@@victor.elkins Was you mom Helen Keller? No offense, but really, the difference between this and any NES game in 1989 was nigh and day... from the huge character and enemy sprites, to the foreground/background depth effects, much richer colors, lots of flicker-free simultaneous sprites, uncompromised two-player mode, full screen animations, rich stereo sound, etc.
I completely agree. I got this as my pack in for the Genesis on Christmas of 1989. I especially liked the opening preview with the close-up of the moving eye. It was great to hear the voices on my Genesis for the first time.
@@chuckyluvsu13 he put out a video every 2 days, he needs to play the game and capture the footage for the next video... I don't think he has so much time to answer YT comment
when i first saw this as a kid it damn near blew my mind. the sprites were MASSIVE. the graphics so life-like! it felt DARK and EVIL...it was beautiful.
As someone you played this day one for the Genesis. You are absolutely right. It blew my mind coming from the 8-Bit NES. This was the first 16 bit game I ever experienced at home.The graphics were mind blowing, and it was fun as hell with a friend. But...I could see how it was quickly dropped as more advanced games came out. But yes, you had to be there. In 1989 at 8 years old though..it was amazing.
Altered Beast was stunning back in its day! It was Sega’s Answer to Bad Dudes, Vigilante etc in the arcades! When i got my genesis back in the day this was the pack in game and it was lightyears ahead of anything at that time, and it was 2 players!
"Well, looks like my resurrected mortal Roman centurion lost all three lives and is out of continues, so, sorry honey, you'll just have to make do with your new husband Nef. I mean, I'm the God of all Gods and I could easily save you if it occurred to me to lift a finger, but hey, I want you to be a strong, independent, empowered woman and saving you would be the ancient version of mansplaining, so..."
Loved this game. Got it with my Sega Genesis in 1989. I was eight and never seen anything like it. So different than Mario and Nintendo. Alot of the UA-camrs saying this game is awful are really commercial pseudo gamers only looking for likes and know nothing about gaming, the history or sacrifices taken to make a good game.
I love how people who weren’t there or even alive give long winded reviews criticizing it. They’ll never truly know how amazing it was to see the beast transformations.
@@jgw1846 I think it's completely valid to crticize any video game even if you weren't around for the context of release. Nobody can control something like that, and if they want to share something who cares. I really doubt shitting on Altered Beast does much for clicks.
@@siveon298 I think it's more of....people comparing Altered Beast to games that came after it. Unless you lived in that time, you wouldnt understand how revolutionary it was at the time. Being there and actually experiencing it does matter, and understanding the impact it had on gaming back then is best told through those that actually experienced it.
As an Amiga owner I always compared Altered Beast to Shadow of the Beast, in which I always felt Altered Beast fell a bit short. But with this being said. Shadow of the Beast was a technical marvel on the Amiga, with amazing graphics, unique nightmarish theme and wonderful music. It has the same shortcomings of altered beast's simplistic arcade gameplay. But we have to remember that 1989 was a completely different time. Having something that looked and played like the arcade at home was just simply jaw dropping! huge flicker-free sprites running at 50/60fps was truly an amazing sight to behold.
@@richhutnik2477 I actually consider myself fortunate to have had commodore computers instead of consoles. it was always something special with the multimedia capabilities of those. and we got a lot of computer-exclusive games as well. :) But with that being said. I always wanted a Genesis! 😂
Outstanding. That was exactly one of the complaints about the game when it was first released in the late 1980s. One other problem with the Genesis version of the game is that it is so much easier than the arcade game. In the arcade, you had to press the punch or kick buttons at precisely the right moment or the punch/kick wouldn't connect and the enemy would hit you instead, either with a punch of his own or just running into you. This was particularly bad on the werebear stage where there could be a chain of three ant monsters. If you didn't time the punch/kick just right, all three would run into you, one after another, and cause you to lose a fair amount of health.
I remember being 5 or 6 years old and my dad taking me to Box Office Video in Portage IN and renting the Sega Genesis and of course Altered Beast was one of my first rents on the platform... One faves not only for its great visuals, graphics, and voice overs but the concept just amazed me as a child and will be a memory that I always hold dearly... Thanks again Sega lord X for another incredible video!!!!
I love Altered Beast and Golden Axe, but I was playing when they released. I dont try to compare them to games that came afterwards. They both were amazing home ports, considering the ports on Atari or NES at the time. If I'm guilty of anything its not giving them enough credit for my LOVE of the BEAT'EM genre, which I usually credit to Streets of Rage or Final Fight.
You mentioned both these game in one comment. I lament that both these franchises are dead because the lazy developers couldn't make a transition to 3D properly otherwise these games were very fun to play especially for the co op and the setting.
I got a Genesis classic mini for this game alone. Only watched it in the arcades. Couldn't really play it and when wanted to play didn't really have money .. Oh well but still good times. Games were a novelty for us back then
Indeed, the bad criticism this game gets is from people that doesn't manage to understand the context of it's year and what kind of similar games were in the market at that moment. And even wihtout that, still a damn fun, good looking game. Simple yeah, but in a good way, a game can be complex and still be shit,
I played this games for the first time back in 2009 when i was 19 years old, and i truly enjoyed, sure, it aged bad, but i think is still fun to play like golden eye on n64, don't take those games seriously and just have fun
Altered Beast is one of those games that I was able to beat after very little experience, and I generally am terrible at games. Having said that, it was probably quite the novelty in 1989.
Also got this as a pack-in with my Genesis. My brother was already experienced with the arcade version and knew how to defeat the bosses, but my 6 year old self struggled for quite some time and beating this game was quite the achievement then. Nowadays, my biggest gripe is that the plot twist of the arcade ending is not in the port.
It was good as a pack-in game, because it showed what the system could do as far as graphics and sound. I see it as a demo game. At the time, I enjoyed it for a week or two, until I got Ghouls n Ghosts.
When i got my original Genesis, I had the Altered Beast pack-in. It was, as stated, something special to see a fairly faithful arcade port on your home TV. Golden Axe just sweetened the Genesis deal when that came out with yet another competent port. :)
Altered Beast running in attract mode at a local toy store was my introduction to both the game and the Genesis. Needless to say, I was blown away since the Genesis was such a big leap forward. Altered Beast stuck with me and I was thrilled to get it for the Master System some time later. At the time, I enjoyed it a lot(don't judge me!!!!!). I wasn't aware of the missing stage, though I like the bear the least, so it wasn't so bad. Altered Beast on the Master System is perhaps the first game I remember beating. Master System games tended to be hard, as I recall. Anyway, I got my Genesis for Christmas 1991 after Altered Beast was replaced as pack-in game. I remember seeing Altered Beast for sale used at a shop out of town and I made sure to pick it up immediately. I don't recall playing it a ton, but I definitely enjoyed it and got my money's worth. I'll always have a positive view of it and I do return to it from time to time. Certainly, it was impressive at the time. Interesting to hear your suggestions to make it harder(plus there's always the arcade version), but also to see different strategies applied. The one thing that always annoyed me about the Genesis version is how the third power up so often comes right before a boss, not letting you get to really enjoy beast mode if you grab it. Yeah, you could skip a power up, but then you'd have to play another section, which isn't always ideal either, depending on how you're trying to play. Nice that you get the option to vary things up though. Good to hear your review.
