Original Sega Genesis Pack-In Game 'Altered Beast' Gets a Funko 8-Bit Pop

The original incarnation of Altered Beast has the distinction of being the first pack-in game for the Sega Genesis in 1988 before being replaced with Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991. That was a good move for Sega, but gamers of a certain age likely have a nostalgic soft spot for Altered Beast. Not surprisingly, Funko is capitalizing on that nostalgia for Altered Beast's 30th anniversary with a new Funko Pop in their 8-bit lineup.

The Altered Beast Greek Warrior Werewolf 8-Bit Pop! Vinyl Figure #32 is available to pre-order right here with shipping slated for September. An all-gold 8-bit Pop version of Altered Beast's Werewolf will be available exclusively through GameStop in August.

If you are unfamiliar with the game, Altered Beast is set in ancient Greece, and involves a Roman centurion that dies in battle but is resurrected by Zeus for the purposes of saving his daughter Athena from the underworld demon god Neff. To aid the centurion in his quest, power-ups are employed that give him the ability to transform into powerful beasts.

On a related note, Funko and Entertainment Earth recently launched an exclusive Xenomorph Pop figure in the 8-bit lineup in celebration of Alien Day. It sold like crazy in pre-order, but now it's in stock and ready to ship. You can secure one for your collection right here while they last.

The interesting thing about this particular figure is that it's based on the color scheme of the Alien 3 video game that was released for the Sega Genesis in 1992 in support of the film of the same name. The loading screen pictured above illustrates that, and will likely stir up some memories for anyone who played this game back in the day.

This figure is variant of the standard 8-bit Alien Funko Pop and the blood splattered Previews Exclusive versions. It's kind of an odd variant at that, since Alien 3 strikes me as kind of obscure as far as nostalgic games for the Sega Genesis go. Still, the quirkiness of the figure makes for an interesting collectible.

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