Editing Altered Beast (section)

==Releases==
[[File:Sega-Mega-Drive-EU-Mk1-wController-FL.jpg|alt=A European PAL Mega Drive video game console with a controller|thumb|''Altered Beast'' became the pack-in title for the [[Sega Genesis]] in North America and the Mega Drive (pictured above) in Europe and Brazil.]]
Released in June 1988,<ref name=":0" /> ''Altered Beast''{{'s}} arcade version proved to be more popular overseas than it did in Japan.  As a result of its popularity, it was selected to be [[Porting|ported]] and made the [[pack-in game]] for the [[Sega Genesis|Sega Genesis and Mega Drive]] in North America and Europe. Uchida was not involved directly with either the Genesis or the [[Master System]] port, though he did give some advice and noted he was not worried about the Genesis port because its hardware was based on the System 16 arcade system board he used.  He had hoped to implement the pressure-sensitive button for the Genesis port, but could not due to tight development time and the lack of the button in Genesis hardware. Because ''Altered Beast'' was not the pack-in game in Japan, Uchida did not get to see his game included with the console. By the time he went to the US three years later, all of the available consoles instead included [[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|''Sonic the Hedgehog'']],<ref name=":1" /> which replaced ''Altered Beast'' in part over concerns the latter's themes of [[zombie]]s and magic were not popular in the [[Bible Belt]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uk.ign.com/articles/2009/04/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-sega?page=3|title=IGN Presents the History of SEGA|last=Fahs|first=Travis|date=April 21, 2009|website=[[IGN]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125144901/http://uk.ign.com/articles/2009/04/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-sega?page=3|archive-date=January 25, 2016|access-date=February 7, 2020}}</ref>

In addition to the Genesis and Master System, ''Altered Beast'' was ported to several platforms, including for [[TurboGrafx-16|PC Engine]], PC Engine-CD, [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom]], [[Atari ST]], [[Commodore 64]], [[ZX Spectrum]], [[Amstrad CPC]], and [[Amiga]]. Several of the conversions for European systems were completed by [[Activision]]. Certain differences are seen between the several versions of the game. Some of them, like the Master System version, were missing levels. Interlink developed the Famicom edition, which was released only in Japan by [[Asmik Corporation]]; it includes a humanoid lion, shark, and phoenix forms as well as additional levels. Due to its rivalry with [[Nintendo]], Sega did not publish the game on the platform.<ref name=":1" />

The Genesis version is included in the compilations ''[[Sega Smash Pack]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sega-smash-pack-volume-1-review/1900-2705680/|title=Sega Smash Pack Volume 1 Review|last=Gerstmann|first=Jeff|date=April 6, 2001|website=[[GameSpot]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208193420/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sega-smash-pack-volume-1-review/1900-2705680/|archive-date=February 8, 2014|access-date=July 31, 2012}}</ref> ''[[Sega Genesis Collection]]'',<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sega-genesis-collection-review/1900-6162290/|title=Sega Genesis Collection Review|last=Kasavin|first=Greg|date=November 22, 2006|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=October 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004090003/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sega-genesis-collection-review/1900-6162290/|archive-date=October 4, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection]]'',<ref name=":4">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/12/sonics-ultimate-genesis-collection-review|title=Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection Review|last=Miller|first=Greg|date=February 12, 2009|publisher=[[IGN]]|access-date=October 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920110549/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/12/sonics-ultimate-genesis-collection-review|archive-date=September 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> with the latter two also including the arcade version as an [[unlockable game]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> The [[Wii]]'s [[Virtual Console]] service, the [[Xbox 360]]'s [[Xbox Live Arcade]], and the [[PlayStation 3]]'s [[PlayStation Network]] all received a version of the game.<ref name="nlifewii">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/06/altered_beast_virtual_console|title=Altered Beast Review (VC Arcade)|last=Newton|first=James|date=June 26, 2009|website=[[NintendoLife]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503220650/http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/06/altered_beast_virtual_console|archive-date=May 3, 2019|access-date=February 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/altered-beast/c12853zxs6pf?activetab=pivot:overviewtab|title=Altered Beast|date=June 10, 2009|website=[[Microsoft]]|access-date=February 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0177-NPUB30459_00-SVCALTEREDBEASTX|title=Altered Beast on PS3|website=[[PlayStation|Playstation]].com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325223204/https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0177-NPUB30459_00-SVCALTEREDBEASTX|archive-date=March 25, 2018|access-date=February 11, 2020}}</ref> In 2017, ''Altered Beast'' was rereleased on [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] as a part of the [[Sega Forever]] collection.<ref name="Eurogamer1">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-06-21-segas-back-catalogue-is-headed-to-mobile-with-sega-forever|title=Sega's back catalogue is headed to mobile with Sega Forever|last=Donlan|first=Christian|date=June 21, 2017|website=[[Eurogamer]]|publisher=[[Gamer Network]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216025656/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-06-21-segas-back-catalogue-is-headed-to-mobile-with-sega-forever|archive-date=February 16, 2019|access-date=February 11, 2020}}</ref>  [[M2 (game developer)|M2]] released a [[Stereoscopy|3D]] port for the [[Nintendo 3DS]] as a digital download on the [[Nintendo eShop]].<ref name="nlife3ds">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds-eshop/3d_altered_beast|title=3D Altered Beast Review|last=McFerran|first=Damien|date=December 9, 2013|website=[[NintendoLife]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801014528/http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds-eshop/3d_altered_beast|archive-date=August 1, 2019|access-date=February 11, 2020}}</ref> The game was also included as one of the pre-loaded games on the [[Sega Genesis Mini|SEGA Genesis Mini]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=SEGA |title=Genesis Mini |url=https://genesismini.sega.com/ |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=genesismini.sega.com |archive-date=2019-08-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817185456/https://genesismini.sega.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> This game has also been released on the [[Nintendo Classics]] service on December 16, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|first=|date=December 16, 2021|title=SEGA Genesis Switch Online adds five new games for December 2021|url=https://nintendoeverything.com/sega-genesis-switch-online-adds-five-new-games-for-december-2021/|url-status=live|access-date=December 24, 2021|website=Nintendo Everything|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217010928/https://nintendoeverything.com/sega-genesis-switch-online-adds-five-new-games-for-december-2021/ |archive-date=2021-12-17}}</ref>