I discovered this game trough Sega compilations and it makes me wish I had it as a kid, the atmosphere simple controls and punchy combat would have made it one of my favourite games ever 😊
Even back in the day, I remember some of my friends dumping on Altered Beast. I never played it in the arcade, but enjoyed it when I got my Genesis for Christmas. Coming from an NES and a Commodore 64, the graphics, sound and huge sprites blew me away. Still... I beat it the first time I sat down and played it, so that was kind of a letdown.
I owned Altered Beast on the Master System, and played the hell out of it as a kid. When I later played it on the Genesis, it totally blew me away! If nothing else, at least it's not the Master System version! XD
Are you kidding? Altered Beast is STILL a fantastic game on the Genesis! I remember getting the Genesis on launch day, and playing the pack-in game, Altered Beast, for the first time - I was blown away by how closely it resembled its arcade counterpart.
@@damin9913 - It was a rush job to have it ready in time to be the pack-in title, they added levels to many games that didn't really need extra levels though like Golden Axe and Gain Ground...
Context is everything. i was so happy with getting this with my Mega Drive back then and played the hell out of it. Was so much fun and I had hours of enjoyment getting to learn every enemy and level layout. It could be completed quickly but there was so much content with all it had. I can never understand the hatred it gets because it was really good for its time.
I grew up in the 80's, owned an Atari 2600, a SEGA Mater System and an NES. The Mega-Drive with Altered Beast was a revelation in the late 80's putting most rival games to shame. I still love playing Altered Beast today, it brings back great memories of a great era in Video Games. Excellent video, very much enjoyed the trip down memory lane👍
Altered Beast was the first game I played on my Genesis on Christmas Day 1989 - and I never saw a demo of the system before that, don't remember any TV ads, the only thing I knew about the Genesis was the raving reviews in the magazines. Anywho, I booted up Altered Beast and was stunned by the graphics, I literally didn't think a TV could give you graphics that good. My only experience with anything that looked this good was seeing Amiga demos, and those all (from my understanding at the time) required a computer monitor. To get high definition graphics like this, on your TV, it was amazing. As for the game, I played the hell out of it. It was the only multiplayer game I had at launch and it's the game I'd played over and over and over again with my friends, who were also shocked that games could look this good at home. People saying this game sucked are d-bag millennials who got this as a hand me down in 1999.
Oh it was so impressive at launch, huge sprites, it was 'arcade' as we called it at the time. Bear in mind most of us owned Spectrum's, Amstrad's and C64's at the time.
I got my Sega megadrive here in Brazil packed with this game and I loved it. There was no sonic yet and this really felt like arcade at home back then. Thanks for another video
This was an awesome game, and I think that itt still is especially the arcade version. After all these years, I did not know that there was an option to change the beasts in the menu! Wow that's awesome I just learned something new on an old classic. Thanks!!
I've seen the Genesis or Mega Drive in Brazil for the first time in 89 on the demo inside a supermarket, it was running Altered Beast and I was struck by its beauty. Even after launching sonic I see this as the first best game from Genesis, I'm 39 today and still play this game
I've played this game so many times, and thought that I know almost everything about it, but until now I didn't know that you can change your beast form for each stage in options. xD
Altered Beast was a fine choice for a pack-in game considering the options at launch. It was a game that was fairly well circulated in arcades in the months leading up to the Genesis release date, easy to play and understand, and did exhibit that the Genesis could achieve a close representation of the arcade experience at home, which was a big deal at that time. It is not absolutely arcade perfect of course but this is not all that noticeable unless you are playing the Genesis version immediately after analyzing the arcade version; the game was close enough and fun for quick burst gaming. A solid first impression for a new game system and a way to whet your appetite for better games on the horizon, so it served its' purpose.
I received my Sega Genesis on Christmas of 1989. I would also get Space Harrier 2 and Ghouls N' Ghosts with my Genesis the first game I played was Altered Beast (pack in). Everything about Altered Beast screamed next generation. Altered Beast was the delivery of a promise that Sega was giving us a true arcade experience and it floored everyone at the time. Altered Beast's one loan issue at the time was its length. Altered Beast was the perfect pack in game at the time. It was easy to learn, it mirrored the arcade almost to perfection, and it helped us come to grips with a then truly advanced controller. Unfortunately, far too many UA-cam "reviewers" like to measure games of yester year with titles that release today. Altered Beast was the right game at the right time until Sonic was ready to take over.
It came with the Genesis back in the day so this game instantly brings back memories. Great graphics and music, especially for its time. Played it just yesterday with my son. I’ll always view it as a Sega classic.
We’ve definitely come full circle with games. I never in wildest dreams thought you needed to defend Altered Beast. It’s such a good game. I got it with my launch Sega. That and Ghouls and Ghost are just PERFECT. BUT you are right. You had to be there. These were arcade “perfect” and at home something is early 80 kids were dreaming about.
People love to rag on Altered Beast, but there's a reason why Sega keeps releasing versions of it--it sells. 30 years after it first came out, it's still one of my favorite video games of all time.
Appreciate the commentary at the 9-minute mark, it provides the perspective needed to fairly judge-even appreciate-this game by actually showing a number of the other titles this game was directly competing with at its time of release. Good stuff!
I’m from Brazil and this game came with the console. It was the first MD game I played (at launch). I was a kid and coming from an Atari 2600 straight to a MD game was mind blowing. I still enjoy this game, love it. At the time I had the option to get a MD or a MS (price difference was minimal) and I ended up going with the Master System. I lived in a small town and most of my friends had the MS. Cartridges were crazy expensive, I used to rent them and it would take years for video stores to have a good MD selection for rent. Sometimes I regret not going with the MD right at launch, but then I remember how hard it was to make this decision and I think I chose the right console under the circumstances at that time. Had a lot of fun with the MS and then even more with the MD a couple of years later.
No need to spam it, just press B+start at the titlescreen to select a level/life's/difficulty, then press start to return to the title screen. Now press A+start to start on that level
The Sega Genesis was the first console to give us near perfect arcade ports in 1989. That was huge back then! The arcade was the pinnacle of gaming as far as graphics and sounds and you always wanted that arcade feel at home. That's what made "Altered Beast" so cool as a pack in game for the systems early release. You were getting an arcade game at home in 1989, and it deserves more respect in the fact it was of the first games to break the arcade to console barrier. When I bought my Genesis, I knew it would be a cool game to have and play for the short term, but games like "Golden Axe" were definitely on my future radar. Again, a near arcade quality port, 2 players! This is what we dreamed of, and Sega Genesis and games like Altered Beast were making it happen! You definitely have to understand that or lived it to get it.
