''Strider'', released in Japan as is a

hack-and-slash Hack and slash, also known as hack and slay (H&S or HnS) or slash 'em up, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat with melee-based weapons (such as swords or blades). They may also feature projectile-based weapons as well (such as ...

platform game A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...

released in arcades in 1989 by

Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...

. ''Strider'' is set in a

dystopian A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...

future with a wide range of settings that affect gameplay. The game resulted from cooperation between Capcom and manga publisher

Moto Kikaku Hiroshi Motomiya (, born June 25, 1947) is a Japanese manga artist. He is from Chiba Prefecture. Moto Kikaku ''Moto Kikaku'' (formerly ''Motomiya Kikaku'') is a group of Japanese manga artists, founded by Hiroshi Motomiya. They're best known in ...

. It marked the video game debut of

Strider Hiryu is a fictional character jointly owned by Capcom and Moto Kikaku. Although primarily known as a game character, Hiryu (''飛竜'', "Flying Dragon") debuted in 1988 as the protagonist of a Japan-exclusive manga titled ''Strider Hiryu,'' publishe ...

, after the character was introduced in the 1988

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

''Strider Hiryu''. The game debuted on Capcom's

CP System The is an arcade system board developed by Capcom that ran game software stored on removable daughterboards. More than two dozen arcade titles were released for CPS-1, before Capcom shifted game development over to its successor, the CP System ...

arcade board. Various home computer ports were developed by

Tiertex Tiertex Design Studios Limited was a British software development company and former video game developer based in Macclesfield, England; it was founded in 1986, focusing on porting games to home computers and handheld platforms. As a video ga ...

and published by

U.S. Gold U.S. Gold Limited was a British video game publisher based in Witton, Birmingham, England. The company was founded in 1984 by Anne and Geoff Brown in parallel to their distributor firm, CentreSoft, both of which became part of Woodward Brown Ho ...

in 1989. The NES version has a different plot than the original.

Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...

released ''Strider'' for its own

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

console in 1990. Of all home versions, the Genesis adaptation is considered the most successful, winning the Game of the Year and Best Graphics in a Video Game awards from ''

Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The m ...

'' in 1990. ''Strider'' gameplay is cited as a major influence on the video game franchises ''

Ninja Gaiden is a series of action video games by Tecmo featuring the ninja Ryu Hayabusa as its protagonist. The series was originally known as in Japan. The word "gaiden" in the North American ''Ninja Gaiden'' title means "side story" in Japanese. The o ...

'', ''

Devil May Cry is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. Its gameplay consists o ...

'', and ''

God of War A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions. Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been po ...

''. It became one of Capcom's early hits, praised for its innovative gameplay, diverse and unique music, and multilingual voice samples.

Gameplay

The controls of ''Strider'' consist of an eight-way joystick and two action buttons for attacking and jumping. The player controls the protagonist

, a

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...

whose main weapon is a

tonfa The ''tonfa'' ( Okinawan: , lit. ''old man's staff'' / ''"crutch"''), also spelled as ''tongfa'' or ''tuifa'', also known as T-baton is a melee weapon with its origins in the armed component of Okinawan martial arts. It consists of a stick ...

-like plasma sword known as a "Cypher". He can perform numerous acrobatic feats depending on the joystick/button combination used. Pressing the jump button while Hiryu is standing still will cause him to do a regular vertical jump, while pressing the jump button while pushing the joystick left or right will enable him to do a cartwheel jump. Hiryu can also slide under or through certain obstacles and enemies by first crouching down and then pressing the jump button. As well as his sliding move, both jumps can also be used to destroy weaker opponents. Hiryu is able to latch onto certain platforms, and climb across walls and ceilings using a metallic hook. While running down a sloped surface, Hiryu can gain enough momentum to allow him to do a longer cartwheel jump than usual. Numerous power-ups can be obtained from item boxes carried by certain enemies. These include an extension to Hiryu's attack range that lasts for one hundred slashes, two types of health aids (represented by the

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...

used to write Hiryu's name: 飛 and 飛竜), a max health extension (represented by the kanji 竜, the second character in Hiryu's name), an

extra life In video games, a life is a play-turn that a player character has, defined as the period between start and end of play. Lives refer to a finite number of tries before the game ends with a game over. It is sometimes called a chance, a try, rest ...

