Air Twister offers a unique window into both the future and the past. It sees the return of both a classic genre and an iconic developer, and while it began as an exclusive title for Apple Arcade it’s now making the jump to home consoles. Yu Suzuki stands amongst the most legendary game developers of all time, with a catalogue that takes in all-time arcade classics like OutRun and After Burner through to genre-defining series like Virtua Fighter and Shenmue. Air Twister sees him return to the rail-shooting genre that he arguably helped to create with Space Harrier, and we recently had a chance to catch up with him and go hands-on with the game.
I asked Mr Suzuki why he felt that now was the right time to return to the genre, and he told me, “Part of it was that I wanted to bring out that old-school gaming nostalgia, and another part because it was on the easier side to make.” While I can’t speak to how ‘easy’ game development might be, that old-school vibe is immediately apparent with Air Twister’s score attack gameplay, and instant drop into the heat of the action.
Like Space Harrier, Air Twister finds your character flying into the screen, armed with a laser-toting crossbow, blasting enemies and avoiding the brightly coloured spiralling projectiles heading your way. If you’ve played Air Twister on mobile using touch controls you’re going to find a much more straightforward tactility to playing on console, with single button presses for laser blasts and holding the button for lock-on, a nod to another of Sega’s iconic series, Panzer Dragoon.
One of the things that immediately hits home with Air Twister is the unique and sometimes bizarre art direction that brings eye-catching surrealism to the shooting action. Suzuki told us, “I wanted to create an extraordinary world where rocks and buildings float in the sky. For this I took inspiration from the wonderous worlds of Salvador Dalí’s works and science fiction novels. The idea of riding atop a large animal is my homage to The NeverEnding Story.” That fantastical vision runs through everything we see of the game, with giant mushrooms and floating cities amongst the many sights you’ll see on your journey to the top of the scoreboard.
Alongside the characterful visuals, Suzuki put a lot into getting the audio right for the game, arranging a collaboration with musician Valensia to bring his vision to life. “I have been a fan of Valensia for a long time and thought his music just went so well with fantasy,” he said. “When we had the Air Twister prototype in hand, I matched it up with some of Valensia’s songs and was convinced it was the best fit, and while I didn’t know if he was still in the business, I looked him on social media to get in touch. I introduced myself and straight out said I wanted to work with him.”
Given Suzuki’s hand in Sega’s hardware development, helping to build the Sega Model 1, 2 and 3, the Naomi arcade board and the Dreamcast, it’s probably little surprise that he broke new ground by initially launching Air Twister for iOS via Apple Arcade, “It all started when I visited Apple headquarters and talk heated up about the possibility of creating a title for Apple Arcade that could be played over and over again, just like a classic arcade game.” He continues, “The biggest advantage is that by having the game on PC and consoles as well, it gives more people a chance to play.”
Reaching that broader audience can only be a good thing, and the rail shooter seems due for a resurgence, one that’s been kickstarted by the remake of Panzer Dragoon, and the forthcoming release of its sequel Panzer Dragoon Zwei. Air Twister fits in right alongside them, and fans of the old-school gameplay would do well to keep an eye out for it. At the end of our time Suzuki told us, “Air Twister is an easy game to pick up and play, and I hope that more people will enjoy playing a game that brings back the feeling of the good old arcade game. I also hope that veteran gamers will enjoy the ‘on pins and needles’ play of the Arcade Mode.”
Air Twister releases on the 10th of November 2023 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