I think it’s critically important to remember the smack we were all hooked on in those days - the arcade quality experience. The mostly anemic attempts to bring them to home consoles prior to the Genesis paled in comparison. It’s like we were simply smoking it, but when you stepped into that arcade, you were mainlining it again! I would argue Atered Beast is THE first example of a truly high quality home port for anything as advanced as the Sega System 16 arcade hardware upon which it originally debuted. That was a powerful experience circa 1989/1990. After all those years, we could finally shoot up at home! :)
I was there when it was still new. I liked it back then, and that's never changed. I've never been able to put a finger on exactly why I enjoy it so much, but still find myself wandering back to it every once in awhile these days. However, it has always bugged me that none of the sequels were any good at all.
The worst of the Genesis + Altered Beast pack-in was that it wasn't Genesis + Sonic pack in. That was basically my issue with it when I was 9 years old.
I remember playing Altered Beast in the arcade as a kid and thought it was so cool! When I got my Genesis for Christmas with Altered Beast as a pack-in game, I was amazed at how close it was to the original! I had tons of play-throughs, especially with the cheat codes! Altered Beast coupled with Golden Axe and E-SWAT, I felt like I had the arcade at home!
Received the genesis for Xmas ‘89... altered beast pack-in console bundle shown in video. The graphics/sound/music blew my mind. This video was a great perspective on this game and it’s place in VG history.
It was a great pack in. At the time, it definitely showed off what the Genesis was capable of. While it definitely hasn't aged well, for 1989, this was a pretty good game.
I remeber seeing this game for the first time at macy's as a hands-on demo. The lane to play was huge! Kids, grown adults all surrounded the monitor. People walking by would stop and watch.
This review hit the nail right on the head. Playing this game as a pack in for the genesis blew my mind. In retrospect, it seems like a highly playable tech demo. A game that I still feel the need to pop in every year or so.
This game definitely has to be put into perspective. First, as you said, it was a launch title, and being so, it was one of those games to demonstrate that the arcade was truly coming home. For a console port, it was a pretty good one, and was one of two home console ports at launch that gave you a good idea of what you could expect from the console (of course, little did we know that Sports games would steal the show). I didn’t get my Genesis at launch, but got enough money for Christmas that I could waltz into my local Toys’R’Us, pass the Returns line that almost reached the entrance, and pick up a ticket to purchase my console at the near empty registers (yes, in those days, you could count on the big box stores to still have stuff in stock). Loved the hell out of my Genesis, and it was a motivating driver years later when I decided to add a few retro systems I had an emotional attachment to from when I was younger.
Spot on to how I feel. I just reviewed this and many viewers were upset at my conclusion that it was an “average” game. As you state it was very much a “you had to be there” during the time of its release to appreciate what it was. I’m glad someone else shared the viewpoint. Awesome review!
It was the second Sega game I remember playing in an arcade (Outrun being the first). 7 year old me thought it was one of the neatest games ever. I didn't play it on the Genesis until 1992, so the arcade version was a distant memory by that point. Sure it felt kind of dated, but it was really close to arcade quality, so I thoroughly enjoyed playing it again.
I got this as my first pack in game in 1990. I never thought the game was great, I like the idea of upgrading and tuning to a different beast which had unique abilities. It gave the game something unique and can lead to some nostalgia form me due to this.
Surprised you didn't cover this yet. I think my favorite version is the 3DS 3D Classic version, since you can toggle a setting to play as any animal on any stage. Edit: didn't know about the option screen to change animal forms per stage. You learn something new every day.
Thanks for the video! I got my Genesis about a month after it was released. I first saw Altered Beast in the August 1989 issue of Video Games & Computer Entertainment magazine. This game was impressive--graphic and music-wise! Can't count how many times I beat it!
I remember being around 9 or 10-years-old and playing “Altered Beast” on a Genesis that was set up on display at our local Sears while my Mom was shopping. This was around 1989 or 1990 and it blew my mind! It had this cool, horror-movie type theme and just looked and played great for the time. I actually asked my Mom for a Sega Genesis for Christmas that year and when we went to the store, the sales-person told her the Genesis had no future and that she shouldn’t buy one. Which resulted in me getting my very first videogame system, the NES for Christmas that year. Of course “Sonic the Hedgehog” came out not that long after and changed everything! I definitely agree with Sega Lord X, for the time, “Altered Beast” was a great game. It hasn’t aged exceptionally well but was a good, fun experience when it came out.
i love this game. altered beast was the first genesis game i ever played. even with its flaws its still perfect in my eyes simply because of the concise and varied experience it offers. not to mention it is one of the few beatemups that i can actually tolerate, as all of the action occurs on a 2D plane instead of a jankyass isometric plane like so many beatemups of the era. i prefer the genesis version over arcade
I played this game over at a friends house in 1989. At that point I had not heard of the Genesis and only lived in a world of the NES. This game totally blew me a way with its graphics and gameplay. Yes looking at a few years into the 16 bit wars and it seems easily substandard, but at the time it was pretty amazing. One of the first games I can recall playing that felt like a near true arcade interpretation.
I maintain that this was the perfect pack-in game for the Genesis at its launch. It was a port of a fairly good looking arcade game, and it was close enough that you would need to see the two side by side to spot the differences. It really sold the idea that the Genesis was the arcade at home, and far more capable than anything the NES could pull off graphically. It was 2-player simultaneous, so both included controllers could be used right out of the box. Yes, the game was too short and devoid of content to be worth paying full price for, but as a "freebie" it was perfect. It was also good for SEGA, as it was short enough that consumers would be encouraged to go and buy additional software titles. I think it accomplished exactly what it needed to do. Is it the best game ever? No, but it's certainly not even close to being among the worst titles on the system though. Talking about worst titles, I'm just glad they didn't make Alex Kidd the pack in game, the Genesis would have been laughed out of the North American market.
