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Strider 2, known in Japanese as Strider Hiryû 2 (ストライダー飛竜2), is the official sequel to the original Strider and 4th game in the series, released in 1999 for the ZN-2 Arcade board. A side-scrolling action platformer with polygonal 3D environments, the player once again controls Hiryu as he travels through five different stages destroying any obstacle and enemy to reach the stage's end boss. Strider 2 saw a later port for the PlayStation released internationally in 2000, in a 2-CD package that included a port of the original Strider. Due to this, the port is known as Strider Hiryû 1&2 (ストライダー飛竜1&2) in Japan.

A "Game Archives" version of the PlayStation port was included as a download code in the Japanese PlayStation 3 version of the 2014 Strider. This version was later released as a download on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and PSP via the PlayStation Network store in Japan[3], and as the equivalent "PSOne Classics" in North America.[4]

In essence, Strider 2 was developed as a remake of the original game[5] both in story and gameplay, employing similar settings and situations, and pitting Hiryu against conceptually similar enemies. The story follows the same basic structure, with a different modern setting and the inclusion of a rival character in the form of rogue Strider Hien. One line in the ending sequence, however, implies the game to be set 2000 years after the original.

Story[]

Strider 2 is set 2000 years after Hiryu's victory over Grandmaster Meio in the original game[6]. Despite his defeat, however, Meio's plans for Earth would still come to fruition: an "Unified Earth" populated by a human race of his design, who worships him as their Creator[7]. During this period the world has been managed from the shadows by a secret organization under his name[8], until Meio's resting place is eventually found by Hien and he returns to reclaim the world.

In this decadent future, humanity is on the verge of extinction, rotting away like an overripe fruit. An increase in its population has led to massive wars and starvation, and the destruction of the environment has led to the generation of chronic diseases and genetic mutations. The world governments are corrupt to the core and conspire together with large-scale crime syndicates. Crimes and suicide rates skyrocket, and anyone asking for peace and justice is dealt the exact opposite, ruin and incarceration. Cybernetic implants, human experimentation and powerful drugs run rampant[8][9]. Right after the order to exterminate the Grandmaster is issued, however, the Striders are eliminated, sabotaged by Hien's rebellion[10]. Hiryu is now left alone to oppose Meio and his men, and even the entire world, in order to fulfill his mission.[9][10]

Cast[]


Gameplay[]

Controls[]

While the graphics now consist of 2D animated sprites in 3D backgrounds, the gameplay remains similar to its predecessor. While Hiryu and the humanoid characters are sprites, stages are fully rendered in 3D, panning and rotating around Hiryu as he moves through them. Hiryu's health is represented as a five-unit health bar positioned at the top left of the screen, with each unit absorbing one instance of damage. The stage's timer and score are marked at the right side of the screen opposite the health bar.

Strider2 cypherslash

Hiryu's Cypher in action

Control layout consists of an eight-way joystick and 3 buttons, for attacking, jumping and activating "Boost" mode. Much like the original game, the player is given complete freedom of movement, allowing one to jump at any angle and direction. Controls feel smooth and very responsive at all times, and greatly upgrade Hiryu's mobility options: Hiryu now can dash, crouch, double jump and control direction in mid-air, in addition to his acrobatic jumps and slide. Hiryu's wall-climbing has also been improved, and now Hiryu can move faster through walls and ceilings as well as perform a thrust jump off walls, which can help reach places even faster.

Hiryu's primary way to attack remains the Cypher, which creates a plasma energy wave when swung. Unlike the original game, however, Hiryu now swings it at different angles and generates a smaller plasma edge. Otherwise, it functions exactly like in the original game, being usable from any position (climbing, while sliding) and continuously by rapidly pressing the attack button.

While the Options from the first game have been removed, Hiryu has been provided with an extended set of techniques:

  • Double Jump - After jumping, Hiryu can perform a second jump in mid-air. Can be used to reach higher areas or change the direction of his jump.
  • Slide - By holding the stick down and pressing jump, the player can make Hiryu perform a quick sliding attack[11]. A fast non-offensive move that can go under certain hazards like projectiles.
  • Hassou Jump - Also known as the Thrust Jump[12]. While standing on a wall, by pressing the stick against it and jump, Hiryu will propel himself off it and perform a mid-air dash[11]. A fast maneuver that allows for quick wall-switching.
  • Backward Somersault - Also known as Back Flip[12]. During a slide, by pressing at the opposite direction and jump, Hiryu performs a quick reverse somersault from the slide position[11]. A fast evasion technique that allows for quick hit-and-run tactics.
  • Savage Slash - Also known by its Japanese name, Midare-Giri. By pressing down, up and attack in mid-air, Hiryu performs several quick slashes that surround his whole body[11]. Besides being stronger than the basic attack, it provides more points if used to kill enemies.
  • Boost - Used by pressing the "Boost" button. This power-up allows Hiryu to launch homing plasma waves with each swing of the Cypher for a period of time until the boost gauge runs out[11]. It needs a "Boost" stock to be activated (small "B" icons under the health bar), which can be found as items in every stage.

