The Marvelous Countdown, Day 4: Strider Hiryu

When Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was released, while most fans were overjoyed with the vast majority of new characters, there was also hype for the return of series staples such as Ryu and Wolverine. However, they soon discovered something:

One person was missing.

Yes, it was so obvious! How could Capcom have possibly left HIM out? He was in the first two Marvel vs. Capcom games, what were they thinking, kicking him to the curb like that?! He's like the fan favorite of the series!

...hm? Mega Man? Oh yeah, he's missing too, I suppose. BUT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT MEGA MAN

That's right, techno-ninja extraordinaire Strider Hiryu makes his triumphant return to the crossover fighting game scene in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. And he looks freaking awesome, complete with his old bag of tricks: tricky teleports, mechanical animal projectiles, the new-and-improved wall cling, and his infamous Ouroboros. It's a beautiful thing.

However, one major change has been implemented that completely changes the way Strider should be played: Ouroboros is now a level 3 hyper. So that means no more lockdown chip damage with Dr. Doom, at least not as often as before. His health is also one of the lowest of the entire roster, so you're gonna have to be more careful in your approach, or you'll likely die in a single combo. Aside from that he's pretty much the same, just like people wanted. And who says Capcom doesn't care about its fans?

Playing against Strider looks like an uphill battle from the start. It's gonna be hard to tell where he'll come in from, and with a projectile assist he's going to be pretty hard to block. On the bright side if you happen to catch him it's not likely he'll survive.

Strider's theme song is revised from its Marvel 1 version; this time it's a little more subtle, not as much focus on the harmony of the piece. The melody is unchanged but the bass got a major overhaul, it's not really as loud or pronounced as before. Fine with me, since when were ninjas noisy?

Popular though he may be, I have this gut feeling that Strider won't get too much (effective) use. His combos look tough and tricky, his tactics are risky, and the learning curve looks steep and discouraging. People might instead opt for a simpler yet just as effective character. Ho-hum, more ninja action for me.