Play Altered Beast (USA, Europe) Online

Altered Beast came out for the Sega Master System in 1989, a port of the arcade game developed and published by Sega. It was one of those side-scrolling beat 'em ups that felt right at home on the system, offering a dose of arcade-style action without the need for quarters.

You control a warrior brought back to life by Zeus, moving screen by screen through eerie, monster-filled levels. Your main goal is to rescue Athena from the evil Neff, and you do it by punching and kicking your way through waves of enemies. The signature mechanic is collecting spirit balls dropped by certain foes; grabbing three transforms you into a powerful beast like a werewolf, dragon, or bear, each with its own exaggerated, screen-clearing attacks. The pacing is brisk, and the difficulty can feel unforgiving, especially with limited continues. Playing it is a mix of simple satisfaction and occasional frustration, but landing those beast transformations never gets old.