, and a power-up that not only makes Hiryu invulnerable to attack but also increases his own attack abilities via shadow images of himself for 15 seconds. Hiryu can also summon robotic companions known collectively as "options" that help him fight enemies. These consist of up to two

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...

-like droids, a saber-toothed robo tiger and a robot

hawk Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...

, known individually as Options A, B and C respectively. The game has five stages: the

Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic ; kk, Қазақ Советтік Социалистік Республикасы) *1991: Republic of Kazakhstan (russian: Республика Казахстан; kk, Қазақстан Республикасы) , linking_name = the ...

(called "

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

" during the arcade game's attract sequence), the

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

n Wilderness, the Aerial Battleship Balrog, the Amazonian Jungle, and the Grandmaster's lair itself, the Third Moon. Each of the stages is divided into a number of smaller sections, each with their own time limit and checkpoint location. The player has a three-point health gauge (which can be increased to five points with the health extensions). Hiryu will lose a life when either his health gauge is fully depleted, by moving him off the screen entirely (like falling into a bottomless pit) or when the game's timer reaches zero. It is Game Over when all of Hiryu's lives are lost, but the player can be given the opportunity to continue.

Plot

''Strider'' is set in a

dystopia A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...

n future in the year 2048, where a mysterious dictator known as the "Grandmaster" rules over the world. Hiryu, the youngest ever Super A Ranked member of an organization of high-tech

agents known as the "Striders", is alone tasked with the Grandmaster's assassination. Hiryu begins his mission by infiltrating the Grandmaster's capital at the

, a

Federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

referred to as Eastern European which became the Imperial Capital of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

by the year 2048. The game features multilingual voice clips during cutscenes (presented in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

and Swahili).

Development

The arcade version of ''Strider'' was part of a three-way project conceived in a collaboration between

and Hiroshi Motomiya's manga studio

, which also included the ''Strider Hiryu''

by Moto Kikaku's Tatsumi Wada that was published in

Kodansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...

's ''Comic Computique'' anthology in Japan, as well as the NES version of ''Strider''. Kouichi Yotsui, director of the coin-op ''Strider'' (who is credited as Isuke in the game), was chosen for his experience with the

hardware while working as a background designer on ''

Ghouls 'n Ghosts ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', known as in Japan, is a side-scrolling platform game developed by Capcom, released as an arcade game in 1988 and subsequently ported to a number of home platforms. It is the sequel to ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' and the second g ...

''. The three projects were developed independently of each other. The original arcade game soundtrack was composed entirely by female video game music composer Junko Tamiya, who was not credited for her work in the arcade version but was mentioned as part of the original arcade staff in some console adaptations. Early revisions of the arcade game were missing the unique music for the Aerial Battleship and Third Moon stages. In this version the music from the first stage of the game was repeated here instead. ''Strider'' contains many different styles of themes that change dynamically throughout the game according to the stages and the situations on screen. These range from

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...

and

progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

futuristic

sci-fi Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...

action themes to

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

and classical music pieces. Elements from the soundtrack have also been used in other Capcom games where Hiryu has appeared. These include the ''

Marvel vs. Capcom is a series of crossover fighting games developed and published by Capcom, featuring characters from their own video game franchises and comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series originated as coin-operated arcade games, though ...

'' series as well as other ''Strider'' related games.

Ports

Ports of ''Strider'' for the

Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...

Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sin ...

Atari ST The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first pers ...

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...

