The Hiryu we deserve.

Though many contemporary gamers have probably never played the original Strider, its protagonist Strider Hiryu has developed cult status, and has even been featured in all three Marvel vs. Capcom games. Fans have been clamoring for a new Strider for years, and after 25 years, Strider has been reborn with the help of Double Helix Games, the studio behind another recently revived classic, Killer Instinct.

Now, a new generation of gamers can double jump into Hiryu’s shoes, and slash their way through a gauntlet of robots, ninjas, and giant monsters. Fast, fluid, and satisfying, Strider perfects an age old formula, rather than adapt it for modern gamers. One hundred percent old school, but with a visual overhaul, tight controls, and an exhilarating sense of speed, Strider has cemented a place among the best sidescrollers since the 1989 original.

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At its core, Strider is a classic ‘Metroidvania’ game. You’ll need to explore a modestly expansive city in a piecemeal fashion, progressively unlocking the ability to explore farther by obtaining new gadgets and plasma types for Hiryu’s futuristic sword, the “cypher.” The four overall plasma types change the properties of the cypher, and open corresponding doors. Reflect plasma (red) allows Hiryu to deflect enemy shots, and reflect them back with a well-timed slash. Yellow plasma is explosive, blue freezes, and purple is magnetic. Thrown kunai can also be upgraded to take on these properties, as well as Hiryu’s dash move, called the plasma catapult.

Navigating the entirety of Kazakh City will take finding all of these upgrades, and additional upgrades—hidden all over—can boost health, energy, and kunai strength. Hiryu must also find his three mechanical “Options,” a robotic hawk, panther, and drone disk, which will allow him to perform special attacks and navigate the environment in new ways. Everything at Hiryu’s disposal is a blast to use, especially against the game’s many bosses.

Strider has a mountain of bosses, each with unique mechanics and strategies, preventing even repeat bosses from getting stale. Some are more challenging than others, but they never feel overly difficult or cheap. When I began to get frustrated with a difficult boss, I’d switch to a different strategy or plasma type, and, more often than not, come out the winner. The game poses a good challenge at normal difficulty, but avoids becoming so difficult you can’t progress.

Pacing is important for a game like this. After all, you spend the majority of the game darting between platforms and slicing enemies to ribbons. There’s a purity to Strider that few games possess these days. The whole experience evokes its console ancestors, like the NES or Sega Genesis, only without the pain of Game Over. There’s no shortage of checkpoints, and each one allows you to refill your health. Everything about Strider is designed to keep you moving forward.

For what it offers, Strider is damn near perfect, and the only blemishes to find are superficial. Environments look great, and the retro soundtrack is consistently on point. Really, the only noticeable rough spot is in the faces of several side characters, which appear rigid and lifeless, even when the character is speaking. You’ll only see this in the game’s few cutscenes, and these moments are over before they have a chance to actually be off-putting. Unless you’re a stickler for graphics and facial animations, you won’t have an easy time finding faults here. The only real shame is that Strider isn’t on the Vita; it’s a perfect candidate for the handheld.

Strider is a blast from the past, made shiny and new for current and previous generation consoles. Little has changed for Hiryu, but by no means does that count against him. Strider is full of fast action, awesome bosses, and classic gameplay for a new generation. If you’ve got a PC, PlayStation, or Xbox, do yourself a favor and jump into Strider. Just don’t expect to get anything else done for a while.

Review statement: The impressions in this review are based on a PlayStation 3 download code provided by Capcom for the sake of this review.

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