When Altered Beast first hit arcades in 1988, it was a spectacle—an action-packed, side-scrolling beat ’em up drenched in Greek mythology and transformation-based combat. Developed by Sega and helmed by Golden Axe creator Makoto Uchida, Altered Beast quickly became a recognizable title, largely due to its inclusion as a pack-in game for the Sega Genesis. But does it still hold up today?
The premise is simple but compelling: Zeus resurrects a fallen warrior to rescue his daughter, Athena, from the clutches of the demon god Neff. Throughout five short levels, the hero battles through hordes of monsters in a corrupted ancient world. The standout element? Powering up and transforming into powerful beast forms.
At its core, Altered Beast is a basic beat ’em up with slow but deliberate movement. Players punch, kick, and jump-kick through waves of enemies, collecting “spirit balls” from white wolves. These orbs enhance the player’s strength and eventually trigger a dramatic transformation into a beast form—such as a Werewolf, Dragon, Bear, Tiger, or Golden Werewolf—each with unique abilities like fireballs, electric attacks, or devastating melee strikes.
However, while the transformations are the game’s highlight, the combat itself feels stiff and sluggish compared to other beat ’em ups of the era, like Double Dragon or Final Fight. Enemy waves can feel repetitive, and the difficulty often stems from unresponsive controls rather than tight design.
For an early Genesis title, Altered Beast showcased impressive sprite work, particularly in the beast transformations and the grotesque enemy designs. The scrolling backgrounds capture a mythological horror aesthetic, adding to the game’s eerie charm.
On the audio front, Altered Beast is infamous for its digitized voice clips—Zeus’s booming “Rise from your grave!” and Neff’s mocking “Welcome to your doom!” have become meme-worthy in gaming history. The music is serviceable but not particularly memorable, consisting of eerie, atmospheric tunes that set the tone but don’t stand out like the soundtracks of Castlevania or Streets of Rage.
With only five levels, Altered Beast is a short game, beatable in under 30 minutes. However, the difficulty is uneven—early levels are manageable, but the later stages ramp up in frustrating ways, particularly with enemy swarms and cheap deaths. The limited continues in some versions add to the challenge.
Despite its brevity, Altered Beast is worth revisiting occasionally for its nostalgic appeal, especially in co-op mode. However, the lack of depth means it doesn’t hold long-term replay value like other classics.
Altered Beast is a game that thrives on its atmosphere and concept rather than its mechanics. It’s an iconic piece of Sega history, but compared to later beat ’em ups, it feels clunky and underdeveloped. It remains a fun, nostalgic experience, especially for fans of early Genesis titles, but its gameplay hasn’t aged as gracefully as its mythological aesthetic.
Pros:
Unique transformation mechanic
Classic, memorable voice clips
Fun co-op mode
Cons:
Stiff, sluggish controls
Short length with repetitive combat
Uneven difficulty and cheap deaths
A cult classic with undeniable charm, Altered Beast is best enjoyed as a historical curiosity rather than a deep or refined beat ’em up.
