CAPCATHON, GAME 7: Strider (1989; NES)
Strider on NES was, just like its "sibling" in the arcades, born out of the meeting from artist group Moto Kikaku and Capcom. Together, they formulated a basic storyline, along with outlines for the main characters and the type of world they'd inhabit; all of those elements would be featured in Hiryu's debut manga.
While the arcade game would deviate from the agreed upon storyline in order to better focus on on the action and level design, the NES games adhered to it quite strictly. The resulting game is certainly ambitious and epic in scope, but it ultimately falls flat compared to its sister game.
To start with the positives: a lot of the game's pixel art is really well done. I was really impressed by the Zain Terminals' coloring and shading, and all the levels are fairly colorful and diverse. The title screen and the Striders' base are also standouts. I also thought some of the bosses, such as the spinning ninja and Matic, had simple but interesting strategies to figure out. The feeling of gaining new equipment, moves, or "tricks" kept me motivated and moving forward.
Unfortunately, the biggest complaint I have with the game is apparent from the first few minutes of play: the collision detection. Hiryu will wobble all over the place while going up slopes, refuse to climb platforms he can easily reach, and worst of all, make the dreaded "triangle jump" (a fancy name for a wall jump), a technique mandatory to perform, impossible to do on a consistent basis. Even basic platforming feels stilted and unresponsive, which is baffling considering that, unlike in the arcade Strider, Hiryu does have mid-air control.
Enemy collision feels horrible too: most enemies have no knockback, but poor Hiryu has next to no invincibility frames, leading to total health loss in a matter of seconds. It doesn't help that there are no lives- when Hiryu dies, the game boots back to the title screen.
Level designs feel boring and repetitive, often overusing the transport tubes gimmick to get Hiryu around. Spikes and other hazards are hard to avoid because of the aforementioned controls problems. The music helps make them more bearable, but all of it is pretty forgettable in the end.
The story the game tries to tell is interesting, but only when viewed as a recap on supplementary sites, because it is presented in slightly broken English and either on plain black screens or using the Striders' computer screen as a "speech bubble." Also, unlike the manga, there is no real attachment to the characters in the story, as they haven't really been explored in any meaningful way, like in an RPG.
Strider on NES tried to be something greater than a fun platformer, but it collapses under the weight of its ambitions. It's unfortunate, but I really can't recommend this one.
Strider on NES was, just like its "sibling" in the arcades, born out of the meeting from artist group Moto Kikaku and Capcom. Together, they formulated a basic storyline, along with outlines for the main characters and the type of world they'd inhabit; all of those elements would be featured in Hiryu's debut manga.
While the arcade game would deviate from the agreed upon storyline in order to better focus on on the action and level design, the NES games adhered to it quite strictly. The resulting game is certainly ambitious and epic in scope, but it ultimately falls flat compared to its sister game.
To start with the positives: a lot of the game's pixel art is really well done. I was really impressed by the Zain Terminals' coloring and shading, and all the levels are fairly colorful and diverse. The title screen and the Striders' base are also standouts. I also thought some of the bosses, such as the spinning ninja and Matic, had simple but interesting strategies to figure out. The feeling of gaining new equipment, moves, or "tricks" kept me motivated and moving forward.
Unfortunately, the biggest complaint I have with the game is apparent from the first few minutes of play: the collision detection. Hiryu will wobble all over the place while going up slopes, refuse to climb platforms he can easily reach, and worst of all, make the dreaded "triangle jump" (a fancy name for a wall jump), a technique mandatory to perform, impossible to do on a consistent basis. Even basic platforming feels stilted and unresponsive, which is baffling considering that, unlike in the arcade Strider, Hiryu does have mid-air control.
Enemy collision feels horrible too: most enemies have no knockback, but poor Hiryu has next to no invincibility frames, leading to total health loss in a matter of seconds. It doesn't help that there are no lives- when Hiryu dies, the game boots back to the title screen.
Level designs feel boring and repetitive, often overusing the transport tubes gimmick to get Hiryu around. Spikes and other hazards are hard to avoid because of the aforementioned controls problems. The music helps make them more bearable, but all of it is pretty forgettable in the end.
The story the game tries to tell is interesting, but only when viewed as a recap on supplementary sites, because it is presented in slightly broken English and either on plain black screens or using the Striders' computer screen as a "speech bubble." Also, unlike the manga, there is no real attachment to the characters in the story, as they haven't really been explored in any meaningful way, like in an RPG.
Strider on NES tried to be something greater than a fun platformer, but it collapses under the weight of its ambitions. It's unfortunate, but I really can't recommend this one.