Altered Beast (set 4, MC-8123B 317-0066)

Mastering Altered Beast (set 4, MC-8123B 317-0066) is easy to learn but hard to perfect, starting with its simple core controls: use the 8-way joystick to move your warrior, press the first button for melee attacks, and the second button to jump. Your top priority through every level should be collecting three spirit orbs dropped by white two-headed wolves that spawn at fixed points in each stage. Missing even one orb means you will enter the boss fight in your weak human form, which makes winning almost impossible on this set’s original arcade difficulty. Each beast form has unique strengths to leverage for different scenarios: the werewolf form offers balanced attack range and speed, with a rolling dash attack that clears entire lines of small enemies, perfect for the first graveyard level and its bull-headed boss. The dragon form lets you fly to avoid ground traps and fire electric bursts that damage all on-screen enemies, ideal for the second cave level full of falling rocks and crawling worms. The bear form’s petrifying breath turns front-facing enemies into one-hit shatterable stone, perfect for the third level’s dense zombie swarms. The tiger form’s high-speed lightning dash deals massive single-target damage, making it the best choice for the fourth level’s boss. When facing Neff in the final level, wait to activate your golden werewolf form until Neff fully spawns, then use its high-power fireball attacks to take him down quickly. For two-player co-op, coordinate with your partner to collect orbs separately so both of you can transform for boss fights to double your damage output, and avoid chasing bonus points at the cost of health, as this original ROM only gives you three lives per playthrough with no extra life drops.