Strider...

[TurboXray]

Anyone heard the rumor about unfinished strider prototype being dumped? -> Hint.hint...soon

[Keranu]

Haha.

[TurboXray]

keranu, shhhh.

[motdelbuort]

Actually, NEC is putting the finishing touches on Supergrafx Strider and Bonk RPG for release on the Nintendo Revolution!  

[Seldane]

Actually, NEC is putting the finishing touches on Supergrafx Strider and Bonk RPG for release on the Nintendo Revolution!  

In your dreams.  

[motdelbuort]

In my awesome dreams.

[ParanoiaDragon]

In my awesome dreams.

Wow, can I be in your dreams too(ok, that sounded wierd), but seriously, I want to play those!

[Keranu]

Hook me up in those awesome dreams as well.

[handygrafx]

SUPERGRAFX STRIDER  probably never existed. all pictures you see here are probably from the ARCADE and X68000 version.   but some say some of these pictures are different than both, pointing to the possible existance of Strider on SuperGrafx.  I remain highly sceptical

lscmainframe.net/images/screenshots/sgx1.jpg





/stridersgx15ol.jpg
/stridersgx28ls.jpg

http://strider.classicgaming.gamespy.com/history.html

On a down side, a one Kevin Williams, brought to my attention the reason that the Super Grafx version was never finished. Below is and email I received from him (in part)
 

       "The game was originally developed as the 4th game on the CP System from Capcom, and became a mega hit, but at that time Capcom was turning to R&D / consumer platform development and the games programmer was directed straight into the SuperGrafx version after that Sega Genesis version. The NEC management pressured the programmer intensely to make a 'better-than-arcade'  version for the system, and sadly the young man cracked under the strain. The version was canceled following the hospitalization of the individual. I was glad to see the screen shots you had, and only wish that Capcom would release his name (or any names of their developers), so that he could be respected for such a fantastic game. But the interesting point is that Strider has made two additional arcade appearances recently. In Street Fighter Alpha 2 the Strider Hiryu character holding a teddy bear is on  a poster in the back of Ken's bed-room (a homage to the lost programmer by the team). A second appearance is in Marvel Vs. Capcom fighting game with Hiryu a selectable character to fight with."

                                                               Thank you Kevin!

http://www.lscmainframe.net/sgxgame.html

Dossier: Strider on the NEC SuperGrafX

In the wake of Strider's massive success in the arcades and on multiple consoles, someone at Capcom decided that the ideal way to capitalize on its success would be to release an updated version of the game, a version that would be the be-all end-all of Strider conversions everywhere. The basic idea was to strengthen Strider's admittedly gaping plot holes with fully animated cutscenes and in-game graphics that superceded the CPS-1's capabilities.
The original Japanese preview articles

At the time, the most powerful home console on the market was the NEC SuperGrafX, a Japanese system boasting graphics capabilities that could even beat out dedicated arcade machines, which was no mean feat back in 1989. It was the only system that even stood a chance of living up to these expectations, but even so, it would take some fairly hefty programming to pull it off.
The original Japanese preview articles The original Japanese preview articles

The demand for the SGX version grew exponentially with every photo Capcom released to the press, placing more stress upon the development team's head programmer. You see, this version of Strider was not to be another mere conversion. It was programmed from scratch in the SGX's assembly language, to take full advantage of the SGX's speed and improved graphics capabilities. The head programmer worked tirelessly until the game neared completion, then suddenly snapped. The reports vary, but he either committed suicide or was committed himself, as a result of the stress.
For years, this picture culled from the Christmas 1991 issue of Diehard Gamefan magazine was the only surviving screenshot...

As a homage to the lost programmer, a teddy bear was placed in every Strider game, and even in games where Hiryu was merely making a cameo appearance.
Hiryu in Street Fighter Alpha 2...see the teddy bear?

Or at least, that's the legend. I personally don't buy it, at least not the teddy bear part, because there's a teddy bear in THE ORIGINAL ARCADE GAME. You can see it for yourself...download Callus, download the ROM, and follow these directions. Once you actually get inside Ballog on the third level...past the tanks and the railgun, down the conveyors, and you're on the floor next to a bunch of shells...go up the conveyor to the topmost row of shells and destroy them. Once you do that, a small teddy bear will pop out of a porthole and laugh at you.
Ain't it cute?

It's far more likely that the programmer got fed up with all the bullshit he had to put up with and quit working on it. The SGX never caught fire in Japan, much less here in the States, so that's probably why the game wasn't completed...the console died before they got a chance to get it out.

