
	Platform Genesis Publisher Sega Developer Sega Released 1988
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Altered Beast

Altered Beast starts with a Zeus-type character commanding you to "Rise from your grave" and rescue the princess from a generic bad guy. You face off against a horde of various enemies across several different environments, confronting a boss character at the conclusion of each level.

altered beast,genesis

Players have two types of attack: kick and punch. Heck, players can even jump and duck! The best part of Altered Beast is the chance to power-up and become a bestial fighter. To gain "altered" mode, power spheres must be collected. Once the spheres are attained, by destroying specific enemies, the level becomes a cakewalk. The beast modes render enemies ineffective because players attain near-god status, flinging fireballs and bolts of electricity. As a human fighter, the game is extremely difficult. Receive three hits and you’re dead. Three hits in beast mode will send you back to a mortal existence.

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Part of the problem with fighting as a human is the unresponsive controls. There seems to be a split second delay between the time the button is pressed and the movement on screen. Defeating the boss characters relies on correct timing and positioning, two things that are hard to accomplish with the hit-wait-snap technique required to accomplish anything. Even when the controls are mastered the boss characters are very difficult.

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The graphics are good for the Genesis. Characters are big, detailed and imaginative. The screen continually inches forward from left to right, which gives everything an artificial feel.There’s no sense of exploration. Sound is great. The voice samples are excellent for the Genesis. The music is forgettable.

All told, this isn’t a very good game, lacking the fun factor that makes replay something to look forward to.

- Omni