Strider 2: Future Ninja Godliness

[Skykid]

Strider 2

I've heard all the whining, "But it doesn't have the same flow or character as the original", "It just regurgitates old ideas", "I can't deal with the loading times" etc, etc.

Stuff all that. For my money, this is the best Strider - better than the original and Cannon Dancer. It's just such a beautiful game visually and to play, and the presentation is immense (that art... pure sex.)

It's wonderfully fluid, so free and accurate, and the stage layout is totally conducive to mixing up your vast array of moves. Hiryu is the most dynamic sprite of all his incarnations, bob-dashing into slides and then backflips, and then aerial raves with the greatest of ease.

The bosses are amazing too, both in terms of visual design and to fight, and the challenge is very solid. The scoring system opens up a whole new dimension, driving your points up by the millions depending on your end of stage ranking, and there are a ton of secrets in there. So the scenes have a brief loading screen, no big deal; if anything it helps you to memorize each section more easily. On the PCB they're only about a second long, too, and there's no slowdown hindering your precise movement.

Anyway, in anticipation of the S2 PCB wot I just bought, destined to be my lifelong companion, I've gone back to the PSX version and was hoping for some tips from guys who have invested time in the game.

- On the first stage, when you fight the guy in the Satellite dish (first form) he always seems to tag me with some kind of invisible bomb that licks two hits off of me. I can't see when the hell he's pinning it on me or how to avoid it. It's totally not worth using a boost on him either, as he goes down pretty quick - but even after he's dead, his leftover sticky bomb likes to drain my life stock.

- On the PS ver. Rapid Fire is an option. I've seen superplays using this, and I can't decide whether or not it's cheating, or whether it's considered the same as Auto C on a Cave board (which isn't cheating.) All I know is that bosses go down way more quickly with it on. The only thing that might sway me on using it regularly is if the PCB has the same option, set by dip switch or options screen? Can anyone confirm whether or not it's available on the arcade ver.?

^ Let's talk.

[BIL]

Big fan of Strider 2 here. The PS1 version has the usual dog-eared polygons and some slowdown when bombing, but the controls are fighting game good and Hiryuu has one of the best sidescrolling ninja movesets ever. And I never bomb anyway (it kills your rank, iirc - in any case it's a weaksauce move). The load times don't bother me much even on PS1, since the game is so riveting when going for max ranks and each stage segment is effectively a self-contained challenge. Kind of like the refuelling intermissions in Toaplan's military shooters.

- On the first stage, when you fight the guy in the Satellite dish (first form) he always seems to tag me with some kind of invisible bomb that licks two hits off of me. I can't see when the hell he's pinning it on me or how to avoid it. It's totally not worth using a boost on him either, as he goes down pretty quick - but even after he's dead, his leftover sticky bomb likes to drain my life stock.

That sounds bizarre. Is this via emulation? Solo's only attack in round 1 should be his three bullet spread, with the homing buzzsaws added in round 2. If the latter's sprites aren't being displayed, I could see the above happening, but he shouldn't be firing them when you fight him in the dish.

[Skykid]

Big fan of Strider 2 here. The PS1 version has the usual dog-eared polygons and some slowdown when bombing, but the controls are fighting game good and Hiryuu has one of the best sidescrolling ninja movesets ever. And I never bomb anyway (it kills your rank, iirc - in any case it's a weaksauce move). The load times don't bother me much even on PS1, since the game is so riveting when going for max ranks and each stage segment is effectively a self-contained challenge. Kind of like the refuelling intermissions in Toaplan's military shooters.

That's exactly how I feel about it, but boy, some people find reasons to complain about anything (google informs me.)

It's a really beautifully balanced game, and personally I think the polygons have held up superbly owing to Capcom's exemplary artistry. There are some really sweet touches and each section - Neo Hong Kong, German Castle, Frozen Lab Outpost and of course that grandiose airship assault are gorgeous to play around in.

I'm working my way through it, knuckling down since I've forgotten so much since I used to play it. Managed to get through the first two stages only so far with an A rank and a B. It's nice that I can skip straight to the first three stages - makes it easy to practice.

That sounds bizarre. Is this via emulation? Solo's only attack in round 1 should be his three bullet spread, with the homing buzzsaws added in round 2. If the latter's sprites aren't being displayed, I could see the above happening, but he shouldn't be firing them when you fight him in the dish.

Yes, my consoles are back in the UK, but it certainly doesn't appear to be an Emu thing - it's basically flawless from my experience. It's like he stickies me with a bomb that has two hits on a delay, and bursts purple when it goes off. He doesn't have that attack in round 2. I can kill the bastard and then it still goes off once... then twice. It's driving me mad because I can't see him dealing it out.

EDIT: Played again. Basically it only happens when he dies. Soon as he goes, half a second later I get one blast, then a second delay before another. Doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing - just like a sticky bomb. Maybe it is the emu, but boy it's a weird one.