Far be it from me to get in the way of a legend, though. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

The problem, however, is that the Super GrafX version of Strider is the most legendary and controversial conversion, bar none. Everyone has a different opinion as to what happened to the prototypes, the beta test versions that HAD to have existed if the game was actually being developed.

After doing a good amount of research into the matter, I've found that there are basically two theories concerning the SGX Strider.

The first theory, the more widespread one, is that the SGX version never existed. It was an elaborate hoax brought about by DieHard GameFan (where the screenshots first popped up) and picked up by the other gaming mags. Proponents of this theory cite the following persuasive pieces of evidence to support themselves:

    1) Capcom never officially announced the game's release.

    2) Other betas and even pirated games have shown up on emulation, but this conversion has not. If the SGX Strider beta ever existed, it would've turned up by now.

    3) No one in Japan has ever heard of the proposed Super GrafX version. In fact, since every SGX Strider rumor has mentioned the "Super GrafX" and not the "PC-Engine II" as it was known in Japan, the odds are very good that someone stateside made the whole thing up.

    4) All that remains of the Super GrafX version are the blurry screenshots I've posted on this page. Some have even gone so far as to claim they're merely a Genesis or arcade screenshot, doctored and disguised.

Point 3 is obviously false, due to the recent resurfacing of the above Japanese magazine pages. The others are pretty solid.

Theory two cites an old post to the Turbo List, an electronic mailing list for NEC enthusiasts, claiming that, all in all, NEC made five working prototypes.

Here's the post:

    From: Mike Lyon [lyonx008@gold.tc.umn.edu]
    Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 13:16:20 -0600
    Subject: SG Strider: The Scoop

    Here's the the scoop on Strider for the SG, for all those who are not familiar with the story.

    Strider WAS programmed, up to about level 4, for the Supergrafx. It is not vaporware, as is frequently reported. Instead of using a Strider "mold" (looking at previous code and formatting it for the system), the programmers started from scratch, which was a long and costly endevour. The game was intended to surpass even the arcade version, which sounds good to me. The Supergrafx was more than capable of it.

    When the project was scrapped, due to the massive NES/PCE war that I will not get into, there were FIVE WORKING E-proms. Not cards. E-proms. That's prototypes for all of you not in the know. They're big, ugly, and look nothing like Hu-cards. I do not wish to discount [some random poster], but just how his friend got a hold of this is fucking beyond me. Take these factors into account:

    Copy #1 went to the Hudson vaults. There it will remain until Hudson goes out of business, at which point it will become part of the Hudson estate or be turned over to a company that might buy them out.

    Copy #2 went to the head programmer of Strider. I believe he lives in Kobe. Good luck in finding him.

    Copy #3 was given to the original designer of Strider, who had a close interest in the development of the SG version. After the failure of the SG, he wasn't present for the ACD development, which could account for it's poor quality.

    Copy #4 was the press copy; this is the copy that Gamefan and EGM and all those mags had the Strider pictures in. The press E-prom contained only the first level of the game and a credit sequence, if I'm correct. The press copy, to the best of my knowledge, no longer exists.

    Which leaves copy #5 and copy #5 ALONE unaccounted for. Maybe [previously mentioned poster's friend-of-a-friend] is the lucky guy who owns THIS TRULY ONE OF A KIND ITEM, but I HIGHLY DOUBT IT.

Interesting stuff, huh? If this post is true, then copy 1 is in a vault, copy 2 went to Isuke, and copy 3 went to Moto Kikaku. This is reasonable, as all three would want to keep copies for themselves, if only for portfolio purposes. Copy 4 is most likely in a landfill somewhere. Gaming magazines don't archive stuff like that. They just don't have room.

If someone says they've seen Strider playing on their friend's SGX, it's almost certainly the ACD version they're talking about. The SGX could play old Turbo GrafX-16 games, and had CD attachment you could buy. So yeah, that person saw Strider playing on the SGX. It just wasn't the SGX version.

Whichever theory you ascribe to, one thing is certain: this is a rumor that will NOT die. To this day, people keep asking about this particular conversion, spreading rumors, hoping that it will turn up somewhere. Most likely, it never existed to begin with, but some people just won't give up hope.

Like me.  ^_~

http://www.concentric.net/~flarb/deaths.html

That Guy Who Killed Himself Over Strider

    For a brief period in the early '90s, Strider was the benchmark for next-generation systems. Capcom's dismal NES port managed to crush the characteristic gameplay of Capcom's rather run-of-the-mill coin-op hit. However, Sega produced a conversion for the then newly released 16-bit Genesis system in 1990 which heralded their new 8-megabit sized cartridge. It was a fairly accurate, but incredibly easy, reproduction of Capcom's arcade unit. Soon after the hype machine was underway, news of an even better version for NEC's upcoming PC Engine successor, the SuperGrafx, was appearing in various gaming publications.

