Air Twister, Or When Yu Suzuki Really Got Into Queen
So y’all know the track record of Yu Suzuki, I assume. He’s created a number of timeless classics on the Sega front, including Shenmue and Virtua Fighter, amongst others. Well, now he’s taking his influence to greater heights, with a trippy little shooter from ININ Games that just arrived for consoles after a year-or-so exclusive run on Apple Arcade.
Air Twister follows a young heroine as she goes up against a number of supernatural enemies, using either straight-up shots or lock-on lasers (ala Panzer Dragoon) to take them down. After running through a level, she’ll come up against a boss that requires a greater deal of firepower to defeat.
The formula is quite similar to Yu Suzuki’s Space Harrier, with the same behind-the-player view and similar shooting tactics. In fact, some of the sound effects are also familiar, and some gunfire even looks lifted from the game. (I’m sure Sega is fine with it.)
That said, the game does translate very well to consoles, and gives you a lot to do despite its arcade approach. There are a number of modes available, along with side-scrolling stages, a huge progressive tree (which really doesn’t make too much of a different, but does keep you playing), and more.
But the thing that will likely hook you? The presentation. The graphics are absolutely astounding, especially on the Xbox, running at a beautiful 60 frames per second with imaginative backgrounds and neat little animations, especially on the bosses.
Let’s talk about the music, though. If you love Queen, well, you’ll love this. The soundtrack was put together by Dutch band Valensia, and, well, they adore Queen. You can tell with their tracks that they’ll channeling the very nature of the band. They get a little repetitive, but it’s a soundtrack that really works for a game such as this. Check out the sample below.
The game sells for $24.99 digitally, and there’s a physical version available now as well, if that tickles your fancy. You can choose whichever way you want to go, but I think the game is certainly worth it — especially for fans of Suzuki or those of you that have been trying to find something to satisfy that Space Harrier itch. Just be prepared for one trippy ride.
Have a good week, everyone!
