Sometimes you will have a bad day at school, work or whatever it is you do with your day. You then go back to your consoles and your PCs to release any stress by blowing things up, unleashing immense speed to finish in front of your opponents and rifle footballs into the back of nets to see your side lift the world’s most prestigious trophies. However sometimes you get home and your bad day continues; you are constantly dying, crashing and losing, you just can’t seem to get a break. It’s times like this where you need a game like strider; a game where you can bash the buttons until your hearts content and unleash your anger and stress on the bad guys in your efforts to save the world as a bad ass ninja.
Some of you, mainly those old enough to remember the NES anyway, may even recognise the game as a remake of Strider Hiryu, the side scrolling action platformer hit by Capcom from 1989 which our CEO Craig Roberts loves so much. The good news is the game hasn’t changed much, it’s still the same fun packed hack ‘em slash ‘em game with revamped HD graphics, an injection of more speed and new breakneck acrobatic moves to make even the most accomplished gymnasts stand there as they look in awe. Others may even recognise the games hero from Marvel vs Capcom, where he got a name for himself as the ass kicking ninja wearing a red scarf. For those who don’t recognise Strider you’ll soon be wishing you did as you move through the stunning environments with lightning fast speed slashing and stabbing your way to the end of this game while performing daredevil acrobatics.
The story follows the plot of the original game, retelling how Hiryu, the Strider organisations best ninja, is sent to battle the current leader of Kazakh City, Grandmaster Meio. Now Grandmaster Meio is not a very nice man and to prevent his defeat he lays your path full of enemies to take down. The unusual thing about this game though is that unlike most ninja games you will have played where stealth is usually a key component to completing your missions; Strider is all about causing as big a mess as possible, dashing about the place and leaving your enemies corpses lying in your path. So although the story isn’t one that goes into any great depth or that is full of wonder like some games you see today, it’s enough for you to follow and gives your entire button bashing adventure a purpose.
One aspect of the game like I have said is speed, but you won’t just be running around everywhere; you’ll be sliding through ventilation systems, climbing up walls and hanging from the ceilings. You’ll need to make sure that you make full advantage of all these techniques as unfortunately Strider isn’t bulletproof. However at points in your game you will unlock abilities and new moves where you can use your main weapon, the indestructible plasma charged cypher, to deflect bullets and provide other abilities which you will need to master to limit the damage you’ll receive as you get further in the game and enemies get tougher. There was one warning that came with the game when it mentioned trying to master these abilities and I should share it with you for your own safety.
“WARNING: Trying to perfect the cyphers will cause severe swearing outbursts and frustration at your TV for a short time period. Get your timing right and you’ll sail through”
As well as unlocking new abilities there will also be a mixture of power-ups and items to find around the world as you make your way around the levels killing your enemies. The most useful thing you will pick up though are the little energy orbs that are dropped as you kill enemies because these will help you regain some health; which you will need as much as you can get when it comes to taking on the bosses of the game. But who are the bosses? Well the main ones you’ll want to watch out for are the Pooh Sisters. Yes you heard right the Pooh Sisters, taken from the original Strider game from the NES.
There are three pooh sisters in all; Tong Pooh is the leader of the group and she uses a sword. Bei Pooh is the oldest of the three sisters, and she’s armed with two small blades. Finally there is Nang Pooh, the youngest of the three who fights with a spear. Nang Pooh may seem like a new face to some as well, and she is because she has replaced Sai Pooh from the original Strider games. Although they have funny names, their fighting styles certainly aren’t pooh, and you will need to master your abilities to make sure you can take them down. They aren’t the only bosses in the game however, and you will face other foes including the Pooh Sister’s Master, Wangmu. Get past all these difficult adversaries and you will find yourself eventually in a face-off with Grandmaster Meio.
So overall for the £11.99 that this game is priced at I have to say it’s very much a bargain for what you get. It is a great stress relief as it allows you to just bash the hell out of your controller without any other care in the world. The new HD graphics look outstanding, and have come a long way since the pixelated graphics that the game last saw in 1989. The only thing I’d suggest where the game could improve is with maybe a stronger story line or Hiryu talking a bit more because he hardly says a thing in the game. That said though you can’t go wrong with strider and it is definitely worth buying if you like your fast paced side scrolling action games.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
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