Strider (NES)

Infobox VG
title=Strider


caption=Title screen of the game
developer=Capcom
publisher=Capcom
designer=
composer=Junko Tamiya
engine=
released =vgrelease|NA=July vgy|1989 [cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/completeoldgameslist.pdf|title=List of release dates from Nintendo.com]
genre=Platform game
modes=Single player
ratings=
platforms=NES
media=2-megabit cartridge
requirements=
input=NES controller

"Strider" is a vgy|1989 action adventure game released by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America and Europe. The game adapts the storyline of the 1988 "Strider Hiryu" manga published in Japan, from which the arcade version of "Strider" was loosely based on as well. Capcom announced the release of the Family Computer version in Japan in vgy|1988, which was scheduled to coincide with the release of the collected edition of the manga, but the Famicom game was never released. [cite web|url=http://www.gamengai.com/flyer_inf.php?id=611&l=e|title=Scans of a Capcom consumer game flyer from gamengai.com] [cite web|title=ストライダー飛竜/柴哲郎/和田たつみ|url=http://kanyu.hp.infoseek.co.jp/gamecomic01.html|language=Japanese] [cite web|url=http://www.gamengai.com/flyer_inf.php?id=630&l=e|title=Scans of a sales flyer announcing the release of the Famicom version from Gamengai.com] Despite this, Capcom produced an English localization and released the NES version overseas a few months after the arcade version. The game is included in the vgy|2006 Game Boy Advance compilation "Capcom Classics Mini-Mix".

The story involves Strider Hiryu, who is called by his superior, the Strider vice-director Matic, and assigns him to locate and assassinate Strider Kain, who was captured in Kazakh by hostiles. Being good friends with Kain, Hiryu reluctantly accepts the mission.

Gameplay

This iteration of "Strider" is different from the arcade version in the sense that Hiryu must actually find clues and items that allow him to continue his investigation, which makes the game non-linear. At first, the game starts on the Striders' operations base, the Blue Dragon, which transports Hiryu across different areas of the world. At the beginning of the game, only Kazakh is available, but eventually, Hiryu must also travel to places such as Egypt, China and Africa, among others. In order to access these levels, Hiryu must collect disks that contain information provided by several characters, as well as items that grants him different abilities. Because of this, the stages, at some point, must be revisited in order to obtain items and disks that weren't possible to get on first visit. In order to warp back to the Blue Dragon, the player must return to the beginning of the stage.

Hiryu's main method of attack is his cipher (a bladed tonfa) known as Falchion, which he can use to slash enemies or attack from below by raising it. In some areas of the game, it is important to make wall jumps in order to access areas that are otherwise not possible to reach. Hiryu can also obtain experience by accomplishing certain feats (such as capturing enemy officers), which extends his health and energy meters, the latter of which allows him to use special skills that can be learned as well. Some of these skills include attacks, recovering health or returning instantly to the Blue Dragon. Another technique available is the possibility to charge shots by raising Falchion ang holding it until it starts charging, and once then, it can be shot with the attack button.

The player can use passwords to keep track of their progress. Of particular note, each time the player requests a password, the game ends with a brief description of the game's progress so far and gives a title for Hiryu's next adventure, similar to a television series.

References

External links

*mobygames|id=/nes/strider_|name=Strider (NES)
* [http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/strider/strider.htm HG101 Restrospective on the Strider series]