IBM PC compatible IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones. ...

s, and

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...

were published by

and developed by

in 1989. The U.S. Gold versions have the order of the third and fourth stages swapped (the order of the

cut-scene A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...

s were kept the same, causing a continuity error), and the final battle with the Grandmaster missing (the last stages end with the battle against the giant robot gorilla Mecha Pong). As a result, the ending was changed to reveal that the events of the game were a simulation that the player was going through. All five versions featured downgraded graphics, less music and missing enemies compared to the arcade version. Additionally, the controls were modified so that the game would be compatible with one-button joystick controllers. Despite these changes, all of the U.S. Gold releases received high review scores by computer game magazines of the time. Later, in 1992, the assets of the Amiga versions were used for the conversion on the

Sega Master System The is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and ...

, also made by Tiertex. A final fight with the Grandmaster was added in this version, but the ending credits continue to say that all was just a simulation.

produced their home version of ''Strider'' for the

Mega Drive/Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...

, which was released in Japan on September 29, 1990, with subsequent releases in North America and the

PAL region The PAL region is a television publication territory that covers most of Europe and Africa, alongside parts of Asia, South America and Oceania. It is named PAL because of the PAL (Phase Alternating Line) television standard traditionally used in ...

. It was advertised as one of the first 8-Megabit cartridges for the system, and went on to be a bestseller. This version was also re-released for the

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...

Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...

in Japan on November 15, 2011 and in North America on February 16, 2012. It was re-released again on the

Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) is an online subscription service for the Nintendo Switch video game console. Nintendo Switch Online features include online multiplayer, cloud saving, voice chat via a smartphone app, access to a library of Ninten ...

+ Expansion Pack service on October 25, 2021. The Genesis/Mega Drive version contains a different ending from the arcade game. This ending shows the destruction of the final stage as the game's protagonist makes his escape. This is then followed by the main credit sequence that sees Hiryu flying his glider in space and reminiscing about the various encounters he had during his mission as he heads back to earth. The ending theme was an edited combination of two separate pieces of music planned for the arcade game, but replaced with a repeat of the first level music. Computer magazine ''

ACE An ace is a playing card, Dice, die or domino with a single Pip (counting), pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit (cards), suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large a ...

'' considered the previous Amiga conversion to be "as good as this one". Capcom separately produced a version for the

Sharp X68000 The is a home computer created by Sharp Corporation. It was first released in 1987 and sold only in Japan. The initial model has a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM, and lacks a hard drive. The final model was released in 1993 wit ...

computer in 1991, releasing it exclusively in Japan. It is a very close reproduction of the arcade original, with minimal changes. A version for the

Capcom Power System Changer The is an arcade system board developed by Capcom that ran game software stored on removable daughterboards. More than two dozen arcade titles were released for CPS-1, before Capcom shifted game development over to its successor, the CP Syste ...

was planned and previewed but never released.

NEC Avenue was a Japanese music and video game publisher. History NEC Avenue was founded in 1987 as a record label within NEC. NEC Avenue eventually got involved with video games, and secured licenses to produce console versions of arcade titles from Sega ...

produced a

PC Engine CD The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, thoug ...

version of ''Strider Hiryu'', which was released exclusively in Japan on September 22, 1994 as a

CD-ROM A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains data. Computers can read—but not write or erase—CD-ROMs. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold both comput ...

² title which requires the Arcade Card expansion. It features an all-new desert stage that was not in the arcade version, as well as newly recorded cut-scenes, music and dialogue, with Japanese voice actor

Kaneto Shiozawa Toshikazu Shiozawa ( ja, 塩沢敏一, Shiozawa Toshikazu, January 28, 1954 – May 10, 2000), better known by the stage name Kaneto Shiozawa ( ja, 塩沢兼人, Shiozawa Kaneto), was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo. At the ...

as the voice of Hiryu and

Kōji Totani was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan who worked at Aoni Production. On February 6, 2006, at the age of 57, he died from acute heart failure. His final appearance was the Naruto 2006 New Year one-h ...

as the Grand Master. The PC Engine CD version had a long development process, having been planned in various formats, including the

SuperGrafx The , also known as simply the SuperGrafx, is a fourth-generation home video game console manufactured by NEC Home Electronics and released in Japan in 1989. It is the successor system to the PC Engine, released two years prior. Originally know ...

at one point. The

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

version of ''Strider'' was first released by Capcom in 2000 as a second disc which came packaged with the PlayStation version of '' Strider 2''. The North American release has the ''Strider'' and ''Strider 2'' game code pressed onto the wrong disc. This version was reissued separately in Japan on October 24, 2006 as part of the ''Capcom Game Books'' series, which included an extended manual and strategy guide for the game. This makes this standalone version technically the last original PlayStation game ever made, released after the system's discontinuation in March 2006. The original arcade version was included in the 2006 video game compilations '' Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed'' for the

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...

and ''Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2'' for the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

and

Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...

