Altered Beast (set 5, FD1094 317-0069 decrypted) [Bootleg]

Mastering Altered Beast's combat and transformation mechanics is key to beating Neff and rescuing Athena, even on this stable decrypted bootleg version. First, familiarize yourself with the core 3-button arcade controls: the first button triggers a standard punch/kick attack, the second is for jumping, and the third activates your beast transformation once you have collected 3 Spirit Balls. For early levels, prioritize defeating the white two-headed dog mini-boss that appears halfway through each stage first, as it is the only enemy that drops Spirit Balls. A critical pro tip: wait to trigger your transformation until you are surrounded by large groups of enemies, as the transformation animation grants 3 full seconds of invincibility and clears all enemies on screen, saving you from taking unnecessary damage. Each beast form has unique strengths to leverage: use the werewolf form's fast dash attack to clear swarms of zombies and skeletons in the first graveyard level, switch to the bear form's ground stomp shockwave to wipe out clustered ground enemies in the second underground cave level, and rely on the dragon form's flight and long-range lightning attack to take out flying harpies and the plant-based boss in the third forest level. For boss fights, always position yourself slightly to the side of the boss instead of directly in front, as most of Neff's boss forms only have forward-facing attacks. If you are playing in 2-player co-op mode, assign one player to draw the boss's attention while the other attacks from its vulnerable back side to cut fight time in half. Avoid lingering on the far left or right edges of the screen, as new enemies spawn there without warning and can catch you off guard. This decrypted bootleg version has no original encryption-related crash bugs, so you don't have to worry about losing progress mid-run, making it easy to practice these strategies until you can beat the game on a single credit.