    The SuperGrafx made a brief run in Japan, where it died after only little more than a half-dozen games were released. Strider was not one of them. Although prototypes are rumored to exist, SuperGrafx Strider never saw the light of day. Eventually a port to NEC's PC Engine Arcade Card was released in the mid '90s, but it paled in comparison to even Sega's flawed release. It is this failure to surpass even the Genesis/Megadrive's level of quality that apparently drove one of its programmers to suicide. Although this is a completely unsubstantiated rumor, I have heard from very trustworthy sources that one of the programmers took his own life in a bout of depression allegedly caused by the poor quality of the game.

[_Paul]

"Super GrafX" and not the "PC-Engine II" as it was known in Japan

Well that bit is wrong for a start.

[handygrafx]

"Super GrafX" and not the "PC-Engine II" as it was known in Japan

Well that bit is wrong for a start.

how so?    

while the SuperGrafx was, in practice, more like a PC-Engine 1.5

SuperGrafx  was originally known as PC-Engine 2,  even though the 8-bit SuperGrafx is not nearly as powerful as what the original reported  true 16-bit PC-Engine 2 was meant to be.


and I have the articles to show it.

[_Paul]

It was implying that 'Supergrafx' name was western only and not used in Japan, which is wrong.

[handygrafx]

It was implying that 'Supergrafx' name was western only and not used in Japan, which is wrong.

oh I see,  cool.

[TurboXray]

Have you not read my response on the other thread disproving that those screen shots(except for possibly 1) are not from the Arcade or X68000?

1) Reprinting someone else's unvarified/validated statements doesn't make them correct. Even legit sources are known to be wrong.

2) I posted this original thread to stur up some gossip about the famous SGX strider, as I was going to program the first level as a demo in hopes to get some more attention on the homebrew PCE scene. I have a good amount of graphics converted to PCE tile and sprite format and have working code for SGX development Things came up and the project is on hold.

[Keranu]

Bonknuts totally busted those screenshots wrong, so we can say that those screenshots aren't from the official arcade and x6800 versions that were released. However we also can't say they are from the allegedly unreleased Super Grafx version. Since we know that those shots aren't from the arcade or x68k version and the rumors of Super Grafx Strider are so popular, it could definitely be believable that they were from an unfinished Strider Super Grafx port .

By the way, handy grafx, what's with your harsh words on the PCE's 8-bit processor? True it's not official 16-bit, but it doesn't need to be because of how powerful it is .

[Seldane]

I once made some Strider mockup screenshots. That was ridiculously easy to do.

Why I made those mockups? Because through those fake screenshots, a port of Strider magically appeared on the SGX platform. It exists. There are betas around.

Okay, I didn't really make those screenshots, but I could have. Get my point?

[Keranu]

It's a possibility, we just might never know where those shots came from ;) .

[Jammaniaclord]

Bonknuts totally busted those screenshots wrong, so we can say that those screenshots aren't from the official arcade and x6800 versions that were released. However we also can't say they are from the allegedly unreleased Super Grafx version. Since we know that those shots aren't from the arcade or x68k version and the rumors of Super Grafx Strider are so popular, it could definitely be believable that they were from an unfinished Strider Super Grafx port .

By the way, handy grafx, what's with your harsh words on the PCE's 8-bit processor? True it's not official 16-bit, but it doesn't need to be because of how powerful it is .

True that the PCE is a powerful 8-bit! Who cares about the bits when the games rock!

[CrackTiger]

I once made some Strider mockup screenshots. That was ridiculously easy to do.

Why I made those mockups? Because through those fake screenshots, a port of Strider magically appeared on the SGX platform. It exists. There are betas around.

Okay, I didn't really make those screenshots, but I could have. Get my point?

Kinda like the Drac X Special Version HuCard. 

It's a possibility, we just might never know where those shots came from ;) .

Even during the 16-bit generation mock-ups were used by developers to hype games that were early in development(this got out of control during the next generation).

I still think that the PC Engine Strider is more or less on par with the SGX Daimakaimura and is the abortion of any actual work that was made on a SGX version.

Of course, this shouldn't stop anyone from making their own quality SGX or PCE Strider port/demo, since we all know how good a proper one can be.

[GUTS]

The part about the guy being hospitalized sounds like the story about the lead Sonic Xtreme programmer who was hospitilized for the same reason.

