Overview
“Rise from your grave!” Zeus resurrects a fallen Roman centurion to rescue his daughter Athena from the demon god Neff. Altered Beast packed visual spectacle into its transformation mechanic—collect enough power-ups and morph into a werewolf, dragon, bear, or tiger. It defined the Genesis launch and introduced a generation to 16-bit gaming.
Fast facts
- Developer: Sega.
- Original: Arcade (1988).
- Genesis: Pack-in title (1989).
- Famous line: “Rise from your grave!”
| Beast |
Abilities |
| Werewolf |
Fireball, dash attack |
| Weredragon |
Flight, electric attack |
| Werebear |
Petrifying breath, rolling |
| Weretiger |
Vertical fire, horizontal wave |
Gameplay mechanics
| Element |
Function |
| Spirit balls |
Collect three to transform |
| Punch/kick |
Basic combat |
| Beast form |
Enhanced powers |
| Auto-scroll |
Forced progression |
Power progression
| Stage |
Effect |
| Normal |
Basic attacks |
| One orb |
Larger, stronger |
| Two orbs |
Even more powerful |
| Three orbs |
Full beast transformation |
Boss encounters
| Level |
Boss |
| 1 |
Aggar (rotting corpse) |
| 2 |
Octeyes (plant monster) |
| 3 |
Moldy Snail |
| 4 |
Crocodile Worm |
| 5 |
Neff (final boss) |
Cultural impact
| Aspect |
Detail |
| Genesis launch |
Defined the console |
| Voice samples |
Memorable speech |
| Visual style |
Greek mythology aesthetic |
| Two-player |
Cooperative mode |
See also