Hey y'all, guy born in 1987 here... and I was still too old when I played this, because by the time I played this on some friend of my older brother's Mega Drive (it released in 1990 over here, Euro boys represent), my brother's OTHER friend had shown me TMNT on the SNES. And yeah, it's like you say, it's probably not fair to compare an 88 game to a 91 game (92 on the SNES though), and it was made in 8 weeks apparently, and it was the first almost arcade perfect game to show what the Genesis could do and I get it, I get all of that... but I still feel like this one has gotten a harsh treatment from the current era for a REASON. Like... it is SIMPLE, my dudes. Really simple. Final Fight and Streets of Rage felt like they had more thought put into the enemy placement and pacing plus grappling mechanics and weapons, Golden Axe had magic and at least more impressive backgrounds with more details and variation. Are they later games? Yes, but are we really saying we can't compare it to games that are at least running on similar tech at ALL? Look, getting so buff you eventually turn into a monster was cool as hell when I was 6-7, the visceral thrill of that transformation can't be understated. But you are sluggish, your attacks got weird range, and once you turn into a monster you just mash attacks as you destroy all enemies that walk right into those attacks. Kung Fu and Bad Dudes are just as shallow (Hell, Kung Fu doesn't even have two different levels of height), and people barely remember them now or speak fondly of its gameplay. That the only way to eke some challenge out of AB seems to be a method I've never even heard of until this video isn't what I'd call a positive. I feel like Altered Beast is an experience that thrills the hell out of you the first time you play it if you're a kid and you've had no cooler formative experiences. But beyond those factors, I don't think there's much more to say for the game. It was a game of it's time, and that time has well and truly passed. We of the old era can gather among us and fondly recall the first time we turned into a dragon or heard "WISE FWOM YOUW GWAVE", but like, trying to argue it was actually GOOD to youngsters with more graphically advanced games as their firsts? That is pompous vanity, brothers and sisters. That is a fools rose-tinted errand.
This game was the reason why I wanted a Sega Genesis in 89. I got one the following year. I played the hell out of Altered Beast. I still go back to it to this day. This dude in Walgreens was mentioning it to his friend next to me in the line but he couldn't remember the name so I told him. Both of them got excited and said yeah that's the one. A lot of people loved this game back in the day. It must have done really well in the arcade for it to be released on nearly every home platform including MS- DOS.
I’ll never forget playing this game with my launch console. My brother and I beat it the first night. It was impressive and we loved the sound test. We hooked the Genesis up to a Pioneer system and faced the speakers outside for Halloween and scared the crap out of kids as they trick or treated at our house playing the scary sounds. Some kids wouldn’t even approach the house. For that this game rocks.
I loved this game! It was one of the few games that supported the Master System controller! Well only the jump and kick button worked. But that’s all you need for this game!
This was my pack in game and thus one of the first I had. I played it in the arcade a lot, and it is very similar to it. I loved back then, and still like it now. The people that seem to complain about do seem to be the ones that are terrible at it. This is one of the games that I see people playing but doing it all wrong. It goes with the adage, this was one of the few games I had so I played it a lot and got good at it. People have a lot more choices today and become ADD gamers; just pop in something else after 5 minutes...
This, together with Forgotten Worlds, were the 1st 2 Genesis games I ever played and I loved every minute of these 2 games. I agree you had to be there to fully understand how it felt to play something like this at home after years of playing NES titles.
You have this bang on. I played the Arcade first and when my mate got a Megadrive we were amazed at how good the conversion was. We even had a PC Engine and that was a great conversion too. I also had it on the 8bit versions which showed how good the megadrive conversion was.
Part of it was that transition from 8 bit NES to this pack in game. It was a massive transition at the time and the game really blew me away presentation wise. Sound, music and visuals, art style were awesome to me. Even to this day. I had seen it in arcades and it was crazy to have that kind of game on a home system. Because of that it had much more of an impact on me then some of the best games on the genesis. Gameplay wise its far from one of my favorites but I always enjoyed it as simple as it was. It was an awesome introduction to what the hardware could do though. I went back to it again recently and did a 1 CC run on the hardest mode. In the past I only beat it with the continue code, though I believe that is a legit code since its in the manual for the game. It was cool to learn the game this time around and I appreciated it alot more. Still a very simple game but fun to play through. The arcade version I found much harder as I tried it again too as a comparison. Harder if you limit your coin usage. Its pay to win. Great video.
You are 100% correct when you say a game is looked on badly by people who weren't there. I remember playing Alter Beast my very first time on the Genesis in 89 or 90 and it I found it to be quite impressive for the time and I consider it to be a classic. The TV commercial for the Genesis with this game was also quite impressive. There are few other games that kind of fall into this fate. I don't know if you're aware but Indiana rocker Matthew Sweet (famous for this song "Girlfriend" featuring scenes of Space Adventure Cobra) loved this game so much he recorded a record inspired and named after the game!! Check out a channel called GTV and search for Altered Beast. It's pretty cool!!
The game was entirely developed in just eight weeks too!
HELLOOOOOO YOUUU
It shows. Granted the Genesis was unexplored territory, the game still needed more development time.
I'm inclined to believe it, but... source?
@@BdR76 dude cite my balls. who says shit like that. how about this for a source, my fist in your face
i got ur back Larry
This was a great pack-in for the time. Very close to the arcade version and really showed off the potential of the system.
100% agree!👍
You could have had this port, and the Genesis arcade stick and gone "Go to the arcade? Nah, I'm good!"
Victor Elkins This game is vastly superior, in terms of graphics and sound, than any NES title...
@@victor.elkins Was you mom Helen Keller? No offense, but really, the difference between this and any NES game in 1989 was nigh and day... from the huge character and enemy sprites, to the foreground/background depth effects, much richer colors, lots of flicker-free simultaneous sprites, uncompromised two-player mode, full screen animations, rich stereo sound, etc.
I completely agree. I got this as my pack in for the Genesis on Christmas of 1989. I especially liked the opening preview with the close-up of the moving eye. It was great to hear the voices on my Genesis for the first time.
Sega lord x could talk about sandpaper and I would listen.
90’s sandpaper was great! Not like that crap they make today.
@@shaggymcdaniel3216 I'm Sandpaper X, and I will smooth you next time
@@AltimaNEO Noo! I have too much to lose. You guys just didn’t see it from the right angle.
(American Dad reference.)
That would be damnnnnn good.
@@chuckyluvsu13 he put out a video every 2 days, he needs to play the game and capture the footage for the next video... I don't think he has so much time to answer YT comment
when i first saw this as a kid it damn near blew my mind. the sprites were MASSIVE. the graphics so life-like! it felt DARK and EVIL...it was beautiful.
As someone you played this day one for the Genesis. You are absolutely right. It blew my mind coming from the 8-Bit NES. This was the first 16 bit game I ever experienced at home.The graphics were mind blowing, and it was fun as hell with a friend. But...I could see how it was quickly dropped as more advanced games came out. But yes, you had to be there. In 1989 at 8 years old though..it was amazing.
I played this in the 90s and this was one of segas best well known games a perfect 2 player when you were a kid
Nice channel you got there. 👌🔥💨
@@Clos93 thank you sir more to come tomorrow
Wrise from your Grave ! Nice channel indeed! Kudos from Belgium
The power up balls looks like Saturn logo
Nani???
i noticed that too
Ret-conned foreshadowing. I like it.
Wow I've been playing this game since it came out and that never dawned on me, great catch on that!
@@radamesrivera4193 me too only just realised.
Altered Beast was stunning back in its day! It was Sega’s Answer to Bad Dudes, Vigilante etc in the arcades! When i got my genesis back in the day this was the pack in game and it was lightyears ahead of anything at that time, and it was 2 players!
