Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Just plain fun"

I've never played the arcade version so I have no basis for comparison, but the Genesis version of Altered Beast is a classic side-scrolling beat-em-up with one of the most mystifying endings I've ever encountered (let's just say there's more than a hint of bestiality...?!). If you haven't played it before, you're a Greek warrior who is raised from the dead by Zeus so you can save Athena from a Demon God. This requires that you beat up lots of enemies, collect 'spirit balls' to increase your power, and then use various beast forms to beat up the bosses at the end of the level.
Even if it's considered inferior to the arcade version, the game plays decently and runs fine so I couldn't ask for anything more; but the brilliant storyline is a nice touch! I'm not sure if I would've liked the game as much if it weren't for those bizarre purple images which are meant to convey the story: I guess you just have to use your imagination.
Although the sound is woeful and the controls can be touchy, I found the novelty value of having your character progressively bulge with muscles a la Schwarzenegger and turn into various monsters an innovative and interesting take on the side-scrolling genre. Well worth playing.