The game: Strider 2 (PSone, arcade)
Sequel to: Strider (Genesis/Mega Drive, Arcade)
Why you didn't play it: A two-dimensional, side-scrolling PSone slash 'em-up that came out in mid-2000? Right, yeah, we bet you were lining up around the block to play this. And even if you somehow were,the cold receptionStrider 2 got from reviewers made it clear that this sequel was too little, too late. Short, simple and strangely bland next to the original's vertigo-inducing craziness, Strider 2 was an abject lesson in why you shouldn't wait 10 years to make a follow-up to your awesome hit game about a wall-climbing superninja who fights communist robot gorillas. (We don't count the weird NES version, the godawful Strider Returns or the ultra-stylish "spiritual successor" Osman; odds are you don't, either.)
Why you should have: To be fair, it's hard to compete with memories of a game that was awesome a decade earlier. Taken on its own merits, Strider 2 was a wonderfully fast, kickass side-scroller that looked awesome and was a blast to play. Layering 2D gameplay over 3D levels enabled Strider 2 to feature enormous, beautifully animated bosses and levels that weren't possible in the original, and the new, scarf-trailing version of protagonist Hiryu could slash and leap at speeds that would make his old self die of shame. It might not have had hordes of politicians who merged to become hammer-and-sickle-wielding caterpillar monsters, but we love it anyway.