@@Edtheboss973 lol that's mean but u r right about the game
Vigilante was great in the arcade. Was it ever released for home consoles.
@@martymartin2894 I had it on master system
This is the first time in 25 years I've stopped and asked myself, "Why didn't Zeus just take care of this himself?"
Gods being gods the whole thing was probably some drunken weekend betting game.
Zeus was an asshole.
He was too busy screwing anything with a pulse to rescue her himself.
Hahahah and why not get Hercules?
"Well, looks like my resurrected mortal Roman centurion lost all three lives and is out of continues, so, sorry honey, you'll just have to make do with your new husband Nef. I mean, I'm the God of all Gods and I could easily save you if it occurred to me to lift a finger, but hey, I want you to be a strong, independent, empowered woman and saving you would be the ancient version of mansplaining, so..."
It was one of the reasons I bought a genesis when the console launched. Love this game.
Loved this game. Got it with my Sega Genesis in 1989. I was eight and never seen anything like it. So different than Mario and Nintendo.
Alot of the UA-camrs saying this game is awful are really commercial pseudo gamers only looking for likes and know nothing about gaming, the history or sacrifices taken to make a good game.
I love how people who weren’t there or even alive give long winded reviews criticizing it. They’ll never truly know how amazing it was to see the beast transformations.
Loved then and still do. Graphics were beautiful at the time of release and the I always enjoyed the gameplay
Preach! I had a Genesis in 89 and had so much fun with Altered Beast!
@@jgw1846 I think it's completely valid to crticize any video game even if you weren't around for the context of release. Nobody can control something like that, and if they want to share something who cares.
I really doubt shitting on Altered Beast does much for clicks.
@@siveon298 I think it's more of....people comparing Altered Beast to games that came after it. Unless you lived in that time, you wouldnt understand how revolutionary it was at the time. Being there and actually experiencing it does matter, and understanding the impact it had on gaming back then is best told through those that actually experienced it.
As an Amiga owner I always compared Altered Beast to Shadow of the Beast, in which I always felt Altered Beast fell a bit short. But with this being said. Shadow of the Beast was a technical marvel on the Amiga, with amazing graphics, unique nightmarish theme and wonderful music. It has the same shortcomings of altered beast's simplistic arcade gameplay. But we have to remember that 1989 was a completely different time. Having something that looked and played like the arcade at home was just simply jaw dropping! huge flicker-free sprites running at 50/60fps was truly an amazing sight to behold.
There is Shadow of the Beast on the Genesis. Ahh, the Amiga... what was longed for years later by me.
@@richhutnik2477 I actually consider myself fortunate to have had commodore computers instead of consoles. it was always something special with the multimedia capabilities of those. and we got a lot of computer-exclusive games as well. :) But with that being said. I always wanted a Genesis! 😂
"WISE FWOM YO GWAVE!!!"
Aw fuck I posted this and then scrolled down and saw yours after haha!
Needed to see this
you know shit was about to go down when Zeus summons you
Outstanding. That was exactly one of the complaints about the game when it was first released in the late 1980s. One other problem with the Genesis version of the game is that it is so much easier than the arcade game. In the arcade, you had to press the punch or kick buttons at precisely the right moment or the punch/kick wouldn't connect and the enemy would hit you instead, either with a punch of his own or just running into you. This was particularly bad on the werebear stage where there could be a chain of three ant monsters. If you didn't time the punch/kick just right, all three would run into you, one after another, and cause you to lose a fair amount of health.
Mega Man 8?
I remember being 5 or 6 years old and my dad taking me to Box Office Video in Portage IN and renting the Sega Genesis and of course Altered Beast was one of my first rents on the platform... One faves not only for its great visuals, graphics, and voice overs but the concept just amazed me as a child and will be a memory that I always hold dearly... Thanks again Sega lord X for another incredible video!!!!
I love Altered Beast and Golden Axe, but I was playing when they released. I dont try to compare them to games that came afterwards. They both were amazing home ports, considering the ports on Atari or NES at the time. If I'm guilty of anything its not giving them enough credit for my LOVE of the BEAT'EM genre, which I usually credit to Streets of Rage or Final Fight.
You mentioned both these game in one comment. I lament that both these franchises are dead because the lazy developers couldn't make a transition to 3D properly otherwise these games were very fun to play especially for the co op and the setting.
@@nayyarrashid4661 Golden Axed (the prototype of the canceled game) looks pretty good, and it's from 2013.
I still enjoy altered beast to this day. The music is amazing. This game is underrated.
Criminally underrated. This was a ground breaking graphical leap of what was possible for 16-Bit home in 1989.
I got a Genesis classic mini for this game alone. Only watched it in the arcades. Couldn't really play it and when wanted to play didn't really have money .. Oh well but still good times. Games were a novelty for us back then
Yeah the music is so good
Indeed, the bad criticism this game gets is from people that doesn't manage to understand the context of it's year and what kind of similar games were in the market at that moment. And even wihtout that, still a damn fun, good looking game. Simple yeah, but in a good way, a game can be complex and still be shit,
I played this games for the first time back in 2009 when i was 19 years old, and i truly enjoyed, sure, it aged bad, but i think is still fun to play like golden eye on n64, don't take those games seriously and just have fun
Altered Beast is one of those games that I was able to beat after very little experience, and I generally am terrible at games. Having said that, it was probably quite the novelty in 1989.
My only gripe with Altered Beast is that there’s no big, grand ending. It was THE SHIT back in the day, especially in the arcade!
Also got this as a pack-in with my Genesis. My brother was already experienced with the arcade version and knew how to defeat the bosses, but my 6 year old self struggled for quite some time and beating this game was quite the achievement then.
Nowadays, my biggest gripe is that the plot twist of the arcade ending is not in the port.
33 years later, and the WareBear transformation still looks amazing to me.
Been awhile since I've said this, but it is so good you decided to come back and it has been a pleasure to watch that sub count soar!
It was good as a pack-in game, because it showed what the system could do as far as graphics and sound. I see it as a demo game. At the time, I enjoyed it for a week or two, until I got Ghouls n Ghosts.
A day where sega lord X uploads a video, is a damn good day.
It's almost everyday.
