The ending of the arcade game explained!
it's friendship. Thus endth the story. The western hero leaves for the other side of the wilderness riding on the horse. Hiryu leaves for the other side of the horizon riding on the whale.
Who knew Isuke had Westerns in mind when he came up with that? This is almost as intriguing as his answer about why there's fur hats on the Rascals, I say.
(source: Isuke's Twitter account)
Posted by Dire 51 on September 1, 2010 2:27 EST
A Change of Seasons
Hey all, Dire 51 here, updating a site that's not West Mansion. Shock and horror, right? But hey, I am on staff here at the LSCM, so it's about time I did something to justify my being here.
The latest news is that due to some changes on my forum The Third Moon, the LSCM Nexus is no longer being hosted there. All of the Strider discussion has slowly but surely drifted away from T3M in the past year, first briefly landing on Capcom-Unity's Strider Hub, but then going to the place it is now, Lepa and Kenny's forum The Strider Citadel. The Citadel is definitely the place to go for all the Strider discussion you could possibly want these days, so it made sense to make that the official LSCM forum.
So, to prove I'm actually doing something here to warrant my being on staff, tonight I changed all of the links that used to lead to T3M. They now lead to the Citadel. Just click on the Forum link on any page to go there, and if you happen to spot any links that still lead to T3M, let me know and I'll fix it.
That's all from me for now. See you on the Citadel!
Posted by Dire 51 on August 27, 2010 23:56 EST
The End of an Era
For over eight years, the LSCM has been a one-man show. I've done everything that this site has required by myself, at least as far as the day-to-day maintenance is concerned. Well, no more. Today, that period comes to a close, in more ways than one.
The first is the unveiling of the LSCM's staff! This is long overdue, and is something that has actually been happening behind the scenes for some time now. Circumstances have prevented me from doing this sooner, but now I'd like to introduce those who have been helping me improve the LSCM and picking up where my lazy ass has been slacking off:
- Dire 51, the man behind the OPCFG and West Mansion (not to mention a longtime friend of mine), is now an official LSCM Senior Staff. All news and inquiries can be directed to him like they would to me.
- Suzaku, staff member at AdventChildren.net, Withthewill.net, and about a half-dozen other places (and also a longtime friend), is backing Dire up on the LSCM Senior Staff.
- Pikachu, winner of the contest a couple months back and no stranger to the Internet or Strider herself, has taken over the LSCM's Marvel Vs. Capcom section. Any news, images, or info concerning those games should be sent to her first.
- Kenny, co-developer of the Strider Citadel, is in charge of updating the Black & White Fanart Section. Have a Strider sketch you like, but never got around to finishing? Send it to Kenny.
- Lepa, Kenny's partner-in-crime over at the Citadel, is responsible for the Color Fanart. If you've got a bright, shiny new Hiryu artwork and nowhere to host it, zip it on over to Lepa.
- Last but not least, John Beckwith, a fan artist we all admire, is managing his own section. He won't be around much, due to college, but hey. It's his own section of the site, for cryin' tears!
If you want to contact any of the staff, use the new Contact Page. I appreciate these guys for being willing to step in and help. They're awesome.
Why all these changes? Why the staff all of a sudden? Well... I'm not able to keep up with the LSCM like I used to. The LSCM's been taking a backseat to my real life, of late. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this will be changing. Ever. Hence the reinforcements.
I'm not sure it's enough, though. The past year and a half has been absolute chaos. It's gotten so bad that I seriously considered closing the LSCM down. Here's a few of the things that have been going on:
- My wife has a chronic illness. Several, in fact, and it's been this way for some time. Adult onset asthma. Fibromyalgia. Costochondritis. A touch of Marfan Syndrome. These make it difficult for her to work a regular job. Sometimes they make it difficult for her just to walk around. Caring for her is my absolute top priority, and it takes a good amount of time to deal with all of those things. Especially since there's no effective treatment for any of them.
- I was promoted at work. I am now in charge of managing four computer networks in three different locations and they're all 20-25 minutes away from each other. My employers also have no concept of "travel time" or "exhaustion".
- My father was hospitalized for what he believed was a heart attack. It turned out to be a congenital problem, causing premature ventricular contractions, not a heart attack, but that's... almost worse. The doctors don't know how long he has. He could die tomorrow. He could die ten years from now. When he goes, they know it'll be fast, and most likely in his sleep. I want to spend as much time as possible with him before then.
- I was in a car accident over Memorial Day weekend. My wife and dog were in the car as well. We were doing 45 on I-10 in pouring rain. Someone spun out four cars ahead of us, starting a chain reaction that led to us hydroplaning six car lengths into the back end of another vehicle, totaling our Dodge Durango in the process. Thankfully, no one was killed. The whiplash and airbags did nothing to help my wife's condition, however. We've been struggling with the ER bills ever since.
