Games like Strider

[ouyrtuy]

Hello, everyone!
I'm new here and have recently started exploring retro gaming. Currently, I'm looking for games inspired by Strider.
These are the titles I know of so far:

• Run Saber (1993) - SNES
• Osman (AKA Cannon Dancer) (1996) - Arcade; also available on Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series
• Hagane: The Final Conflict (1995) SNES (added)
• Vengeful Guardian - Moon Rider (2023) (Indie) available on Steam, Switch, PS4, PS5 (added)
• Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action (1994) PC Engine CD-ROM (added)
• Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (AKA The Super Shinobi II)(1993) Sega Genesis/Mega Drive (added)
• Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn (2024) (Indie remake of Shadow of the Ninja) Available on Steam, Switch, PS4, PS5, X Series. (added)
• Kenseiden (1989) Sega Master System
• Ganryu (1999) Arcade, Dreamcast(?), Neo Geo AES(?), also part of the VISCO collection for PS4/5, Xbox One/XS, Switch and PC
• Ganryu 2 (2022) Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One/XS, Steam

(I’ll be updating the list based on your answers.)

 

[Moreno909]

Play the other Strider games like the Strider for NES and the one from 2014. The 2014 Strider is good but quite laggy on a mediocre notebook/PC. The NES one I haven't played it but people praise it for being different and more metroidvania-like.
Hagane (SNES)
Vengeful Guardian - Moon Rider (Indie)

 

[AnonymousCookieMonster]

Games where Character uses sword in close combat; Possibly is a ninja...

That leaves a lot of options...

Shinobi 3 comes immediately to mind. (Curiously the only shinobi game i've played)

 

[Moreno909]

Games where Character uses sword in close combat; Possibly is a ninja...

That leaves a lot of options...

Shinobi 3 comes immediately to mind. (Curiously the only shinobi game i've played)

Speaking of Shinobi games, I really like Shadow Dancer for Megadrive. Still haven't played Shinobi III yet... Megadrive Shadow Dancer is way more balanced and easy than the arcade version and even Revenge of the Shinobi, specially with the 3-hit point patch. I find Revenge to be way too cheap, the enemies and stage hazards are almost absurd, despite the game being really good

 

[AnonymousCookieMonster]

Still haven't played Shinobi III yet...

While Strider that i've tried is more slashy-slash, Shinobi is a lot more methodical. Every action should be intentional, and most enemies (other than bosses/mini bosses) you take down in 1-2 hits.

Basic story looks like tracking down a master ninja who went rouge, though all enemies are robots (or mutants).

As a bonus, the game looks great in GX/GW (widescreen) mode.

 

[Clippy]

Mark of the Ninja or Shadow of the Ninja Reborn should be up your alley if you're looking for something newer.

As for classics, you can't go wrong with Rocket Knight Adventures or Blades of Vengeance.

Ghouls n Ghosts, Popful Mail, Valis, Kendo Rage or Bad Dudes might also be of interest. Admittedly I'm stretching things a bit with some of these.

 

[AnonymousCookieMonster]

Mark of the Ninja or Shadow of the Ninja Reborn should be up your alley if you're looking for something newer.

I think those are far more stealth based than Strider was. Though mark of the ninja, good game from what i remember. Documentary on how they got around limitations and programming is just as fascinating.

 

[middler]

I would like to recommend Kenseiden for the Sega Master System. Its a bit slower pace than the arcade Strider but I would put it in the same general group. Kenseiden is brutal and awesome.

 

[JustLooking123]

As for classics, you can't go wrong with Rocket Knight Adventures...

Also don't forget about its sequel Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 (md)!

I think it's one of most fun games of its kind.

One interesting game is Mamono Hunter Youko - Dai 7 no Keishou (md)

actually i never played this one, but seems to be pretty close to Strider!


