Play Altered Beast Online

Altered Beast came out in 1988 as a pack-in title for the Sega Genesis, known as the Mega Drive in other regions. It was developed and published by Sega, arriving early in the console's life to show off its capabilities. The game was a direct conversion of the arcade cabinet, placing it among the first wave of home console ports that aimed to replicate the coin-op experience.

You control a centurion resurrected by Zeus, moving from left to right across screen-by-screen stages. Your goal is to rescue Athena from the demon Neff, fighting through hordes of undead and mythical creatures. The core mechanic involves collecting three glowing spirit balls dropped by certain foes; with each one, your character bulks up, and grabbing the third triggers a transformation into a powerful beast like a werewolf, dragon, or bear. Combat is simple, relying on a punch and a jump attack, but the screen scrolls automatically, forcing you forward into enemies. The difficulty is unrelenting, with cheap hits and limited continues making progress a trial. Playing Altered Beast feels like a brief, brutal slog where your momentary power-ups are the only reprieve from the constant onslaught.