New Year, New Sequel?

Happy New Year, everybody! Well, no one bought either copy of the manga, so they're both still up for auction. I've updated the links on last week's entry, so let's go ahead and look at what else is up for auction:

On eBay:

Then there's the usual suspects, over on Yahoo! Auctions Japan.

Also, Keiji Inafune's interview with 1up.com has spawned a rather interesting discussion over on the Capcom-Unity Forums, in which Seth Killian asked the question,

Could a Strider in 3D recapture that same magic? Would it have to invent new magic? I'd love to see the giant mechanical Ape, or the politburo that turns into a giant robotic centipede w/sickle in 3d, but a lot of the best mechanics of the fights were very 2d-centric. I can already think of cool ways you could recreate that in 3d, but what do you think as Strider fans?

I seem to be the only one who thinks they could do it in 3D. The general consensus seems to be that 2.5D would be better than a full 3D game, which I can't really dispute, HOWEVER... I can't help but wonder where all these people were when Strider 2 came out, since it HAD that 2.5D style of gameplay. Ah well, better late than never, I suppose. What do you guys think? Email me.

Posted by Scion on January 1, 2009 09:22 CST


This Week's Online Auctions

There are two, count them, TWO copies of the Strider Hiryu manga on eBay right now. Take a look!

Nothing says Christmas like the gift of the Strider manga, right? Someone buy these!

Posted by Scion on December 22, 2008 07:20 CST


James Mielke Interviews Keiji Inafune on 1up.com!

Yeah, I know. It's been a freakin MONTH since I've updated. But I come bearing news. GOOD news, courtesy of (who else?) Rodrigo Shin over at The Third Moon. Apparently, 1up.com editor James Mielke interviewed Capcom's Keiji Inafune yesterday, and Inafune-san had some interesting things to say concerning a future installment in the Strider franchise:

1UP: So, we've all heard about how the Bionic Commando revival began because some intrepid game journalist had the game's title written on his business card. With that in mind, I'd like to present to you this business card bearing the likeness of long-lost Capcom favorite, Strider.

KI: [Laughs] Capcom has a lot of good characters, both past and present, and I have a strong interest in bringing some of the past characters back. When you're in Japan you don't really think about the popularity and interest in Strider or Street Fighter characters, and so we've kept them on hold. But since making the HD remix of Street Fighter II and Street Fighter IV, there's a possibility that we could make another Strider game. It's one of the franchises that I have an interest in reviving, so I think there's a real possibility that we will make another Strider game.

1UP: [Capcom publicity manager] Kanda-san was asking us -- when we were in Osaka to see RE5 -- what Capcom games should come back, and some of us responded Gunsmoke and Capt. Commander, but all agreed on Strider.

KI: Those are very valuable comments, and I hope that we can make games accordingly based on those comments. I can't promise that we will, but I hope that we can.

Oh man. Oh man, oh man, oh man. Read that again. Inafune-san has an interest in reviving the Strider series? Are you kidding me? That's awesome!

Let's not get too excited, though. A mere six days earlier, Christian Svensson denied that there's anything happening with Strider, at the moment. So even if Inafune-san WANTS to revive the series, there currently isn't anything in development.

What about that Devil May Cry-style remake we keep hearing rumors about? It's nonexistent. Reread the quote above. Mielke just confessed to making that whole rumor up. He straight up says that Capcom's publicity manager asked THEM what Capcom games THEY'D like to see return, and they said, "Strider". They opined that, then they ran a story saying Capcom had something planned for the series. Shoddy journalism started the rumor. At least Mielke's fessed up to it now, in a half-assed kind of way. And I love how Inafune responds with basically what amounts to, "That's nice."

Also, Mielke? "Capt. Commander"? Come on.

Look, EGM. You shafted us enough during the NEC SuperGrafx conversion debacle. Just report the news as it is, and not how you wish it was. This interview is a step back in the right direction, but only insofar as you don't report stories from your nights out drinking in Osaka as actual FACT, okay?

Be real journalists, for Pete's sake. That's all I ask.

That aside, I'm totally stoked by the idea that Inafune wants to bring Strider back. Best news I've heard since I found out that Christopher Nolan was going to be directing Batman Begins.

Posted by Scion on December 20, 2008 20:40 CST


ScrewAttack.com's Top Ten Sequels That Need To Be Made

So yesterday, ScrewAttack put together a list of the top 10 classic games they think deserve current-gen sequels. A few Capcom games made the cut: Power Stone, Marvel Vs Capcom, and Strider among them. Take a look.

I'm not going to tell you how Strider placed. You'll just have to watch it for yourself.

However, it's worth noting that the video has made it to the front page of Capcom-Unity. Who knows? Maybe Capcom will see it and actually take it to heart.

Stay tuned.

Posted by Scion on November 20, 2008 13:25 CST


This Week's Online Auctions

This week we're going to do it a little different. I'm just going to list the stuff that stands out. If you want a specific game, I'm going to assume you're already looking for it. Here goes.

