Arcade Longplay [522] Chimera Beast (Prototype)

[@underthepale]

This is such a fascinatingly grim title. It was actually a prototype, too, though clearly it's in a completed state.

[@MrSpecter91]

That is one upbeat song to show us how terrible and evil the eaters are...

[@susanfit47]

Jaleco never officially released this game to the market. A rare prototype version (fully complete) was available in March 1993. The enemies in Chimera Beast are mostly animals, some with equivalent Earth versions and some without. Some of the enemy creatures include jellyfish, and eel-like agnathan, clown fish, clams, flying squirrels, and moles. Once the player reaches the human stage, they will face war vehicles, such as jets and tanks. In level 6, destroying the jeeps that are on the ground makes a pair of humans appear. They are Allen and Rick, from Jaleco's previous arcade release "64th Street: A Detective Story" (1991).

[@Xunkun]

Oh? I thought they looked like Bill and Ted. I wouldn't of had recognized those other two characters.

[@gustavochavarria8161]

I wonder why it was never released?

[@SpoofyJ]

A few things come to mind about this game: 1 - This is how I imagine quite a few Godzilla villains came into existence. 2 - This is Japan's answer to spore before spore ever became a thing. 3 - The ending doesn't make sense considering how there was a stage called "mankind", unless they are somehow implying that this was a planet colonized by people from earth. Bah, I'm putting too much thought into this.

[@marioghernandez4960]

Or maybe there was another humanoid race living there? It only makes sense for me.

[@DPCP-h9u]

The reason why is called "mankind" is because in this game we evolve through all the stages (from a microscopic spec to a proper giant monster). The game takes place in an Earth expy, where other types of life exist. This explains why in the bad ending it says that we let the eaters free to eat the entire universe, including the real planet Earth.

[@Xunkun]

Yeah, the wiki article says that their version of humans ( 16:12 - and I'm not sure, but those two humanoid sprites look like _Bill and Ted_ ...) are also Eaters, like how Pokemon are (sometimes) written as _one_ species. And yeah, I guess the difference between endings is shooting down that space shuttle or not, that it probably has a time limit. Like in _Zero Wing_ (the game with that ancient meme, "All Your Base Are Belong To Us"), there was a good or bad ending depending on if you shot down this one little shuttle fast enough before it escaped, as well.

[@TheCow-j1l]

I thought they were implying the planet was being colonized, thats why they try to escape in a space shuttle, back to earth

[@TheJesterGuy_]

The game which was the precursor to the likes of "Postal", "Hatred", "Overlord", "Carmaggeddon", "Dungeon Keeper" and some other games where you main character is/are the bad guy(s) instead of the traditional heroic character and their group of friends going on another journey to save the world. And one of your weapons is..."cancer". It's an interesting game, however the soundtrack sounds pretty "funky" and overjoyed considering the tone of the story.

[@KarlSturmgewher]

If you die on the last boss and not continue... The protagonist is taking responsibility for the actions and the Eaters will kill each other off.

[@ryancurtis5425]

I love the game's "good" ending. The game blames the player for the downfall of Earth! I love it when games break the fourth wall to an unnerving effect.

[@thecowboy2]

Gaze upon the horror that is..... The Creature That Wouldn't Stop Eating!!!!

[@KarlSturmgewher]

Who... want's this creepy prototype arcade game on Arcade Archives??

[@eclipseslayer98]

I would love to see a modern triple A title based on this premise. My favorite Horror movie, and possibly just movie of all time is John Capenter's: The Thing, I also really enjoy the games Prototype 1 and 2, plus Parasyte is an awesome Anime. I would love a better game of this title. Also, the second stage's music reminds me ever so slightly of the Macgyver theme song in some parts.

[@crazytiger800]

This is just a story about a Tyranid infestation in a backwater planet

[@SpoofyJ]

Very unique theme for a shmup.