(And when you say 'bombing' you mean Boost? Why wouldn't you use it - everything is reset between stages and as far as I know it has no effect on rank. I think learning to use your limited Boosts strategically is a good part of the fun.)

[BIL]

Hmm. Maybe it really is some kind of sticky bomb attack... tbh I usually mow him down pretty fast, you can all but instant-kill his first appearance with a powered-up sword and a well-placed air barrage (down-up-attack in the air)

Yeah, bomb/boost. Besides the slowdown it causes, I just find it's not a very satisfying weapon at all. Homing swords? This game is at its best when Hiryuu is dashing, sliding and double-jumping in for the shredding kill, up close and personal (preferably having mown through several interfering peons in the process). I'd have preferred the monstrous powered-up cipher blade from the original.

I can't remember at all if it's possible to get the highest rank (gold star) while using it, but I prefer to go without.

[Ed Oscuro]

Not sure Strider 2 ranks up there with Osman, but I also like it better than the original Strider.

Anyway, in anticipation of the S2 PCB wot I just bought, destined to be my lifelong companion,

Haha, did you get dayo's? I put in a request as soon as I saw the thread up but he said it already sold. You were really quick on the trigger, I salute you!

[PlanetHarriers]

Its good, but I've always felt they missed a trick not releasing it on Naomi hardware.

[Skykid]

Haha, did you get dayo's? I put in a request as soon as I saw the thread up but he said it already sold. You were really quick on the trigger, I salute you!

Yep, been waiting for a Japanese S2 for a while and it was a great deal (especially including European shipping.)

As for Osman, I love it, more than original Strider too, but S2 feels like a better balanced game in terms of challenge and moveset variety. Close though, definitely.

Regarding rapid fire BIL, do you avoid that too? Still curious to know if it's on the PCB.

[BIL]

I don't use the autoslash feature in the PS1 ports of Strider and Strider 2, but only since I like the sense of frenzied slashing in both games (I don't use autofire in Gun.Smoke for the same reason, dual revolvers = bangbangbang! If I'm supposed to be firing a biplane-mounted machinegun, then F TAPPING). If I remember right it's not hard to hit the autofire ceiling in both games without it anyway. As ever it's been a while, though.

It's these ports' one-button slide I love - very handy in S2 when you need to instantly evade a potential attack while dashing at an enemy. A bullet or a sword finding only the air where Hiryuu's head used to be while the target gets bisected by a baseball sliding slash to the knees = ninja as fuck.

[CMoon]

Here's a FAQ I wrote on the game back when I was young, naive and overly enthusiastic about everything...

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps/198833-strider-2/faqs/8945

[BIL]

When I noticed you'd written that FAQ some years ago, I knew this place was a good forum to call home. ^__^

[Leandro]

Strider 2 is not bad but I still prefer Strider of Arabia

[Ganelon]

Good to see more Strider Hiryu 2 love. Yeah, while the aesthetic mesh didn't look the best in its day (and still not close to Cannon Dancer's visual level I would say) and the hitboxes are sometimes ambiguous, the mechanics and style more than make up for it. I prefer Strider 2's flexible control over the other Strider and Strider-esque games and there's no experience that tops getting to the highest elevation in the Balrog stage.

I'm actually not a fan of the game's heavy emphasis on scoring but the game thankfully doesn't force you to play it that way. I've never seen this inescapable bomb before (although I recall seeing other strange glitches on emulation years back like being completely stuck) and I'm not aware of autofire existing on any version of arcade Strider 2. It's always great to have the perfect original PCB but I would still rather deal with the PS version's slowdown in return for Hien and the pretty cool stage 0.

[Skykid]

@BIL I figured as much regarding the rapid slash, but it's actually impossible to hit the same ceiling without it - it annihilates bosses. I think I'll avoid it until I know if it exists on the pcb options, I like to play things properly.

As for the one button slide, I actually avoid that. I prefer to keep it within the d-pad skill set.

@Ganelon, I hear you on Osman, it's a graphical jewel, but I think people are remembering S2 to be worse than it is. It's pretty opulent graphically and holds up well. It's dynamism is impressive and compliments the action superbly. Capcom really were godlike in this era.

[trap15]

Strider 2's biggest flaws are how extremely segmented it is (each 'area' in a level is completely standalone, unlike Strider and Osman), and the lack of enemy collision hitboxes. The life system also feels like a step down from Strider and Osman.

If you want, you can almost literally just run through the entire stage, then sit behind the boss and wail on it until it dies, since it'll probably never turn around to hit you.

[BIL]

Agreed about the segmenting - besides the obvious graphical benefit it's a shame there wasn't a Naomi version/sequel that maintained the original's sense of vast, contiguous settings. It's my only real problem with this game. "A dirty passageway" ?

