/vr/ - Retro Games

>>4459907
Who gives a shit what 4chan thinks.

It's enjoyable in a b-movie way.

>>4459907
PC Engine version is decent, could have been a bit better

>>4459907
Why is it a meme game? I like it but I'm pretty sure a lot of that is due to nostalgia. I mean the game is what it is. A fast arcadey fun game you are meant to be done with quickly. Perhaps you play it some other times but the game accomplished exactly what it needed to do. I wasn't aware that it was a meme game until your thread. Perhaps the children on /vr/ who weren't alive to experience it on the actual hardware don't understand it but there isn't much to get here at all. For a launch pack in game I think its perfectly fine and will always be memorable because it was decent enough.

it was always a meme game but i like it for the music and original universe

It doesn't deserve it's mysterious place on a lot of genesis top tens, but I like it.

>>4460006
Bongs love it.
But then again they never had a good taste.

I love it. I have an Altered Beast arcade PCB.

>>4460017
The game is not bad. I wouldn't call it legendary or anything but its definitely top 50 at least for Genesis. Not top 10 and probably not top 20. I can see it being top 30 though. SNES has much more true classics. I always saw Genesis as an arcade machine for the home that could have had much better games had Sega concentrated more on the gaming part and less on trying to rush to be number one. Good console with good games but it could have been even better had they just applied their selves. I like arcade type games just in case anyone asks.

>>4460042
Please stop with that top X bullshit you sound like a teenager.

>>4460046
Well how else would you like for me to have emphasized my point? You implied it was a bad game and I gave you a solid enough point that I don't see it as a bad game. Also you clearly don't look at any sites or videos then because plenty of older guys rank things like that.

>>4460052
>Well how else would you like for me to have emphasized my point?
You can start with improving your vocabulary since obviously you have problem expressing your thoughts.
The way you use TOP X is the same as when you listen to teenage girls using the word "like".

>>4459907
It's terrible, even back in the day we thought it was bad.

>>4459907
I thought the audio was awful on the pc engine. Me and my friends used to think it sounded like elma fud and used to mock "wise fwom your gwavey" silly, but it was the 80s

>>4460059
You are one huge faggot aren't you?

>>4460075
Calling me names will sure show me.

>>4460074
You only hear that in the CD version and I am quite sure it used the Arcade samples for that

>>4460079
The fact that you replied to me yet again over something this stupid actually shows your maturity level kid. Altered Beast was good fag. Get over yourself.

>>4460081
>you are dead kiddo

>>4459930
>It's enjoyable in a b-movie way.
This is probably the best description of Altered Beast I've seen. People like to shit on it when they should just enjoy it for what it is, which is an "ok" arcade port launch title. On the other hand anyone that puts this in their Genesis top ten needs to play more Genesis games.

>>4459907
Its my favourite Matthew Sweet record

>>4460046
This is in my top 50 replies on 4chan, definitely

>>4460117
I put it in my genesis top ten....

number 7 to be exact

>>4459907
I enjoy the game though even if that version is ok I prefer the arcade one.

It feels a bit before its time in gameplay terms, it's a simple arcade game more reminiscent of the previous late 70's-early 80's era, just with better graphics and a soundtrack. I'd say this is the reason a lot of people bash the game here since that era of games isn't as popular on /vr/

>>4459907
It's really boring.
If it wasn't for the fact it's an early Genesis title, it would be completely forgotten by now.

>>4459907
I like it but there were many bad ports that I don't like.

The PC Engine ports are lame, and look/sound inferior to the Genesis port.

The game is charming in a rudimentary way, with solid dick-punching action.

>>4459907
I think it's boring as all fuck, but then aside from Guardian Heroes ( which is really more of a party game) I have found every beat em up game boring as all fuck.

Love the arcade game, sad that the console version seems to be better known

I played the game a lot with my brother on my Genesis back in the day, and always had a good time. I even had the ZX Spectrum version.
It's not a great game, but it's fun in cooperative mode, and also so short that it doesn't become repetitive.

