Play Altered Beast - Guardian Of The Realms (TrashMan) (EU) Online

Altered Beast: Guardian of the Realms came out for the Game Boy Advance in 2004, developed by 3d6 Games and published by THQ. It was part of that wave of games trying to bring arcade-style action to the handheld, a time when side-scrollers still had a solid foothold on the platform. This one was a direct follow-up to the original Altered Beast, sticking with its mythological theme but expanding the scope for a portable audience.

You control a warrior brought back to life by Zeus, moving through levels screen by screen, punching and kicking your way through skeletons, minotaurs, and other creatures. The main goal is to rescue the goddess Athena, which involves defeating bosses and clearing stages. The signature mechanic is collecting spirit balls from defeated enemies to transform into different powerful beasts, like a werewolf or dragon, each with unique attacks. You also gather orbs to upgrade your beast forms, adding a light layer of strategy. The pacing is fairly brisk, though some sections can feel repetitive, and the difficulty has spikes, especially during boss encounters. It feels like a straightforward, sometimes challenging brawler that relies on its transformation gimmick to keep things interesting.