Missions[]

There are a total of 5 stages in the Arcade version of Strider 2. The player can freely choose the order to play through the first three missions, with the 4th unlocked after beating any one stage and the 5th and final mission unlocked after beating the 4th. Each stage is subdivided into six self-contained sections. These sections are small parts of the greater stage and often end in a boss fight.

The PlayStation port includes a sixth extra stage available after completing the original Strider and creating a clear file. Once unlocked, the stage appears as a 4th possible selectable stage at the beginning of a new play.

Strider2 Level1
Mission 01: Neo Hong Kong City
Take out the terrorists who are occupying the city!
Strider2 Level2
Mission 02: Fortress Wahnen
Invade and attack the armed fortress!
Strider2 Level3
Mission 03: Antarctica Research Lab
Infiltrate the research
facility!
Strider2 Level4
Mission 04: Flying Battleship Balrog
Pursue the flying battleship Balrog!
Strider2 Level5-001
Mission 05: The Third Moon
Terminate the Grand Master!
Strider2 ExtraLevel
Mission 00: El Dorado Ruins
Investigate the Ancient Ruins!

Power-ups[]

Several items can be found during gameplay, either inside Item Boxes spread throughout the stage or in "hidden" spots, which must be revealed by striking the spot in question first. Besides normal Power-Up items for Hiryu, there are also Score items that increase the player's game score. These are discussed in the next section.

When one of these items is picked up but its effect is maxed out or already active, then they provide a set amount of bonus points instead.

Strider2ItemBox
Item Box
(アイテムボックス)
N/a These canisters are found all over the stages, either alone or carried by enemies. Breaking them reveal the item held inside.
Strider2ItemHi
Hi
()
5000 PTS Restores one empty life unit.
Strider2ItemRyu
Ryu
()
8000 PTS Upgrades the health bar by 1 unit. Maximum possible is 8 units.
Strider2ItemHiryu
Hiryu
(飛竜)
10.000 PTS Restores all empty life units. This item is very rare and only appears in easier difficulty settings.
Strider2ItemCypher
Cypher
(サイファー)
5000 PTS Extends the Cypher's wave range, with each swing also releasing a small projectile forward. This power-up lasts for as long as Hiryu is not hit.
Strider2ItemBoost
Boost
(ブースト)
5000 PTS Adds 1 stock for use in "Boost" Mode, for a maximum total of 5 stocks.

Ranking System[]

Str2 strider rank screen

Rank screen

Strider 2 uses a ranking system for grading the player's performance in each stage, from a total of eight letter-based "Strider Ranks" (lowest to highest): E, D, C, B, A, S, SS and (Star). The grade is determined by two factors: the final score at the end of the stage, and amount of lost lives (all life units) during the stage. Total score determines the rank, but this rank will be decreased by one for each lost life. For example: a score of 4.000.000 PTS or more is required for the highest Rank, but if the player loses one life during gameplay, then the rank will be decreased into SS rank regardless of total score.

Score is determined by several factors, which are shown in the results screen at the end of the stage:

  • Score: The score the player accumulates throughout the stage, by killing enemies and picking up items.
  • Time Bonus: How long it takes to finish the stage. If the timer reaches 10 minutes, the bonus is dropped to zero.
  • Life Bonus: It grants a score bonus based on the lifebar: 100.000 PTS for each life unit if the player was never hit during the stage, otherwise the bonus is dropped to 10.000 PTS per life unit.
  • Item Bonus: A bonus score that's only affected by two factors:
    • Every unused Boost stock increases this score by 100.000 PTS.
    • Every picked blue Zenny increases this score according to their size: small zenny increases it by 1000 PTS, medium zenny increases it by 5000 PTS and large zenny increases it by 20.000 PTS. No other item affects this score, including red zenny.
  • Special Bonus: A single 300.000 PTS bonus if the player hasn't died (lost all life units) during the stage. Increased to 1.800.000 PTS in the PlayStation port.

