Altered Beast
About
Altered Beast is a legendary 1988 beat 'em up arcade game featuring a resurrected Roman centurion tasked by Zeus to rescue his daughter Athena through five mythologically inspired levels. The game's standout mechanic—collecting power-ups to transform into five distinct mythical beasts, each with unique abilities—defined a generation of arcade play and remains visually iconic. As the pack-in title that launched the Sega Genesis in the West, it carries unmatched nostalgic weight and enduring pop culture resonance.
Highlights
Original pack-in title for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive launch in North America, Europe and Brazil
Directed by Makoto Uchida, also creator of Golden Axe, in his first role as project lead
Five distinct mythical beast transformations with individual abilities: dragon lightning, bear petrification, tiger fireballs, werewolf combat, and golden werewolf power
Arcade heritage: high-grossing coin-op that became a staple of 1980s arcades before home console success
Cultural touchstone referenced in musician Matthew Sweet's 1993 album and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard's 2017 'Murder of the Universe', plus featured in Disney's Wreck-It Ralph film
Continuous re-release history: ported to 20+ platforms including mobile, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and virtual console services
Recent News
Apr 2025
.svg)