It really makes you think why a supposedly "awful" game that everybody hates today is so remembered almost 30 years later, so much that the final boss it's even featured on a Disney movie (Wreck it Ralph).
The reason is that the concept of the game it's fucking amazing: dead greek warriors resurrected to destroy an evil god, while having the power to transform to antropomorphic animals with their own super powers. All this featuring great graphics (especially the arcade game), great character and enemy designs, fantastic backgrounds and a weird and memorable soundtrack. Even the ending it's really original.
Also, back in the time, the transformation sequences were amazing. You can't find something similar in other games of that era. And aftert this, only Metamorhpic Force from Konami explored a bit the concept, but failed to be as memorable as the Sega game.

>>4460507
How different are they?

>>4460561
Not him but it's harder and with slightly better aesthetics

>>4460131
>I put it in my genesis top ten....
>number 7 to be exact
Ok. I'll bite. Post your top ten.

It was way too difficult for a pack-in game. I remember playing the thing with my cousins and not being able to reach level 3. The transforming gimmick is interesting, but the levels are bland and repetitive.
I guess it's just a mediocre game from its time, which doesn't exactly make it fun now, but I have a slight nostalgia for it.

>>4460864
What? I remember completing the game a few times (solo or coooperative) and I was like 9 or 10 years old when it was released.

>>4459907
It's not a bad game but it isn't great either, it's enjoyable for about 10 minutes (which is roughly the time it takes to beat).

Wasn't it pretty popular in arcades back in the day? It's bit clunky by today's standards of course but back then it was pretty cool.

>>4461051
They picked that game's port as a pack-in for the MD/Gen for a reason

It's fun, it stands next to the OG sega arcade titles like Golden Axe and Alien Storm yet manages to be unique.

I give it an 8/10

>>4461081
fuck off you autistic faggot

>>4461083
you should watch your mouth

>>4460561
>>4460604
It's a pretty faithful port but the number of enemies is cut down so far it kills a lot of the fun.

>>4461081
>it stands next to the OG sega arcade titles like Golden Axe and Alien Storm
Alien Storm is the best of these for me, but seems to be the least popular

>>4460065
No, we didn't. Transforming into manbeasts was DA BOMB.

ok im a long time video game player but how to beat the second level boss is somehow completely beyond me. wat do?

>>4461176
You can cheese the cactus eye boss by being right up near it and using the dragons electric attack right as it opens up. Just about an instant kill.

>>4460117
>It's enjoyable in a b-movie way.
>This is probably the best description of Altered Beast I've seen.
The ending indicates that the game is indeed a movie.

>>4461073
And that reason is?

>>4461871
The game was popular on the arcades so they bet on its port to push that console's sales. Pretty easy stuff to figure out, I'd say.

Altered Beast is... alright. It's not the best port, it's not the best game, but it's still an enjoyable romp.

Now, the game that really moved systems is something we all know and love. You know what it is! The one, the only, the legendary legend that is the most legendary of all legends in the history of legends, it's practically the fact of Sega as it is today. You know what it is. Of course I'm talking about the ultimate classic from 1991, Marble Madness! Complete with the amazing soundtrack, fast gameplay, and beautiful graphics. It's a fucken mastapiece.

The game is pretty similar to Splatterhouse only every level is an autoscroller in Altered Beast so it forces you to have to keep moving. Which is probably what gives it most of its difficulty. I'd bet this is why many don't like it. Had the levels been more varied like in Splatterhouse I would bet you would see people more accepting of it today. Its too old school for the taste of most in the modern day. Some gore like Splatterhouse would have been pretty cool as well.

I think it's pretty solid, but god damn that stage one theme is GREAT. I never properly heard it until a few years ago seeing as you shift into the beast form so quickly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq8G4tZbMmw

>0:58
God damn, I fucking love that part.

>>4461984
My sides...

Some of the absolute dumbest normalfags I've ever met love this game, so yeah, it's safe to classify it as a meme game.

Anyone ever do the extra rounds once the credits roll? Game seems even harder after that. The level design also changed a bit. Is it set to the hardest difficulty after the credits?

>>4459914
fpbp

>>4459907
I never played it but from what I've seen, it's pretty generic and boring. It might also be the cause of furry fetish.

>>4460505
Its not a beat em up

>>4462134
I'd say the Genesis soundtrack it's slighty better (real hardware, Model 1). Also, I like the music stops during the transformation sequences, unless the arcade version.

>>4460017
cause its a white mans game amerisharts need more basket ball and mcdonalds to hold their attention

>>4462142
Sounds more like they are nostalgic.

