PLAYSTATION
Published by Capcom
Reviewed by Ben Hopper of GameCritics on 8/29/00

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First Impressions:

Graphics:

Much like the several other recent forays into old-school 2-D action (like Treasure's Radiant Silvergun, Technosoft's Thunder Force V and Squaresoft's Einhander), Strider 2 boasts a combination of superbly animated 2-D sprites set against lavishly detailed, side-scrolling 3-D backdrops. Everyone knows that 2-D is Capcom's specialty, and truthfully, I've never seen such an exciting combination of visuals as in Strider 2. People used to talk about how PlayStation couldn't handle 2-D graphics as well as Saturn could, but I'm here to say that Saturn could have never handled Strider 2. I've never seen better graphics on PlayStation.

I was initially a bit skeptical of the two different visual styles joining in Strider 2. I was wanting nothing less than full-on, take-no-prisoners 2-D action -- the kind where there's so much going on at one time that you can't comprehend a damn thing. But it seems there's no chance of ever seeing new games of that sort ever again, since all games now must have some type of third dimension (or the illusion thereof) thrown in to appease the mass market. Thankfully, I was blown away at how successfully Strider 2 blends sprite-based and polygonal graphics to create a fresh and convincing game world. There really is a true harmony between the various elements of old and new game design.

Character animation adheres to the same technique that was pioneered by Capcom in the arcade fighting game, X-Men: Children Of The Atom, and later continued and further refined in the Street Fighter series. The hero of Strider 2, Hiryu, was basically taken directly from his cameo in Marvel Vs. Capcom and inserted into this game. He is beautifully animated and retains all of his trademark superhero ninja moves. Just like the old Genesis game, Hiryu can scale walls and hang from platforms. He swings his sword in a lightspeed crescent blur, and enemies explode in brilliant flashes of color. You enjoy playing as Hiryu just because he looks so damn cool as he hacks his way through the game.

Sound/Music:

No game can be considered cool unless the music and sound are something special. Strider 2's soundtrack is appropriately high-octane -- exactly what this game needed to compliment its furious action. The crystal-clear sound effects highlight Hiryu's exaggerated ninja moves -- from the sharp clash of his sword to the loud taps of his foot steps.

Gameplay:

Strider 2 looks and feels like an anime action film with its sharp visuals and techno-rock soundtrack. Only in this instance, there's no time to stop and enjoy the futuristic scenery because the game constantly moves at a breakneck pace. There were times when I felt the game could have slowed down a bit and incorporated some stealth elements into the gameplay. After all, Hiryu's Strider clan is a direct descendant of the traditional ninja -- why not exploit the possibilities the premise introduces and allow him to sneak around and beat the enemy with his brains as well as his sword?

As it is, there's no relief from the adrenaline-filled run-and-slash action. Sometimes the game cuts so fast from level to level that it's hard to understand what's going on. When a level is cleared, the scene will suddenly and awkwardly switch to a boss confrontation -- which never takes place in an area that looks even remotely like the one before it. Case in point: After the first level, Hiryu finds himself fighting this enormous robot dragon that flies high above the city. We have no idea how our hero got there, because his numerous abilities don't include flying.

This dragon boss fight is actually an exhilarating scene, but the game has to cheat a little to show it to us. I thought some cinematic story development could have been inserted in between the action (like in the NES version), or the game could have just let us play all the way through without interruption. Anything would have been better than jumping from one place to another without any explanation, and it does this sort of thing all throughout the game. The climatic boss finale made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever, but I really can't complain much. Strider 2 is really just an old-school arcade game at heart, and it doesn't try to be anything more.

Enjoyment:

Strider 2 comes in a two-disc set -- one disc for Strider 2, and the other for the original Strider arcade game. Although Capcom somehow managed to label the discs incorrectly, they did a good thing in including the game that my friends and I used to play like crazy on the Genesis so many years ago. With the release of Strider 2, gamers can now get an up-close, hands-on experience with two interpretations of classic action game thrills. The old Strider is a chance to play a landmark game, while Strider 2 shows us how exciting old game formulas can be with liberal use of current console technology.

Multiplayer:

N/A

Overall Impression:

Fans of the Genesis original can rejoice with Capcom's release of Strider 2. Not only can they play the classic game they know and love, but the updated version delivers relentless arcade thrills and makes our hero, Strider Hiryu look as cool as any game protagonist we've ever had the pleasure of playing as. Since it is nothing more than an arcade action game, some casual gamers may shy away from Strider 2's harsh difficulty and limited replayability, while others might enjoy showing off the game's stellar visuals to their friends. Parents will have little to worry about aside from the cartoon violence -- which depicts Hiryu slashing through enemies without any of the gory details.

Marketing Efforts Towards Women:

Capcom didn't make much of an effort to appeal to women with Strider 2, but the main character Hiryu does carry himself in an ultra-confident manner. Coupled with his sleek ninja stylings, some women might find him sexy? I don't know -- I'm not a woman -- but if that indeed can be considered an attempt at finding a female audience, Capcom could have done a better job. However, a female character is featured in the brief story sequences in between all the action.

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