8-bit Times

In this article we will examine only the divergence of the Arcade and Nintendo Entertainment System versions of the Capcom classic: Strider.

Arcade Title Screen

We're not going to touch on the graphical differences between the two, since we all know that at that time in video game history arcade machines were far superior to their home counterparts.

NES Title Screen

First we'll examine the stories, second the game play, third the controls and lastly the overall moods.

Story

The arcade stars Hiryu, the youngest ever high-tech ninja or "Strider", on a mission to assassinate the "Grandmaster" (the ruler of the dystopian world the Striders inhabit). Hiryu traverses 5 areas which consists of Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, Siberian Wilderness, Aerial Battleship Ballog, Amazonian Jungle and Third Moon the home base of "Grandmaster". There are cut scenes between each stage, but they don't really tell you much; it seems to be mainly people warning the strider not to oppose "Grandmaster". I can only assume the dialogue is set up this way to heighten the tension to make the arcade experience even more exciting.

The NES version on the other hand, is steeped in intrigue and sabotage. Mirroring an "Earth" much like our own, Hiryu traverses places such as Kazakh (Kazakhstan), Australia, Japan, China, Africa, Los Angeles and the list goes on.

Graphics comparison (image from gamesradar)

Vice Director Matic has ordered Hiryu to find and kill his best friend (and fellow Strider) Cain. distraught with this order, our young strider sets out for Kazakh (which you travel to many times over the course of the game). He soon finds out that Cain was kidnapped and forced through the "Zain" Project, only to lose his mind and his life, at the hand of his dear friend Hiryu. Taking notice that his teammates are disappearing left and right, Hiryu now searches for Sheena, and yes she also eventually meets her doom.
Hiryu gains firepower along with magic and support items along the way, whilst destroying the "Zain" machines; only to come face to face with the Vice director himself, Matic. At the end, Hiryu finds himself unable to carry the torch with the memories of his fallen comrades, and casts his Cypher aside.

Game play

Grandmaster

Arcade game play was/is meant to be a high action, high intensity three to five minute experience. This is meant for two distinct things: number one; draw your full attention to the screen and most importantly number two; keep the player pumping quarters into the machine. Enter Strider Coin-op, a run and gun, hack and slash, colorful array of goodness. Large sprites and a loud, vibrant sound scape garners ands holds the player's attention until your quarters are long gone.
And so, we see smooth, responsive controls coupled with intuitive game play mechanics such as highly animated jumping sequences and flawless wall scaling. Overall, this game was beautifully rendered by game designer Kouichi Yotsui, leaving us addicted and craving more solid, jaw-dropping game play.

It's 8-bit counterpart uses another plan of attack. Since the investment ($50, or in my case $19.99 [thanks grandma]) has already been shelled out at the store, the plot is able to unfold at a slower, more storybook-like pace.
Going back to the technical standpoint of the NES (and all 8 bit machines for that matter), the developers were pushing the hardware to it's limit in all aspects. I'm sure most of you remember the sprites flashing and the slow down (NES carts especially); which now is an added feature in games like Mega man 9 and 10. At the time, the control scheme for the Strider cart wasn't too bad, until the infamous wall climbing parts (not to be confused with the magnet wall). I know that it took me 15 minutes almost every time to get through those points.

Syberian Wilderness

The running and jumping was relatively smooth, until Hiryu was at a wall/step platform and jump was pressed, or trying to jump out of a bed of spikes.
The arcade incarnation definitely wins the battle of controls. It remains relative as far as the game play is concerned, though.

Mood

Underground Africa

Ah yes...Magnet Boots

Zain Terminal

The excitement of the arcade experience coupled with a big bright screen filled with large colorful sprites (as stated earlier) makes for an exciting gaming experience. Although the plot is serious in tone, arcade Strider is still relatively light hearted and doesn't delve too much into cold war politics. Essentially, the story is a superficial means to base the settings and actions up to make sense.

Looking at the cartridge version, the mood is more immersible and somber in it's tone. Twists and turns show up at almost every "level-up" and cut scene drawing the player into the world for a longer period of time. The story shows Hiryu's/Striders' tragic end following the final "Zane" encounter.

All in all, opinions are subjective for both of these titles, which depends on the amount of exposure to either game. Leave some comments and let me know your opinions.

- Cheers