I very highly doubt it's any kind of meme, you barely see this game mentioned as the best retro stuff ever, the reaction is pretty mixed with some nostalgia there due to the pack-in stuff. Look no further than this thread to see this.

Personally I think it's enjoyable. Not amazing but a fun little game.

>>4460059
You sound like you need a dick up your ass to ease the tension.

>>4461171
Transforming in the arcades with those sound effects, that was something else my friend. That was also an era where we were more forgiving of shitty arcade ports, I remember it never even occurring to me that is was a bad port because it was already incredible that you could play an arcade game at home.

>>4460042
>anything but its definitely top 50 at least for Genesis
It's not. You could fill out 50 good games long before you hit altered beast. Altered Beast is like the top of the worst games. If you had a bunch of terrible games to play and Altered Beast, you'd play Altered Beast. If you had decent games you'd play them, once in a blue moon you might say I'll give Altered Beast a run and then somewhere in the middle you'll realize you're playing Altered Beast and wonder what you did wrong in your life and how you ended up in this predicament and swear you'll try to get your life back on track... only to lapse a year or two later again.

>>4460117
The arcade port is bad in most of the same way that the port is. You get better graphics and sound but it still basically plays the same which is Altered Beast's problem. It's an on rails sidescrolling beatemup with most of the beating and em removed. The sound and style is basically what made the people even care about the game.

>>4460080
>You only hear that in the CD version

WISE FWOM YOUR IGNORANCE M8

https://youtu.be/dOEy6bvSNzA

At 0:10

>>4462646
Wise, son of Gray

>>4460006
>I'm pretty sure a lot of that is due to nostalgia
I dont know, I didn't play it until recently and I like it quite a bit. It's not the deepest or most well made game but it has a nice aesthetic and it's fun to play through with a friend.

>>4462646
Of the PC Engine versions numbnuts

I like it enough that i'd buy that shit on vinyl

>>4462626
>he can't unironically enjoy bad things
well hello mr fancy pants

>>4459907
I like it, however the thread does appear to hate the game. I don't think anything Sega is liked in /vr/ which is representative of how it was in my area of the United States.


Altered Beast was a pack-in game with the Genesis, and part of its launch promotion was to get a 2nd controller plus a Sega game of your choice for free via mail. I chose Golden Axe and Sega ran out of that and sent me my second choice, Revenge of Shinobi. Glad I convinced my uncle to get the Genesis for my cousins, because it allowed us to constantly swap and play more games had we all gotten the same systems. Altered Beast at least gave us a co-op title on the Genesis for a good 10 minutes of play at the time, until Streets of Rage came out.


As a reference point, I had the NES, and the pack-in games for that was Gyromite and Duck Hunt. The arcades at that time I spent playing Yie-Ar Kung-Fu, Double Dragon, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Afterburner, Mr.Do, Pac-Man, Road Blasters, Bad Dudes, Karnov, various Nintendo arcade machines, and various pinball tables so I think Altered Beast was a kind of experience that just worked for me in that time period. It is quite possible my fondness to Altered Beast is tied into my own personal memories and nostalgia but I don't expect others to like what I like. All the Saturn and Dreamcast hate /vr/ exhibits doesn't affect me, and I get it that Sea games like Altered Beast may not be "objectively" good, but I can't say Altered Beast wasn't fun for me.


I have not played the PC-Engine nor NES version of Altered Beast. I wouldn't go out of my way looking for them, but if I saw the PC-Engine version of the game for around $5, I wouldn't hesitate to pick it up.

Loved playing it with a friend - nowadays I rather play the arcade version on an emulator.

>>4462842
Oops lol, you're actually wight

>>4462157
It is actually.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_Beast
>Altered Beast[a] is a 1988 beat 'em up arcade game developed and manufactured by Sega.

>>4462626
Considering OP asked if it is a meme game and I was unaware that it was supposedly this meme game according to the internet I now can't take anyone who criticizes the game seriously anymore. I was playing it last night again thanks to this thread and kept beating it until I got a perfect no damage playthrough. For what the game sets out to accomplish I say it does this extremely well and it is a fun game because of this. The only real criticism I can give it is that it is very short but that is because it is a arcade game first. It truly is from a different era that most people now just can't really enjoy. That is not the games fault. That is more a fault of these people. I don't know if you've seen that term some people like to say when they call a video game too "gamey" for their taste but I would say that definition fits this game perfectly. The game has minimal story, it was first an arcade game, you need to recognize patterns in order to get good at it, it is pretty much straight forward and gets to the point. Its actually great because of this. Even better than I remembered. With the only real issue with it being its too short but again remember console game standards were different at that time. Its hard to fault such an old game for being old.

