Altered Beast (set 5, FD1094 317-0069)

Mastering Altered Beast (set 5, FD1094 317-0069) is easy to pick up but rewarding to master, starting with its core arcade control scheme: use the 8-way joystick to move, crouch, or aim jumps, the first action button for punches and melee attacks, and the second button to jump. Your top priority in every stage is collecting Spirit Balls, which only drop from the white two-headed hellhounds that spawn at set intervals. Never let these hounds escape off-screen, and note that you will not lose collected Spirit Balls even if you lose a life, so you can safely take small hits to grab orbs if needed. Once you unlock a beast form, leverage its unique strengths to clear levels faster: the werewolf’s dash attack and wide lightning wave can wipe out entire groups of small enemies in one hit, the dragon’s flight ability lets you avoid all ground-based hazards while firing long-range fireballs, and the bear’s stone gaze can turn even mid-tier demonic enemies into fragile, easily destroyed rocks. For all boss battles, always enter the boss arena with a fully activated beast form, never enter with only 1 or 2 collected orbs. For the first stage Minotaur boss, use werewolf form to stay at mid-range, and hit his head with jump attacks while dodging his charging rams. For the third stage plant monster boss, use dragon form to float above his root attacks and spit fire directly at his glowing core to defeat him quickly. This set 5 ROM has no emulation glitches, so two-player co-op and all boss mechanics work exactly as they did on original 1988 arcade cabinets.