. A Japanese

mobile phone A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...

version was released in 2010.

Reception

In the United Kingdom, ''Strider'' was the best-selling arcade game for three months during early 1989 (between February and April). In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Strider'' on their April 1, 1989 issue as being the third most-successful table arcade unit of the month, outperforming titles like ''

''.

Reviews

''Strider'' opened to critical acclaim, particularly for its gameplay, graphics, diverse music, and voice samples. The original arcade game received positive reviews from critics upon release. ''

The Games Machine ''The Games Machine'' is a video game magazine that was published from 1987 until 1990 in the United Kingdom by Newsfield, which also published ''CRASH'', ''Zzap!64'', ''Amtix!'' and other magazines. History The magazine ran head to head with ...

'' called it "THE platform and ladders game to be seen playing at the moment." ''

Your Sinclair ''Your Sinclair'', or ''YS'' as it was commonly abbreviated, was a commercially published and printed British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum. It was in circulation between 1984 and 1993. History The ...

'' called it "brilliant" and "a real epic" with "some imaginative stuff" in the game. ''

Commodore User ''Commodore User'', known to the readers as the abbreviated ''CU'', was one of the oldest British Commodore magazines. With a publishing history spanning over 15 years, it mixed content with technical and video game features. Incorporating ''Vic ...

'' praised the "high definition graphics, brilliant movements and good old-fashioned blasting action" along with a "bit of tongue-in-cheek political" content. The Genesis version was praised for its accurate and detailed faithfulness to the original. Upon release, ''

GamePro Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...

'' called the Genesis port "a faithful translation of the arcade hit", and praised its "gorgeous graphics, non-stop arcade-style action, and ... captivating and unusual sound track." '' EGM'' awarded the Genesis port best video game of the year in 1990 and winner of their best graphics category. ''Strider'' has spawned numerous fansites and retrospectives. According to ''Retro Gamer''s Darran Jones, "everything about Strider was epic. Its backgrounds were brilliantly designed and featured an array of exotic locations, while its sprite design was superb. There was a uniqueness to ''Strider'' art design that gave it a distinctive look back in 1989 and still makes it stand out brilliantly today. It's a mysterious mish-mash of different cultures that ensured it stood out from its arcade peers." Jones also praised the game's "stunning animation", gameplay, and controls, as well as its "superbly atmospheric" soundtrack."Ultimate Guide: Strider" in ''Retro Gamer'' 121. Mark Caswell of ''Crash'' magazine referred to the game's graphics as detailed and incredible, the scrolling and action as smooth and called the gameplay "some of the most demanding gameplay ever invented".

Accolades

At Japan's 3rd ''Gamest'' Awards in 1989, the arcade version of ''Strider'' received the awards for Best Production and Best Action Game.alternate url
/ref> ''Strider'' ranked in 5 different categories in ''Gamest'' annual video game awards, the ''Gamest Grand Prix'': 4th in the overall "Gamest Grand Prix", 5th in "Best Graphics", 3rd in "Best VGM" and 1st in "Best Action" and "Best Direction".Staff (December 27, 1989). "3RD Gamest Grand Prix".

' (41). Pg. 68-79. The game also ranked 22nd in "Best 100 games of the Year", and several characters from the game also placed well in the "Best Characters" category: Hiryu at the lead in 3rd place, followed by Tong Pooh (13th), the Option A robot (21st), Grandmaster Meio (25th), Ouroboros (30th) and Strobaya (39th) In a 1991 ''

Gamest was a Japanese video game magazine that specialized in covering arcade games. Published by Shinseisha, it first began in May 1986 and originally published bi-monthly, later changed to be a monthly-issued magazine in the late 1980s. The magazine al ...