Aladdin also has some similarities with Strider games.
Wonder Boy games are good too, i especially love PCE version of it Dragon Curse

List of some other similar games:
Chakan (md) (Cool intro!)
Saint Sword (md)
Galahad / Leander (md)
Exile (mainly rpg)

and probably a lot more...

 

[ouyrtuy]

Also don't forget about its sequel Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 (md)!
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I think it's one of most fun games of its kind.

One interesting game is Mamono Hunter Youko - Dai 7 no Keishou (md)

actually i never played this one, but seems to be pretty close to Strider!


Aladdin also has some similarities with Strider games.
Wonder Boy games are good too, i especially love PCE version of it Dragon Curse

List of some other similar games:
Chakan (md) (Cool intro!)
Saint Sword (md)
Galahad / Leander (md)
Exile (mainly rpg)

and probably a lot more...

I will have to think about how to organize this list. I'm loving the replies and didn't expect to see so many great titles. I might have to discard some of the mentioned titles for this list and save them for another because some seem more similar to Strider in terms of gameplay than others.

 

[Yousef]

Highly recommend Shinobi

 

[stealthRUSH]

Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action on PC Engine CD-ROM²

 

[ouyrtuy]

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Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action on PC Engine CD-ROM²

It looks so good! The cover is also amazing!

 

[Clippy]

I will have to think about how to organize this list. I'm loving the replies and didn't expect to see so many great titles. I might have to discard some of the mentioned titles for this list and save them for another because some seem more similar to Strider in terms of gameplay than others.

To be fair, genres tend to blend together. You could argue that a lot of metroidvanias or even roguelikes play like Strider but they are very different in terms of level design or underlying concept. There are games that are paced like Strider but you wouldn't make a connection between them really (Freedom Planet or maybe even Sonic fit the bill here)

You'd probably have to clarify what elements of Strider you're looking for. Is it the go-from-left-to-right stage layout? The seemingly mindless, madcap slashing action? Killing a lot of enemies in rapid succession? Platforming? A ton of games satisfy at least one of these conditions. I'm not trying to admonish you by any means. All I'm saying is that there are games out there that fit at least some of the laid out criteria but are still wildly different.

If anything, this might lead to some great gaming discoveries you wouldn't have found otherwise.

 

[ouyrtuy]

To be fair, genres tend to blend together. You could argue that a lot of metroidvanias or even roguelikes play like Strider but they are very different in terms of level design or underlying concept. There are games that are paced like Strider but you wouldn't make a connection between them really (Freedom Planet or maybe even Sonic fit the bill here)

You'd probably have to clarify what elements of Strider you're looking for. Is it the go-from-left-to-right stage layout? The seemingly mindless, madcap slashing action? Killing a lot of enemies in rapid succession? Platforming? A ton of games satisfy at least one of these conditions. I'm not trying to admonish you by any means. All I'm saying is that there are games out there that fit at least some of the laid out criteria but are still wildly different.

If anything, this might lead to some great gaming discoveries you wouldn't have found otherwise.

The titles have to be side-scrollers, involving killing enemies in fast succession, or beat 'em ups. They could include platforming elements like climbing and jumping. The character needs to be a ninja or kunoichi. "Ninja Reborn," which I'm adding thanks to you, fits that description. It could feature some shooting elements, but it shouldn't look like a run and gun game. Also, no Metroidvania or roguelikes. I didn't know it was that difficult; I hope I didn't cause confusion.

 

[Clippy]

I didn't know it was that difficult; I hope I didn't cause confusion.

Eh, don't worry about it, could be I'm too pedantic about things. Seeing as beat 'em ups are fair game you might enjoy Sengoku 3 or The Ninja Warriors.

I'll try and pick my brain some more when I can over the next few days, but you know how it is, with Christmas and all that.

Quick edit: Konami's Mystic Warriors might interest you.

 

[ouyrtuy]

I would like to recommend Kenseiden for the Sega Master System. Its a bit slower pace than the arcade Strider but I would put it in the same general group. Kenseiden is brutal and awesome.