Score Ups[]

Score Up items are special items which grant point bonus when picked up. Zenny are the most recurring and are dropped by every enemy and boss upon defeat, whereas the others are usually found in hidden spots throughout each scene, although they also can be found in item boxes or dropped by rare enemies. Regular items also provide points if their effects are active, as explained in the section above.

All the Score Up items found in Strider 2 are items that have appeared in previous Capcom games, with some being stalwarts of the company used during their early Arcade years. Here is a list for them, including their origin.

Name Points Origin
Zenny blue
Zenny (Blue)
100 PTS (Small)
500 PTS (Medium)
10.000 PTS (Large)
These blue coins were first used as currency in Capcom's Forgotten Worlds. Zenny later became a common name for currency in other Capcom games such as Breath of Fire and Mega Man Legends.
Zenny red
Zenny (Red)
1000 PTS (Small)
5000 PTS (Medium)
Barrel
Barrel
2000 PTS The Barrel sprite is from Capcom's Pirate Ship Higemaru, used as stage props. It was first seen as a score item in 1986's Side Arms: Hyper Dyne, and has been used in this way irregularly since then.
Holstein
Holstein
8000 PTS This little cow has appeared in several games from Capcom, first starring as a life-restoring item in the shoot-em up Exed Exes.
SonSon
Son Son
10.000 PTS Son Son is the Player 1 character from Capcom's arcade game of the same name.
Sakichi
Sakichi
20.000 PTS The Sakichi star was first seen as a score item in Vulgus, Capcom's first arcade game. It has since appeared in the same capacity in other games.
Mobichan
Mobi-chan
30.000 PTS Mobi-chan is the name of the chibi-styled "mascot" (based on the 1st player mecha) from Side Arms. This character sprite (originally used for 1UPs) has since appeared in other games as an item or easter egg, most notably as the mode select cursor in the SNES port of Street Fighter II.
Yashichi
Yashichi
50.000 PTS First seen as an enemy in Vulgus, the "Yashichi" has become iconic of the company, and has appeared as an item or in easter eggs in several other games. Sometimes hidden or hard-to-reach, it often grants the biggest bonus out of all available items.

Points by enemy[]

Every enemy and boss character provides its own amount of points upon defeat. The player also receives points every time an attack hits an enemy or breakable object, with each attack granting different total points:

  • Cypher Attack: 100 PTS.
  • Power-up Cypher projectile: 200 PTS.
  • Savage Slash: 300 PTS.
  • Plasma wave from Boost: 500 PTS.

Credits[]

