History YMMV / Strider

* IAmNotShazam: "Strider" is the name of the profession, similar to titling your game "[[VideoGame/Warhammer40000SpaceMarine Space Marine]]"; the Strider you play as is named Hiryu. Even with the existence of other Striders, like Kain and Sheena in the NES game, and Hien in ''Strider 2'', people still make this mistake, at least in the FightingGame [[UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity community]]. The Japanese version avoids this by using the name ''Strider Hiryu'' instead.

* ObviousBeta: The NES game is quite obviously a quick rush-job to fix and translate the unreleased Japanese original into English. This is most notable in the wonky controls and the very spotty collision detection (which in turns makes the Triangle Jump very difficult to perform). When the Japanese prototype was dumped online, it was discovered that, outside of a general code cleanup and some layout changes, the game was pretty much the same.

%%* {{Fanon}}: Thanks to ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'', there are a few misconceptions about him that are becoming this, most notably that he's 2021 years old through the use of advanced medicine[[note]]two facts that have never been mentioned in the official canon, with Hiryu being stated to be around his early 20 in both ''Strider'' and ''Strider 2''.[[/note]] and the existence of a teleporting device called "Vajra"[[note]]which is merely the name of one of his ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' moves, where he uses FlashStep to gave the illusion of teleportation.[[/note]]

* NightmareFuel:
** One of the bosses in ''Strider 2'' is a young woman trapped in an energy core, which Hiryu destroys with her inside. In-game no context is given as to the how or why, outside the woman's pre-battle line in which she asks to be killed[[note]]''Watashi o koroshite'' or "Kill Me"[[/note]]. According to [[AllThereInTheManual official material]], she's a [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/strider/images/2/25/Reactor_core_merrow.png Merrow]], [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent a mysterious aquatic creature]] with psychic powers which is forcefully used to power the [[AirborneAircraftCarrier Balrog]], and [[AndIMustScream the process is so painful and exhausting she's practically begging to die already]]. uite a disconcerting situation.
** Hiryu is almost like a cocky [[ShonenDemographic Shōnen]] hero in the first game, and has been depicted as TheStoic with the occasional TranquilFury in other material. In the second game? The artwork goes out of its way to give him something of a [[DeathGlare crazed stare on the cover and title screen,]] the villains legitimately are ''[[VillainousBreakdown terrified]]'' of him the further in the story you get, and his theme combined with the credits art almost plays him up as a sort of karmic GrimReaper rather than a heroic ninja. If the GainaxEnding of Meio implying him to be a reincarnation of the original Hiryu is anything to go by, ''[[AmbiguouslyHuman he may be.]]''
** The background information for the 2014 ''Strider'' reveals plenty of horrible things happening off-screen. Just to name a few: citizens live in a heavily monitored society where the smallest infraction is punished severely in public, and serious crime merit incarceration in a facility where they are used to test the various MechaMooks, ''Gladiator-style''. For those trying to escape the city, they are hunted down and either killed or sent to the Research Facility to serve as guinea pigs on [[MadScientist Professor Schlange]]'s experiments. One such experiment, [[SpiderTank the Brainwalker]], uses [[HumanResources the brains of said citizens as their motor]], and they wear them down so fast they need to be replaced '''on a daily basis'''. And if anyone manages to escape capture, they have no other place to go but the underground refugee camps, surrounded by highly toxic sewers where [[BigCreepyCrawlies giant mutated monsters]] constantly prey on them and malnutrition is at the order of the day.
%%** The ZAIN Project in the manga.

* ThatOneBoss:
** [[FinalBoss Grandmaster Meio]] in ''Strider 1''. In a game where you can't control the path of your jumps, his arena is littered with pits to accidentally dive or be knocked into, and he's a GetBackHereBoss that is perfectly fine with shooting at you from off-screen. Hiryu just ''isn't'' mobile enough to easily bring the fight to him. And every single time you die, you have to hear that goddamn laugh of his (and again if you game over) and start the whole fight over [[ContinuingIsPainful with no power ups to make it easier and no chance to get any.]]
** If you're playing for fun, ''Strider 2'' gives you infinite continues that drop you right where you died at the cost of crippling your score. If you're playing for score, however, [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Caduceus]] is the final obstacle of a rather relentless game. You have to hit its head to hurt it, which requires climbing up its arms - arms that spam projectiles every couple of seconds at you. While you can disable the arms, it's very temporary at best. And at complete random it can just spam projectiles down its arms to force you off, move its arms around to screw up the climb and/or make it hard to avoid more attacks, or just outright fly off-screen to drop BeamSpam from above as you're forced to drop to the ground. A NoDamageRun is nigh on impossible for all but the most skilled of players, and a single death means that entire stage's score gets dropped, ruining the run at the very end.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:''YMMV pages for individual games in the series'']]

[[/folder]]

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Solo's popularity as one of Hiryu's most persistent rivals (appearing in all the games as well as the non canon ''Strider Returns'' and ''Namco X Capcom'') is only second to Hien's.

