User Reviews

I first played this game on the NES, it was rather cool and from what I remember it had a bit more depth to it than the Genesis version. However, as I have not played that version in a long time I will stick to only reviewing the second incarnation that I played. That is the one found on the Genesis and it was totally epic. I was amazed by the graphics at the time and the game is easy to pick up and start slicing your way through the hordes of enemies. Though the game is not without flaws as it is to short for a game you would of paid quite a bit of money for when it was initially released. One can easily when this game in less than an hour.

The story has you as a ninja named Hiryu Strider, out to defeat this all powerful being from the third moon. At least that is what I can gather from the few cut scenes that usually are at the tail end of every stage. You must battle your way through the Soviet Union, some strange ice area, on a giant battle ship, a huge jungle and finally the third moon itself! Each stage usually has two or more boss type characters to face off against to. The game comes at you fast and rarely lets up.

The controls are simple, you jump with one button and attack with another. It is not all that hard to pick up. Then you are going through the game battling a very wide assortment of villains. In the first stage alone you must battle a Soviet strongman, a strange laser cannon and the Soviet council that turns into a giant hammer and sickle wielding centipede robot thing! The music is also outstanding. It changes multiple times during a level and always fits the moment. Though at times it cuts out because the area it covers is so small right when it is getting good. This happens most notably in the jungle area while you are jumping on the dinosaur. The music is great, but cuts off too soon as the boss makes its appearance.

The game is short, only consisting of like five stages. Being that it is an arcade port that is not entirely surprising. It was worth a rental back in the day, but I would of hated to pay full price for it considering once you get good at it you can win it in like 30 minutes. However, these days if you collect games like I do you can get a cartridge for less than ten bucks and I think that it is worth owning this very epic game at that price.

So this game is fun, the music grand, but it is short. Still, all in all it made the Genesis console look great especially before the release of the SNES.

This is one of the best games ever made! It's exciting, it's got great action, awesome music courtesy of Junko Tamiya (Bionic Commando), and you got a really cool main character! Nothing beats the arcade original. I've beaten it so many times, I can beat the PlayStation version in under 20 minutes! I DEFINATELY recommend this game, but you need to get the Genesis version, or the PSOne version that's included as a bonus disc with Strider 2, because they are the best non-arcade versions you can get!!!

This is one of my favorite video games of all time. This of course is from my favorite video game company Capcom, a company that rarely disappoints me (I said rarely), when it comes to games on all platforms their always top notch. I remember playing this game in the arcade when I was about nine and it really blew my mind. I also played this game on my Genesis which was no doubt one of the best video game ports ever, it really felt like I had the authentic arcade game and experience in my home.

The story is pretty good if not much where you're a super speeded ninja trying to stop some evil sorcerer and his evil empire. That's it, it's a cut and dry simplistic plotline, though I like there are cut scenes and text with some voice acting (at least what resembles it) where their making it feel like you're playing through a story. But this game is all about the action which this game is just chalk full of.

I really love the graphical presentation, from the designs of the characters to the environments that are lively and like something straight out of the sci-fi pulp novels or comics from an amazon jungle to even a flying ship. The music is just excellent, this has plenty of memorable tracks that I like to listen to on my iPod as each of them are just tunes that sing out adventure. But also, just really pump you up with excitement, making you feel like an action hero in an action movie which you are in this game.

But the best thing of course about this game is the gameplay which is excellent. The control is great, I really love how the character moves as is very fluid and graceful, you are utilizing acrobatic and gymnastic movements from the jumps and holds you do.

Really like the trademark weapon the baton sword he always swings which seems to produce a curved shape, supposed you character swings superhumanly fast to produce that effect. It's just a cool weapon as it just cut though enemies like butter. Even like it when you get a power up you can make the sword long which makes the shape longer and bigger which almost makes you unstoppable as your able to hit enemies from distances as well as harder.

The roster of enemies is full of variety, their always different types place in all the different levels which really keeps things fresh and makes it feel less repetitive. Even really like the bosses and minibosses that are really cool looking like one whom is a giant robot gorilla and even a giant robotic gazelle (at least it looks like one), it was always cool trying to take them down sort of the "David and Goliath" motif; though also in a way predates Capcom's "Monster Hunter" franchise.

The pacing of the game is just excellent, it is literally nonstop where it is just action action action, you really can't afford to take a breath. One of the things I love about the game is how the stages in each level are constantly changing as you progress.

This causes you to make quick adjustments to where you at, because from each advancement and section you come to, you only have mere seconds to think and react. So, in a way the game teaches you adaptation to whatever is thrown at you but also to expect the unexpected. Though this also gives the game a sort of comic book feel, as if your going though all the different kinds of comic book panels.

Strider is up to speed in fun.

Rating: 4 stars