When i got my original Genesis, I had the Altered Beast pack-in. It was, as stated, something special to see a fairly faithful arcade port on your home TV. Golden Axe just sweetened the Genesis deal when that came out with yet another competent port. :)
I still have my mega drive with altered beast bundle. 1990 . I was 12 years old. Miss you. In Brazil
Altered Beast running in attract mode at a local toy store was my introduction to both the game and the Genesis. Needless to say, I was blown away since the Genesis was such a big leap forward. Altered Beast stuck with me and I was thrilled to get it for the Master System some time later. At the time, I enjoyed it a lot(don't judge me!!!!!). I wasn't aware of the missing stage, though I like the bear the least, so it wasn't so bad. Altered Beast on the Master System is perhaps the first game I remember beating. Master System games tended to be hard, as I recall. Anyway, I got my Genesis for Christmas 1991 after Altered Beast was replaced as pack-in game. I remember seeing Altered Beast for sale used at a shop out of town and I made sure to pick it up immediately. I don't recall playing it a ton, but I definitely enjoyed it and got my money's worth. I'll always have a positive view of it and I do return to it from time to time. Certainly, it was impressive at the time. Interesting to hear your suggestions to make it harder(plus there's always the arcade version), but also to see different strategies applied. The one thing that always annoyed me about the Genesis version is how the third power up so often comes right before a boss, not letting you get to really enjoy beast mode if you grab it. Yeah, you could skip a power up, but then you'd have to play another section, which isn't always ideal either, depending on how you're trying to play. Nice that you get the option to vary things up though. Good to hear your review.
I discovered this game trough Sega compilations and it makes me wish I had it as a kid, the atmosphere simple controls and punchy combat would have made it one of my favourite games ever 😊
Even back in the day, I remember some of my friends dumping on Altered Beast. I never played it in the arcade, but enjoyed it when I got my Genesis for Christmas. Coming from an NES and a Commodore 64, the graphics, sound and huge sprites blew me away. Still... I beat it the first time I sat down and played it, so that was kind of a letdown.
I owned Altered Beast on the Master System, and played the hell out of it as a kid. When I later played it on the Genesis, it totally blew me away! If nothing else, at least it's not the Master System version! XD
Are you kidding? Altered Beast is STILL a fantastic game on the Genesis! I remember getting the Genesis on launch day, and playing the pack-in game, Altered Beast, for the first time - I was blown away by how closely it resembled its arcade counterpart.
I remember how absolutely floored I was when I got this game, went home to play it, and found out it actually looked a lot better than the arcade.
@@damin9913 - It was a rush job to have it ready in time to be the pack-in title, they added levels to many games that didn't really need extra levels though like Golden Axe and Gain Ground...
I remember seeing this at a friend's house,and it looked crazy awesome compared to the nes games I had at home.great graphics at the time.
Context is everything. i was so happy with getting this with my Mega Drive back then and played the hell out of it. Was so much fun and I had hours of enjoyment getting to learn every enemy and level layout. It could be completed quickly but there was so much content with all it had. I can never understand the hatred it gets because it was really good for its time.
I grew up in the 80's, owned an Atari 2600, a SEGA Mater System and an NES.
The Mega-Drive with Altered Beast was a revelation in the late 80's putting most rival games to shame.
I still love playing Altered Beast today, it brings back great memories of a great era in Video Games.
Excellent video, very much enjoyed the trip down memory lane👍
Altered Beast was the first game I played on my Genesis on Christmas Day 1989 - and I never saw a demo of the system before that, don't remember any TV ads, the only thing I knew about the Genesis was the raving reviews in the magazines. Anywho, I booted up Altered Beast and was stunned by the graphics, I literally didn't think a TV could give you graphics that good. My only experience with anything that looked this good was seeing Amiga demos, and those all (from my understanding at the time) required a computer monitor. To get high definition graphics like this, on your TV, it was amazing. As for the game, I played the hell out of it. It was the only multiplayer game I had at launch and it's the game I'd played over and over and over again with my friends, who were also shocked that games could look this good at home. People saying this game sucked are d-bag millennials who got this as a hand me down in 1999.
Earlier this afternoon, I saw the Golden Axe review and wondered if there was one for Altered Beast. There is now, lol.
Had really fond memories playing this awesome game as a 13 year old kid with my mates.
Oh it was so impressive at launch, huge sprites, it was 'arcade' as we called it at the time. Bear in mind most of us owned Spectrum's, Amstrad's and C64's at the time.
*It's fun original game and the music when you turn into a beast is amazing!* ⭐️
I remember watching it in Dixon’s window in 1990, it blew me away! Was amazing at the time
I got my Sega megadrive here in Brazil packed with this game and I loved it. There was no sonic yet and this really felt like arcade at home back then. Thanks for another video
This was the very first Sega game I ever played at my big sisters apartment back in 1991.
This was an awesome game, and I think that itt still is especially the arcade version. After all these years, I did not know that there was an option to change the beasts in the menu! Wow that's awesome I just learned something new on an old classic. Thanks!!
I've seen the Genesis or Mega Drive in Brazil for the first time in 89 on the demo inside a supermarket, it was running Altered Beast and I was struck by its beauty. Even after launching sonic I see this as the first best game from Genesis, I'm 39 today and still play this game
I've played this game so many times, and thought that I know almost everything about it, but until now I didn't know that you can change your beast form for each stage in options. xD
My friend rented this and I absolutely fell in love with it.
Just a really underrated classic
Altered Beast was a fine choice for a pack-in game considering the options at launch. It was a game that was fairly well circulated in arcades in the months leading up to the Genesis release date, easy to play and understand, and did exhibit that the Genesis could achieve a close representation of the arcade experience at home, which was a big deal at that time. It is not absolutely arcade perfect of course but this is not all that noticeable unless you are playing the Genesis version immediately after analyzing the arcade version; the game was close enough and fun for quick burst gaming. A solid first impression for a new game system and a way to whet your appetite for better games on the horizon, so it served its' purpose.
I played this around 1990 when I was a kid. It was the first game I played with my dad along with forgotten worlds
This game was great at the time! Only fools that weren't around to play it in 1989 are giving it bad reviews... DAMN MILLENIALS!
I received my Sega Genesis on Christmas of 1989. I would also get Space Harrier 2 and Ghouls N' Ghosts with my Genesis the first game I played was Altered Beast (pack in). Everything about Altered Beast screamed next generation. Altered Beast was the delivery of a promise that Sega was giving us a true arcade experience and it floored everyone at the time. Altered Beast's one loan issue at the time was its length.
Altered Beast was the perfect pack in game at the time. It was easy to learn, it mirrored the arcade almost to perfection, and it helped us come to grips with a then truly advanced controller. Unfortunately, far too many UA-cam "reviewers" like to measure games of yester year with titles that release today. Altered Beast was the right game at the right time until Sonic was ready to take over.
Altered Beast used to give me nightmares as a kid.
Welcome to your doom!
It came with the Genesis back in the day so this game instantly brings back memories. Great graphics and music, especially for its time. Played it just yesterday with my son. I’ll always view it as a Sega classic.
Have to compare this to what was out on NES and Master System at launch. It was pretty amazing at that exact point in time.
We’ve definitely come full circle with games. I never in wildest dreams thought you needed to defend Altered Beast. It’s such a good game. I got it with my launch Sega. That and Ghouls and Ghost are just PERFECT. BUT you are right. You had to be there. These were arcade “perfect” and at home something is early 80 kids were dreaming about.
