Strider - Sega Genesis In the game, the player takes control of Strider Hiryu, a ninja-style warrior who must defeat a legendary being known as Grandmaster Meio. Meio has observed Earth from his dwelling in a far off galaxy, and has created a space station (known as "The Third Moon"), between Earth and its original moon in order to rule earth and continue observation. The year is 2048. Armed with a Cypher (a razor-sharp blade, wielded similarly to a tonfa which generates metal-cutting plasma) called Falchion, Hiryu must travel around the globe (including the Soviet Union and the Amazon Rainforest) to find and destroy the evil being. Throughout his travels, Hiryu encounters many power-ups, including robotic animals called "Options" (a hawk and a leopard) which help him defeat enemies. He also has the ability to latch onto walls and ceilings using a metallic hook  an aspect which set the game apart from other platformers.