Strider (1989). Play online

Summary

Strider drops you into the covert world of the Blue Dragon, a floating base that launches the acrobatic infiltrator Hiryu to far‑flung locales. Progress is driven by scattered data disks that unlock new regions such as Egypt or China, while elevator‑like tubes whisk you between screen sections, sometimes even shuffling you into a different stage. Hiryu’s signature weapon, the plasma‑cutting Cipher, doubles as a sword and a projectile launcher when you hold it aloft for a charging “Plasma Arrow.” Mastering the triangle‑jump wall leapt and the password system – which greets you with a witty episode title each time you quit – is the key to squeezing every hidden area out of the game.

The NES version was born from a three‑way tie‑in between Capcom, manga studio Moto Kikaku and the Strider Hiryu comics, so its plot follows the manga rather than the arcade counterpart. Capcom hired Marc Ericksen to create cover art that blended Soviet‑style architecture with the series’ futuristic vibe. Critics praised the game’s atmospheric intro and challenging ending, and it has resurfaced on retrospective top‑list counts and the 2006 Capcom Classics Mini‑Mix GBA compilation.

Storyline

Strider on the NES drops players into the year 2048, a bleak future ruled by a secret cadre of high‑tech ninja operatives. You play as Hiryu, the youngest elite Strider, summoned by Vice Director Matic to eliminate his captured friend Kain. Instead of killing Kain, Hiryu rescues him and obtains a recording that hints at a larger conspiracy.

With the aid of fellow Strider Sheena, Hiryu uncovers a plot linking a rogue Strider faction to the mysterious Enterprise, led by Faceas Clay, to develop a mind‑control weapon called Zain. The trail leads to an orbiting space station where Hiryu confronts Matic, defeats him, and then destroys the final Zain unit, Mother Zain.

In the epilogue Hiryu declines to rejoin the organization, discarding his weapon and walking away.