- ...but, finally, there's some good news. We're having a baby! My wife and I found out last Monday. She's six weeks along. We're thrilled! Our parents had to be scraped off the ceiling, they were so shocked. No one expected us to ever have kids, because of my wife's illnesses. But, our li'l ninja is due March 10. The prospect of being parents is both exciting and scary at the same time.
It has been an extremely life-altering year for us. It is not going to let up anytime in the near future. That is why... I don't think I can continue running the LSCM. I considered shutting it down earlier in the year when I was just busy, but the fine folks over at the Citadel talked me into leaving it open. I was considering doing it anyway, when I found out about my father. Then I found out I was going to be a father myself and I realized... I just don't have time for this anymore.
It's not that I don't still like Strider. I just won't have the time to spend with my wife and child and father that I need to, if I keep my current job and try to run this site. So, I'd like to turn it over to someone else. I've no one in mind for that, at the moment. Dire? He's in pretty much the same boat I am, with his personal life. Suzaku's much the same. Between the three of us, we may be able to keep on top of things, but you guys deserve better than that.
And actually... I'm ready to step down. I'm ready to stop being "Scion, LSCM Webmaster". I've done everything I set out to do. The LSCM was the first Strider fansite to have a top-level domain. I put the manga on the web. Got to the bottom of the SuperGrafx port rumors (with a hell of a lot of help). I consulted on a Capcom compilation that included Strider and got my name in the credits. I found and then interviewed the game's creator, Isuke, and he thanked me for finding him! (That STILL blows my mind.) I can think of a few more things I'd like to accomplish, but as of right now... I'm satisfied. I don't need anything else. I'd like to leave a few "firsts" undone for future Strider fansite webmasters to complete, anyway.
There's just one thing that I was never able to really pull off... and that's to give the Strider fans a hangout spot. I wanted to build a community, but that never actually happened. I don't know if I just overestimated the number of fans out there, or what, but I don't feel like the LSCM was ever the rallying point I wanted it to be.
Anyway. Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to finish the few articles I've been working on, and then, next March, I want to turn the LSCM over to a new owner. I'm not going to shut it down. I'm going to give it away. I would prefer to give it to someone I know, and someone the few people who read this site also know, but no one springs to mind. If you know HTML and CSS and you love Strider, you might want to email me.
Whoever I turn this site over to, all I ask is that you credit me as its creator, leave my email address on the contact page, keep the staff, and keep the Featured Articles intact. The site's layout, design, theme, and whatever else... I'll leave that up to you and the other staff. Wikify it if you guys like. Polish it with PHP. Whatever. I'll be turning it over to the fans, so make this place into something you really enjoy.
If you're interested in running this place and working with these guys, let me know. You've got until March to decide.
It's been fun, guys. I've had a great run. I'm grateful to all of you who have contributed over the years, and to all of the newcomers who've joined Kenny and Lepa's Strider Citadel. This phase of my life is rapidly drawing to a close, though, and I can't say I don't feel a little thrill of relief to think that I'll no longer have to worry about updating the LSCM. Oh, I'll still be around. I'll be posting on the Citadel or on Dire's Third Moon forum (where the Nexus has lived for the past few years). But it'll be great to have one less thing to worry about. That way I can focus on the people who deserve my attention more than anyone else.
Anyhow, like I said, until March, I'll be hammering away at the LSCM as I can, trying to put all my ideas up here before my child breathes in for the first time. (I cannot wait for that to happen. I'm gonna be a father!) If you'd like to talk to me, for any reason, just drop me an email.
Later.
Posted by Scion on July 19, 2010 23:39 CDT
Isuke's New Game!
Thursday morning I awoke to find the following email from Isuke in my inbox:
SUBJ: my new game
not new?lol
http://dlgames.square-enix.com/necromachina/
So I clicked the link. And found this video waiting for me on the other end:
That... was Necromachina, also called Moon Diver. That... was exactly what it looks like: a 4-player "Strider" directed by the creator of Strider himself. That... was pure videogame crack, my friends. You know you love it.
Since I'm sure you want more, here's the scoop on Necromachina, direct from Yotsui-san himself. It's a Square-Enix game. It's digital download only. It will, in fact, be released on both XBLA and PSN, despite what the NeoGAF'ers would have you believe. Look for it in August/September of this year. Oh, and here's the story, courtesy of andriasang.com:
The boy's name was Faust.
A boy named Faust is there. By the time people realized that, most of Europe was already in flames.
The boy Faust and the army of monstrous creatures he dispatched overran all of the Earth in a moment and brought humanity to the verge of extinction.
2081, in Barcelona, beneath a solar eclipse.
The human armies have been destroyed, and the army of creatures are destroying the city as they please.
Suddenly.
Five soldiers emerge from the ruins and plot their counterattack.
Any questions? No? Go watch that trailer again. That's distilled Strider awesomeness, my friends.
Posted by Scion on June 11, 2010 10:22 CDT
Isuke Interviews!
The rest of the LSCM's interview with Isuke is now translated, in which Yotsui-san waxes philosophical on Yellow Magic Orchestra and Star Wars. Now with bonus question! Go now!