'' reader poll, ''Strider'' was voted the ninth best arcade game of all time;alternate url
/ref> they ranked ''Strider'' 9th in the "Top 30 Readers' Choice" from their special issue "The Best Game". In 1990, ''

'' included the arcade game in its "Top of the Slots '89" list at third place. In the 1990 ''

'' awards, the Sega Genesis version of ''Strider'' received the awards for Best Game of the Year and Best Graphics in a Video Game. In 1992, ''

Mega Mega or MEGA may refer to: Science * mega-, a metric prefix denoting 106 * Mega (number), a certain very large integer in Steinhaus–Moser notation * "mega-" a prefix meaning "large" that is used in taxonomy * Gravity assist, for ''Moon-Eart ...

'' placed ''Strider'' at 31st spot in their list of top Mega Drive games of all time. In 1997 ''EGM'' ranked the Genesis version the 42nd best console video game of all time, remarking that "any game where you can crawl on walls and do all kinds of cool flips is pretty awesome." In 2010,

UGO.com UGO Entertainment, Inc. was a website that provided coverage of online media in entertainment, targeting males aged 18–34. The company was based in New York, New York, United States. History The company started in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online ...

included ''Strider'' in their list of the 25 video games that need sequels, and ''

Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...

'' included it on the list of ten gaming franchises that should be revived: "Imagine the sidescrolling insanity of the ''

Metal Slug is a Japanese Shoot 'em up#Scrolling shooters, run and gun video game series originally created by Nazca Corporation before merging with SNK Playmore, SNK in 1996 after the completion of the Metal Slug (1996 video game), first game in the seri ...

'' series, but replace grizzled soldiers with a badass ninja. That's ''Strider'', and it's awesome." That same year, the game was also included as one of the titles in the book ''

1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die ''1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die'' is a video game reference book first published in October 2010. It consists of a list of video games released between 1970 and 2013, arranged chronologically by release date. Each entry in the list ...

''.

ScrewAttack Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC is an American digital media company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2003 by Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman, Rooster Teeth is a subsidiary of Warner ...

named it as the best Genesis game ever made, and ''

Retro Gamer ''Retro Gamer'' is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Launched in January 2004 as a quarterly publication, ''Retro Gamer'' soon became ...

'' included it among the top ten Mega Drive games. In 2017,

Gamesradar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...

ranked Strider 33rd on its "Best Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games of all time."

Legacy

NES game

'' Strider'' was released for the

NES The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...

exclusively in North America a few months after the arcade version's release. This version was produced alongside the arcade game but follows the plot of

's tie-in manga. A

Famicom The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...

version of the same game was planned for release in Japan, but never made it to the shelves.

Sequels

Under license from Capcom U.S.A.,

and

produced a ''Strider'' sequel in Europe titled '' Strider II'' (released in North America as ''Journey From Darkness: Strider Returns'') for various computer platforms, as well as the

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it in 1988 in Japan as ...

Game Gear The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, ...

, and

Master System The is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and ...

home consoles. This European-produced sequel was not released in Japan. Like the previous conversions of the original game, the quality of this one was very low. Capcom later produced another sequel, unrelated to the Tiertex-produced ''Strider Returns'', titled '' Strider 2'', which was released for the arcades and the

in 2000.

Reboot

An untitled ''Strider'' reboot game was being developed by Grin in 2009, before being canceled by

, soon after ''

Bionic Commando ''Bionic Commando'' is a video game franchise consisting of an original arcade game released in 1987 and several later versions and sequels. Background The original Japanese arcade game and its Famicom counterpart (''Hitler's Resurrection'' ...

'' was released. An all-new '' Strider'' remake was developed by

Double Helix Games Double Helix Games was an American video game developer based in Irvine, California, founded in October 2007 through the merger of The Collective and Shiny Entertainment, two studios owned by Foundation 9 Entertainment. Double Helix was acquir ...

and released on

PlayStation Network PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...

for the

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...

and

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...

Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360. It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent ...

for the

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...

and

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...

, and

Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...

in 2014.

Other appearances

Strider Hiryu also appears as a playable character in the 1998 fighting game '' Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes'', which was followed by '' Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes'' in 2000. Hiryu has also made minor appearances in other Capcom-related games such as '' SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash'', ''

Namco × Capcom (pronounced as "Namco Cross Capcom") is a tactical role-playing (RPG) crossover video game developed by Monolith Soft for the PlayStation 2 and published by Namco in 2005. The gameplay combines tactical RPG and action sequences during battles, ...

'', ''

Project X Zone 2 ''Project X Zone 2'' is a crossover tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Monolith Soft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Despite the game being the sequel to ''Project X Zone'', the plot is a homage to the event ...

'' and ''Adventure Quiz: Capcom World 2'', including a small cameo appearance in

Ken Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in t ...

's stage in ''

Street Fighter Alpha 2 ''Street Fighter Alpha 2'', known as in Japan, Asia, South America, and Oceania, is a 1996 in video gaming, 1996 fighting game originally released for the CP System II, CPS II arcade hardware by Capcom. The game is a Video game remake, remake to ...

''. Hiryu was one of the characters intended to appear in the unreleased 3D fighting game ''

Capcom Fighting All-Stars ''Capcom Fighting All-Stars: Code Holder'' was a 3D fighting game planned for the arcade and PlayStation 2 that was to be developed by Capcom. Like '' KOF: Maximum Impact'', it was designed to translate a 2D fighting game series into 3D. This ...

''. Hiryu's latest guest appearance was in the 2011 fighting game ''

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom in collaboration with Eighting. It is an updated version of '' Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds''. The game features characters from both Capcom's video game franchises and comic book se ...

'' which marked his character's official 3D debut; this game is also notable as being the first where he is voiced in English. He returned in the sequel, ''

Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite is a fighting video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Marvel vs. Capcom'' series of crossover games. Like previous installments, players control characters from both the Marvel Comics and Capcom univers ...

''.

Related games

''Strider'' director Kouichi Yotsui left Capcom soon after its release. He later designed an unofficial, coin-operated sequel for

Mitchell Corporation Mitchell Corporation (株式会社ミッチェル) was a Japanese video game developer based in the Suginami ward of Tokyo. Roy Ozaki served as president, and Koichi Niida served as vice-president. Some employees were former Capcom and TAD Corpora ...

in 1996. Yotsui considers that game, titled ''Cannon-Dancer'' in Japan and ''

Osman Osman is the Persian transliteration and derived from the Arabic masculine given name Uthman ( ar, عُثْمان, , link=no ''‘uthmān'') or an English surname. It may refer to: People * Osman (name), people with the name * Osman I (1258–132 ...

'' in the West, a "self-parody" of his work on ''Strider''. ''

Moon Diver , formerly known as ''Necromachina'', is a side-scrolling platforming video game developed by feelplus and published by Square Enix. It was released for the PSN on March 29, 2011, and the Xbox Live Arcade on May 4, 2011. Plot It is the dawn o ...

'' is a 2011

Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', ''Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game ...

game that shares some of the same gameplay elements and was also created by Yotsui. The game

Run Saber ''Run Saber'' is a 1993 side-scrolling action game developed by Horisoft and published by Atlus for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was released in North America on June 8, 1993, and in Europe in 1993. ''Run Saber'' features ...

, released by

Atlus is a Japanese video game developer, publisher, arcade manufacturer and distribution company based in Tokyo. A subsidiary of Sega, the company is known for video game series such as ''Megami Tensei'', ''Persona'', ''Etrian Odyssey'' and ''Trau ...

in 1993 for the

Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...

, is often compared to Strider due to them being similar in play mechanics.

Influence

According to

Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson. Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...

