The Mega Drive port of Capcom's Strider, a legendary arcade action game. Gorgeous, demanding, one of the console's action masterpieces.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player12+
Description
Strider Hiryu battles Grand Master Meio's troops in this Capcom Mega Drive port. Published by Sega, released in the United States in November 1990. Action game with Strider using acrobatic moves, varied world levels and memorable Grand Master bosses.
Strider review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Animation remains the real subject: Hiryu folds into a ball, hooks onto walls, cuts and leaves a bright trail behind his blade. Facing him, striking silhouettes follow one another, a mechanical centipede coiled around a column, fur-wrapped gorillas, guards in red capes. A choreography more than a set.
The conversion favours rhythmic impact: dry percussion pushed forward, short bass and repeated motifs that follow the run without ever covering the blade sounds. The themes shorten to hold the game's cadence, and the transitions land exactly on the scene changes.
The North American edition of Strider is the Genesis version of Capcom's game, a port of the cult CPS arcade. Its collector interest comes from the fact that the Genesis version remains one of the most faithful console ports of the Capcom arcade and that the cartridge remains one of the most emblematic 16-bit Capcom productions for Sega.
Is Strider still worth playing in 2026?
A Mega Drive adaptation of the famous Capcom action platformer, Strider offers a futuristic ninja adventure where Hiryu faces the Grandmaster in varied scenery. The strange cyberpunk art direction, unique acrobatic movements with cypher sword and energetic soundtrack make it an absolute reference of arcade port on Mega Drive. For anyone fond of Capcom action platformers or seeking an excellent arcade conversion on the Sega console, an absolutely essential recommendation today still without hesitation truly here indeed for any genre fan now.