* [[YMMV/Strider2014 2014 Remake]]

* EnsembleDarkhorse:
** For the VideoGame/CapcomVs games, thanks to his appearances in the first two ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom Marvel vs. Capcom]]'' games. Hiryu outranked many of the choices on polls for characters fans want to see in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3'', despite many of those selections being more mainstream/popular. He's just ''that'' loved. And when Strider was [[http://twitter.com/Ryota_Niitsuma/status/28517821235# officially deconfirmed]] for ''[=MvC3=]'', [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks you can just imagine the response]]. Of course, you can only imagine how fans reacted when Hiryu was confirmed for '''''[[UpdatedRerelease Ultimate]]''' Marvel vs. Capcom 3''.
** Within the series itself TheRival Hien is also almost as well liked as Hiryu himself. Probably for being [[DudeLooksLikeALady attractive]] and [[MinionWithAnFInEvil being rather bad at being a villain]] in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''.
** Solo's popularity as one of Hiryu's most persistent rivals (appearing in all the games as well as the non canon ''Strider Returns'' and ''Namco X Capcom'') is only second to Hien's.

* MemeticMutation:
** Hiryu will "never leave Eurasia alive!"
** The Russian senate turning into a giant hammer-and-sickle-wielding robot dragon in the first game is used as a prime example for just how ''weird'' the series is.

* MoralEventHorizon: Matic in the manga and its NES game adaptation never hid the fact he was not nice, while secretly in line with the [[MegaCorp Enterprise]] and their Zain [[MindControl Mind Control]] weapon. Then, he reveals to [[TheHero Hiryu]] that he set him up to kill all the figureheads of Enterprise so he'd have free way to claim their weapon, AND that he'd have the Striders' senile director killed and Hiryu and his friend Cain framed and executed for it. And even then, there's is the fact that he has known of the Zain Project for 3 years, implying that he staged the brainwashing of Hiryu's sister by Enterprise 2 years ago, which lead to her murdering 10 Strider trainees and Hiryu being forced to kill her, prompting his retirement.

** For the VideoGame/CapcomVsWhatever games, thanks to his appearances in the first two ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom Marvel vs. Capcom]]'' games. Hiryu outranked many of the choices on polls for characters fans want to see in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3'', despite many of those selections being more mainstream/popular. He's just ''that'' loved. And when Strider was [[http://twitter.com/Ryota_Niitsuma/status/28517821235# officially deconfirmed]] for ''[=MvC3=]'', [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks you can just imagine the response]]. Of course, you can only imagine how fans reacted when Hiryu was confirmed for '''''[[UpdatedRerelease Ultimate]]''' Marvel vs. Capcom 3''.

** [[FinalBoss Grandmaster Meio]] in ''Strider 1''. In a game where you can't control the path of your jumps, his arena is littered with pits to accidentally dive or be knocked into, and he's a GetBackHereBoss that is perfectly fine with shooting at you from off-screen. Hiryu just ''isn't'' mobile enough to easily bring the fight to him. And every single time you die, [[MostAnnoyingSound you have to hear that goddamn laugh of his (and again if you game over)]] and start the whole fight over [[ContinuingIsPainful with no power ups to make it easier and no chance to get any.]]

* MostAnnoyingSound:
** OOGA-BIKI! OOGA-BIKI![[note]]spoken by the Amazons of stage 4.[[/note]]
** Meio's laughter when you start a new game, have to continue ([[NintendoHard which you probably will]]), or die to him in his final battle ([[ThatOneBoss which you probably will]]).

