Awesome! This ninja needed some love.
OK...I just had to put my 2 cents on Hiryu.
First off...why does everyone say that the NES Strider sucked? Man..i rented this game from my video store as a kid and i didn't return it till i beat it. i was hooked on finding all this crap to upgrade Hiryu. Besides the NES version did more for Strider story-wise too. If you wanna know what goes on in the manga done my Moto Kikaku, the NES version is the closest you're gonna get.
As for him being in Namco x Capcom, yeah, he's duking it out with Strider Hien (See Strider 2 for details) throughout the game. Oh and as a side note, if you're a fan of either company, Namco x Capcom should be tried out. Its got a very convoluted story, but at least the game and interaction with all these different characters is great.
Back to Strider...umm yeah, I wish there was a Strider 3. I kept hoping to see it on the PS2 since the Xbox was getting Ninja Gaiden. But hey, maybe we'll get to see him this console generation. I mean c'mon, when aren't ninjas in demand.