History VideoGame / Strider

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: The Mega Drive/Genesis box art. In Japan, Strider Hiryu is a young man in his late teens or early twenties. In America, he's in his forties and really digs the color purple.

''Strider'' is a [[RuleOfCool stylish]] 1989 action / platforming game by Capcom about a {{ninja}} with an [[CoolSword incredibly badass sword]]. The game features our hero Hiryu as he takes on the "Grandmaster", [[GalacticConqueror an entity from another galaxy that has decided to conquer the Earth.]] The arcade game was ported to many systems, including the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, where it was one of the system's first {{Killer App}}s, and the first game to be released on an 8-megabit cartridge.

* {{Crossover}}: Hiryu appeared as a challenger in the game ''Adventure Quiz: Capcom World 2''. He also appears as one of several [[TheCameo guests]] in Ken's stage in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 2''.
** VideoGame/CapcomVs: As already said, Hiryu is a playable character in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 1'', ''2'' and ''Ultimate'', as well as ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''. Ton Pooh appears in the first ''[=MvC=]'' as an AssistCharacter, and she along with the Grandmaster, Solo, Hien and two {{mooks}} are A.I.-only characters in ''[=NxC=]''. Hiryu, Solo and Tong Pooh return for ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone2'' in the same capacity as before, while ''Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite'' has not only Hiryu, but Grandmaster Meio as a story NPC and Strider Hien as a costume DLC.

* AProtagonistIsRyu

** VideoGame/CapcomVsWhatever: As already said, Hiryu is a playable character in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 1'', ''2'' and ''Ultimate'', as well as ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''. Ton Pooh appears in the first ''[=MvC=]'' as an AssistCharacter, and she along with the Grandmaster, Solo, Hien and two {{mooks}} are A.I.-only characters in ''[=NxC=]''. Hiryu, Solo and Tong Pooh return for ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone2'' in the same capacity as before, while ''Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite'' has not only Hiryu, but Grandmaster Meio as a story NPC and Strider Hien as a costume DLC.

The game naturally inspired a number of [[FollowTheLeader imitators and similar games]], such as ''VideoGame/RunSaber'' and ''Shadow of the Ninja''. One of these, ''[[VideoGame/CannonDancer Osman]]'', was created by the same designer of the original and is considered its SpiritualSuccessor. In 1990, the European-based company U.S. Gold produced an officially-licensed sequel titled ''Strider II'', which was originally released for various home computer platforms in Europe (specifically the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum). The game was remade in 1992 for the [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Mega Drive]] with redesigned stages and play mechanics much closer to the original arcade game. This was that version that was released in North America under the title of ''Strider Returns: Journey From Darkness''. An 8-bit UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem version of ''Strider II'' was also released, with a corresponding American release for the UsefulNotes/GameGear under the ''Strider Returns'' title.

The series remained silent until 1998, where Hiryu was included as a playable character in ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfTheSuperheroes Marvel vs. Capcom]]'' and its sequel ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2''. Hiryu's speed, easily-chained combos, zone control, and full-screen LimitBreak made him a favorite of {{Scrub}}s and StopHavingFunGuys alike. In 1999, Capcom [[Music/{{Prince}} partied]] with ''Strider 2'', released in arcades in 1999 and then received a UsefulNotes/PlayStation port a year later, where Hiryu once again faces the Grandmaster as well as a new foe, the renegade Strider Hien. Since then, Hiryu and his enemies have appeared in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''; notably, the Grandmaster gets the honor of being the last BigBad to be confronted before the biggest bad herself. While not present in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' due to copyright issues, Hiryu did join the line-up of its UpdatedRerelease, ''Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3''.

The series received a new sequel in the form of a open-world {{Metroidvania}}-style game in 2014 by Double Helix Games, and was overseen by the original developers. Following the 2014 revival, Hiryu would then go on join the cast of ''[[VideoGame/ProjectXZone Project X Zone 2: Brave New World]]'' and is also set to appear in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite''.

* CanonDiscontinuity: None of the sequels follow the story from ''Strider Returns''. Considering the original development team wasn't involved, it makes sense.

** NamedWeapons: Hiryu's personal cypher is named "Falchion."
** SwordBeam

** VideoGame/CapcomVsWhatever: As already said, Hiryu is a playable character in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 1'', ''2'' and ''Ultimate'', as well as ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''. Ton Pooh appears in the first ''[=MvC=]'' as an AssistCharacter, and she along with the Grandmaster, Solo, Hien and two {{mooks}} are A.I.-only characters in ''[=NxC=]''.

* {{Ninja}}: The Striders aren't ninja ''per se'', but they're pretty damn close.

* HeroicMime: In the arcade original, Hiryu says only two phrases: "Take me to your boss!", and calling the aerial battleship a toy. Unless you're playing the Japanese version, then he'll NEVER shut up...[[MostAnnoyingSound PAAH! PAHPAHPAHPAHPAHPAH!]]

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:General]]

** WallJump: An ability in both the NES game and ''Strider 2''. Much loathed in the former due to funky controls.
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[[/folder]]

