Strider 2
Encyclopedia
Strider 2, released in Japan
as , is Capcom
's 1999
sequel
to the original Strider
. The game is actually the second sequel
to Strider produced, following the U.S. Gold
-produced Strider Returns
released in , a game with which Capcom was not directly involved. The Capcom-produced Strider 2 makes no references to the western-only Strider Returns.
The game was reportedly in development before Marvel Vs. Capcom was released.
, the same Strider who slew the Grandmaster in the past, has also risen to destroy the Grandmaster once and for all.
and the "zenny" coins from Black Tiger
and Forgotten Worlds
, that will increase the player's score.
The coin-op version of Strider 2 consists of five stages or missions, each with a different objective that is explained to the player beforehand. The first three missions can be played in any the order the player wishes to undertake them, while the fourth and fifth mission. The first three stages are set in different locations on Earth (Hong Kong, Germany, Antarctica). The final two stages takes place in the Flying Battleship Balrog and the space station Third Moon, both which were locations in the original Strider.
Finishing both games and saving the achievements on the same memory card unlocks a secret level in Strider 2: "Mission 00", a waterfall stage. Completion of all missions unlocks the former Strider Hien as a playable character, who wields two ranged cyphers; completion of the game using Hien unlocks the Boost skill for unlimited use in the game's menu.
, Strider 2 was well-received by reviewers, though reviewers also often lamented the game's unlimited continues. James Mielke, writing for Gamespot
, called it "a deliberate throwback to the arcade-dominant '80s" and "an excellent starter kit for the uninitiated, but for veterans of the series, it's like dinner without the dessert". David Zydrko of IGN
described it as "a must-have package for fans of arcade-style action games", adding, "[i]f you don't mind the fact that it's a very short game, you owe it to yourself to add this game to your collection".
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as , is Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
's 1999
1999 in video gaming
-Events:*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 2nd annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards*March – Game Over republished as “Game Over: Press Start to Continue”...
sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the original Strider
Strider (arcade game)
Strider, released in Japan as is a 1989 side-scrolling platform game released for the CP System arcade hardware by Capcom. It became one of Capcom's early hits before Street Fighter II, revered for its innovative gameplay and multilingual voice clips during cutscenes .-Plot: Strider is set in a...
. The game is actually the second sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Strider produced, following the U.S. Gold
U.S. Gold
U.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:...
-produced Strider Returns
Strider Returns
Strider II , is a side-scrolling platform game published by U.S. Gold and originally released for various computer platforms in . It is a European-developed sequel to Capcoms arcade game Strider, which U.S...
released in , a game with which Capcom was not directly involved. The Capcom-produced Strider 2 makes no references to the western-only Strider Returns.
The game was reportedly in development before Marvel Vs. Capcom was released.
Plot
The mysterious Grandmaster has returned to life after his defeat in the original game and has now gained total control over the world some 2,000 years later. However, an incarnation of HiryuStrider Hiryu
is a fictional character jointly owned by Capcom and Moto Kikaku.Although primarily known as a game character, Hiryu debuted in 1988 as the protagonist of a manga published exclusively in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten...
, the same Strider who slew the Grandmaster in the past, has also risen to destroy the Grandmaster once and for all.
Gameplay
While the graphics in Strider 2 now consist of 2D character sprites overlaid over 3D backgrounds, its gameplay remains similar to its 2D side-scrolling predecessor. The controls consists of an eight-way joystick and three action buttons. Hiryu can now perform new actions in addition to the ones he had in the first game. Hiryu can walk, jump, crouch, slide, and climb walls and ceilings like he would in the original game, as well as dash by pushing the joystick left or right twice, do a double jump by pressing jump in mid-air, and do a backward somersault jump while sliding. When climbing a wall, Hiryu can perform a thrust jump by holding joystick away from the wall and pressing the Jump button. Added to his regular sword attack, Hiryu can now do a "Savage Slash" technique in mid-air by pressing the joystick down and up in mid-air. In addition to the Attack and Jump buttons, the player can power-up their character by pressing the "Boost" button if they have at least one Boost item in stock. While in Boost mode, Hiryu can shoot Plasma Waves with his sword for a limited period until the Boost gauge under Hiryu's life gauge runs out. Throughout the game, the player can pick up power-up items such as health replenishments and extensions, a cypher extension, and additional boosts. The player can obtain various miscellaneous point items based on other Capcom games, such as the Yashichi and the Sakichi symbols from VulgusVulgus
is a vertically scrolling shooter developed and published by Capcom in Japan in 1984, and was later released in North America by SNK the same year. The word "Vulgus" comes fom Latin and means "common people", people of lower layers of society. The game has the distinction of being Capcom's debut...
and the "zenny" coins from Black Tiger
Black Tiger
Black tiger may refer to:* Black tiger , a melanistic or pseudo-melanistic tiger* Black Tiger , a 1982 release by Y&T* Black Tiger , an arcade game developed by the Japanese company Capcom in 1987...
and Forgotten Worlds
Forgotten Worlds
Forgotten Worlds, originally titled in Japan, is a side-scrolling shoot-'em-up game by Capcom originally released as a coin-operated video game in...
, that will increase the player's score.
The coin-op version of Strider 2 consists of five stages or missions, each with a different objective that is explained to the player beforehand. The first three missions can be played in any the order the player wishes to undertake them, while the fourth and fifth mission. The first three stages are set in different locations on Earth (Hong Kong, Germany, Antarctica). The final two stages takes place in the Flying Battleship Balrog and the space station Third Moon, both which were locations in the original Strider.
Home version
A home version of Strider 2 was released for the PlayStation in (a simple port, given the PlayStation's similarity to the arcade's Sony ZN-2 board), which was released as a 2-disc set, with a second disc devoted to a direct port of the original Strider coin-op. Due to a labeling error in the American release, the Strider 2 discs were labeled as the original Strider, and vice versa.Finishing both games and saving the achievements on the same memory card unlocks a secret level in Strider 2: "Mission 00", a waterfall stage. Completion of all missions unlocks the former Strider Hien as a playable character, who wields two ranged cyphers; completion of the game using Hien unlocks the Boost skill for unlimited use in the game's menu.
Reception
Unlike Strider ReturnsStrider Returns
Strider II , is a side-scrolling platform game published by U.S. Gold and originally released for various computer platforms in . It is a European-developed sequel to Capcoms arcade game Strider, which U.S...
, Strider 2 was well-received by reviewers, though reviewers also often lamented the game's unlimited continues. James Mielke, writing for Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, called it "a deliberate throwback to the arcade-dominant '80s" and "an excellent starter kit for the uninitiated, but for veterans of the series, it's like dinner without the dessert". David Zydrko of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
described it as "a must-have package for fans of arcade-style action games", adding, "[i]f you don't mind the fact that it's a very short game, you owe it to yourself to add this game to your collection".