Altered Beast

Sega, 1988, Platform / Fighter Scrolling






Most gamers have played or at least heard of Altered Beast. It's a classic 1-2 player game which was released at the arcades in 1988, and was later ported to many different home systems.

The story is one of a centurion who has died in battle, but is later raised from the dead by the great god Zeus, whose daughter has been... wait for it... kidnapped!!!



Hmm I guess I shouldn't be too critical about the semi-lame plot. We are talking about a game released in 1988.

So anyway, Zeus' daughter, Athena, was kidnapped by none other than Neff, the evil lord of the Underworld.

Zeus has granted you the ability to shift into different powerful and magical beasts (via power-ups), but Neff can do this too, so be prepared for some epic battles at the end of every stage.



BRING IT ON, NEFF!!!


Oh boy...


If you're unfamiliar with Greek mythology, then you probably have no idea who Zeus is. If you ARE familiar with Greek mythology, then you're probably wondering what a centurion is doing in what looks like Ancient Greece!

And why did he just turn into a werewolf?

But this originality and creativity is a huge part of why this game is so immersive and fun for me.



There are only 5 stages to beat, but the stages are challenging and they are very diverse, with quite a few different types of enemies to face.

By the end of the game you will feel like it was enough work for one day.

The waves of standard enemies you face are pretty easy to kill, but if you get too relaxed about it they will be all over you like seagulls on a chip.



A basic enemy you'll encounter.


It's a lot of fun discovering the different forms you can morph into throughout the
game, and these forms require that you get used to them in the short amount of time you have before the boss fights. You will face the bosses soon after becoming fully morphed.

All of the forms are completely different. You'll find you aren't getting bored as quickly as you do in some other beat 'em ups where you can only do the same attacks throughout the entire game, and only have two or three characters to choose from (Eg: Double Dragon and Final Fight).


For a game released in 1988, the graphics, music and sound effects are all top notch and the creativity of the game's overall design is awe-inspiring. The gameplay and flow of the game stops it from getting boring fast and really seals the deal.

An absolute must-play game, especially with a friend. Enjoy.