I actually prefer sidescrolling action games of this speed and intensity to go without enemy collision damage, though. As with Metal Slug's knifeplay I like the viscerality of diving into crowds of enemies ripping and tearing and invading a boss's personal space, knowing if I get killed it'll be because I got slashed, shot or crushed by something I should've reacted quicker to, rather than nudged by an entering popcorn.

[CIT]

Strider Hiryuu 2 is a great game, although it's probably been around 7 or 8 years since I've last played it. Need to get it out soon again, since I'm going through the PS1 collection at the moment. My favorite in the "series" is still Cannon Dancer though, because of the art, and the crazy surrealist segues that make everything seem like a dream.

[Mortificator]

Zinc runs the arcade version of Strider 2 well. It can be aggravating to set up, though... it took me some time to realize the author expected users to rename the renderer files. Might not be worth the effort if you have the board on the way.

Anyway, the arcade version doesn't have a rapid fire option. The game configuration menu just lets you adjust difficulty, start & max vital, and start & max boost.

[DJ Incompetent]

This is the one where the disc image prints were swapped on the playstation discs, yeah?

Galloping Ghosts arcade near Chicago has a Strider 2 there.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

This is the one where the disc image prints were swapped on the playstation discs, yeah?

yep. Was this just PAL or worldwide?

[rapoon]

This is the one where the disc image prints were swapped on the playstation discs, yeah?

yep. Was this just PAL or worldwide?

stateside too.

no sense in repeating what's been said. Skykids summary is spot on.
I wish the western release had the original cover art.

[BIL]

Indeed. The JP front cover is magnificent. (click for full res)



I can't remember if the JP release has the swapped disc art too. Still have my US one for some reason.

[Skykid]

I can't remember if the JP release has the swapped disc art too. Still have my US one for some reason.

It doesn't. I thought that error only applied to the US print?

Zinc runs the arcade version of Strider 2 well. It can be aggravating to set up, though... it took me some time to realize the author expected users to rename the renderer files. Might not be worth the effort if you have the board on the way.

Anyway, the arcade version doesn't have a rapid fire option. The game configuration menu just lets you adjust difficulty, start & max vital, and start & max boost.

Thanks Mort! Now I know where I stand with it. Back to button hammering for me.

Strider 2's biggest flaws are how extremely segmented it is (each 'area' in a level is completely stanalone, unlike Strider and Osman), and the lack of enemy collision hitboxes. The life system also feels like a step down from Strider and Osman.

If you want, you can almost literally just run through the entire stage, then sit behind the boss and wail on it until it dies, since it'll probably never turn around to hit you.

This is totally wrong dude. You can get away with rushing through the first stage in certain early places, slashing merrily as you go, but the layouts are a lot more involving than you're making them sound. From stage 2 you're already scaling parapets, out running tanks on mine littered bridges, hanging from ceilings and navigating flame columns, and avoiding guys firing missiles at you from the background - as well as dealing with a ton of awesome bosses.

Also stage breakdown really doesn't bother me: it's very useful for memorisation, and the levels all feel completely consistent in theme. I think the main prob people have with it is that they're applying a frame of reference to it. Accept that it's a stellar action game and tackle it properly and it becomes a non-issue.

As for the life system, it's unforgiving, but it also ties into the fact that there's a lot more searching to do: finding hidden areas usually provides just the right amount of life max ups and boosts to compliment a strategy for the stage and its bosses.

[Ed Oscuro]

Bang on the money there SkyKid. S2's stage segments don't really feel shorter than I remember the original game's as being, either.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Confirming that the mislabeled disks were PAL version too.

I foolishly chucked this one during a move. Never spent much time with it, guess I was too spoiled by SOTN. Didn't really like the stop-start pacing, once I learned that up-down slash move tried to play the entire game with it. Crappy zoomed-out graphics.

[Skykid]

Yo, fucking Solo bomb phenomenon.

It happens only when he dies. Normally the second he goes, I take a blast, then another a second later. No escape, it happens every time! I save stated prior to the battle to test it, and it's guaranteed. Thinking of doing a youtube blooper vid to demonstrate. Either way, no idea what's happening but it's really messing up my flow. Can't really afford to jettison two life stocks for nothing.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

I'm sure this guy mortars you or drops something when the target appears. If you're playing via emu maybe a texture or some graphics are missing here? Noone else playing this?

[BIL]

Yeah, a missing graphic was my first thought. I'm away from my PS1 at the moment, but I do know I've never encountered this even in the ePSXe or pSX emulators.

[drauch]

Okay dudes and dudettes, I now have a copy on the way. Excited to finally play this. Love Strider and Osman, so I dunno why I never bought it before. Fool's move on my part, obviously. Hopefully I'll be able to join in in a week or so.

[CMoon]

About time drauch!

[drauch]

Maybe I can use a certain someone's faq?