Unbelievably, before Sonic the Hedgehog arrived on the scene, Altered Beast was SEGA's big, flagship game. Paraded to consumers as a (relatively) faithful adaption of the arcade version, Altered Beast showcased what the Mega Drive could do graphically and sonically, especially compared to the aging NES. It evidently worked but Altered Beast has aged like milk and isn't really worth revisiting.
The game is essentially a scrolling beat 'em up but it suffers from woefully stiff movement, a limited move-set and very little enemy variety. The game is frustratingly difficult because the character you control moves like ass and levels have no real design to speak of, they're just totally flat stretches that see an occasional enemy stroll into view to bash.
Admittedly Altered Beast does have some memetic value. I mean, you're playing as a buff bodybuilder who wanders around graveyards in tight little speedos, punching the heads off shambling zombies before transforming into a wolf or a dragon or whatever. There's something hilarious about the premise. It's a shame the game doesn't offer anything beyond a light chuckle.
The game is essentially a scrolling beat 'em up but it suffers from woefully stiff movement, a limited move-set and very little enemy variety. The game is frustratingly difficult because the character you control moves like ass and levels have no real design to speak of, they're just totally flat stretches that see an occasional enemy stroll into view to bash.
Admittedly Altered Beast does have some memetic value. I mean, you're playing as a buff bodybuilder who wanders around graveyards in tight little speedos, punching the heads off shambling zombies before transforming into a wolf or a dragon or whatever. There's something hilarious about the premise. It's a shame the game doesn't offer anything beyond a light chuckle.