Wow, what a year. The gaming community has been going through something of a "Strider Renaissance" of late. Hiryu was featured in yet another crossover game (Namco x Capcom), which, despite being an import-only game, still managed to garner much critical acclaim.

Perhaps that's why three of the most prominent gaming sites on the net did features on the entire Strider series. In case you missed out, here they are:

ClassicGaming.com's Hardcore Gaming 101: Strider
Sega-16.com's History of: Strider
1up.com's Crucial Classics: Strider

Oh yeah, and two of those features cited this site as a source. That was pretty cool, if a bit weird. I mean, I'm not exactly objective in my reviews. I'm more like the bastard child of the gaming industry, if anything. Getting cited as somebody's source for information was not what I had in mind when I started this place. More like chucking rocks at Capcom's windows so they'd wake up do something productive rather than milking MegaMan and Street Fighter.

Anyway, Strider just happened to be popular again this year. So popular, in fact, that when the classic arcade game was left off of Capcom's Classics Collection for Xbox, there was a significant outcry.

I think Capcom was a bit unprepared for the complaints. Or maybe it was just clever marketing to create demand. At any rate, Strider was put back on the roster for the PSP's Capcom Classics Collection Remixed.

This is important, not only for Strider fans, but for this site in particular. Even though it's exactly the sort of thing I wish Capcom weren't doing, I'm okay with it.

You see, I have my name in the credits for Strider.

No, I'm not kidding.

About two months ago Rey Jiminez at Capcom USA sent me an email asking for help. Here it is:

From: "Rey Jimenez" [ReyJ@capcom.com]
Subject: ATTN: LSCM Webmaster

Hello,

You e-mailed me a while ago and actually, I could use your help. I’ve run into a bit of a wall here. I’m writing the game information for Capcom Classics on PSP and you probably know by now that the arcade version of Strider will be in there. I have written summaries for all of the games, but I’m running into a block with Strider. All I need is a little known fact for the game and 1-2 tips/secrets for the gameplay. In trying to determine little known fact, I am having trouble finding something that is not widely known but is not a rumor. For the gameplay tips/secrets, all I have is the panda appearance. I still need 1-2 more. If you could help me out with this I’d really appreciate it. If you think of more than 1 fact, I can read them and use only 1. If you are able to help, I can get you name into the credits. Thank you.

Rey Jimenez
Associate Publishing Project Manager
Capcom Entertainment

You may be asking yourself, "Why? Why would he email this snarky, irreverent webmaster to help him on a project like this?" And all I can say is, I have no idea. The previous email he refers to was the one where I asked him about Moto Kikaku. That's where he remembered me from.

I guess the only reason he emailed me, as opposed to another Strider webmaster, is that I'm the only one who's still updating. It's sad, but even Bueno seems to have gone AWOL.

So I did the only thing I could do, in such a situation. I gave him all the damn tips I could think of, including telling him the bit about the NES game being based off of the manga.

We batted emails back and forth a couple of times after that. He was surprised by the news about the NES game, but eventually he decided that was the fact he was going to put in the collection.

From: "Rey Jimenez" [ReyJ@capcom.com]
Subject: RE: Capcom Classics on PSP: Strider

I got some info from Japan and they indicate that the manga and arcade game came out about the same time. It's most likely that the game was based of the manga (the NES being more true to the manga), because the game credits Kikaku-san who is the author of the comic according to my sources. They cited this site: http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/ha/kouji-s/hiryu6.htm

I'm going to use some form of that fact in the game. So, how do you want your name in the credits? The producer said he would rather use your first and last name using the font everyone else gets.

Rey Jimenez
Associate Publishing Project Manager
Capcom Entertainment

I can't say I blame him for checking another source before going ahead with it. That's good research skills. I just think it's interesting that his Japanese sources cited Kouji Sasamoto's site. I would've thought Capcom Japan had their own records on stuff like that.

Anyway, how cool is that? I know it's only on a collection, but how many other Strider webmasters have their names officially attached to the Strider series? Certainly not anyone in the Strider-Army.

I hope it actually happens. Keep an eye out for the game, and let me know if I'm actually in there, okay?

And stay tuned. The LSCM will be celebrating its fourth year on the web next February, and I've got some cool stuff in store.

With that, I'm out. I hope you enjoy the updates. Merry Christmas to all of you!