Also, I'm given to understand that Darran Jones' interview with Isuke appears in Retro Gamer Issue 76. He tosses the LSCM a shout-out in that ish, as well:
Light Years Ahead of the Competition
If you’re a fan of Strider there’s only one website worth visiting. The Light Sword Cypher Mainframe contains everything from a friendly forum, to lots of useful information about Capcom’s greatest arcade game. Owner Sam Roberts is meticulous in chasing up every possible Strider news story that ever pops up on the internet and has also put together plenty of interesting features about both the franchise and creator If you’ve never heard of the manga before, don’t know the difference between Strider Hiryu or Strider Mariya or just want to learn more about this spectacular franchise then this should be your first stop. Visit http://www.lscmainframe.net/index.html for more information.
Rock on, right?
Posted by Scion on May 2, 2010 17:17 CDT
New Featured Article!
This is way overdue. A while back, Morgoth Galaxius and Rodrigo Shin did an in-depth investigation into the anti-communistic undertones in the Strider coin-op. I'd meant to put this up on the LSCM, but it kept slipping my mind. I finally remembered. You can read it here.
This is the LSCM's first Featured Article not written by yours truly. If you have an idea for an article you'd like featured on the LSCM, run it by me and we'll see if we can work something out.
Enjoy!
Posted by Scion on April 25, 2010 15:40 CDT
...aaaaaand We're Back!
OK, that took way longer than expected. Switching servers didn't take the LSCM down, per se, but it did manage to fubar my FTP for a good two months. It fubared things so well and good that my webhost had trouble identifying the problem. Which made it a bear to fix. I thought I might have to shut the whole site down because it was taking so long, but finally, at last, my webhost came through and found the problem.
We're back now, better than ever, and do I ever have some news for you guys, too.
First, that interview with Isuke I mentioned way back when? It's up now. I'm still waiting for Gaijin Punch to translate a couple of the answers, but most of it's done. I figure you guys have waited long enough for it, anyway.
Next, the LSCM is going to be mentioned in the next issue of Retro Gamer, due out April 29. This is down to my putting its publisher, Darran Jones, in contact with Isuke. That almost didn't happen because of a major mistake on my part. Mr. Jones is an absolute saint for putting up with me, and I appreciate any and all publicity he chooses to throw the LSCM's way.
Finally, because the LSCM has moved to a new server, I am now accepting staff applications. I have offered positions to a few people already, and have a Marvel vs. Capcom section editor already. I'm waiting for my offers to come back and also to see who wants to apply before announcing the staff, but rest assured, when it's finalized, you'll know.
If you think you might be interested, check out this post over at the Strider Citadel for more details.
Posted by Scion on April 24, 2010 20:35 CDT
Contest Deadline Passed!
If your entry for the Strider 3 Fan Insert Artwork Competition isn't up over at the Strider Hub right now, you're too late. Deadline's passed.
(Sorry, Lepa. My condolences.)
We only had one contestant, so she pretty much wins by default. Don't really need the judges. Pikachu, if you want to email me your street address, I'll have PushMyButton send your prize(s). The rest of you can look at her entry here. Thanks for competing, Pika!
Also, the LSCM is going to be switching servers. This means, among many other positive things, the LSCM may go down for a little bit. Then again, it may not. Never fear. In either case, it will be back.
Posted by Scion on February 15, 2010 14:51 CST
New Interview! Also, Spring Cleaning!
All contest entries due Sunday by midnight! Submit yours to the Strider Hub now!
(Lepa, stop hyperventilating.)
My good pal Dire 51 helped me track down Allan Findlay, a former Tiertex programmer. He agreed to talk to us and a pretty decent interview came out of it, which you can read here. It's entertaining, especially when he reacts to the Strider Returns manual. Go read it!
I have a couple more interviews coming down the pike. I may as well let you know who. I've dragged it out long enough. Along with Allan Findlay, the LSCM has also tracked down Utata Kiyoshi... and Isuke. Yes. Isuke. Kouichi Yotsui. The man responsible for the coin-op, the man himself. Both should be up soon, and by "soon" I mean the next week or two.
(Lepa, STOP HYPERVENTILATING.)
I have also been doing some housecleaning, rearranging some sections. The LSCM may be moving to a new server soon. The domain will come with, so don't worry about changing your links. I'll letcha all know.
Posted by Scion on February 11, 2010 13:21 CST
Strider Now On Japanese Cell Phones
Less than two weeks until the deadline for the contest! Submit your entry to the Strider Hub now!
In other news, as Famitsu and Siliconera both report, Capcom has now released the Strider coin-op to i-Mode Japanese cell phones. Contrary to the punters on various forums, this is obviously not a new game. It is a port. Very likely a well-done port, but a port nonetheless. Though I could swear this sucker had been ported to cell phones once before. I can think of worse ways to get Strider back in the public eye.
I can think of better ones, too. Siliconera suggested some of them.
Posted by Scion on February 2, 2010 13:52 CST