“Rising from its grave” like the main character it stars, 3D Altered Beast is yet another re-release of the classic Sega beat ’em up Altered Beast. What sets the 3DS version apart from previous ports and re-releases is its distinction of being part of the Sega 3D Classics collection. These ports of classic Sega games on the 3DS bring the titles over faithfully to their original counterparts while introducing the ability to play in stereoscopic 3D, courtesy of the Nintendo 3DS’ unique capabilities. While the gameplay of these titles remains identical to their original versions, the implementation of 3D is tasteful and adds some depth to what are otherwise games very much a product of their time.
The original Altered Beast would serve as many Western players’ first Sega game thanks to its popularity in the arcades and its console port acting as the first system pack-in for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. Accordingly, Altered Beast is an important title in Sega’s history despite its fairly simplistic gameplay and visuals. The arcade version’s release in 1988 would quickly give way to the game arriving on the Mega Drive that same year. While it might look primitive by today’s standards, it’s important to note that Altered Beast‘s 16-bit sprites were cutting-edge at the time of the title’s release.
Altered Beast‘s original arcade release would go on to be a huge success, becoming the second-highest-grossing arcade cabinet the month of its release. Conversely, the console ports of the title (of which there are many) would receive mostly lukewarm reception. That said, thanks to its place as a system pack-in during the Genesis/Mega Drive’s initial run, the title has an impressive 1.4 million units sold.
3D Altered Beast Premise
©Altered Beast gameplay screenshot – Original
In Altered Beast, players begin the game with the command “Rise From Your Grave”, achieving resurrection from death to aid the gods of Mount Olympus. Zeus’ daughter Athena, the goddess of wisdom, has been kidnapped by the evil demon Neff. In order to stop Neff, Zeus chooses a nameless fallen Centurion and brings him back from death. In the process, he grants the hero the ability to shapeshift into one of five beast forms. While the key art for the game reveals one of the forms to be a werewolf, there are 4 other beasts he can transform into. These include a weredragon, a werebear, a weretiger, and a golden version of the standard werewolf.
Players travel from left to right across scrolling screens defeating enemies as in most beat ’em ups. Every time the player defeats a special enemy (a wolf with two heads), a Spirit Orb drops. Collecting a Spirit Orb increases the player’s size and strength, not unlike Arthur’s armor power-ups in Ghosts n’ Goblins. Collecting 3 Spirit Orbs results in the player undergoing the titular transformation into a beast form. Each of the 5 beast forms has its own abilities that grant the player significant advantages in combat. Standard abilities in the Centurion’s human form include the traditional punch, kick, and jump.
The demon Neff awaits the player as the boss of every stage. Similarly, the player will contend with many of the same enemies in each of the game’s 5 levels. These include horror-adjacent foes like zombies and even creatures from Greek mythology such as Satyrs and Unicorns.
3D Altered Beast Main Characters
©3D Altered Beast character artwork – Original
The story of Altered Beast puts players in the shoes of a nameless hero chosen by the Greek god Zeus to rescue Athena. Athena’s capture at the hands of the demon Neff results in this nameless hero being chosen by the gods and granted the ability to shapeshift into 5 different beast forms to challenge the villain. The main characters in Altered Beast include:
- The Hero: A nameless Roman Centurion resurrected from the dead by Zeus and granted the superhuman ability to shapeshift into one of five beast forms.
- Zeus: The king of the gods and ruler of the Greek pantheon. When his daughter Athena is kidnapped by the evil demon Neff, Zeus chooses a human champion to enlist for her rescue.
- Athena: Zeus’ daughter and the goddess of wisdom. She is the traditional “damsel in distress” in Altered Beast.
- Neff: The main antagonist of Altered Beast. The demon Neff, ruler of the underworld, kidnaps Athena in a bid to drain her of her godly powers and become unstoppable.
Games in the Altered Beast Series
The popularity and player adoption of Altered Beast have led to the title receiving not one, but two sequels. The first of these is the Game Boy Advance title Altered Beast: Guardian of the Realms. The other is the Japan and PAL-exclusive PS2 title Altered Beast. The original is the only title in the series available on the 3DS.
- Altered Beast (Arcade, 1988)
- Altered Beast (Mega Drive/Sega Genesis, 1988)
- Altered Beast: Guardian of the Realms (Game Boy Advance, 2002)
- Jūōki: Project Altered Beast/Altered Beast (PlayStation 2, 2005)
3D Altered Beast Cheats & Cheat Codes for Nintendo 3DS
3D Altered Beast “Hidden” Options
At the title screen, hold B and press X to unlock a “Hidden” Options menu that allows you to change the starting level, difficulty, health, and amount of lives.
Beast Selection
At the title screen, hold Y + B + A + Down/Left and press X to play as any of the beast transformations on any level.
Continue from the last played level
When changing the starting level with the “Options” code, hold Y and press X.
Sound Test
At the title screen, hold Y + A + Up/Right and press X to unlock a Sound Test mode.
3D Altered Beast Cheat FAQs
How do you get more lives in Altered Beast?
The original console port of Altered Beast on the Genesis features a handy “Bonus Lives” cheat. Unfortunately, this code is not active in the 3DS port.
How long does it take to beat Altered Beast?
On average, it takes roughly 1 to 1 and a half hours to beat Altered Beast.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©3D Altered Beast official key art.