The very first game launched with the console, an enduring symbol. Short and dated, but its beast transformation still has a charm thirty years on.
Your verdict
Category
Beat-'Em-Up2 players12+
Co-op
Description
Soldiers transform into bestial creatures to battle the forces of god Neff in this Sega beat'em up. Published by Sega, released in Europe in October 1988. Beat'em up with beast transformation after collecting spheres, five levels and monumental bosses.
A Mega Drive launch title, Altered Beast was bundled with the console across Europe for years, making it ubiquitous loose and worth little bare. The real interest shifts to a clean complete PAL copy and above all the sealed version, far scarcer than it looks given how many boxes were opened and played from 1989 on. Its status as a founding 16-bit icon, instantly recognisable, sustains steady demand from anyone rebuilding the earliest European line-up.
A cult cover
Raised from the grave by Zeus, a bodybuilt centurion morphs into a beast under stormy light: the muscular, theatrical painting flaunts the beat'em up's mythological excess at first glance. Coppery tones and the heroic pose promise transformations and ancient brawling. A Mega Drive calling card from its early days, the image keeps all its knowing kitsch.
Is Altered Beast still worth playing in 2026?
Altered Beast is a Sega beat 'em up that became emblematic of the Mega Drive, in which a resurrected warrior transforms into bestial creatures by collecting orbs to face the minions of the god Neff. The metamorphosis concept and the mythological mood keep an undeniable retro charm, but the repetitive gameplay and short length betray their age. Its value rests mainly on its historical status and nostalgia. For fans of retro action and console history, it is a cult curiosity more than a great game today.