-->-- Game description from the [=X68000=] version

* VideoGame/Strider2014

* [[VideoGame/StriderArcade Arcade Games]][[note]]Covers the arcade games and the non-canon Strider Returns[[/note]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/strider_4.jpg]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:The arcade game and ''Strider 2'']]
* AdaptationExpansion:
** The Genesis port has some improvements from the arcade version, such as having a unique tune for the Stage 3 theme (some variants of the arcade version reused the Stage 1 theme) and a greatly expanded ending sequence.
** The PC Engine port has an optional stage that was not in any other port of the coin-op version, improved and more detailed cutscenes and an extra set of dialogues for most bosses.
** The [=PlayStation=] port of ''Strider 2'' included an exclusive extra "Stage 0" and made [[TheRival Strider Hien]] playable.
* AdvancingWallOfDoom: The third stage in the first game has a pretty frustrating one, where the slight lag in moving will end up with a crushed Strider.
* AirborneAircraftCarrier: The Battleship Balrog.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: The main reason behind Hien's motivation to defeat Hiryu; he's jealous that someone so young could be talented enough to earn the highest honor bestowed to a Strider and the praise that came with it.
* AnimeChineseGirl: The Kuniang trio: Ton Pooh, Bei Pooh and Sai Pooh.
* AssistCharacter: The Options in the first game:
** AttackDrone: The Dipodal Saucer, which circles around Hiryu and shoots a ring-shaped beam at enemies.
** FeatheredFiend: The Robot Hawk, a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin robot bird]] which swoops down on enemies.
** PantheraAwesome: The Terapodal Robo-Panther, a mechanical tiger which lunges at enemies.
* BadassBoast: The Grandmaster in the final level of the first game:
--> "I shall raise the city up to the sky and rid the earth of all creatures! I will create a race to fill the new earth--all sons of old gods, die!!!"
** Hiryu gets one in as well, doubling as an insult towards the Balrog battleship.
--> "You must be joking! You're sending a toy into battle?"
* BaldOfEvil: The Grandmaster.
* BattleBoomerang: The Amazons from the fourth stage use either this or [[AnAxeToGrind axes]].
* BattleshipRaid: The Balrog levels in both games, which both include fighting the ship's core, starting a chain reaction that brings it down, and dueling their respective captains in escape ships.
* {{BFG}}: Solo favors a flamethrower with a mounted missile launcher as his main weapon, though he later replaces it in ''Strider 2'' with a plasma cannon.
* {{BFS}}: ''Strider 2'' has the Dullahan and his big-ass sword made of ''{{chainsaw|Good}}s''.
* BigBad: The Grandmaster, in both games.
** TheDragon: Solo in both, Hien in the second.
* BigFancyCastle: Herzog Schlange's Fortress Wahnen from ''Strider 2'', mixing an ancient German castle with ThoseWackyNazis technology.
* BilingualBonus: In the first game, the names of the stages are spelled in Cyrillic, Hebrew and Nordic letters. In fact, the only time the Latin alphabet is ever used is for the fourth stage's location.
* BlackoutBasement: One part in the Siberia stage is set in an abandoned power plant, where the lights go off constantly when electricity is discharged everywhere.
* BossGame: ''Strider 2''. There is a wide variety of enemies but the stages are very short and the sub-levels almost always end with a MidBoss battle.
** BossOnlyLevel: Several of the smaller areas in each stage are just a boss battle, even.
* BossRush: The final stage in the first game. One of the bosses can be skipped, but the repeat of the metallic dinosaur is nearly impossible without memorization, despite a simple pattern.
* BountyHunter: Solo and the Kuniang team.
** ProfessionalKiller: Solo is also a hired hitman.
* CreatingLife: The Grandmaster has the ability to create any form of life at will. He created [[EnemySummoner wolves, piranhas and pteranodons]] in his boss fight in the first game, and has created most of the {{mooks}} found in the second game.
** FlunkyBoss: In-game, this translates into him summoning enemies from previous stages to hunt Hiryu.
* CompilationRerelease / EmbeddedPrecursor: ''Strider 2'' came packaged with a second CD with the first arcade game.
* {{Cyborg}}: The very first boss of both games, Strobaya and the Chinese Terrorist ([[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Elder Brother]] Honghuo).
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: In the manual for the Genesis version, the Grandmaster is referred by the name of "Grandmaster Meio." However, "Meio" is not actually a name, but a Japanese title equivalent to "Grandmaster."
* DepopulationBomb: The Grandmaster's plan was this, erasing all lifeforms (all the "Sons of Old Gods") off Earth so he could create his own lifeforms and thus [[AGodAmI become a god]].
* DynamicDifficulty: Which tries to make some features less NintendoHard (but there's too many [[ClassicVideoGameScrewYous fun units]] to throw away).
* DudeLooksLikeALady: Hien.
* DumbMuscle: Strobaya.
* EerieArcticResearchStation: In the third level of ''Strider 2'', Strider Hiryu explores a hidden research station in Antarctica. Aside from soldiers, it contains a cyborg mammoth as its guardian, anti-gravity sections, lab scientists that turn into beasts, and the boss, a giant squid-like monster that's presumably part of the research project.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: Seen in the fourth stage, courtesy of the Grandmaster.
** StockDinosaurs: T-Rex, Triceratops, Brontosaurus and [[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs Pteranodon]].
* EvilCounterpart: Hien to Hiryu.
** There could be a case for the fourth stage boss Admiral Wilhelm, who uses similar techniques to Hiryu and even wields a curved sword that's more like a counterfeit cypher.
* EvilLaugh: The Grandmaster starts the arcade game off with one of these.
* EvilOldFolks: The Grandmaster.
* TheFaceless: Solo is always seen with his mask / visor on.
* FakeDifficulty: The original game has a metric ton of this, with an abundance of traps requiring players to be clairvoyant to avoid, combined with Hiryu being unable to be controlled while jumping and his propensity to fall off anything he's clinging onto if [[SomeDexterityRequired he isn't controlled just right]].
* FallenHero: According to AllThereInTheManual, Captain Beard Jr. used to be a good guy right before he lost his limbs in a fight against the Grandmaster and decided to switch allegiances.
* FatBastard: The Chinese Terrorist ([[AllThereInTheScript apparently named Honghuo]]) in ''Strider 2''.
* {{Flight}}: Solo uses thrusters on his back. The Grandmaster levitates.
* FragileSpeedster: Solo moves ''really fast'' and has a lot of firepower... But dies in 3 hits.
* GainaxEnding: The ending of ''Strider 2''. [[spoiler: Among other things, it's implied that Strider Hiryu is the {{reincarnation}} of the Strider who defeated Grandmaster Meio almost 2,000 years ago (i.e. the events of the original ''Strider''). Strider Hiryu does kill Grandmaster, so it's not a matter of being a DownerEnding... It's simply that this plot element will probably remain an AbortedArc.]]