On Yahoo! Auctions Japan:

On eBay:

That's it for this week's auctions. That shrinkwrapped Duo port from last week is already gone. I hope one of you got it.

Later.

Posted by Scion on November 17, 2008 19:50 CST


More Strider 3 Rumors

Man, ever since EGM posted that rumor about Capcom planning to remake Strider the way they've redone Bionic Commando, the rumor mill's been working overtime.

There's no truth to the rumor. Yet. Apparently, it started during a night of "drunken hypothesizing between three journalists and a PR", in which 1up.com editor James Mielke suggested that a new Strider should be done Devil May Cry-style. Talk about yellow journalism.

However, the rumor will NOT die. Apparently the November issue of Gamereactor (No. 62, Swedish edition) has picked up the rumor and has gone so far as to say Capcom is DEFINITELY giving Strider the Bionic Commando treatment with a new ReArmed-style remake and again, a new game done DMC-style. I'd be slightly more inclined to believe Gamereactor than EGM, considering how GRIN's a Swedish company and Gamereactor's a Swedish magazine, but still... I haven't read the issue in question and it sounds too close to Quartermann's rumor for my taste.

Capcom has been renewing trademarks on some of their old franchises recently, namely Forgotten Worlds and Shining Force Gear. Not Strider, though. And Christian Svensson, Capcom's VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development, has denied that there's anything happening with the Strider series, not once, but TWICE.

None of this means Strider 3 won't happen or isn't in development, however. It just means there's nothing concrete. Honestly, if Capcom DOESN'T do something for Strider's 20th anniversary next year, I'll be very surprised.

In the meantime, take the rumors with a big helping of sodium chloride, alright?

UPDATE 11/20/08: Somehow I failed to notice that Shining Force Gear isn't a Capcom game. Sorry if that threw anyone off.

Posted by Scion on November 14, 2008 13:23 CST


Translations

T3M forum member Rodrigo Shin, who's fast becoming one of my best contacts for Strider news, has alerted me to the fact that Namco x Capcom has been fully translated. Mark Neidengard posted the full thing to GameFaqs over a year and a half ago. I have now mirrored it here on the LSCM.

It's quite interesting because of how badass Hiryu comes off. For example, when Hiryu makes his entrance on the Third Moon, this is the exchange between him and Hien:

Hiryu: ...So, are you losers going to take me to your boss, or what?
Hien: Give it up, Hiryu! Our... the Striders' battle... It's over!
Hiryu: ...You call this over? He's still alive. ...And so are you and I. I've got no time to play with you.
Hien: Urgh... Hiryu, when will it be over for you...?
Hiryu: It's obvious... When one or the other of us is dead.
Hien: Hiryu, continuing is meaningless! This entire world was made by Him...! The Third Moon, the nations on the Surface, the Army... the Striders... Even you and I! Stop this foolishness, Hiryu! ...I don't want to fight my own comrade-in-arms...!
Hiryu: Stop talking like an amateur.
Hien: Rrgh..!
Hiryu: Where is He...? He'd never leave this section.
Hien: He is... currently attempting to gaze into a new world. And I won't let you interfere!
Hiryu: So this is the fruit of the criminal superman Genocide's research... I'm not interested.
Hien: That's not all. The latest Dimensional Transfer... Even that was entirely according to His plans...!
Hiryu: And that's what makes you his whipped dog. If you don't want to tell me, fine. ...Die.

See what I mean? And that makes way more sense than the way it came off in Strider 2, right? That's just the tip of the iceberg. Give the whole script a read, when you get a chance.

Also, I'm sure a few of you remember when I announced that Inane Manga Scanlations was working on the Strider Hiryuu manga? Yeah, that project seems to be dead in the water now. I just want to let you guys know I'm still working on getting it translated. I've got a couple separate plans for how to get it done, but they'll probably take a while to come to fruition.

In the meantime, though, you can check the Baka-Updates Manga page to see if there are any new scanlation groups working on the manga. Unfortunately, there aren't any right now, but it's getting decent reviews.

Later!

Posted by Scion on November 13, 2008 09:08 CST


The Siberian Airship Pilot

Right, so... You remember the second level of the CPS-1 game, right? Siberia? The level where you fight Solo and have that awesome run down the hill with bombs going off behind you?

Well, remember that aircraft you fight your way to, where you face the Kuniang M.A. team for the first time? After you beat them, there's one bad guy left: the aircraft's pilot. He's a complete wuss, so I bet most of you just slash him and have done with the level.

Did you know he actually says something?

In a post over on the Third Moon, Jeremy Dewald brought it to my attention. If you turn off all the layers except the sprites when you get to that scene, the pilot's sprite looks exactly like the image at right. Right when you knock the door down, he turns to Hiryu and says...

