Strider is a 1989 side-scrolling action game where you control Hiryu, a high-tech ninja assassin wielding a plasma sword called Cypher. Movement's acrobatic: cartwheel jumps, slides under obstacles, and wall/ceiling climbing via metallic hook. You'll dash through five stages—Soviet Kazakhstan, Siberia, an aerial battleship, the Amazon, and a lunar base—each split into timed checkpoints. Combat's fast. Cypher slashes enemies, and you can summon robotic helpers: mushroom droids, a saber-toothed tiger, or a hawk. Power-ups extend your sword's reach, restore health (marked by kanji characters), or grant temporary invincibility with shadow clones. Three-hit health gauge, expandable to five. Lose a life if time runs out, health depletes, or you fall off-screen. The setup: 2048, a dictator called Grandmaster controls Earth, and you're sent to kill him. Expect momentum-based platforming and relentless enemy waves.
