega Drive's pack-in title. Did it do its job? Ehhh...
On one hand, it does a pretty great job at immediately showcasing the system's power, with this looking almost identical to the arcade machine, something very impressive at the time. Sound's not quite as nice, as always, but it's still far better than what the NES could do, and as a whole it does definitely give you the "arcade at home" experience. As a game tho? This is as forgettable as they come.
This game's legacy is just "that one weird buff furry game that came with the Genesis before Sonic did" and for good reason. It's a bland, repetitive beat 'em up with stiff controls that you can beat in an hour as long as you're willing to put up with how boring and simplistic it is. It's not horrible, it's an okay freebie and an alright technical showcase, but it's instantly clear why this was replaced by Sonic just two years later.
On one hand, it does a pretty great job at immediately showcasing the system's power, with this looking almost identical to the arcade machine, something very impressive at the time. Sound's not quite as nice, as always, but it's still far better than what the NES could do, and as a whole it does definitely give you the "arcade at home" experience. As a game tho? This is as forgettable as they come.
This game's legacy is just "that one weird buff furry game that came with the Genesis before Sonic did" and for good reason. It's a bland, repetitive beat 'em up with stiff controls that you can beat in an hour as long as you're willing to put up with how boring and simplistic it is. It's not horrible, it's an okay freebie and an alright technical showcase, but it's instantly clear why this was replaced by Sonic just two years later.
Honestly, there are some good ideas in here, but it's ultimately too challenging, and the controls are not the best. Definitely a good port of the arcade original, but even that was too hard. Good if you want to experience some classic gaming history.
i like the idea of this game a lot with it's progression system of collecting power ups that let you turn into a super powered beast form to fight the stage boss. i also think its cool that each level with the exception of the last has unique transformations with unique attacks. i also think theres a bit of charm with the way the game looks and all the bit crushed voice clips and stuff. thats pretty much where the praise ends though. the game is just kinda janky as hell. theres all sorts of shit the happens that i find so dumb like getting hit during transformations, the way you can just jump and spam kick over and over again and it kinda works sometimes, the way you can get hit and not lose health sometimes but get hit by the same thing and lose health, just weird inconsistent stuff like that. also maybe im just stupid and didnt look around enough but i couldnt find anything like health pickups or extra lives, and the game doesnt have continues at all. even though the game is short its still kinda difficult and in a bad way that inflates the amount of time it takes to beat. i got to the final boss but had practically no health left and no lives, and i dont think its possible to not take damage to the final boss so it feels like you have to get there without taking any or minimal damage and lose no lives which i just cant do, so i gave up. overall, cool game concept, reallll shit execution
This game just feels surreal to me. No context, just RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE, turn into werewolf and beat shit up. I can see why this was probably pretty popular back in the day, even if the controls are jank.
(Obviously it's an arcade game though so wasn't really expecting much more context to the game, just thought it was kinda funny)
(Obviously it's an arcade game though so wasn't really expecting much more context to the game, just thought it was kinda funny)
It's very simple, pretty easy, and repetitive...also short. I think it's quite fun, but yeah it aint anything special nowadays.
Shame it's also the only good game in this series....
Shame it's also the only good game in this series....
I always through people liked this game because of nostalgia, but I enjoyed playing through it. The stage 4 boss can suck it though.
Rise from your grave and rescue my daughter lol no I respect this game its not that great though.
My parents wouldn't let me play this is a kid for some reason. That was okay, because it wasn't a very good game.
Altered Beast is an interesting game. It was pretty controversial around when it was launched, mostly due to people saying that the game wasn't great and had a lot of issues. Hindsight has mostly proven them right. This game can be fun at times, but has a lot of tedium in most of its gameplay. It's fine visually, and a great technical showcase, but not a good enough game in its own right.
Pretty awful experience. Fondly remembered as most people's first taste of the Megadrive as it was a pack-in title, but all things said and done it's a strictly average port of the arcade run-and-growl
I had nightmares about this as a kid.
A Megadrive beat'em up classic alright. It aged, sure, but not as for the worst as it seems for many people.
Jamas le pude agarrar gusto a este juego, no es horrible, pero no es para mi.
When i was a kid i went to my friends birthday party and some dumbass i never met before was playing this on my friends wii and i thought it looked cool so i asked
"What is that game"
Then he was like "i dunno"
Then i said "Well youre playing the game what the cr*p is it"
He responds "i dont know"
I beg "Do you know the name of the game atleast"
He grimaces and says "no"
...."Can i p-
"no"
So i leave the room and come back and the game is paused so i sit down and continue playing and according to my mom because at this point in the story for whatever reason shes sitting down near the couch that im playing the game on. The kid from before comes back and says "thats my game give it back" and im like "What" "dude give me my game back youre mean" For some reason according to my mom i just stare at him for 1 minute straight emotionless and he just leaves i have no recollection of this
Anyway, the game fucking sucks but it takes an hour to beat so if you want to digest some slop bone apple tit
"What is that game"
Then he was like "i dunno"
Then i said "Well youre playing the game what the cr*p is it"
He responds "i dont know"
I beg "Do you know the name of the game atleast"
He grimaces and says "no"
...."Can i p-
"no"
So i leave the room and come back and the game is paused so i sit down and continue playing and according to my mom because at this point in the story for whatever reason shes sitting down near the couch that im playing the game on. The kid from before comes back and says "thats my game give it back" and im like "What" "dude give me my game back youre mean" For some reason according to my mom i just stare at him for 1 minute straight emotionless and he just leaves i have no recollection of this
Anyway, the game fucking sucks but it takes an hour to beat so if you want to digest some slop bone apple tit
im completely satisfied
my other life i will not miss
an altered beast until i die
and i will not give up on this
NEVER!!!
my other life i will not miss
an altered beast until i die
and i will not give up on this
NEVER!!!