People love to rag on Altered Beast, but there's a reason why Sega keeps releasing versions of it--it sells. 30 years after it first came out, it's still one of my favorite video games of all time.
Appreciate the commentary at the 9-minute mark, it provides the perspective needed to fairly judge-even appreciate-this game by actually showing a number of the other titles this game was directly competing with at its time of release. Good stuff!
I’m from Brazil and this game came with the console. It was the first MD game I played (at launch). I was a kid and coming from an Atari 2600 straight to a MD game was mind blowing. I still enjoy this game, love it.
At the time I had the option to get a MD or a MS (price difference was minimal) and I ended up going with the Master System. I lived in a small town and most of my friends had the MS. Cartridges were crazy expensive, I used to rent them and it would take years for video stores to have a good MD selection for rent. Sometimes I regret not going with the MD right at launch, but then I remember how hard it was to make this decision and I think I chose the right console under the circumstances at that time. Had a lot of fun with the MS and then even more with the MD a couple of years later.
remember, when you get a game over, hold the A button while spamming the start button
No need to spam it, just press B+start at the titlescreen to select a level/life's/difficulty, then press start to return to the title screen. Now press A+start to start on that level
@@sjorspion True, but spamming buttons is why some of us became gamers
how is a pack-in title a hidden gem...
I never could sit down and play this game, always thought and still do that it's balls.
The Sega Genesis was the first console to give us near perfect arcade ports in 1989. That was huge back then! The arcade was the pinnacle of gaming as far as graphics and sounds and you always wanted that arcade feel at home. That's what made "Altered Beast" so cool as a pack in game for the systems early release. You were getting an arcade game at home in 1989, and it deserves more respect in the fact it was of the first games to break the arcade to console barrier. When I bought my Genesis, I knew it would be a cool game to have and play for the short term, but games like "Golden Axe" were definitely on my future radar. Again, a near arcade quality port, 2 players! This is what we dreamed of, and Sega Genesis and games like Altered Beast were making it happen! You definitely have to understand that or lived it to get it.
The reason it was so short was it was made for the arcade to be short and eat your quarters/tokens.
I think it’s critically important to remember the smack we were all hooked on in those days - the arcade quality experience. The mostly anemic attempts to bring them to home consoles prior to the Genesis paled in comparison. It’s like we were simply smoking it, but when you stepped into that arcade, you were mainlining it again! I would argue Atered Beast is THE first example of a truly high quality home port for anything as advanced as the Sega System 16 arcade hardware upon which it originally debuted. That was a powerful experience circa 1989/1990. After all those years, we could finally shoot up at home! :)
Haven’t even started the video yet but the thumbnail got me so excited
I was there when it was still new. I liked it back then, and that's never changed. I've never been able to put a finger on exactly why I enjoy it so much, but still find myself wandering back to it every once in awhile these days.
However, it has always bugged me that none of the sequels were any good at all.
The worst of the Genesis + Altered Beast pack-in was that it wasn't Genesis + Sonic pack in.
That was basically my issue with it when I was 9 years old.
I remember playing Altered Beast in the arcade as a kid and thought it was so cool! When I got my Genesis for Christmas with Altered Beast as a pack-in game, I was amazed at how close it was to the original! I had tons of play-throughs, especially with the cheat codes! Altered Beast coupled with Golden Axe and E-SWAT, I felt like I had the arcade at home!
Received the genesis for Xmas ‘89... altered beast pack-in console bundle shown in video. The graphics/sound/music blew my mind. This video was a great perspective on this game and it’s place in VG history.
It was a great pack in. At the time, it definitely showed off what the Genesis was capable of. While it definitely hasn't aged well, for 1989, this was a pretty good game.
My cousin had it when it cames out and we played a lot. Great memories
I NEVER KNEW you could choose your transformation per level in the options OR that it was possible to fight bosses in human form. Wow.
I want to know myself how to do it! I didn't know that it was possible
@@xafronicajones Just dont take the orbs.
Cheers mate.
I remeber seeing this game for the first time at macy's as a hands-on demo. The lane to play was huge! Kids, grown adults all surrounded the monitor. People walking by would stop and watch.
This game terrified me when I was like 6-7 yr old lol
"wise fwom yo gwave" Awesome game will never forget that line.Very nostalgic hearing that again
This review hit the nail right on the head. Playing this game as a pack in for the genesis blew my mind. In retrospect, it seems like a highly playable tech demo. A game that I still feel the need to pop in every year or so.
This game definitely has to be put into perspective. First, as you said, it was a launch title, and being so, it was one of those games to demonstrate that the arcade was truly coming home. For a console port, it was a pretty good one, and was one of two home console ports at launch that gave you a good idea of what you could expect from the console (of course, little did we know that Sports games would steal the show). I didn’t get my Genesis at launch, but got enough money for Christmas that I could waltz into my local Toys’R’Us, pass the Returns line that almost reached the entrance, and pick up a ticket to purchase my console at the near empty registers (yes, in those days, you could count on the big box stores to still have stuff in stock). Loved the hell out of my Genesis, and it was a motivating driver years later when I decided to add a few retro systems I had an emotional attachment to from when I was younger.
4:59 the tomb stones say "stella"
Spot on to how I feel. I just reviewed this and many viewers were upset at my conclusion that it was an “average” game. As you state it was very much a “you had to be there” during the time of its release to appreciate what it was. I’m glad someone else shared the viewpoint. Awesome review!
It was the second Sega game I remember playing in an arcade (Outrun being the first). 7 year old me thought it was one of the neatest games ever. I didn't play it on the Genesis until 1992, so the arcade version was a distant memory by that point. Sure it felt kind of dated, but it was really close to arcade quality, so I thoroughly enjoyed playing it again.
I got this as my first pack in game in 1990.
I never thought the game was great, I like the idea of upgrading and tuning to a different beast which had unique abilities. It gave the game something unique and can lead to some nostalgia form me due to this.
Surprised you didn't cover this yet. I think my favorite version is the 3DS 3D Classic version, since you can toggle a setting to play as any animal on any stage.
Edit: didn't know about the option screen to change animal forms per stage. You learn something new every day.
Thanks for the video! I got my Genesis about a month after it was released. I first saw Altered Beast in the August 1989 issue of Video Games & Computer Entertainment magazine. This game was impressive--graphic and music-wise! Can't count how many times I beat it!