I'll tell you what. Someone in this thread mentioned Splatterhouse and it begin pretty similar. I'd agree it does have similarities in style. Had this game varied it up more like that game did and had maybe 8 levels instead of 5 I guarantee this game would be looked back on in a far better light by you and anyone else hating it. So yeah I stick by what I said. This is one of the better Genesis games you could play.

>>4463628
>remember console game standards were different at that time
I know, I was there when it was released. It wasn't very good at the time. It's issue isn't being too gamey, it's not being gamey enough. I'm not faulting it for being old, I'm faulting it for not being very good.

>>4464014
Except it was a good game at the time and even today. If you don't like it that is your opinion. I played it and loved it even as a kid. Then I liked it even as a teen and an adult. Over the years its going to get harder and harder for me to take criticism I see on older games seriously. OP even said its a meme game at this point. This even gets to a whole other issue I have noticed not related to the game and it is the kind of people that the internet as a whole has attracted. Because of the nature of this site its also hard for me to take anyone's opinions here as being honest because its also a meme on 4chan that you need to take most posts here with a grain of salt. We are just going to have to agree to disagree and then I'm going to have to hope that you actually for whatever reason genuinely don't like the game and aren't just pulling my leg here with some sort of meta level baiting. I've already said way more than enough on this game in this thread. Its good and its one of the best Genesis games. The end.

>>4459907
ALTERED BEAST
ALTER ME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AwT85GPnm8&t=1105s

>>4464101
I don't know, maybe opinions just vary. Not him, but I played the Genesis version on the day the system was released at a wealthy sort-of friend's house. It was the first 16 bit game I'd ever seen or played and even then I found it pretty boring, and aside from the transformations not very impressive. Though to be fair I never liked beat em up type games.

The Genesis went on to become my favorite retro console with many of my favorite games. Even when I tried replaying it when ot came bundled with the 3ds ports, I found it incredibly dull. Which isn't to say you're wrong, I'm sure you love it. Different strokes though.

>>4463524
Perhaps you should stop believing the lies of the controlled media

>>4464456
What? Are you seriously trying to say it's not a beat em up?

Altered Beast is a fun game but it's one of those very simple, early arcade style titles that I can't play for more then 5 minutes max before it gets monotonous.

But the sound effects are legendary.

>>4462612
Altered Beast was showcased on the Megadrive by literally putting it next to the arcade cab, so people can see how close it was to it. This happened back when the system launched in Japan. I think it only missed the scaling effects (which they actually wanted to put in the Megadrive VDP, but it made the chip too big so it was left out). The whole goal of the Megadrive hardware was to be a home console version of the arcade System 16 hardware too.

>>4460547
It's remembered today because it was bundled with the genesis so basically everyone played it at some point.

yiff in hell furfags

>>4464101
>Sperging this hard over someone not liking Altered Beast
You know there were probably people in 89 who thought it sucked too

>>4459907
It's a bit of a kusoge, I don't understand why it shows up in every set of sega remasters aside from the fact people find it nostalgic, but it's not the worst thing ever so it's fine I guess.

>>4464476
Yeah, It is not a "bad port", it is an extremely good port. Just the source material is kind of mediocre.

>>4464473
It's a beat'em up, just not a belt scroller (no 8-direction movement). This is why people call games like Final Fight a belt scroller since it's a distinct style

>>4464695
Right, but belt scrollers weren't mentioned. They're a sub genre of beat em ups which AB deffinitely is.

>>4464708
I know, just one guy here denied that AB was a beat'em up and I think he thinks all beat'em ups are belt scrollers

>>4464809
Ahh yes, you're probably right that was his confusion.

>>4464809
>I know, just one guy here denied that AB was a beat'em up and I think he thinks all beat'em ups are belt scrollers
No, I would count Ninja Warriors Again and probably Comix Zone as beat-em-ups. AB just plays too different from a beat-em-up imo. It's like calling Tower of Doom a "hack and slash".