[@Qirex2097]

im getting huge agony(on the amiga 500) vibes from level 2. Something about the enemy placement, the "insert coin" the parallax scrolling

[@triplestar100]

Jaleco's unreleased masterpiece given the W.O.L. treatment by Sensei-SCHLAUCHI? Sweetness! I'm proud to have this rare jewel in my MAME collection... sometimes you gotta root for the bad guy, y'know!

[@kristina80ification]

triplestar100 I don't quite get what makes this an "unreleased masterpiece" other than it's weirdly dark story it seems like a typical "generic japanese shooter with weird graphics to make it seem more interesting than it is", which there were plenty of back then.

[@triplestar100]

Kristina it was once said "one person's refuse is another's treasure". I personally love this game; presentation, premise, mechanics, music... the whole shebang. I have a bit of a knack for lesser-known games and juvenile media in general. it's perfectly alright if/when other people don't share my enthusiasm for something... you just can't please everyone, try as we might. point being I really like this one, and that's good enough for me.

[@crunchsixfoe]

Well said, it really is a true masterpiece!

[@paxhumana2015]

Well, I don't get how you are able to breathe without assistance, Kandi Gloss.

[@혜민방-f7s]

Bad Ending Good Ending

[@HiAdrian]

Cool backstory concept!

[@centipedegirl2038]

I loved this game so much :( gameplay and music

[@crunchsixfoe]

This is the coolest game ever!

[@Anemone616]

Played this game yesterday, it’s a quarter guzzler to be sure

[@Sean-bi4hi]

Could the Cave Lion boss be a mutated warthog? Because it has a similar face,and warthogs are also known for digging burrows.

[@فيصلالصومالي-ي9ز]

great longplay

[@cvmaniac7286]

Can't put my finger on it but the 1st stage/boss music sounds familiar.

[@Antonio-fl3nr]

This would fit nicely as a prequel to Biohazard Battle. It also has some Metal Black vibes.

[@Vaquix000]

I think the upbeat music makes it even more disturbing in a way

[@illuminatioracle]

DNA > MEAT

[@o_o_o_o_o-o_o_o_o_o]

Honestly, this is a really good point.

[@evayulianti68]

i knew the obscure arcade game from 1993

[@DiegoAGimenez81]

i would set 2 kind of ending : the bad ending destroying the shuttler and then beating the other eater maybe.the good ending : leaving the shuttler scape safely and defeating the big eater.

[@thedungeonmasqure]

Well I guess we all know the ending to this game. The Chimera Beast becomes human! =p

[@paxhumana2015]

So the game is pretty much a Japanese side-scrolling shooter mashup of The Terminator, The Island of Dr. Moreau, the Kree from the Marvel Comics universe, The Blob (the movies, not the comic book villain), and Animal Farm, am I right, Ebonizer V?

[@darkerfalcon3747]

I like this game but the endings but the endings don't make sense. Defeating the last boss, you get the bad ending while if let you suicide and don't continue, you get the good ending. But come on! This is stupid, you are an eater and your goal is to conquer the earth together with the other eaters. So the good ending is when you defeat the last enemy because you and the other eaters have succeeded in your goal while the bad one is that which let you suicide and does not continue as the eaters are self-eaten. And last thing, in the bad enging there's the staff credits unlike the good one there isn't. But this nonsense, since in every game the staff credits are visibile only on the good (or true if there's) ending not in the bad one. In few worlds the good ending Is when you beat the last boss not if you let suicide.

[@TheCow-j1l]

IM A BAD GUY I WANT BAD ENDING

[@DiegoAGimenez81]

i would like a good ending leaving the shuttler scape and defeating the last eater...

[@hakomutaito]

well actually, you get the bad ending if you beat the game without losing 1 Continue. In Good Ending its either you get a Game Over or loose a Continue and defeat the Last Boss. Btw Good Ending doesn't necessarily mean you get the Credits rollin, i mean the Eaters are the bad guys you are playing as and you do get an Bad Ending with the Credits rollin. I guess that's what makes sense, kinda like a switcheroo there. I think the Good Ending is suppose to be more of a Game Over Cutscene.

[@SanAntonioJoker]

the music in this game is pretty bad