YEAR: 1999

HARDWARE: Capcom ZN-2 System

DEVELOPER: Capcom

PUBLISHER: Capcom

Although it caused a small amount of confusion among gamers worldwide, Strider 2 was a hotly anticipated game in 2000. The confusion came from Strider-savvy gamers who had played Strider Returns; in the US, many Strider Returns cartridges had been mislabeled "Strider 2". Gamers who had bought a mislabeled cartridge shook their heads in amazement at this sequel.

It was an almost direct homage to the first game, unlike the poorly cobbled-together Strider Returns. Hiryu's look had been updated to the now-familiar look from Marvel vs. Capcom, and he boasted several new abilities. In addition to the aerial acrobatics from the first game, he could now dash, double-jump, and launch himself off of walls. The robot helpers were gone, but in their place were the new special moves: Midare-Giri (savage slash) and Boost.

The levels are almost direct updates of the levels in the original arcade game. All told, there are five levels in the game:

Mission 01: Neo Hong Kong City
Mission 02: Fortress Wahnen
Mission 03: The Antarctic Ross Ice Shelf
Mission 04: The Flying Battleship Ballog
Mission 05: The Third Moon

Many have criticized Strider 2 for not living up to its hype, citing slowdown, choppy level flow, and a continue system that drops you where you die as Strider 2's fatal flaws. Additionally, there is no voiceover during the cutscenes in the English version. Since the game fared poorly in arcades, Capcom decided to cut their losses and save money by not re-recording the Japanese dialogue.

Strider 2 is not without its flaws. I will admit this. However, as it effectively retcons Strider Returns out of existence, I can't help but love it. It's a much, MUCH better game than Strider Returns. Its an anachronistic example of old-school gaming, and its one of the few examples of games that actually got it right when all the others were hopping on board the "next gen" bandwagon and going overkill on the 3D graphics.

Consider. Strider 2 does not reuse any sprites. Never once in the game do the controls feel awkward. The speed is comparable to the original arcade game, unless you're using the Boost function (in which case you're a dirty cheater anyway). It tries ever so hard to meld the two disparate continuities of the manga/NES game and its predecessor (I'm almost positive Matic was the original inspiration for Hien). And it effectively reencapsulates the visceral thrill of destroying legions of baddies all for the sole purpose of bragging rights on the high-score board.

By that token, if you haven't yet managed to get the "Secret Bonus" on this game, you don't have any right to complain. So stop it. By all rights, this game should not exist. The mere fact that it does is reason to celebrate.