I remember playing the demo of Altered Beast that came free with YS for hours and hours, because it was one of the first 6 tapes I had with my Speccy! I was really good at the 2nd level by the time I got round to buying the game! :D
I do remember finding it quite funky, and although the graphics haven't aged too well, it's not that bad a conversion.....
I have mixed feelings about the Speccy version, and I also played the YS 2nd level demo to death. I never actually bought the full game, well actually I did but for some reason it would never load?
A lot of people actually think Altered Beast (Or Alfie Bastard, as me and my mates back home affectionately refer to it :D) is crap no matter what platform it's on but I likes it no matter what platform it's on (with the exception of the Master System and Commode they were utter wank!).
Anyway I still say after all these years you have to give Activision Kudos for attempting to make it full colour, but crikey it narf gives yer a headache after a few minutes of playing. Defo one colour Speccy game that should've been done in mono. The graphics on a pixel level I found quite faithfull to the arcade, basically I think the arcades pallette in general was quite speccy friendly. the zombies were white and purple, the cyclops zombies were blue or yellow. The chicken stingers were purple, the head suckers were blue. The antmen were yellow, and most of the bosses with the exception of the Mouldy Snail (level 3), and Neff (last boss) came with colours that would translate well (and even then Neff could be done in white and BRIGHT yellow at a push). First boss red, 2nd boss green and white, 4th boss blue, and red. But still it all kind of turns into a screen pizza once the action gets going, maybe they should've used less colour since they didn't go mono?
So all in all it's not really a bad conversion, but there are obviously better ones out there, and yes I'm one of the ones who actually has a soft spot for the Megadrive/Genesis version, it's really not as terrible as so many made out, although it ain't brilliant. The PC Engine/Turbografx version looks the part to an extent but it's bloody rock hard. The NES version is the true oddity no idea if it was legal but it was Programmed by Asmik (of Cosmo Gang fame), who took it upon themselves to add several new beasts, enemies, and levels. Normally I didn't like software companies messing with arcade conversions as such (see my numerous rants about Sega screwing up almost every first wave game for the Megadrive in about 2 million other threads, and Nintendo occasionally doing the same.....Double Dragon 1 and 2 spring to mind, they actually improved 3), but the NES version of Altered Beast really worked for me, even though the sprites are tiny you have to press up to jump and the graphics are shite.
Comments
you're like the anti-ewgf.
:-P
I do remember finding it quite funky, and although the graphics haven't aged too well, it's not that bad a conversion.....
A lot of people actually think Altered Beast (Or Alfie Bastard, as me and my mates back home affectionately refer to it :D) is crap no matter what platform it's on but I likes it no matter what platform it's on (with the exception of the Master System and Commode they were utter wank!).
Anyway I still say after all these years you have to give Activision Kudos for attempting to make it full colour, but crikey it narf gives yer a headache after a few minutes of playing. Defo one colour Speccy game that should've been done in mono. The graphics on a pixel level I found quite faithfull to the arcade, basically I think the arcades pallette in general was quite speccy friendly. the zombies were white and purple, the cyclops zombies were blue or yellow. The chicken stingers were purple, the head suckers were blue. The antmen were yellow, and most of the bosses with the exception of the Mouldy Snail (level 3), and Neff (last boss) came with colours that would translate well (and even then Neff could be done in white and BRIGHT yellow at a push). First boss red, 2nd boss green and white, 4th boss blue, and red. But still it all kind of turns into a screen pizza once the action gets going, maybe they should've used less colour since they didn't go mono?
So all in all it's not really a bad conversion, but there are obviously better ones out there, and yes I'm one of the ones who actually has a soft spot for the Megadrive/Genesis version, it's really not as terrible as so many made out, although it ain't brilliant. The PC Engine/Turbografx version looks the part to an extent but it's bloody rock hard. The NES version is the true oddity no idea if it was legal but it was Programmed by Asmik (of Cosmo Gang fame), who took it upon themselves to add several new beasts, enemies, and levels. Normally I didn't like software companies messing with arcade conversions as such (see my numerous rants about Sega screwing up almost every first wave game for the Megadrive in about 2 million other threads, and Nintendo occasionally doing the same.....Double Dragon 1 and 2 spring to mind, they actually improved 3), but the NES version of Altered Beast really worked for me, even though the sprites are tiny you have to press up to jump and the graphics are shite.
My oh my I rambled on a bit there didn't I? :D
The graphics look like a Ceefax representation of a vomited pizza.
I didn't laugh however, cause I bought it when it came out.
What !?? Were you a secret C64 owner back in the day !! ;)
the problem with the c64 version was prolly expanded sprites...
but to counter it... compare speccy version of shinobi to c64 :)
(notice how I kept ULTRA quiet about the pile of cack known as karnov on c64 ;) )
I guess the best version was megadrive?!?! I remember it being one of the first on it..
I did enjoy the Speccy version of Karnov, dodgy scrolling but some great colour.
Never was a fan of Altered Beast on the Speccy, loved arcade conversions on the Speccy but not really this one.
e.g. grafgold + software creations = safe hands as far as conversions went
and probe were good later, initially I wasn't impressed ...
loved it too,great port,the recent outing on the ps2 wasnt a bad game either.
I've had a C64 since 1986, an Oric since 1985, and a Speccy since 1984. Oh and a ZX81 before that.