* GalacticConqueror: The Grandmaster.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: [[spoiler: Caduceus, the FinalBoss of the second game. There's a bit of foreshadowing in that Meio creates pieces of it in the previous boss fight, though.]]
* GloriousMotherRussia: The arcade version of the game stays mostly within the Soviet Union, except for the fourth level, which takes place [[JungleJapes deep in the Amazon]].
* AGodAmI: The Grandmaster.
* GravityScrew: Certain areas in both games have the gravity reversed, which forces the player to walk in the ceiling.
* GratuitousRussian: While the first ''Strider'' contains some Russian, it's not always the case it's fairly accurate. Just as a little example, the subtitles at the end of stage one don't even remotely point at what the USSR leader is saying. And thanks to the horrible accent acting and the fact that Meio interrupts his speech out of nowhere, the supposed phrase "Никто не уйдёт живым!" [[note]] Nikto ne ooydjot zhivim - No one will leave alive [[/note]] has turned into "Никто не идиот!" [[note]] Nikto ne idiot - No one is an idiot [[/note]]
** This trope follows straight after that cutscene: The location name of stage 2, "Сибирь", is actually spelt correctly, but it's obvious that Capcom didn't used the English-Russian dictionary the right way... [[DontExplainTheJoke They forgot to remove the stress mark.]]
* HeadlessHorseman: Not with his horse, but a Dullahan is summoned and, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard after killing his summoner]], engages in a boss battle in ''Strider 2''.
* HuskyRusskie: Strobaya, the first boss in the original game. He's a hulk of muscles that can only grunt and shout. The expanded PC-Engine game apparently paints him as a BloodKnight.
* InTheHood: The Grandmaster is always wearing a [[EvilWearsBlack black]] hood.
* JungleJapes: Amazon in the first, the [=PlayStation=]-exclusive "Waterfall stage" in the second (mixed with TempleOfDoom).
* KickChick: The three Kuniang are all about kicks... That can create ''blades of plasma''.
* KillerGorilla: Second stage boss Mecha Pon, a ''mechanical'' gorilla.
* LargeHam: The Grandmaster in the arcade game.
* LegacyCharacter: ''Strider 2'' takes place over two ''thousand'' years after the rest of the series, leaving it unclear whether Hiryu had actually survived those two millennia or if another Strider had come along to take his place. WordOfGod eventually confirmed the latter.
* LongSongShortScene: Stage 3 of the first game was supposed to have its unique theme music, but some variants of the arcade version reuses the BGM from Stage 1 instead. Most of the home versions fix this however.
* MadScientist: Grandmaster Meio appears to mix some of it along his Sorcery. ''Strider 2'' introduced the German Herzog Schlange as well.
* MacrossMissileMassacre: One of Solo's attacks in the first game.
* MechanicalHorse: One is a boss in ''Strider 2''.
* MovesetClone: In ''Strider 2'', Strider Hiryu and Strider Hien. Both use the same techniques, but Hiryu is mostly up close and personal, while Hien uses throwing weapons.
* {{Pirate}}: The Balrog's captain, Beard Jr. Comes with peg leg and hook hand included!
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: General Mikiel is a thinly-veiled Gorbachov caricature.
* NostalgiaLevel: The final two stages in ''Strider 2'' are recreations of the 3rd and 5th stages in the original, albeit with their own twists added here and there.
* NubileSavage: The Amazons from the eponymous stage.
* PoweredArmor: Solo.
* PowerupLetdown: The robot panther looks awesome, but doesn't shoot and has serious problems keeping up with Hiryu and not falling off ledges. Most experienced players avoid further power-ups once they have two droids.
* PromotedToPlayable: Hien becomes playable in the PS port of ''Strider 2''.
* RecurringBoss: Solo is fought two or three times (depending if the player ignores the first encounter) in the first game, and twice in the second (the initial fight being now two phases). Hien is a recurring boss in the PS port of ''Strider 2'', since he's in the PS-only bonus stage.
* ReflectingLaser: Several enemies have this ability. The first stage sub-boss Novo throws 4 at a time, which bounces off the walls around it.
* TheRival: Strider Hien in ''Strider 2''. Solo believes himself to be one too.
* SecretCharacter: Hien in ''Strider 2'', unlockable only after completing Mission 00 (unlocked by finishing both ''Strider 2'' and the first ''Strider'', which is included with its sequel). Additionally, beating the game with Hien grants the player [[BraggingRightsReward the option to use the Boost skill an infinite amount of times]].
* SegmentedSerpent: Ouroboros in the first game, the Emperor Dragon in ''Strider 2''.
* SinisterScythe: Ouroboros, the first arcade boss, uses one, though it's more of a sinister sickle. [[GloriousMotherRussia With a hammer.]]
* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Siberia in the first, Antarctica in the second.
* SpaceBase: The Third Moon, the Grandmaster's moon-shaped lair.
** ThatsNoMoon
** OminousFloatingCastle
* SpentShellsShower: One enemy in the first arcade game with a big machinegun ejects them [[MoreDakka constantly]] as he (tries to) shoot Hiryu.
* SpiderTank: Enemies in the first stage.
* SpritePolygonMix: ''Strider 2''.
* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: Any characters of English or otherwise unspecified nationality (in this case, Meio and Solo) speak perfectly legible English.
--> "Hmm... It is Strider Hiryu. He will ''never'' leave Eurasia alive!" [[TheDragon "I got you."]]
* SwordBeam: Hiryu can do this in the second game after activating a power up. They also [[HomingProjectile home-in]] on enemies.
* TeleportSpam: The Grandmaster gains this tactic in ''Strider 2''.
* ThisIsADrill: The humongous drill machine used as a giant boss in ''Strider 2''.
* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: Hien's main method of attack. It's also his AchillesHeel, as he's vulnerable in-between each throw.
** EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Hien [[WeaponTwirling spins]] his [[DoubleWeapon dual-bladed cypher]] to [[SpinToDeflectStuff parry your attacks]], [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang throw his blades like boomerangs]], and fire [[ShockAndAwe a beam of concentrated lightning]] at you.
* TimedMission: With all the slowly approaching hazards, you probably wouldn't see ''Time Over'' very often.
* TranslationConvention: Averted in the original arcade game, where each character speaks in his or her own native language during voice clips (i.e. Japanese for Hiryu, English for Solo and the Grandmaster, Mandarin for Ton Pooh). Played straight by the PC Engine version, where everyone speaks Japanese.
* TrashTalk:
--> "You must be joking. You're sending a toy into battle?"
* TheTriadsAndTheTongs: Enemies belong to the Chinese mafia in the first stage of ''Strider 2''.
* TsurimeEyes: Almost everyone except for Hien, who is a {{Tareme|Eyes}}.
* VirtualTrainingSimulation: Home computer ports only. The home computer versions appear to follow the arcade version story (aside from a stage swap), revealing only after destroying Mecha Pon in the fifth stage that it is a training simulation to prepare when the real invasion begins.
* WhipItGood: Beard Jr. uses a whip.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder:Manga and NES]]