Interesting stuff, but most of it sounds like bullshit.  People always want to believe these elaborate stories, but the simplest answer is usually the right one.

[CrackTiger]

The part about the guy being hospitalized sounds like the story about the lead Sonic Xtreme programmer who was hospitilized for the same reason.

Interesting stuff, but most of it sounds like bullshit.  People always want to believe these elaborate stories, but the simplest answer is usually the right one.

Pretty much all those stories contradict themselves or what is already known in reality.

I don't think a working version of the game was ever shown to anyone.

If the EGM guys did go to Japan to play something, they probably really just watched or possibly played the arcade game hooked to a monitor, like how the mags kept showing us arcade footage of Daytona USA that they said that Sega told them was the Saturn version.

I don't think that Capcom would have had any involovement in the SuperGrafx game, since they never made a single PCE game(other than doing a quick SFII'CE port for NEC) and the other Capcom SGX titles were made by others as well.

Which right away throws out all those Capcom development stories.

[Kaminari]

I don't think that Capcom would have had any involovement in the SuperGrafx game, since they never made a single PCE game

Untrue. Most conversions by NEC Avenue were actually made with the close assistance of Capcom, especially in the audio department -- when the game was not entirely developed by Capcom themselves (eg. Son Son 2).

[CrackTiger]

I don't think that Capcom would have had any involovement in the SuperGrafx game, since they never made a single PCE game

Untrue. Most conversions by NEC Avenue were actually made with the close assistance of Capcom, especially in the audio department -- when the game was not entirely developed by Capcom themselves (eg. Son Son 2).

Well, that still doesn't explain why Capcom would've attempted an original Super Strider feveloped from the ground up to take advantage of the awesome power of the SuperGrafx.

Also, at least one of the articles talks about how Capcom had their guy go to work on the SGX version right after finishing the Megadrive version.

Did Capcom work closely with Sega as well or do all their early arcade ports for Sega?

[Kaminari]

Don't know a thing about Sega.

Incidentally, the one Capcom port on the PCE for which I don't know the credits is Strider. It should be interesting to beat that crap of a game, if only to spot a familiar name or two.

[Tatsujin]

Actually, NEC is putting the finishing touches on Supergrafx Strider and Bonk RPG for release on the Nintendo Revolution!  

a rumor says that they will release it on the 20th anniversary of the pce engine next year. only 364 days to wait.

[Jammaniaclord]

I've got a hu-card demo of Time Crisis 3 for the supergrafx. It's a 128 MB game and i have been using it as an anchor for my fishing boat. didn't know anyone would be interested, so i heaved it overboard attached to a couple cable extensions for the dreamcast and some super glue. It's a little green and slimy, but i think it should still work. I'll dump the rom for ya's all.

[_Paul]

I've got a hu-card demo of Time Crisis 3 for the supergrafx. It's a 128 MB game and i have been using it as an anchor for my fishing boat. didn't know anyone would be interested, so i heaved it overboard attached to a couple cable extensions for the dreamcast and some super glue. It's a little green and slimy, but i think it should still work. I'll dump the rom for ya's all.

[thewestexit]

I can't believe people are still talking about this.

We were debating this stuff like 10 years ago on the old turbolist.

I personally think it was never really made.  Even if it was I think it would be a bit underwhelming (like Daimakaimura on SGX).

[GUTS]

Yeah you kind of run out of subjects to talk about when your favorite system has been dead for 15 years, so the old favorites tend to resurface once a year or so.  Plus there's always the new guys who make the old arguments fun again.

[Keranu]

I would like to see what the Odyssey fans talk about these days, I imagine it's really hard to come up with new discussions now.

[ccovell]

Well, as long as this horse is still being beaten, here's a post that I wrote recently on another forum.
I haven't read Bonknuts's post (where/which one is it?), but here's one way in which I agree with him:  The pics going around with SGX Strider are not from the arcade, X68k, MD, etc etc.

Take a look here at the screenshots from these versions, and note the energy bar placement in the X68000 and MD versions:


Then let's compare one of those pics above with a similar spot in the arcade version. (Arcade on the left)

The pics from the magazine couldn't be from the arcade version (at least any one that was released.) Differences include: a telling gradient in the life bar of the "SGX" version, a score of 0 and a missing timer in the SGX version, differences in width of the vertical pole that Hiryu hangs to, and the fact that the resolution of the "SGX" shot seems to match one of the maximum resolutions of the SGX, 352 pixels. (I've cropped the Arcade pic down from 384 to 352 to show that the measurements align (like the space to the left and right of the score bar.)) I've also altered the contrast of the arcade version so that both pics would look as similar as possible.

