Altered Beast (2005 video game)

Project Altered Beast, also known as Altered Beast in Europe and Jūōki: Project Altered Beast (獣王記 Project Altered Beast) in Japan, is a 2005 action/adventure, beat 'em up video game for the PlayStation 2. The game is a modern take on the original 1988 arcade game Altered Beast. While the gameplay still involves the main character transforming into different kinds of beasts like in the original, the story, characters and setting is completely different, along with notable gameplay additions. The game was released in Europe and Japan in 2005, but was cancelled for North America due to mixed reviews from critics.

Unlike the original Altered Beast which is set in Ancient Greece, the game features a modern setting unconnected to the previous installments.

Plot

The story follows a man called Luke Custer who is a "Genome-Cyborg", a human whose DNA and other genetic make-up has been artificially altered allowing micro-chips containing the genetic make-up of other creatures to transform him into an anthropomorphic beast. After surviving a helicopter crash, Luke loses his memory and sets off to learn about the truth behind his past and the Genome-Cyborgs.

Altered Beast

Altered Beast (獣王記, Jūōki, lit. "Beast King's Chronicle") is a 1988 beat 'em up arcade game developed and manufactured by Sega. The game is set in Ancient Greece, and follows a centurion who is resurrected by Zeus to rescue his daughter Athena, and to do so becomes able to turn into beasts such as the werewolf with the use of power-ups. After its initial arcade release, it was ported to several home video game consoles and home computers, including the Sega Mega Drive, for which it was a pack-in game. The primary designer was Makoto Uchida, also responsible for the creation of Golden Axe.

Gameplay

Altered Beast is a side scrolling, platform, beat 'em up game. The player can punch, kick and jump. Up to two players can play at once. Each player controls a centurion, fighting undead creatures and monsters in a setting resembling Ancient Greece, with originally five levels, in a graveyard, the Underworld, a cavern, Neff's palace and base at the city of Dis. One of the enemies, a white two-headed wolf (blue in the Mega Drive version, and a blue ox in the DOS version) upon defeat releases a Spirit Ball, a power-up orb which increase the strength and size of the player character. Three orbs turn the centurion into a beast, which in the original version were a werewolf, a thunder weredragon, a werebear, a weretiger, and the more powerful golden werewolf (other beasts can be seen in the Japanese Famicom version).

Altered Beast (album)

Altered Beast is the fourth album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released on Zoo Entertainment in 1993.

Recording

Some of the album's guest musicians included drumming by Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), Jody Stephens (Big Star) and Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello's backing band, the Attractions), guitaring by Richard Lloyd (Television), Robert Quine (Voidoids) and Ivan Julian (Voidoids), keyboarding by Nicky Hopkins, and fiddle by Byron Berline on the lead single, "The Ugly Truth".

Cover

The cover of the album, produced in five different colored versions (yellow, blue, green, orange and purple), features a dinosaur logo. Originally, Sweet wanted to use the logo of the Japanese delivery company Yamato Transport on the cover, but was denied permission; Sweet has described the dinosaur design as a "consolation prize".

Release

Initial responses to the record were mixed, with Rolling Stone writing that it had "inspiring moments; the problem is finding them."AllMusic agreed that the album is "all over the place", yet noted that "it takes a bit of time for all of it to make sense, but after a few listens, it falls together."