* AdaptedOut: Some secondary characters didn't survive the transition from manga to NES game. The two most notable are Yuri (a secretary of the MegaCorp and Matic's ally in the whole EvilPlan) and the Director of the Kazakh laboratory (responsible for the very MindControlDevice the whole story circles around).
* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler: The Zain computer goes batshit crazy after all the human baddies are killed.]]
* BadassGrandpa: Striders' director Kuramoto, in the manga. Not for nothing he's known as the "[[InSeriesNickname God of Death]]."
* BadassMustache: Faceas Clay sports quite a mustache.
* BerserkButton: If you use innocent people as guinea pigs and then as meat shields, or even worse children... It's best that Hiryu never discovers that, lest you want to end up in tiny pieces.
* BigBad: Faceas Clay, with [[spoiler: Matic as the true mastermind.]]
** TheDragon: Manga-exclusive character Yuri.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Enterprise and ZAIN have been destroyed, plus Faysus Clay and Matic are dead, but it did not happen without the deaths of Mariya & Sheena(along with Cain in the NES Game), this leads to Hiryu quitting again, leaving his Cypher behind.]]
* BloodKnight: Captain Keith in the manga.
* BossRush: The NES game has a MiniBoss Rush, pitting the player against previous stage sub-bosses before facing Matic and the Zain machine.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Kain. [[spoiler: Hiryu's sister is revealed to be one as well.]]
* ButNotTooForeign: Little is known of Hiryu's past other than that he's an orphan of Asian descent (likely Japanese), but when you consider that his sister [[{{Mukokuseki}} has blond hair]] and a Russian / Ukrainian first name, it's possible the manga / NES continuity meant for Hiryu to be Eurasian.
** Interestingly enough, an old Capcom source lists Hiryu as being born in a region of Siberia. Although this would apply to the coin-op, since both it and the manga were done concurrently, is quite possible this backstory is also true for the manga.
* CombatPragmatist: [[spoiler: Matic from the manga. The man is unrepentantly evil and has no qualms over using underhanded tactics and manipulation to get what he wants, in spite of the fact that, as the Striders' second-in-command, he'd be a certified One-Man Army. This is best demonstrated in the final chapter, when he corners an exhausted Hiryu with two armed mooks, and gloats he's in no shape to avoid the bullets this time. When forced into a one-on-one confrontation with him, however, he finds himself intimidated by Hiryu's determination to win, and so after noticing a large crowd of lesser Striders has gathered (which he believes are all loyal to him), wastes no time in ordering them all to kill Hiryu on the spot.]]
** [[spoiler: Two of the Striders under his charge, Arana and Kubira, are also not above using ambushes or setting up traps to kill him. Kubira actually justifies it as, having been in training school with Hiryu, he's well aware of his monstrous strength and skills and knows very well that, in a direct confrontation, he'd have no chance of victory.]]
* ContinuityCameo: Both manga exclusive enemies Arana and Kubira appear as enemy grunts in some stages of the NES game.
** A weapon from the manga, the "Shadowtag Bullets", appears to be used by a Russian soldier in the first arcade game ([[AllThereInTheManual according to the manual]]).
* ContractOnTheHitman: Both stories start out with Matic forcing Hiryu out of retirement to kill Kain, who was captured by the enemy. After Hiryu discovers the truth and turns on Matic, he becomes the one hunted down by Matic's men.
* CorridorCubbyholeRun: Areas in the China and Los Angeles stages have small openings in the ground, where one hides as spiked walls pass by.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Faceas Clay.
* CurbStompBattle: Most enemies Hiryu faces in the manga can't even lay a finger on him.
* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler: Strider Kain in the NES game just before the final stage (he survives in the manga).]]
* DeathSeeker: Hiryu during the ''Gaiden'' extra chapter of the manga, where the guilt over his sister's murder has made him act reckless and suicidal during missions because he's looking to die during an assignment.
* {{Determinator}}: Hiryu. Specially near the end of the manga.
* DodgeTheBullet: An ''awesome'' display of this in the manga. [[note]] The aforementioned Shadowtag Bullets are able to perfectly track the movements of any target, to the point that they could be considered anti-Strider weaponry. Hiryu dodges them ''effortlessly''. [[/note]]
* EvilBrit: [[spoiler: Matic.]]
* EvilPlan: The whole story of the manga is revealed to have been the work of [[spoiler: Matic]], who started it three years before its beginning as a way to get enough power and resources to TakeOverTheWorld.
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: This is the driving force behind [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Faceas Clay]] in the ''Strider'' manga: a [[TheSociopath sociopath]] with no regards for others and a preference for machines over human companions, he compares [[HumansAreBastards humanity's potential for doing evil]] to a computer glitch left behind by a careless God, and plans to "fix" this "factory error" by taking over humanity's free will through [[MindControlDevice a mind-control weapon]], creating an [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans utopian world]] with equality and no conflicts under his guidance.
* EvilutionaryBiologist: Faceas Clay's motivation in the manga is to force humanity to evolve through mind control, as he believes all humans to be [[HumansAreBastards flawed since inception with malice.]]
** AGodAmI: He actually says he wants to "take the seat of God" and finish his work.
* TheGunslinger: Sheena.
* HealThyself: Hiryu gains three healing skills as he levels up in the game.
* InASingleBound: Jump Trick.
* JungleJapes: Africa in the NES game.
* [[spoiler: KillTheOnesYouLove: Hiryu is tasked with killing his sister Mariya, an A-Class Strider (and the first woman to obtain the rank), after [[BrainwashedAndCrazy she went mad]] and slaughtered ten trainees for the organization. At the end of a fierce battle, Hiryu manages to {{impale|dWithExtremePrejudice}} her with the cypher, and a crying Mariya, the shock rousing her out of the brainwashing, asks her brother what happened as she dies. The ordeal affected Hiryu so deeply that he retired from the Striders and spent two years living in Mongolia with a young girl named Rin who reminded him of his sister.]]
* LetsGetDangerous: Kain is essentially the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] of the NES game and manga; his easy-going personality (in contrast to [[TheStoic Hiryu and Sheena]]) belies his ability, that of a man who is [[TheAce Hiryu's]] equal.
* LocomotiveLevel: The first area in the Egypt stage.
** TraintopBattle
* LongSongShortScene: There's an unique music theme for the two machines Hiryu needs to destroy in order to access the game's final area. Thing is, those machines do nothing and can be destroyed in seconds, so the theme goes to waste unless the player stands idly and listen to it.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Badger in the NES game has a rather large shield that protects him from any attack... [[AttackItsWeakPoint As long as it's not coming from behind]].