I remember being around 9 or 10-years-old and playing “Altered Beast” on a Genesis that was set up on display at our local Sears while my Mom was shopping. This was around 1989 or 1990 and it blew my mind! It had this cool, horror-movie type theme and just looked and played great for the time. I actually asked my Mom for a Sega Genesis for Christmas that year and when we went to the store, the sales-person told her the Genesis had no future and that she shouldn’t buy one. Which resulted in me getting my very first videogame system, the NES for Christmas that year. Of course “Sonic the Hedgehog” came out not that long after and changed everything! I definitely agree with Sega Lord X, for the time, “Altered Beast” was a great game. It hasn’t aged exceptionally well but was a good, fun experience when it came out.
i love this game. altered beast was the first genesis game i ever played. even with its flaws its still perfect in my eyes simply because of the concise and varied experience it offers. not to mention it is one of the few beatemups that i can actually tolerate, as all of the action occurs on a 2D plane instead of a jankyass isometric plane like so many beatemups of the era. i prefer the genesis version over arcade
I played this game over at a friends house in 1989. At that point I had not heard of the Genesis and only lived in a world of the NES. This game totally blew me a way with its graphics and gameplay. Yes looking at a few years into the 16 bit wars and it seems easily substandard, but at the time it was pretty amazing. One of the first games I can recall playing that felt like a near true arcade interpretation.
I maintain that this was the perfect pack-in game for the Genesis at its launch. It was a port of a fairly good looking arcade game, and it was close enough that you would need to see the two side by side to spot the differences. It really sold the idea that the Genesis was the arcade at home, and far more capable than anything the NES could pull off graphically. It was 2-player simultaneous, so both included controllers could be used right out of the box. Yes, the game was too short and devoid of content to be worth paying full price for, but as a "freebie" it was perfect. It was also good for SEGA, as it was short enough that consumers would be encouraged to go and buy additional software titles.
I think it accomplished exactly what it needed to do. Is it the best game ever? No, but it's certainly not even close to being among the worst titles on the system though. Talking about worst titles, I'm just glad they didn't make Alex Kidd the pack in game, the Genesis would have been laughed out of the North American market.
Hey y'all, guy born in 1987 here... and I was still too old when I played this, because by the time I played this on some friend of my older brother's Mega Drive (it released in 1990 over here, Euro boys represent), my brother's OTHER friend had shown me TMNT on the SNES. And yeah, it's like you say, it's probably not fair to compare an 88 game to a 91 game (92 on the SNES though), and it was made in 8 weeks apparently, and it was the first almost arcade perfect game to show what the Genesis could do and I get it, I get all of that... but I still feel like this one has gotten a harsh treatment from the current era for a REASON.
Like... it is SIMPLE, my dudes. Really simple. Final Fight and Streets of Rage felt like they had more thought put into the enemy placement and pacing plus grappling mechanics and weapons, Golden Axe had magic and at least more impressive backgrounds with more details and variation. Are they later games? Yes, but are we really saying we can't compare it to games that are at least running on similar tech at ALL?
Look, getting so buff you eventually turn into a monster was cool as hell when I was 6-7, the visceral thrill of that transformation can't be understated. But you are sluggish, your attacks got weird range, and once you turn into a monster you just mash attacks as you destroy all enemies that walk right into those attacks. Kung Fu and Bad Dudes are just as shallow (Hell, Kung Fu doesn't even have two different levels of height), and people barely remember them now or speak fondly of its gameplay. That the only way to eke some challenge out of AB seems to be a method I've never even heard of until this video isn't what I'd call a positive.
I feel like Altered Beast is an experience that thrills the hell out of you the first time you play it if you're a kid and you've had no cooler formative experiences. But beyond those factors, I don't think there's much more to say for the game. It was a game of it's time, and that time has well and truly passed. We of the old era can gather among us and fondly recall the first time we turned into a dragon or heard "WISE FWOM YOUW GWAVE", but like, trying to argue it was actually GOOD to youngsters with more graphically advanced games as their firsts? That is pompous vanity, brothers and sisters. That is a fools rose-tinted errand.
This game was the reason why I wanted a Sega Genesis in 89. I got one the following year. I played the hell out of Altered Beast. I still go back to it to this day. This dude in Walgreens was mentioning it to his friend next to me in the line but he couldn't remember the name so I told him. Both of them got excited and said yeah that's the one. A lot of people loved this game back in the day. It must have done really well in the arcade for it to be released on nearly every home platform including MS- DOS.
I’ll never forget playing this game with my launch console. My brother and I beat it the first night. It was impressive and we loved the sound test. We hooked the Genesis up to a Pioneer system and faced the speakers outside for Halloween and scared the crap out of kids as they trick or treated at our house playing the scary sounds. Some kids wouldn’t even approach the house. For that this game rocks.
I loved this game! It was one of the few games that supported the Master System controller! Well only the jump and kick button worked. But that’s all you need for this game!
This was my pack in game and thus one of the first I had. I played it in the arcade a lot, and it is very similar to it. I loved back then, and still like it now. The people that seem to complain about do seem to be the ones that are terrible at it. This is one of the games that I see people playing but doing it all wrong. It goes with the adage, this was one of the few games I had so I played it a lot and got good at it. People have a lot more choices today and become ADD gamers; just pop in something else after 5 minutes...
Reminds me of Christmas morning 89.
This, together with Forgotten Worlds, were the 1st 2 Genesis games I ever played and I loved every minute of these 2 games. I agree you had to be there to fully understand how it felt to play something like this at home after years of playing NES titles.
I frikken loved Altered Beast! and always wanted a good sequel....never got it :(
You have this bang on. I played the Arcade first and when my mate got a Megadrive we were amazed at how good the conversion was. We even had a PC Engine and that was a great conversion too. I also had it on the 8bit versions which showed how good the megadrive conversion was.
Part of it was that transition from 8 bit NES to this pack in game. It was a massive transition at the time and the game really blew me away presentation wise. Sound, music and visuals, art style were awesome to me. Even to this day. I had seen it in arcades and it was crazy to have that kind of game on a home system. Because of that it had much more of an impact on me then some of the best games on the genesis. Gameplay wise its far from one of my favorites but I always enjoyed it as simple as it was. It was an awesome introduction to what the hardware could do though. I went back to it again recently and did a 1 CC run on the hardest mode. In the past I only beat it with the continue code, though I believe that is a legit code since its in the manual for the game. It was cool to learn the game this time around and I appreciated it alot more. Still a very simple game but fun to play through. The arcade version I found much harder as I tried it again too as a comparison. Harder if you limit your coin usage. Its pay to win. Great video.
I played the arcade cabinet at my local fish and chip shop in the 80s,only now in 2020 I finally played the cartridge and still love it.
You are 100% correct when you say a game is looked on badly by people who weren't there. I remember playing Alter Beast my very first time on the Genesis in 89 or 90 and it I found it to be quite impressive for the time and I consider it to be a classic. The TV commercial for the Genesis with this game was also quite impressive. There are few other games that kind of fall into this fate.
I don't know if you're aware but Indiana rocker Matthew Sweet (famous for this song "Girlfriend" featuring scenes of Space Adventure Cobra) loved this game so much he recorded a record inspired and named after the game!! Check out a channel called GTV and search for Altered Beast. It's pretty cool!!
I’ve played this game for the first time just yesterday. It is fantastic.