Cleared on March 3rd, 2024 (SEGA Genesis Challenge: 47/160)
Say hello to one of the six launch titles for the Sega Genesis when it was launched in the US. It was the game that came bundled with every Sega Genesis before Sonic took over that position a year later to great success. Altered Beast is an arcade port of a beat-em up where you play as a resurrected human to rescue Zeus daughter from the clutches of Hades, who really wants to welcome you to your doom.
It's pretty much run of the mill as far as side scroller beat-em ups go which isn't surprising since it is launched in 1988, but I liked the idea of transforming into a mighty beast. Upon collecting 3 orbs from the blue hellhounds, you transform into a beast and soon after take on the boss. There's five bosses in the game which are nothing special. The first three bosses are easy enough once you figure out what to do. The fourth boss takes a good amount of hits and avoiding their attack combinations can be difficult under bad circumstances, but then there's the final boss.
Why won't that fucking rhinoceroes die?!
Say hello to one of the six launch titles for the Sega Genesis when it was launched in the US. It was the game that came bundled with every Sega Genesis before Sonic took over that position a year later to great success. Altered Beast is an arcade port of a beat-em up where you play as a resurrected human to rescue Zeus daughter from the clutches of Hades, who really wants to welcome you to your doom.
It's pretty much run of the mill as far as side scroller beat-em ups go which isn't surprising since it is launched in 1988, but I liked the idea of transforming into a mighty beast. Upon collecting 3 orbs from the blue hellhounds, you transform into a beast and soon after take on the boss. There's five bosses in the game which are nothing special. The first three bosses are easy enough once you figure out what to do. The fourth boss takes a good amount of hits and avoiding their attack combinations can be difficult under bad circumstances, but then there's the final boss.
Why won't that fucking rhinoceroes die?!
I never understood this game, it was probably someone’s kink. But I’m not opposed to it, it’s short and fun and not so hard. Plus, the music and the graphics are notoriously good for its time.
Don't ask me why I like this game and it's setting so much, I really don't know
This is a weird one because I definitely respect it on a base level and think the idea is cool however I just think it’s relatively unimpressive and kinda boring to play. Still I’m happy this helped put the genesis on the map but later games would greatly improve and show off how great the genesis could truly be. Besides there’s better genesis games from the late 80s like ghouls n ghost and revenge of Shinobi. To me this feels like a below average nes beat ‘em up game with some slightly more detailed graphics thanks to it being 16 bit.
If you want something similar yet way better play the splatterhouse games.
If you want something similar yet way better play the splatterhouse games.
the fatass rhino destroyed me
I think it was Left Left B B start but you can jump to your favorite level to practice. I didn't have much as a kid in the late 90s early 2000s but I did have an old Sega genesis and I loved this games aesthetic so much. Short and sweet story with cool moves and a true classic.
Jogo interessante, com boas ideias, bem feio, mesmo pra sua época, faltou capricho nas sprites, mas é um jogo funcional q se tornou um clássico cult.
Nota: 5/10 (★★☆) - Jogável
Nota: 5/10 (★★☆) - Jogável
I spent years trying to beat this game on original hardware. Mastered the first 3 levels, bosses were piss easy. level 4 has the hardest boss fight and the last level is bullshit. Had to use save states to beat the last boss who is a hilariously well animated rhino man and managed to find a way to cheese him. It's weird this game is considered one of the classics of the mega drive when it's really mid as hell and doesn't represent the console well.
Good game
It's as straightforward and basic as a beat 'em up can get, and while I would've no doubt been pissed if I ever paid full price for it back then (as it was also sold after its time as a freebie with the Genesis), it's not a bad time killer once you figure out where the wolves spawn and have 15 minutes to spare. It's also one of few games I've beaten completely drunk off my ass in the morning (night shifters rejoice).
I suppose it also helps that I have a bit of nostalgia for the game, even if I'm not a boomer. When I was 7 years old in 2003, someone in the family got me one of those Jakks Pacific plug and plays with this game on it. I was legitimately terrified of the first boss and his semi-realistic human face...so much so that I didn't bother revisiting the game until years later in high school.
I suppose it also helps that I have a bit of nostalgia for the game, even if I'm not a boomer. When I was 7 years old in 2003, someone in the family got me one of those Jakks Pacific plug and plays with this game on it. I was legitimately terrified of the first boss and his semi-realistic human face...so much so that I didn't bother revisiting the game until years later in high school.
Ele é um dos primeiros games lançados para o mega mas ele é bem datado pros dias de hoje e também é bem difícil,mas ele tem seu charme
Cheio de boas idéias, mas essa poha é ruim pa krlh
The game that taught me true horrors as a kid I hated the transformation scenes