Jeremy Parish

Metroidvania Works #19: Strider & Willow (Patreon)

Published:

2023-07-05 12:00:05

Imported:

2024-04

Tags:

capcom metroidvania nes strider willow

Content

Our journey through the ur-metroidvania's formative decade continues apace with two from Capcom in the form of Strider (not to be mistaken for the cool arcade game) and Willow (not to be mistaken for the cool arcade game). Yes, these adventures continue Capcom's persistent insistence upon reworking arcade releases for NES, whether due to Nintendo's insistence that games for their console be unique from those on other platforms or simply because Capcom realized that there was no way in hell you were going to pull off a convincing take on some of these games on the meager NES hardware. Whatever the case, both of these non-conversions contain some strong ideas, although only one manages to pull them off with aplomb. (If you have spent more than 10 minutes with either of these games, you know exactly which one I'm referring to.)

Files

Home renovations: Strider & Willow | Metroidvania Works 19

Two Capcom titles this week—one platformer in the platonic form of the metroidvania, the other a pure action RPG. However, both games share one thing in common: Both bring coin-op titles to NES, and both ignore pretty much all of their original arcade counterparts' content in favor of bringing home consumers bigger, chewier, more time-consuming adventures. The two roads diverge from there, however. Willow takes the path less traveled by being peak NES action RPG—one of the finest on the system—while Strider feels decidedly, well, janky, like so many other ambitious-but-disastrous NES releases. Although you really didn't see a lot of those high-minded hot messes from Capcom back in the day, so maybe THAT is the road less traveled. Anyway, I think we can agree that Robert Frost would have enjoyed Willow's inventive stroll through the woods far more than Strider Hiryu's awkward bungle through the jungle. Production notes: Video Works is funded via Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/gamespite) — support the show and get access to every episode up to two weeks in advance of its YouTube debut! Plus, exclusive podcasts, eBooks, and more! Why watch when you can read? Check out the massive hardcover print editions of NES Works, Super NES Works, and Virtual Boy works, available now at Limited Run Games (https://limitedrungames.com/collections/books)! Look forward to SG-1000 Works: Segaiden Vol. I in August and Metroidvania: The First Decade in 2024. NES footage captured from Analogue Nt Mini. Video upscaled to 720 with xRGB Mini Framemeister.