Position In-Game Full Name
PLANNER Atsushi Tomita Atsushi Tomita (冨田篤 Tomita Atsushi)
YO TD FUKUDA Yoshifumi Fukuda (福田芳文 Fukuda Yoshifumi)
Masahiro Nakano Nakano Masahiro (中野正弘 Masahiro Nakano)
NUKI
PROGRAMMER TOTUMU URAGO Tsutomu Urago (浦郷勉 Urago Tsutomu)
KAZUHIRO KOMORI Kazuhiro Komori (小森和彦 Komori Kazuhiro)
ARIKICHI KIYOKO Ariyoshi Kiyoko (有吉清子 Kiyoko Ariyoshi)
SHIGERU KATO Shigeru Kato (加藤茂 Kato Shigeru)
HERO HERO
KAZUO YAMAWAKI Kazuo Yamawaki (山脇和男 Yamawaki Kazuo)
MEIJIN
Y.SHINDOME Yoshihiro Shindome (新留義博 Shindome Yoshihiro)
SCROLL DESIGN Takahashi Yasuto Yasuto Takahashi (高橋泰人 Takahashi Yasuto)
NAKAMURA TAKAKO
Yamamoto Yasuhiro
TANOPU(TT) Youichi Tanoue (田上陽一 Tanoue Youichi)
HONGOU AKIKO
OBJECT DESIGN MINOBE HIROAKI Hiroaki Minobe (見延浩明 Minobe Hiroaki)
NAOKI FUKUSHIMA Naoki Fukushima (福島直樹 Fukushima Naoki)
G. KAMINA Shinji Kaminaguchi (上水口真司 Kaminaguchi Shinji)
MIWA SAKAGUCHI
T Hitoshi Nishio (西尾 仁志 Nishio Hitoshi)
Shinya Miyamoto Shinya Miyamoto (宮本慎弥, Miyamoto Shinya)
MASANORI KONDO Masanori Kondo (近藤正規 Kondo Masanori)
Y.YAMAMOTO Yoshinori Yamamoto (山本義紀 Yamamoto Yoshinori)
MASAYUKI MAEDA 04 Masayuki Maeda (前田成之 Maeda Masayuki)
HIRO
KAERU ♪ NAGASHIMA
AKITA Yoshihiko Akita (秋田喜彦, Akita Yoshihiko)
Tomomal.S
Toshihiro Suzuki Suzuki Toshihiro (鈴木俊宏 Toshihiro Suzuki)
Narancia Hiroyuki Nara (奈良裕之 Nara Hiroyuki)
r.
MASARU_N Masaru Nishimura (西村 マサル Nishimura Masaru)
KIKUTANI Koichi Kikutani (菊谷康一 Kikutani Kōichi)
T.OHSUMI Tomohiko Ohsumi (大住智彦 Ōsumi Tomohiko)
MICHIRU Mitsuru Yamamoto (山本満 Yamamoto Mitsuru)
KITASAN Keiko Kitayama
DESIGN SHOEI Shoei Okano (岡野正衛 Okano Shoei)
NEZUMI OTOKO Sho Sakai (酒井奨 Sakai Shō)
HARUMARU
MUSIC COMPOSE Setsuo Setsuo Yamamoto (山本節生 Yamamoto Setsuo)
ETSUKO Etsuko Yoneda (米田悦子 Yoneda Etsuko)
SOUND EFFECTS Ryoji Ryoji Yamamoto (山本亮治 Yamamoto Ryoji)
SANDOU Yoshiki Sandou (山東善樹 Sandou Yoshiki)
VOICE ACTOR Kosuke Toriumi Kōsuke Toriumi (鳥海浩輔 Toriumi Kōsuke)
Kan Tokumaru Kan Tokumaru (徳丸完 Tokumaru Kan)
Toshihide Tsuchiha Toshihide Tsuchiha (土屋トシヒデ, Tsuchiha Toshihide)
Hozumi Tokuda Hozumi Gōda (郷田ほづみ Gōda Hozumi)
SPECIAL THANKS SAKOMIZU Shinichiro Sakomizu (迫水新一郎 Sakomizu Shinichirō)
AND ALL CAPCOM STAFF
PRODUCER Noritaka Funamizu Noritaka Funamizu (船水紀孝 Funamizu Noritaka)
GENERAL PRODUCER Yoshiki Okamoto Yoshiki Okamoto (岡本吉起 Okamoto Yoshiki)
Presented by CAPCOM

Trivia[]

  • Besides being ported to Sony's PlayStation console, rumors at the time hinted at the game being planned for a release on the Sega Dreamcast[13] instead, but this was never confirmed officially by Capcom.
  • The game takes inspiration from Hiryu's appearance in Marvel vs. Capcom, with the following elements from the crossover series present:
    • The game soundtrack uses similar percussions and certain musical instruments.
    • This is also true for certain sound effects used in gameplay.
    • Hiryu's sprites and those of many enemies uses a similar but downsampled sprite style.
  • The 2014 Strider includes a rearranged theme from Strider 2, namely the stage 2 first theme "Armed Fortress Invasion 1".

External links[]

References[]

  1. Capcom (December 1999, Arcade). Strider Hiryu 2 (Japanese). Game boot-up screen
  2. Sony. Strider Hiryû 1&2 (Japanese). Playstation.com Official Site.
  3. 3.0 3.1 capcom_retro (August 20, 2014). "capcom_retro official tweet" (Japanese). Accessed August 24, 2014
  4. 4.0 4.1 Ishaan (October 1, 2014). "Strider 2 Headed To North America As A PSOne Classic". siliconera.com. Accessed October 3, 2014.
  5. Staff (April 28, 2000). "Strider Hiryu 2: Setting Document (Part 2)" (Japanese). Monthly Arcadia (06). Pg. 180.
  6. Capcom (February 22, 2014). Strider Hiryu Visual Chronicle (Japanese). Pg. 15
  7. Capcom (February 2000, PlayStation). Strider Hiryû 1&2 (Japanese). Mission 0: Investigate the Ancient Ruins
  8. 8.0 8.1 Capcom (September 1999). JAMMA AM Show Game Flyer (English).
  9. 9.0 9.1 Capcom (2000, PlayStation). Strider 2. Instruction Manual, Pg. 01
  10. 10.0 10.1 Capcom (2013). "Introduction". Capcom's official Strider site (Japanese). Retrieved from Archive.org. Accessed January 14, 2024.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Capcom (Dec 13, 1999; Arcade). Strider Hiryu 2 (Japanese). Instruction Card.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Capcom (1999, Arcade). Strider 2 (English). Manual, pg. 8
  13. IGN Staff (December 1, 1998). Strider Sequel DC-Bound?. IGN. Accessed 2013
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