** For the VideoGame/CapcomVsWhatever games, thanks to his appearances in the first two ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom Marvel vs. Capcom]]'' games. Hiryu outranked many of the choices on polls for characters fans want to see in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3'', despite many of those selections being more mainstream/popular. He's just ''that'' loved. And when Strider was [[http://twitter.com/Ryota_Niitsuma/status/28517821235# officially deconfirmed]] for ''[=MvC3=]'', [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks you can just]] [[InternetBackdraft imagine the response]]. Of course, you can only imagine how fans reacted when Hiryu was confirmed for '''''[[UpdatedRerelease Ultimate]]''' Marvel vs. Capcom 3''.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: For the VideoGame/CapcomVsWhatever games, thanks to his appearances in the first two ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom Marvel vs. Capcom]]'' games. Hiryu outranked many of the choices on polls for characters fans want to see in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3'', despite many of those selections being more mainstream/popular. He's just ''that'' loved. And when Strider was [[http://twitter.com/Ryota_Niitsuma/status/28517821235# officially deconfirmed]] for ''[=MvC3=]'', [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks you can just]] [[InternetBackdraft imagine the response.]]
** Of course, you can only imagine how fans reacted when Hiryu was confirmed for '''''[[UpdatedRerelease Ultimate]]''' Marvel vs. Capcom 3''.

* IAmNotShazam: "Strider" is the name of the profession, similar to titling your game "[[VideoGame/Warhammer40000SpaceMarine Space Marine]]"; the Strider you play as is named Hiryu. Even with the existence of other Striders, like Kain and Sheena in the NES game, and Hien in ''Strider 2'', people still make this mistake, namely in the FightingGame [[UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity community]]. The Japanese version avoids this by using the name ''Strider Hiryu'' instead.

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[[YMMV/StriderArcade Arcade Games]]

[[YMMV/Strider2014 2014 Remake]]
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YMMV/StriderReturns
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* IronWoobie: Cain/Kain, from the Manga/StriderHiryu Manga, is a Super A-Ranked Strider and Hiryu's best friend, both having gone through the dangerous training program. Cain is sent on a mission in Kazakh, alongside their friend Sheena, to assist the rebellion. However his superior, Matic, not only tipped off the Secret Police on the rebel meeting itself, but warned them about the Striders present, leading them to raid the place with powerful weaponry, which Cain finds strange when faced with the weaker and unprepared rebels. Cain is eventually captured by the Police after using a little girl, who was apparently caught in the crossfire, to tranquilize him. Cain is then carried out and [[{{Brainwashed}} brainwashed]] by the ZAIN Project. When he wakes up, he attacks Sheena and Hiryu as the result of the brainwashing. Hiryu subdues him, but not before Cain kills Sheena. When he comes back to his senses, the captive Police Chief [[NeverMyFault nonchalantly claims he was responsible for Sheena's death]]. Guilt ridden, Cain starts banging his head, but Hiryu calms him down with the events regarding his(Hiryu's) sister, Mariya, who was also revealed to have been brainwashed by ZAIN. Determined to avenge both Sheena and Mariya, Cain and Hiryu fight against Enterprise, intending to kill those involved.

* TheWoobie: The Merrow, from ''[[VideoGame/StriderArcade Strider 2]]'', is a mermaid-like creature with mysterious psychic powers. She was captured to become the power core of the Battleship Balrog, which uses her powers in order to fly. Encased inside the ship's reactor core against her will, she's siphoned of her energy constantly in a painful process which leaves her exhausted, as the energy obtained from her is so powerful she can't control it by herself and needs assistance from nearby Control Brains to keep it stable. Her species was hunted down specifically to power battleships of the Balrog's class. When Hiryu arrives, the Merrow, unable to endure the pain anymore, begs him to kill her. Hiryu destroys the machine, putting an end to the Merrow's suffering.

* MemeticMutation: Hiryu will "never leave Eurasia alive!"

** If you're playing for fun, ''Strider 2'' gives you infinite continues that drop you right where you died at the cost of crippling your score. If you're playing for score, however, [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Caduceus]] is the final obstacle of a rather relentless game. You have to hit its head to hurt it, which requires climbing up its arms - arms that spam projectiles every couple of seconds at you. While you can disable the arms, it's very temporary at best. And at complete random it can just spam projectiles down its arms to force you off, move its arms around to screw up the climb and/or make it hard to avoid more attacks, or just outright fly off-screen to drop BeamSpam from above as you're forced to drop to the ground. A NoDamageRun is nigh on impossible for all but the most skilled of players, and a single death means that entire stage's score gets dropped, ruining the run at the very end.

