Altered Beast

Altered Beast is a legendary side-scrolling beat 'em up set in Ancient Greece, where a fallen centurion is resurrected from the grave by Zeus. Your mission is to rescue Zeus's daughter, Athena, from the demonic god Neff. The core mechanic involves collecting spirit balls dropped by defeated white wolves, which cause your character to undergo dramatic physical transformations. After three power-ups, you morph into powerful creatures—such as a Werewolf, Weretiger, or Golden Bear—each possessing unique elemental attacks and supernatural strength to defeat the grotesque bosses guarding each of the five rounds.

PC Engine

Released in 1989 by NEC, the PC Engine version is often cited as one of the most visually accurate home conversions of the era. Utilizing the system’s superior ability to handle large sprites and vibrant colors, this port maintains the arcade's intimidating character designs and detailed backgrounds. It famously includes all the levels and transformations, and unlike some 8-bit ports, it preserves the cinematic feel of the "Beast" sequences and the distinctive mythological atmosphere.
The PC Engine version is particularly noted for its smooth scrolling and responsive controls, which many enthusiasts find superior to the home computer ports. While it lacks the hardware parallax scrolling of the arcade, the clever use of the console's palette and high-speed CPU makes it feel incredibly polished. On the audio side, the soundtrack is punchy and energetic, though the digitized speech is slightly more compressed than the Mega Drive counterpart. For collectors, this remains a standout version that captures the raw energy of the arcade original within the limits of a HuCard.