Strider Returns: Journey From Darkness Game Sample - Genesis/MD
0Also known as Strider II (or Journey From Darkness: Strider Returns), this particular "Strider" game has a somewhat interesting history, but can basically be summed up as a subpar (but well-meaning) attempt to breathe life back into the Strider franchise (which wouldn't see a proper sequel till much later).
The game was originally made in the early 90s for computers and was published by U.S. Gold (with permission from Capcom USA) and developed by Tiertex, and was meant to be a European-developed sequel to the original Strider. In the PC games, the story and much of the Strider universe was re-imagined-- the hero could even use a gun and transform into a robot! He lacked much of the functionality that the original Strider Hiryu possessed. The game's plot involved rescuing Princess Magenta from a group of terrorists.
The game was later ported to various home consoles, but the publishers/developers made some significant changes, the biggest one being that they designed the lead character to look like Strider, use shurikens in place of bullets, and fight the Grandmaster from the original Strider instead of, well, whoever you fought in the PC game. He also utilizes the original Strider's abilities like sliding, but doesn't handle quite as well. The setting and the like is still based on the PC game from my understanding.
Even with these changes, the game never feels quite Strider-ish; it lacks polish and feels a bit uninspired. This Genesis/MD version is rather underwhelming with pretty bland backdrops and a lower than normal framerate often, which feels like you're moving underwater. Some differences from the Game Gear game is that you have limited shurikens and you CAN stand and slash without having to move, but hit detection is unpredictable. There are plenty of times where you'll clearly hit a foe and miss, which can lead to some really frustrating moments. At least the level design is more forgiving than the GG game and bosses do have some kinds of strategies. Visually, it's okay given the date but its a bit mediocre compared to the cleanliness and smooth framerate of the orignal Gen/MD Strider. Aurally, the game is ephemeral, but not grating. The voice samples in the game sound squeaky and pretty high pitched, like they were "Chipmunked".
This is a brief video of the game in action. Enjoy.