* MadScientist: The manga has one, working for Enterprise.
* MandatoryUnretirement: In the manga, Hiryu is forced out of his self-imposed retirement to [[ContractOnTheHitman murder his friend Cain]], who was captured while on duty and became a liability to the group. He reluctantly accepts the job after his superior [[Jerkass Matic]] threatens an entire village of innocents.
* MagicFloppyDisk: The files you find in the stages to take back and analyze.
* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler: Matic is revealed at the end of the manga as this.]]
* MeaningfulName: One of the manga's enemies is Arana, which is Spanish for spider, and he uses [[RazorFloss web-like threads to ensnare his targets]].
* MegaCorp: Enterprise in both.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: [[MeaningfulName Ka]][[Myth/HinduMythology li]] in the manga.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
** Kain ''really'' freaks out after [[spoiler: finding out he killed Sheena while under mind control]] in the manga.
** [[spoiler: Hiryu was forced to kill his sister Mariya as part of a mission, which led to him retiring from the Striders. Later he discovers she was brainwashed courtesy of Enterprise.]]
* NoNameGiven: A good number of manga-exclusive characters are only known by their profession.
* ObfuscatingDisability: Director Kuramoto from the manga suffers from senility, appearing very dispersed and oblivious about what's going on around him. Then, [[spoiler: when a group of Matic's men show up with orders to kill him, Kuramoto suddenly stands up and kills them instantly, revealing his condition to be faked as he awaited for Matic to show his true colors.]]
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Kain [[spoiler: and Kuramoto]] in the manga.
* ObviousBeta: The NES game.
* OnTheNext: The NES game has short "episode previews" when you leave the game after requesting a password.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Faceas Clay is calmly awaiting for Hiryu while sitting in one, in both versions.
* PlayerHeadquarters: The Blue Dragon in the NES game.
* PlayingWithFire: Hiryu gains several fire-based attacks as he levels up.
** ShockAndAwe: In the manga, Hiryu's cypher makes use of electricity.
* PocketProtector: Hiryu gets saved from a bullet by a necklace originally belonging to his sister, during the ''Gaiden'' side chapter of the manga.
* PosthumousCharacter: Hiryu's sister, Mariya.
* RetiredBadass: Hiryu starts as one in both.
* RazorFloss: The WeaponOfChoice of Strider Arana in the manga.
* RazorSharpHand: The manga shows Hiryu cleanly slicing off human limbs with his bare hand.
* [[spoiler: SacrificialLion: Sheena.]]
* {{Samurai}}: Dragon Fiend, one of the bosses in the NES game.
* SecretPolice: Kazakh has one, and it's not [[PoliceBrutality very nice]].
** JudgeJuryAndExecutioner: They kill off captured rebels just to save off court fees.
* SiblingTeam: The Zangi Brothers, {{Big Bad}}s of the ''Gaiden'' chapter.
** BrainsAndBrawn
* SinisterShades: Matic wears a set of round glasses at all times. We never get to see his eyes even.
** [[spoiler: FourEyesZeroSoul: The guy's truly irremediably evil too.]]
** OpaqueLenses
* SchrodingersCast: [[spoiler: Kain]] dies at the end of the NES game, but survives in the manga.
* SmugSnake: Matic in the manga, ''full stop''.
* SpaceStation: The Striders' main base, the Blue Dragon, in the game. [[spoiler: Matic has a SpaceBase that's his personal copy of it, called the Red Dragon.]]
* SparedByTheAdaptation: Kain dies in the NES game, but survives in the manga.
* SwordBeam: An unlockable ability for him in the game, known as Plasma Arrow.
** ChargedAttack: It needs to be charged before use too.
* TempleOfDoom: The Egypt stage from the NES game.
** BuildLikeAnEgyptian.
* TreacherousAdvisor: [[spoiler: Matic.]]
* TrueCompanions: Hiryu, Kain and Sheena. They're been friends since training school and had been frequently joined together for previous missions in the past.
** TriangRelations: While Hiryu [[ShipperOnDeck teases Sheena about how she and Kain would make for a good couple]], Sheena secretly harbors feelings for Hiryu (as evidenced by how her personality does a complete 180 around him). [[spoiler: Sheena doesn't make her feelings known (sort of) [[DyingDeclarationOfLove until she's on her deathbed]].]]
* TubeTravel: Found in the NES game.
* VillainousBreakdown: Two examples from the original manga:
** The Enterprise scientist in Chapter 3 starts out very confident in the security he has got for his secret lab, as he tells Faceas Clay through a phone call. This confidence vanishes just as Hiryu and Cain make quick work of his men, making him jump on the phone to ask for reinforcements moments before both striders confront him. But the real breaking point comes right after Hiryu destroys the Zain Terminal, which he treated as his child: he goes LaughingMad, mocking Hiryu and Cain that their efforts are futile since the terminal they destroyed was but one of millons and finally burns to death while fanatically praising Faceas Clay.
** [[spoiler:Vice-Director Matic in the final chapter. Ever the SmugSnake, Matic corners an exhausted Hiryu after he murdered Clay (as he wanted), explains to him all his plans to take over both the Striders and Enteprise, and is about to execute Hiryu when Cain comes to the rescue. From there, it's all downhill for him: he fights an injured and weakened Hiryu, but backs away when Hiryu [[{{Determinator}} adamantly refuses to go down]], then finds the Striders he thought were his lackeys don't follow his orders, and then Director Kuramoto (who he ordered his execution) was not only alive, but on to his treason. Cornered, he breaks down and threatens all present with a bomb, only to be ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice seconds after by the main Zain computer he desired for so long.]]
* WallJump
* WarpWhistle: The game's aptly-named "Warp" ability.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Some of the early enemies in the manga, mostly secret police officers, pretty much vanish once the story starts focusing on Enterprise.
* WouldHurtAChild: The police Commander.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: How Kain is captured at the beginning of the manga: The police commander forces a little girl ([[ILied promising to release her father from jail]]) to fake being death so Kain will approach her to help, and get shot with a tranquilizer for his efforts.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder:The 2014 ''Strider'']]
* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: The first half of the Underground area is a rather massive sewer.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: Hiryu's eyes are now blood red and have lines in them. Artwork depicts them glowing, so he may be a cyborg.
* AnIcePerson: The "Ultra-Cold" Cypher upgrade.
** HumanPopsicle: Can turn enemies into climbable chunks of ice.
* AntiFrustrationFeatures: If a MutualKill occurs during a boss fight, retrying will take you straight to the cutscene following the boss' defeat.
* AllYourPowersCombined: [[spoiler:Xi Wang Mu can use all the powers of the Kuniang sisters and has some tricks of her own.]]
* AssistCharacter: The glorious return of the Options, now EnergyBeings instead of robots:
** AttackDrone: The Option A/Dipodal Saucer works mostly like the original with a bit of [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom1 the Ouroboros Hyper]] thrown in. They also now hack through computers to open doors.
** GiantFlyer: The Option C/Robot Eagle, a red plasma eagle which flies forward like a torpedo. It can also carry Hiryu around specific sections of the game.
** PantheraAwesome: The Option B/Terapodal Robo-Panther, a blue plasma panther which runs around and lunges at enemies. It can also transport Hiryu between sections of Kazakh City.
* AttackReflector: The aptly-named Reflect Cypher lets Hiryu deflect shots with his swings. Hitting them at a very last moment deflects them back at the enemy that shot them for major damage, while hitting them too early deflects them in a random direction.
* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Hiryu can find and wear the outfits of other fallen Striders across the city. Collecting all of them allows you to customize his outfit colors manually.
* BadassArmFold: Hiryu's idle stance, specially notable in most cutscenes.
* BackFromTheBrink: Supplemental material (and the "fallen Striders" you can find) make it clear that many Striders were sent to kill Meio as he gained power, and all were spectacularly unsuccessful. Hiryu is considered humanity's last chance to stop Meio.
* BattleAura: Hiryu's ScarfOfAsskicking in this game is actually a trail of plasma that is beyond his body's ability to channel into his Cypher (as his body is producing so much that it's above his ability to use it all). Despite not covering his body, for all intents and purposes it fits the trope.
* BigBad: Grandmaster Meio is back at it.
** TheDragon: New character Juroung.
* BilingualBonus: ''A lot'' of Russian can be found in posters, signs or written in walls, plus most Russian-made MechaMooks are named after Russian words, like "Vityaz" (Knight) and "Bulava" (Mace).
* BossSubtitles: All bosses and sub-bosses have one in their introduction.
* BrainInAJar: A giant brain in a container can be seen in one of the rooms in the Research Facility. Schlange can't help himself but proudly point it out to Hiryu, too.
* BulletHell: [[spoiler: Xi Wang Mu combines this with BlowYouAway: you need to hit the bright red projectiles back at her to make her stop.]]
* CannedOrdersOverLoudspeaker: The player gets to hear General Mikiel encourage the people of Kazakh City to be good and obedient citizens this way, as they make their way through the slums of the Historic Sector.
* CanonImmigrant: This game's version of the [[AnimeChineseGirl Kuni]][[AmazonBrigade ang]] [[KickChick M.A.]] [[SiblingTeam Team]] is known as the Four Winds, their line-up consisting not of Ton Pooh, Sai Pooh, and Bei Pooh, but Ton Pooh, Bei Pooh, and '''Nang''' Pooh. Nang, [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute who has assimilated most of the traits]] of the [[PutOnABus bus]][[ExiledFromContinuity sed]] Sai (such as being the youngest sister of the trio and wearing a blue outfit), is a based on a minor enemy of the same name from ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' who was a grey PaletteSwap of Ton and noted to be a clone of her. That Nang was in turn a nod to an [[SkippableBoss optional rematch against the trio]] in the original game, where all three sisters wore black-and-grey outfits.
* ChargedAttack: Hiryu quickly gets an upgrade that lets him extend his attack range and punch through (most) shields and blocks.
* CityOfAdventure: The game happens entirely in an homage-filled Russian location known as "Kazakh City."
* CodeName: The mention in the profile of Strider Rouga (one of the fallen Striders whose mark/clothing you can obtain) that "only Striders of A Rank or greater are allowed an animal name" suggests this of Hiryu (and all other Striders), as opposed to the original continuity.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Certain enemies (shielded ones in special) are color-coded with the Cypher upgrade required to destroy them.
* ContinuityNod[=/=]MythologyGag: The Ouroboros here is the Ouroboros Mk.III, presumably alluding to the original Ouroboros model and its successor from ''Strider 2'', the Emperor Dragon.
** One of the unlockable costumes gives Hiryu the color scheme of ''Strider 2''[='s=] Hien.
* CombatStilettos: The Kuniang sisters all sport heeled shoes with blades extending from the back/soles. (Bei/Pei did wear stilettos in ''Strider 2'' instead of slippers, but they were normal pumps, not blades.)
* CoolTank: General Mikiel's [=MechTank=], the Tornado.
** It's a HoverTank as well.
* DeathFromAbove: Hiryu's Down Strike.
** Works as a ShockwaveStomp[=/=]SwordPlant as well.
* DegradedBoss: Several of the mid-bosses become common mooks following their introductory boss fight.
* DivingKick: A favored move of the Kuniang sisters (though originally exclusive to missing sister Sai in previous games), and one of the few moves they all share. Things can get a bit hairy when Tong, Pei, and Nang decide to start synchronizing their attacks due to the limited space of their boss arena.
* DoubleWeapon: The first boss (Vityaz-1) is seen with a two-sided laser spear.
* DualBoss: The sisters Pei and Nang fight together the second time they fight Hiryu, then all three fight together the third time.
* ElevatorActionSequence: "The Ascent" sees Hiryu facing a long gauntlet of enemies as he's on an elevator up to Meio's throne room.
* EliteMook: Vityaz-1, the first boss in the game, is referred to as [[PraetorianGuard "Meio's Elite Guard."]]
* EpicFlail: The Heavy Trooper robot has two instead of hands.
* ExperiencedProtagonist: Hiryu is a Special A Rank Strider by the time the story begins.
* FragileSpeedster: On Hard this is basically your lot. Taking everyone head on is usually trouble because they can chew up your health very fast but Strider Hiryu is nimble as a cat and can easily jump and dodge his enemies to confuse their line of fire whilst attacking from all sides. On lower difficulties you can tank hits better but on Hard it's best to hit and run as much as possible.
* GetBackHereBoss: Subverted with General Mikiel. As soon as the fight with him starts, he begins running away from you, but you're given nowhere near enough time to deplete his health bar before he leads you to his HumongousMecha.
* GravityScrew: In the proud tradition of the series, there are gravity-inverted halls. There are also sections with small floating cores with their own gravity, letting Hiryu run around them.
* ItsAllUpstairsFromHere: Meio's Tower, TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
* KillerGorilla: Mecha Pon returns in this game, bigger and badder than before.
* KnifeNut: In the vein of the ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'' series, Hiryu can now use kunai [[ImprobableUseOfAWeapon for ranged attacks]]. They double as your means for toggling switches in later segments of the game. Collecting upgrades for them allows you to throw [[FlechetteStorm up to 7 of them at the same time]] and collecting elemental upgrades turns them into bouncing, exploding, freezing or homing kunai.
* LifeEnergy: Hiryu's plasma is now generated by himself and channeled by the Cypher. His scarf is now a flow of red energy, as he generates so much plasma it leaks out of his body.