** [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]]/Manga: [[BigBad Vice-Director Matic]] of the Strider organization seeks to TakeOverTheWorld. Having discovered Enterprise's ZAIN Brainwashing Project, Matic uses it to control Hiryu's sister and make her kill Strider trainees, forcing Hiryu to kill her himself. Staging the capture of Hiryu's friend Cain, Matic tries to force Hiryu to kill his friend, threatening to kill innocent civilians if he refuses. Cain's brainwashing is revealed to be part of Matic's scheme to kill Enterprise President Faysus/Faceas Clay and take control of the ZAIN project; Matic intends to keep his grip on the Striders as well so none can challenge his power over the entire planet.
** 2014 remake: [[BigBad Grandmaster Meio]] is the tyrannical ruler of the Earth. A GalacticConqueror from another world, Meio arrived on Earth and took it over in the span of a few years, establishing Kazakh City as his seat of power. However, his lust for power and control was not sated. He viewed the people of Earth as imperfect and longed to create a "[[MasterRace perfect race]]". To that end, he ordered his scientists to develop an anti-gravity device called the Gravitron, under the pretense that it would provide limitless energy to the people of Earth. In reality, Meio planned to use the Gravitron to pull his space station, the Third Moon, into Earth's orbit, which would cause worldwide natural disasters, killing off all of Earth's population and allowing Meio to create his perfect race. [[KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade Any scientist who learned the truth was hunted down and killed]], or, in the case of The Prisoner, tortured into insanity. Meio [[BadBoss kills subordinates]] who [[YouHaveFailedMe fail to meet his expectations]], such as [[MadScientist Professor Schlange]]. Eleven Striders before Hiryu tried and failed to kill Meio, one of them being Hien, [[HeroKiller whom Meio personally murdered]]. A being of pure evil and relentless ambition, Meio would stop at nothing to achieve his twisted version of perfection.

* CompleteMonster: Among the enemies the Striders fight, the following antagonists are definite proof that both [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters humans]] and [[AliensAreBastards aliens]] can be monsters:

* CompleteMonster: Among the the enemies the Striders fight, the following antagonists are definite proof that both [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters humans]] and [[AliensAreBastards aliens]] can be monsters:

* CompleteMonster:

* CompleteMonster: [[BigBad Grandmaster Meio]], in the 2014 remake, is the tyrannical ruler of the Earth. A GalacticConqueror from another world, Meio arrived on Earth and took it over in the span of a few years, establishing Kazakh City as his seat of power. However, his lust for power and control was not sated. He viewed the people of Earth as imperfect and longed to create a "[[MasterRace perfect race]]". To that end, he ordered his scientists to develop an anti-gravity device called the [[DoomsdayDevice Gravitron]], under the pretense that [[BlatantLies it would provide limitless energy to the people of Earth]]. In reality, Meio planned to use the Gravitron to pull his space station, the Third Moon, into Earth's orbit, [[WeatherManipulation which would cause worldwide natural disasters]], [[OmnicidalManiac killing off all of Earth's population]], allowing him to create his perfect race. [[KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade Any scientist who learned the truth was hunted down and killed]], or, in the case of The Prisoner, [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured]] into [[DrivenToMadness insanity]]. Meio [[BadBoss kills subordinates]] who [[YouHaveFailedMe fail to meet his expectations]], such as [[MadScientist Professor Schlange]]. Eleven Striders before Hiryu tried and failed to kill Meio, one of them being Hien, [[HeroKiller whom Meio personally murdered]]. A being of pure evil and [[AmbitionIsEvil relentless ambition]], Meio would stop at nothing to achieve his twisted version of perfection.

** One of the bosses in ''Strider 2'' is a young woman trapped in an energy core, which Hiryu destroys with her inside. No context is given as to the how or why, if he just performed a MercyKill or just doesn't care, or if she was in league with Meio or in a case of AndIMustScream, but it's disconcerting regardless.

** [[FinalBoss Grandmaster Meio]] in ''Strider 1''. In a game where you can't control the path of your jumps, his arena is littered with pits to accidentally dive or be knocked into, and he's a GetBackHereBoss that is perfectly fine with shooting at you from off-screen. Hiryu just ''isn't'' mobile enough to easily bring the fight to him. And every single time you die, [[MostAnnoyingSound you have to hear that goddamn laugh of his (worse if you game over)]] and start the whole fight over [[ContinuingIsPainful with no power ups to make it easier and no chance to get any.]]

** Hiryu is almost like a cocky [[ShonenDemographic Shōnen]] hero in the first game, and has been depicted as TheStoic with the occasional TranquilFury in other material. In the second game? The artwork goes out of its way to give him something of a [[DeathGlare crazed stare on the cover and title screen,]] the villains legitimately are ''terrified'' of him the further in the story you get, and his theme combined with the credits art almost plays him up as a sort of karmic GrimReaper rather than a heroic ninja.

* MostAnnoyingSound: OOGA-BIKI! OOGA-BIKI![[note]]spoken by the Amazons of stage 4.[[/note]]