, ''Strider'' was a vital influence on video game franchises such as ''

'', ''

'' and ''

''. According to ''

'', the over-the-top action of future Capcom franchises, such as ''Devil May Cry'' and ''

Viewtiful Joe is a side scrolling beat 'em up video game franchise created by Japanese game designer Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom and its subsidiary Clover Studio. Games ''Viewtiful Joe'' (2003) The first game in the ...

'', draws from ''Strider'', particularly in their inclusion of the "boss rush".Jones, Darran (24 Apr 2010). "The Making of... Strider". ''Retro Gamer'' (76). pp. 48-53. British rapper

Tinchy Stryder Kwasi Esono Danquah III ( ; born 14 September 1986), known by the stage name Tinchy Stryder, is a Ghanaian British, Ghanaian-British rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor. Stryder has released three solo (music), solo studio al ...

named himself partially after ''Strider'', which he often played as a boy. In October 2012, Brazilian guitarist Pedro Pimentel released a tribute theme to this game series - also named "Strider" and included in his debut solo album (self-titled). As published in the Brazilian edition of Guitar Player magazine (March 2013), "'Strider' is a composition with a very modern theme and great guitar solos. Good quality recording and very tasteful tones." ''Strider'' was also influential among European developers: platform games including ''Assassin'', '' Zool: Ninja of the Nth Dimension'' and ''

Wolfchild ''Wolfchild'' is a platform game originally released for the Amiga and the Atari ST by Core Design in 1992. It was later released for the SNES, Sega Genesis, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega CD, Master System, and Game Gear. The plot revolves around bio ...

'' were influenced in either gameplay or aesthetics from the original arcade coin-op game. In later years various indie developers have published platform games featuring the gameplay style of ''Strider'', with titles such as ''

Oniken ''Oniken'' is a side-scroller, side-scrolling action game, action platform game, platform video game developed and published by independent Brazilian studio Joymasher for Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux. The game was released worldwide for Micro ...

'', ''Cataegis: The White Wind'', '' Tänzer'', ''

Blazing Chrome ''Blazing Chrome'' is a run and gun video game developed by JoyMasher and published by The Arcade Crew. The game was released on July 11, 2019 for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and on November 19, 2020 for Amazon Luna. Th ...

'' and ''Bushiden''. The game and its world has also served as a point of inspiration for

Keiji Inafune is a Japanese video game producer, illustrator and businessman. Starting his career at Capcom in the late 1980s, his job was as an artist and illustrator. The first two games he worked on were the original ''Street Fighter'' and ''Mega Man'' in ...

, the co-creator of ''

Mega Man ''Mega Man'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese science fiction video game franchise created by Capcom, starring a series of robot characters each known by the moniker "Mega Man (character), Mega Man". Mega Man (video game), The original game w ...

''. Inafune has stated that he has always liked the "world view" of ''Strider'' and modeled the name of ''

Mega Man X is a series of action platform video games released by Capcom. It is a sub-series of the ''Mega Man'' franchise. The first game was released on December 17, 1993 in Japan (January 1994 in North America) on the Super NES/Super Famicom; most of ...

'' co-protagonist

Zero 0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. In place-value notation Positional notation (or place-value notation, or positional numeral system) usually denotes the extension to any base of the Hindu–Arabic numeral system (or ...

after one of its characters (reportedly, Solo). Capcom has also stated that one of the game's villains, Tong Pooh, served as inspiration for ''

Street Fighter , commonly abbreviated as ''SF'' or スト (''Suto''), is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Capcom. The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by six ...

'' character,

Chun-Li is a fictional character in Capcom's ''Street Fighter'' video game series. The first ever female playable character to appear in a fighting game to gain mainstream recognition, she first appeared in ''Street Fighter II: The World Warrior'' in 1 ...

.Capcom. Official ''Marvel vs. Capcom'' website (Japanese)
Support Characters Introduction
Retrieved from Archive.org. Accessed July 31, 2020.

Notes

References

External links

* *
Hardcore Gaming 101: ''Strider''
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Gameplay

Plot

Development

Ports

Reception

Reviews

Accolades

Legacy

NES game

Sequels

Reboot

Other appearances

Related games

Influence

Notes

Further reading

References

External links