Old-School Challenge Pt. 5 ~Strider (Genesis)~

Hey folks! Krismas here with more accounts of my exploits through the mystical land of Retro City, not to be confused with the beat-turning-back streets of Metro City. Today I don my ninja attire, though not one as traditional as you might assume.

Strider was first released by Capcom in Japan during the year 1989 as a side-scrolling platformer for the arcades. This title brought you into the futuristic year of 2048 where the world is ruled by a dictator known only as the “Grandmaster”. In this futuristic world, a group of assassins, with a slight resemblance to stereotypical ninjas, known as Striders exist. An A-class Strider, Hiryu Lyons, is hired by a rebel group to single-handedly assassinate the Grandmaster. Equipped with his cipher, a combination of plasma sword and tonfa, and robotic companions, you must lead Strider Hiryu into the heart of the Grandmaster’s lair and end his tyranny.

This game is simpler than most. With a simple two-button control scheme you are given a small but effective number of actions to use. Attacking and jumping are a given but it is also possible to duck, slide, hang onto walls and ceilings, and in certain areas an enhanced running jump that allows you to travel further. Sounds easy enough to control, yes? That’s because it is. Less than 10-20% of this game’s deaths are controller-related so don’t you dare try and pull that one off.

“So Mr. Krismas, why is this game difficult?” First off let’s give this “Mr.” business a break, I’m barely 20 over here! ~Ahem~ Anyway there are quite a number of things that make this game playable by only the brave and the bold. The first problem I will spotlight has to do with your means of attacking. You can attack as many times as you press the button as fast as you press it, so the amount of attacks you can dish out isn’t the issue. The problem lies in the attack’s range. Picture being able to reach a few feet further than arms reach in front of you. Nice, right? Now picture not being able to hit the robot that’s shooting at you because he is below your knee caps or above your head, and therein lies the problem. Because this is indeed a platformer, you are forced to jump or drop onto places higher or lower than you. That’s all fine and dandy until you realize that there are enemies on that platform that you can’t get rid of until you get to their level meanwhile they are already prepped for attack. Since Hiryu likes to swing his cipher ineffectively the vertical reach you have is incredibly limited and results in you missing a hell of a lot of enemies you’d think you would be able to hit. And as we all should know, a living enemy is one that can and will damage you if given the chance.  This brings me to my next point. There are a lot of enemies. I believe some points in the stages have respawning enemies but even without those points you’d believe the Grandmaster’s entire life was spent building or recruiting baddies to get in your way. While most of the enemies are one or two hit kills, there are enemies who randomly pop up that require a very quick finger to eliminate before they claim your HPs. Other enemies are well-placed for maximum frustration. Bosses aren’t too difficult once you see what they can do. They are usually pretty static and have few attacks but it is tricky when you can only take 3-hits before you die.

I’m gonna keep it real with you folks since I’m an honest man who values honesty very honestly. I’ve never seen past stage 3 in this game. Heck, speaking of which, I don’t remember what stage 3 looks like. This game is brutal when it wants to be. They try to make the game a bit easier at times by offering powerups and life extensions but most of the time it just isn’t enough to save you from those pointless deaths. I am also going to be honest when I say I am baffled as to how this was and remains such an iconic classic. Modern renditions of the character are awesome enough but I wish I could have actually enjoyed this game more than I did during the multiple chances I have given it. I guess it is worth it if you really like a challenge but I feel there are a number of better titles out there in the classic world.

This has been an interesting one to say the least my good friends and it will most certainly not end here! Join me next week as I adopt an older set of ninja attire in a quest for revenge. Until next time folks! This is Krismas heading out to fulfill another contract.