I'm adding it too, thanks!

 

[AnonymousCookieMonster]

Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action on PC Engine CD-ROM²

It looks so good! The cover is also amazing!

A Note, i have some upscalers i and finding myself using a lot If anyone wants a cover upscaled (or some imperfections fixed) let me know, i'll sprinkle a little magic cookie dust on it...

 

[davshap]

Shadow of the Ninja/Blue Shadow/Kage - NES/FAMICOM

Shatterhand (US)/Tokkyû Shirei Solbrain (English Patched) - NES/FAMICOM

Not exactly like Strider but good enough : Wrath of the Black Manta/Ninja Cop Saizou - NES/FAMICOM

Ninja Cop/Ninja Five-O - GBA

Post automatically merged: Dec 24, 2024

Ganryu - NEO GEO/MVS

Ninja Spirit - NEC PC ENGINE/TURBOGRAFX-16

 

[Solvalou]

I didn't know about this one until I went down the PSN blackhole as it were but Moon Driver for PS3/360 was meant to be a 4 player co-op Strider by the team that made Strider HD

Moon Diver - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Moon Diver (Game) - Giant Bomb

Developed by Feelplus, Moon Diver is a 4-player 2D platformer-RPG available on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.

www.giantbomb.com

Moon Diver

Moon Diver (ムーンダイバー, Mūndaibā, MOON DIVER), formerly known as Necromachina, is a side-scrolling platforming video game developed by feelplus and published by Square Enix. It was released for the PSN on March 29, 2011, and the Xbox Live Arcade on May 4, 2011.

wiki.rpcs3.net

 

[ouyrtuy]

I didn't know about this one until I went down the PSN blackhole as it were but Moon Driver for PS3/360 was meant to be a 4 player co-op Strider by the team that made Strider HD

Moon Diver - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Moon Diver (Game) - Giant Bomb

Developed by Feelplus, Moon Diver is a 4-player 2D platformer-RPG available on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.

www.giantbomb.com

Moon Diver

Moon Diver (ムーンダイバー, Mūndaibā, MOON DIVER), formerly known as Necromachina, is a side-scrolling platforming video game developed by feelplus and published by Square Enix. It was released for the PSN on March 29, 2011, and the Xbox Live Arcade on May 4, 2011.

wiki.rpcs3.net

I just checked some gameplay, it looks pretty solid! I'll buy it for my XSX since Sony isn't a huge fan of backwards compatibility when it comes to PS3 titles.

Post automatically merged: Dec 26, 2024

Shadow of the Ninja/Blue Shadow/Kage - NES/FAMICOM
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Shatterhand (US)/Tokkyû Shirei Solbrain (English Patched) - NES/FAMICOM
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Not exactly like Strider but good enough : Wrath of the Black Manta/Ninja Cop Saizou - NES/FAMICOM
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Ninja Cop/Ninja Five-O - GBA
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Post automatically merged: Dec 24, 2024

Ganryu - NEO GEO/MVS
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Ninja Spirit - NEC PC ENGINE/TURBOGRAFX-16
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They also released Ganryu 2 not long ago. Very nice list too!

Post automatically merged: Dec 26, 2024

Eh, don't worry about it, could be I'm too pedantic about things. Seeing as beat 'em ups are fair game you might enjoy Sengoku 3 or The Ninja Warriors.

I'll try and pick my brain some more when I can over the next few days, but you know how it is, with Christmas and all that.

Quick edit: Konami's Mystic Warriors might interest you.

So, yesterday I found out about Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked!, a collection of three Rocket Knight games! I wishlisted it right away. That reminded me of you, so I decided to share. So many titles to try next year!

 

[davshap]

Skyblazer- SNES

 

[ouyrtuy]

Skyblazer- SNES
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Looks great! Just saw that there's a retranslation mod for it here too.

 

[davshap]

And of course Strider 2 - PS1

 

[Morcheebix]