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Strider Hiryu

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This redirect is about the character named Strider Hiryu. For the coin-operated video game, see Strider (arcade game). For the Nintendo Entertainment System video game, see Strider (Nintendo Entertainment System).
Strider Hiryu
'Strider' character
File:Strider Hiryu (character).jpg
Strider Hiryu in Capcom Fighting All-Stars
First gameStrider (1989)

Strider Hiryu (ストライダー飛竜, sutoraidā hi ryū) is a fictional character jointly owned by Capcom and Moto Kikaku.

Although primarily known as a game character, Hiryu debuted in 1988 as the protagonist of a manga published exclusively in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten. He made his first video game appearance in the Template:Vgy coin-operated video game Strider, which was followed by the release of a NES video game based on the manga released exclusively in North America during the same year. Since his debut, Hiryu (飛竜 "Hiryu" usually interpreted to mean "Flying Dragon") has appeared in various video games produced by Capcom.

In most versions of the Strider story, Hiryu is an elite-class member of a group of futuristic, high-tech ninja-like agents known as the "Striders", who specialize in various kinds of wetworks such as espionage, sabotage, and assassinations. His signature weapon is his "Cypher", a plasma-generating blade with a tonfa-like handle.

Concept and creation

According to Kouichi Yotsui, the planner of the original Strider coin-op game, the Strider Hiryu franchise was conceived as a multimedia collaboration between Capcom and Moto Kikaku (the two companies previously collaborated with each other to work on the video game versions of the manga Tenchi wo Kurau). Moto Kikaku produced the manga version, while Capcom developed two separate video game versions, a coin-operated video game and a console version for the NES. All three works share common plot elements, while featuring their differences as well.[2] Because of Moto Kikaku's involvement in the character's creation, their name appears alongside Capcom's in the copyrights byline of the character.

Appearances

Manga

The Strider Hiryu manga, illustrated and written by Tatsumi Wada, was serialized in the monthly magazine Comic Computique from May to October 1988, spanning six issues. A single volume collection was later published on November 10, 1989.[3] A short prequel story, titled Strider Hiryu Gaiden (ストライダー飛竜外伝), was published following the completion of the main series and is not included in the collected edition.[4]

The manga is set in the year 2048 and centers around Hiryu, a young Super A-grade Strider who retired early during his career after he was forced to kill his elder sister Mariya, a Strider who went insane (as shown in the prequel story). The main series begins with Hiryu living peacefully in Mongolia when his former superior, Vice Director Matic, forces him out of retirement in order to kill his best friend Cain, who has been captured by hostiles in the Kazakh SSR and has become a liability to the rest of the Striders.

With the help of Strider Sheena, Hiryu manages to infiltrate the enemy's lair and extract Cain. However, Cain goes insane after regaining consciousness and attacks the two. Hiryu manage to subdue Cain, but not before Sheena is mortally wounded during the battle and dies. Hiryu uncovers a small device implanted under Cain's neck and learns from a captured enemy officer that Cain has been the subject of a mind-control weapon known codenamed Zain, a tree-shaped computer that plants mind controlling microchips to its victims, and that Hiryu's sister Mariya was under the influence of Zain when she went rogue.

After Cain regains his sense and freewill, he decides to make amends for Sheena's death by teaming up with Hiryu and stop the Zain project from reaching its completion. The two learn that an organization known simply as the "Enterprise" is behind the Zain project and that Vice Director Matic himself was cooperating with Faceas Clay, the Chief of the Enterprise. With the help of Cain, Strider Chief Kuramoto, and a group of other Striders, Hiryu manages to thwart Matic and Clay, and destroy the main Zain terminal.

Strider video game series

Two video game versions of Strider were produced following the publication of the manga. The NES version of Strider, released a few months after the arcade version, adapts the storyline of the Strider Hiryu manga, although a few changes were made to the presentation of the plot.

The Strider arcade game however, follows a completely different storyline, sharing only a few common elements such as Hiryu himself and the use of Kazakh SSR as the game's initial setting. In this game, Hiryu is hired by a rebel organization to assassinate the Grandmaster, an alien dictator who has gained control of all of the world's military. Hiryu's mission takes him not only to Kazakh, but also to Siberia and the Amazons, as well as the Grandmaster's flying battleship "Balrog". Eventually Hiryu travels to the Grandmaster's lair, the "Third Moon" space station, for the final battle against him.

Hiryu would star in a second arcade game titled Strider 2 (released in 1999, almost ten years after the first game). Here the Grandmaster has returned to life and has reconquered the earth. Hiryu must once again fight against the Grandmaster and his minions, as well as Hien, a former Strider and rival.

An earlier Strider sequel was also produced by British game publisher U.S. Gold years prior to Capcom's version of Strider 2, titled Strider II in Europe and Journey from Darkness: Strider Returns in North America, which was released for various European home computers in 1990 and remade for Sega consoles in 1992. However the main character, while implied to be the same Strider from the original game, is addressed as "Hinjo" in the instruction manual for the Sega Genesis version. In this game, Strider must save a young woman, the leader of planet Magenta (whose name is Lexia according to the console versions), from a terrorist group (led by the Grandmaster himself in the console versions, who originally didn't appear in the game's computer versions). In the documentation for the Sega Master System version, Strider Hiryu's full name is erroneously given as Hiryu Lyons.[5]

Guest appearances

Strider Hiryu has made various cameo appearances in other Capcom games following the original arcade game. He has appeared in the Game Boy version of Hatena Hatena no Daibōken, the arcade quiz game Capcom World 2, as a spectator in Ken's home stage in Street Fighter Alpha 2, in various trading cards in SNK's Card Fighters series (which SNK co-produced with Capcom), and as a playable character in the tactical RPG Namco x Capcom.

Hiryu also appears in the crossover fighting games Marvel vs. Capcom, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as one of the many playable characters representing the Capcom universe. His ending in the first Marvel vs. Capcom is an homage to the ending in the original Strider.[6]

Reception

In 2008, Hiryu was ranked fourth on GameDaily's Top 25 Capcom Characters of All Time ("First introduced in 1989, Strider Hiryu has become an extremely popular character in Capcom's arsenal").[7] He has been also featured in several lists of top ten video game ninja characters, including ranked as seventh by 1UP.com in 2004[8] and as fourth by ScrewAttack in 2010.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Strider Hiryu's Character page on the official Japanese UMvC3 website". Capcom.co.jp. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
  2. ^ Tane, Kiyofume; Gaijin Punch (translation) (February 2009). "The Father of Strider Who Made the Game World Explode: Kouichi Yotsui Discography". Gameside (16). Retrieved 30 Dec 2009.
  3. ^ Wada, Tatsumi. Strider Hiryu. Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-713009-5.
  4. ^ "ストライダー飛竜/柴哲郎/和田たつみ" (in Japanese). 9 May 2005. Retrieved 20 Dec 2009.
  5. ^ Strider Master System inlay. Tiertex Design Studios. 1992.
  6. ^ Studio Bent Stuff. All About Capcom Head-to-Head Fighting Game 1987-2000 (in Japanese). Dempa Publications Inc. p. 322. ISBN 978-4-88554-676-1.
  7. ^ Top 25 Capcom Characters of All Time, GameDaily, September 26, 2008
  8. ^ Top Ten Ninjas, 1UP.com, July 23, 2004
  9. ^ Top Ten Ninjas, GameTrailers, January 8, 2010
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