>>4464597
>>4464476
They cut way down on the amount of stuff going on on-screen, the number of enemies and such. Very impressive for 1989, but it's a little bit of a shock going back to the arcade game, much moreso than with Golden Axe imo.

>>4464910
>comix zone more of a beat em up than altered beast

So you just have no clue what a beat em up is... This all makes sense now at least.

>>4464921
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comix_Zone
>Comix Zone is a 1995 beat 'em up video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis.

your opinion is cool too though

>>4464878
Other games like Altered Beast:
Kung Fu Master, Splatterhouse
AB has autoscrolling and "looping" so it's not exactly like these two but I'm sure everyone gets the point

>>4464910
I think you feel this way since you don't have to hit enemies very many times to kill them like in later "belt scroller" type of beat'em ups. But earlier titles like this usually are more like this; remember it has autoscrolling and you can't move around, gang ups would be retarded if the game wasn't like this.

>>4464930
CZ is a hybrid action adventure with a beat em up, so listing it as that is fine. You need a reputable source that says AB isn't one.

>>4464953
I don't see how anyone could argue that a game where you mainly move and punch + kick enemies (this is all you can do in your base form and there isn't really any platforming even if you can jump to dodge enemies) is not a beat'em up, yeah

>>4460864
Beat it the first time I played it on the Genesis. Was way to easy to be a pack in. But the game was a huge hit at least locally in arcades so it made sense for it to be the pack in.

>>4459907
>it's a meme game at this point.

Dude you wanna diss Altered beast?
Are you out of you'r fucking mind talking shit like that?

>>4465227
>way to easy to be a pack in

Man what? Later pack in was Sonic the Hedgehog. Its longer than Altered Beast, but harder? SNES pack-in was Super Mario World. Also longer than Altered Beast, but easier.

>>4466480
Took more than one time playing Sonic or SMW to beat them. So they are harder than Altered Beast.

I've always liked it and was surprised to hear not too long ago how many people dislike it.

>>4462331
>Sounds more like they are nostalgic.
I can understand being nostalgic about something like Pokemon RBY because it was an enormous cultural phenomenon. This was just a mediocre beat em up. I guess if you grew up as a Sega kid, you'll love table scraps.

>>4467880
Dude, it's probably a bunch of people's first video game ever on their first console as a kid. Regardless of game quality there's potential for some nostalgia here.

>>4468167
Again, table scraps.

>>4468772
You see people nostalgic over silly things that marked them during their childhoods, it's not that weird

It's part of the definition of nostalgia, you may remember fondly something from a lot of time ago even if it wasn't as good, you just remember the good part.

>>4468167
>>4468772
There's much more to it than that. Was the first 16bit home game I ever saw and played and even then I thought it was incredibly boring. Others played it later yet still have a genuine affection for it. Different strokes, yo.

>>4459907
My cousin had it, I don't think we ever got past the 3rd stage. It's too arcade hard, I think it's actually harder than the actual arcade version

>>4465227
>Beat it the first time I played it on the Genesis. Was way to easy to be a pack in. But the game was a huge hit at least locally in arcades so it made sense for it to be the pack in.

>>4469319
>My cousin had it, I don't think we ever got past the 3rd stage. It's too arcade hard, I think it's actually harder than the actual arcade version

Oh boy, here we go...

>>4462635
The arcade is the original so by all definitions it isnt a port.

>>4469319
>he cant beat altered beast

>>4469693
And I bet that not even on easier settings LMFAO I dislike elitism but this is too much

>>4469319
just look up a youtube video and memorize the white wolf spawn points and boss strategies

the final boss is absolutely pathetic, just crouch in the left corner and punch him to death, takes like 5 seconds

I had the game as a result of a Genesis bundle that included it and Sonic 1. It was one of those games that was fun at its time but if it was released midway through the Genesis' lifespan I doubt many people would still be talking about it today. Maybe would have still had the Newgrounds shorts poking fun at how gay the main characters were.

How many of you played the arcade version? I found it at a random barcade and frankly I was drunk at that point and got fed up after level 2 before playing a Playchoice 10.

>>4469693
I am a messy missmash of emotions over how much I miss M.A.S.H.