Well... we're not sure exactly. T3M member Rodrigo Shin elaborates:

[...] they seem all like Katakana, which is what [the Japanese] use for foreign words (usually). I've heard it is also used as some sort of emphasis, like if it's meant to say the character would be always speaking in capitalized letters, or something like that. Not too sure. Either way, the japanese can have a whole load of "poetic license" when it comes to portraying their characters [...] it seems like he's saying either "Soyu" (the "yu" is generally way smaller than that, but that's the only katakana it resembles) or "N-yu", since "So" and "N" are very alike.

My best result was this: Soyuz (Russian spacecraft) [...] They're lacking two characters if that's the case to reffer to... a Russian spacecraft? So Hiryu corners the soldier and all he has to say is "RUSSIAN SP--" (sliced) Uh, well.

"Uh, well", indeed. Like I said in the thread, this reminds me of the old debate over whether or not Grandmaster Meio was really Gen. Mikiel from Stage 1. Because if Hiryu says, "Take me to your boss" and the pilot of that craft says "Russian sp--" and then the NEXT level is the Ballog... it could mean that the Russians built the Ballog.

But who knows? It's not like the Strider series is known for its clear and concise storytelling.

At any rate, if you get a chance, stop by The Third Moon Forum @ Invisionfree. It's the Nexus' new home. I've joined forces with Rob Strangman (aka Dire 51), founder of the OPCFG and West Mansion and The Ghoul Realm, not to mention about a half-dozen other places on the Net. There's always something to discuss at T3M, regardless of whether or not there's any Strider news. So come join the discussion!

UPDATE 11/13/2008: Rodrigo Shin has updated me about the pilot's speech. Apparently the characters that appear above the pilot's head also appear in the stage title, and even match that title's pallete. So it could just be a tiling error. Why it would only occur in this one spot is anybody's guess, though.

Posted by Scion on November 12, 2008 11:57 CST


This Week's Online Auctions

I'd planned on making the scrollbar on the right actually match the theme of the LSCM, but then I realized something. It's an IE feature, reliant on how integrated IE is with Windows. So forget that. *L*

Instead, here's what's happening this week in Yahoo! Auctions Japan:

There's also about nine copies of the Japanese version of Strider Hiryu 1&2.

On eBay:

That's about it for the online auctions. A typical week, if you ask me.

Also, this cool-ass statue of Hiryu fighting the Emperor Dragon by akasuma776 showed up at Wonder Festival 2008 a few months back. Dear God, that's pure sweetness. I want this. I need this. Why can't THESE ever show up on the online auctions?

With that, I'm out. 'Til next time!

Posted by Scion on November 10, 2008 19:49 CST


LSCM Upgraded!

Welcome to the all-new Light Sword Cypher Mainframe 4.0, everyone! The LSCM has been redesigned with CSS, thanks to the templates over at Stu Nicholls' site. It was time for a change. My old-school approach wasn't cutting it anymore.

I hope you like the new interface. It has been designed with Firefox and W3C standards-compliant browsers in mind, so if you're using IE, you're not going to see some of the snazzier parts of the UI.

I think the first thing you will notice about the UI is that I've done away with the old naming system. I liked calling the "Features" section "Recon" and such because it gave the LSCM an espionage feel, but it got confusing. Even for me at times, especially when it came time to update. I've lost track of the number of times someone has sent me something to put on the site and I'd have no clue where to put it. Then I'd store it away, forget about it, and eventually lose it. I lost a couple of interviews that way, and I never posted the results of the Sprite Contest, from way back when.

I took the opportunity to do some housekeeping. Mostly infrastructure stuff. I had a UI and a file hierarchy that were independent of each other, and it made updating the site awkward and confusing. That's now been unified. I've freshened up some old pages, and I've done some rearranging as well. If you'd bookmarked specific pages on the LSCM, you'll probably find that they've moved. Sorry.

For those accustomed to the old layout, here's a quick overview of how everything got shuffled around:

Access Log
Recon
Dossier
Accomplices
Remote Files
Other Resources
The Nexus

> News
> Features
> Games
> Otaku
> Downloads
> Links
> Forum

It's pretty straightforward, for the most part. The only major difference is, there's no more "Surveillance" section. I realized it was redundant and found other places for that data. For example, all of the game pages now have multiple sub-pages including, but not limited to, reviews, screenshots, and concept art. That keeps all the stuff for, say... Strider 2... in one spot so you don't have to go hunt it down.

I also moved the rumor pages about Strider 3, the SGX home conversion, and the CPS-1's origins as "The Falcon". They're now located under "Features", where they should've been all along. The Strider Hiryu manga page and the page about Capcom's artbooks have also been made into Features.

Despite the reshuffling, I think you'll find the LSCM's easier to navigate, now. But in case it isn't, the Site Map is handily located in the footer. So if you ever get lost, you'll be able to find your way around.

Thanks for stopping by. If you have any suggestions, please drop me a line.

Posted by Scion on November 9, 2008 22:57 CST


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