** [[SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration Gameplay and Story Integration]]: It's explained this was done to serve as a visual cue of the mode/type of energy the player is using.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Shield Troopers carry a huge shield around, which repels normal attacks and can only be destroyed with a charged strike. Later in the game, energy shields based off Hiryu's plasma upgrades start appearing, which can only be destroyed by the corresponding plasma Cypher.
* MadScientist: Professor Schlange is one nutty case.
* MakingASplash: Juroung can manipulate water into several shapes to attack.
* MechaMooks: The Russian mooks are now robots.
** Which in later stages can be infected with mutant bugs to become robozombies.
* {{Metroidvania}}
* OneTimeDungeon: This version's Balrog becomes this once it goes boom.
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:Grandmaster Meio turns into a humongous Caduceus-like creature named Meio Prime after the first battle.]]
* ParryingBullets: Hiryu will be doing this with laser blasts, thanks to his Cypher getting a new "Reflect" upgrade that lets him return shots back at enemies.
* PlayingWithFire: The "Explosive Cypher" upgrade. The Magmapede mini-boss.
** KillItWithFire: It can set enemies on fire.
* PointOfNoReturn: Right before you enter Meio's Tower. The game outright warns you that if you decide to proceed, you won't be able to go back into the city to pick up any other items.
* ProfessionalKiller: The Kuniang sisters are subordinates of Grandmaster Meio who are specifically tasked with assassination missions.
** Hiryu is, of course, also one, as his whole purpose for being in Kazakh City is to kill Grandmaster Meio. Solo is more of a [[HiredGuns hired gun]].
* PoweredByAForsakenChild: The Brainwalkers Schlange is so proud of? They work by installing brains harvested from citizens who failed to escape Kazakh City. Even worse, the robot overworks the installed brain so heavily, it must be disposed and replaced ''constantly''.
* PurelyAestheticEra: The game is set in Meio 0048, a dystopian alternate era ruled by the iron fist of the Grandmaster.
* RocketPunch: Mecha Pon can now do this.
* RoyalWe: Meio uses it inconsistently.
* ShockAndAwe: Mecha Pon's extended skillset now includes plenty of electricity.
** Meio shoots ''pink'' lightning bolts.
* ShoutOut: The enemy at the end of the gameplay video is one to the {{Segmented Serpent}}s of the past: Ouroboros and the Emperor Dragon. It's even called the Ouroboros Mk.III.
** Several of Hiryu's animations are drawn in reference to his previous games as well as the ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' entries, specifically his LauncherMove and ChargedAttack animations when used normally or when running for the latter, as well as his death (either normal or a temporary one caused by an obstacle) animation which is taken from the original game.
** The game's intro (as seen in the preview gameplay video) is one to the original game's, even throwing in the Grandmaster's old EvilLaugh straight out of the arcade title.
** Mecha Pon's strategy appears to draw inspiration from that of [[VideoGame/MegaManX1 Spark Mandrill]], another electric robo-ape from Capcom.
** Hidden deep within the Research area is one to ''VideoGame/MegaManX'': [[spoiler:it's an X capsule!]]
** Tong Pooh believes the Grandmaster owns Hiryu, but Hiryu knows that she is the one who is a slave to her master. Mikiel would also like Hiryu to know that he'll never leave Eurasia alive. Both are shout-outs to the dialogue of the Arcade originals.
** [[spoiler:Meio Prime]] is designed after Caduceus, the FinalBoss in ''Strider 2''.
** The trophy/achievement names also reference a bunch of stuff, like [[ThatsNoMoon That's No]] [[Franchise/StarWars Moon]], [[Franchise/ResidentEvil Master of Unlocking]], and [[Franchise/StreetFighter You Must Defeat Sheng Long]].
* SiblingMurder: Hiryu was forced to do this to [[spoiler:his sister Mariya after she went insane and started murdering other Striders]]. He tried to talk her out of fighting, but being unable to, was finally forced to fight back and [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice pierce her through with his Cypher]]. This would weight heavily on his mind afterwards, eventually leading to him [[spoiler:leaving the Striders]].
* SlideAttack: Hiryu starts with one, but you can't break through grates or damage enemies with it until you get an early upgrade for it.
* SmugSnake: Special mention goes to General Mikiel, who mocks Hiryu for only having a "knife" -- despite the fact that [[spoiler:Hiryu just completely destroyed Mikiel's gigantic tank with that knife -- and shoots Hiryu. Unsurprisingly, Hiryu just reflects the bullet, killing Mikiel with it.]]
* SpiderTank: The Brainwalker.
* TheStoic: Strider Hiryu does ''not'' emote often. Whether confronting hordes of cyborg troopers, a corrupt general, mutant abominations, or the equivalent of a ''PhysicalGod'', Hiryu's usual reaction is one of calm, focused determination.
* SuperMode: Slashing enemies in rapid succession without getting hit yourself fills up the circle next to your life and energy bar: once it's full, you glow red, do more damage and the range of your Cypher slashes is doubled. However, if you take too long between attacks or run out of enemies to kill the circle drains completely, meaning you rarely see it in action outside of bossfights or long stretches with a large number of enemies thanks to the game's {{Metroidvania}} motif.
* SwordBeam: The Magnetic Cypher upgrade gives Hiryu one of these. It isn't as rapid-fire as Hiryu's other plasma types, however, so beware.
* ThreePointLanding: Hiryu's preferred method of touching down.
* TubeTravel: A few of them, as a nod to the NES game.
* VideoGameSettings:
** TheAlcatraz: The Military Prison.
** DownTheDrain: The early parts of the Underground beneath Kazakh City.
** GustyGlade: The first half of the Balrog area has Hiryu jumping through flying platforms against strong wind currents pushing him back.
** LethalLavaLand: The latter half of the Buried Temple is filled with rivers of lava.
** SinisterSubway: Kazakh City's Transit Station area.
** TempleOfDoom: The Buried/Underground Temple in the Underground section of the city.
** UndergroundLevel: Several parts in the Underground section are this, often mixed in with [[EternalEngine sewage treatment machinery]].
* VideogameDashing: Hiryu's "Plasma Catapult" technique allows him to perform blinding-fast air dashes at any direction the player wants. It later becomes a DashAttack as well when the elemental upgrades are obtained, allowing the trail of plasma from the dash to reflect bullets and to stun, freeze or burn enemies.
* WeaponOfChoice: Alongside their new repertoire of {{Combination Attack}}s, the Kuniang sisters each sport one in this game: Ton wields a [[SinisterScimitar dao]], Nang uses a [[BladeOnAStick spear]], and Bei brandishes [[DualWielding twin]] [[HooksAndCrooks hook swords]] [[SwordAndGun built into]] [[CoolGuns submachine guns]].
* [[spoiler:WeCanRuleTogether: Meio offers this to Hiryu. He doesn't bite.]]
* YouHaveFailedMe: [[spoiler:Grandmaster Meio does this to Professor Schlange after he completely fails to defeat Hiryu.]]
[[/folder]]
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* AudibleSharpness: [[MostWonderfulSound SWHING!!]] It returns in the HD game, only at a far quieter volume.