All these pics are either mock-ups made on the real hardware [or a facsimile thereof], or the actual SGX game. We will never know which one until someone finds the ROM somehow. Anyway, I hope this will stop people jabbering about how they are arcade screenshots, or some other nonsense.

[termis]

Ah, I always just assumed they were arcade shots as well, but those comparison shots really do put forth a new question in my mind...

So perhaps the whole explanation of SGX toned down to ACD version might make some sense as well?  (Though the ACD version seems to look mush worse than those "SGX" shots...)

[ccovell]

Yes, it does.  Here are some shots from the same place in ACD Strider.  Let us weep at the shoddy conversion. 

[_Paul]

Wow, now they are BOTH from the SGX version!!!111oneoneone

Actually....that pole on the left is wider on the arcade shot....hmm.......

Anyway, forget Strider, what about this prototype SG version of Final Fight I found in the bottom of an old box in the roof?

[peperocket]

Oh, what a really bad joke you make... 

Shame, this topic has started seriously 

[Tatsujin]

wow..that's jawesome

i've liked to see that game on the SGFX!!

[Kitsunexus]

Anyway, forget Strider, what about this prototype SG version of Final Fight I found in the bottom of an old box in the roof?

Running on an ST/Falcon monitor? YOU RULE.

[ccovell]

There are lots of threads here about Strider, but I'll post a new discovery (new to me) in this thread:

There's once again no proof that SGX Strider existed.

I just found some preview shots of Arcade Strider in an old Famicom mag from 1988, and they showed beta shots of the Arcade game. Subsequent PCE magazines used these AC beta shots as stock photos whenever they discussed SGX strider, and so this explains the unique gradients, etc, from the pics in the articles.

More here:

https://www.chrismcovell.com/secret/sp_unreleased_pce.html#sgxstrider

[ParanoiaDragon]

Well, all I can say is interesting....& bummer!

[blueraven]

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hiryu!!

FUCK YEAH.

[Arkhan Asylum]

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hiryu!!

FUCK YEAH.

Thats what the box for the game should have said.

[esteban]

There are lots of threads here about Strider, but I'll post a new discovery (new to me) in this thread:

There's once again no proof that SGX Strider existed.

I just found some preview shots of Arcade Strider in an old Famicom mag from 1988, and they showed beta shots of the Arcade game. Subsequent PCE magazines used these AC beta shots as stock photos whenever they discussed SGX strider, and so this explains the unique gradients, etc, from the pics in the articles.

More here:

https://www.chrismcovell.com/secret/sp_unreleased_pce.html#sgxstrider

Awesome research Chris. Of course, sometimes the truth hurts.

[termis]

Good to finally put some of these rumors to rest.

Though... no big loss -- as there are perfect ports of Strider these days.  At the very least, PCE version has the glorious audio that no other port can match (and the shitty exclusive level, but that's much less important in my mind).

[TurboXray]

Good to finally put some of these rumors to rest.

Err. ^ actual developer on record stating they started development for Strider on the SGX.

[ccovell]

50% of the company are also sales and marketing, so it's hard to believe what they say. 

To be fair, I'm sure it's entirely possible they got some graphics, even perhaps a level & moving sprites on actual SGX hardware, but they sure didn't make it far enough to show the press.

[termis]

Yeah, that article doesn't prove anything new to what many folks believed here (That that work that initially started on the SGX ended up going the ACD route).  It says nothing about the SGX work being far enough in to make anyone warrant believing that the floating pics are that of the rumored SGX proto.

And again, it really doesn't matter now, does it?  Even if a pretty good version of Strider showed up on the SGX, it likely wouldn't have been as good as the later releases (on PS, PS2, Xbox).

[TurboXray]

50% of the company are also sales and marketing, so it's hard to believe what they say. 

To be fair, I'm sure it's entirely possible they got some graphics, even perhaps a level & moving sprites on actual SGX hardware, but they sure didn't make it far enough to show the press.

Well, it's official and on record. That's more than what's ever be said on this game, other than 'magazines' reporting on this game. So you have an official statement and magazines stating over the years about the progress status of the game (be it false pictures or not), makes a fairly strong case that it's more than just a 'myth'. Not saying anything else.

[ccovell]

Yes, I was never on the side of saying it was a "myth".  I was a believer.   

But now with the evidence, it confirms my hunch that SGX Strider never left the programming labs.

[blueraven]

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hiryu!!

FUCK YEAH.

Thats what the box for the game should have said.

[esteban]

But now with the evidence, it confirms my hunch that SGX Strider never left the programming labs.

Damn.