* BittersweetEnding: [[Spoiler: Enterprise and ZAIN have been destroyed, plus Faysus Clay and Matic are dead, but it did not happen without the death of Sheena(along with Cain in the NES Game), this leads to Hiryu quitting again, leaving his Cypher behind.]]

* SpaceStation: The Striders' main base, the Blue Dragon, in the game. [[Spoler: Matic has a SpaceBase that's his personal copy of it, called the Red Dragon.]]

** [[Spoiler: Two of the Striders under his charge, Arana and Kubira, are also not above using ambushes or setting up traps to kill him. Kubira actually justifies it as, having been in training school with Hiryu, he's well aware of his monstrous strength and skills and knows very well that, in a direct confrontation, he'd have no chance of victory.]]

* SpaceStation: The Striders' main base, the Blue Dragon, in the game. Matic has a SpaceBase that's his personal copy of it, named the Red Dragon.

* {{Samurai}}: One of the bosses in the NES game.

** StockDinosaurs: T-Rex, Triceratops, Brontosaurus and [[StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs Pteranodon]].

** The Kuniang sisters are specially prone to this, thanks to their Chinese names being filtered through Japanese spelling and then localized, resulting in Ton Pooh / Tong Poo, Bei / Pei Pooh and Nam / Nang Pooh.
** Hiryu himself, since his name in furigana and romaji has the extra "u" vowel ("Hiryuu"). Most of the time, the said extended vowel often ignored.

The series remained silent until 1998, where Hiryu was included as a playable character in ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfTheSuperheroes Marvel vs. Capcom]]'' and its sequel ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2''. Hiryu's speed, easily-chained combos, zone control, and full-screen LimitBreak made him a favorite of {{Scrub}}s and StopHavingFunGuys alike. In 1999, Capcom [[Music/{{Prince}} partied]] with ''Strider 2'', released in arcades in 1999 and then received a UsefulNotes/PlayStation port a year later, where Hiryu once again faces the Grandmaster as well as a new foe, the renegade Strider Hien. Since then, Hiryu and his enemies have appeared in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''; notably, the Grandmaster gets the honor of being the last BigBad to be confronted before the biggest bad herself. While not present in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' due to copyright issues, Hiryu did join the line-up of its UpdatedRerelease, ''Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3''. He also joined the cast of ''[[VideoGame/ProjectXZone Project X Zone 2: Brave New World]]''.

The series received a new sequel in the form of a open-world {{Metroidvania}}-style game in 2014 by Double Helix Games, and was overseen by the original developers.

[[folder: General]]

* WallCrawl / CeilingCling: One of the iconic elements of the series. In the main series and crossovers, Hiryu uses his Climb Sickle to climb to any surface and ceiling. In the NES game, he can move up specific glowing walls / ceilings with magnetic boots.

[[folder: The arcade game and ''Strider 2'']]

[[folder: Manga and NES]]

* CanonDiscontinuity: None of the sequels follow the story from ''Strider Returns''. Considering the original development team wasn't involved, it makes sense.
* ChildProdigy: The youngest Strider to attain the greatest rank in the organization.
* ConsummateProfessional: Describes Hiryu's personality very well.