While taking a sip of Diet Coke on a Saturday afternoon, I randomly grabbed the iPad mini and started searching for games on Apple Arcade and found Air Twister. From the start it looked like an arcade style shooter and that was enough to pique my interest. Little did I know at the time that Yu Suzuki was behind the Air Twister, an old-fashioned rail shooter. Air Twister is a comeback vehicle for third-person rail shooters, at least on mobile platforms. For someone who plays video games with no expectations. Here’s my review of Air Twister on the Apple Arcade mobile gaming subscription service.
Who is Yu Suzuki?
Yu Suzuki has had quite the impact on the video game industry. During his illustrious career, Suzuki developed several games, which later acquired cult classic status. He joined Sega in 1983 when the video game industry was going through its worst phase and began developing arcade games. Wait a second was one of the first arcade games he designed for Sega with 16-bit graphics. While space harrier was a third-person railshooter set in a fantasy world, Virtua Racing was his first foray into the world of 3D polygons.
Air Twister is playable on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV and supports controllers. Credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express
Then came Shenmue, the first major title he developed for a home console. At the time of its release, Shenmue was one of the most expensive games ever made. The game visuals, story, environment and game elements were way ahead of anything people had played at the time. Yu Suzuki will always be remembered for introducing 3D racing, 3D fighting, open-world gameplay, and full-body motion controls into video games. Today, Suzuki runs an independent development company called YS-Net, which is behind Apple Arcade’s exclusive Air Twister.
Air Twister: Plot and Storyline
At its core, Air Twister is a rail shooter. To me, Air Twister feels like a return to roots with a game that incorporates the elements of Space Harrier, Suzuki’s earlier effort to create the railshooter genre and the third-person combat combat title After Burn. The game features Princess Arch, whose home planet is under threat and she must save from destruction. You play this princess, who flies through fantasy environments destroying stingrays, giant dragonflies and UFOs. While I like the stylized treatment of the game; it really feels closer to a AAA title with rich visuals, something to enjoy on my iPad mini 6. The music of Dutch musician Valencia is definitely another plus of the game. It is a mix of rock, opera and classical music styles in sync with the fantasy shooter.
Air Twister is free of ads and in-app purchases. Credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express
Where the game falters is the weak story and storyline. I don’t know Princess Arch’s backstory; who is she and why is she always on this giant goose. What should drive the story falls flat and becomes a cardboard-like character with no emotions. Maybe I was asking too much of Suzuki and his team, but I think the industry needs to up the game with writing and character building, especially when female characters drive the story in an action-adventure space.
Air Twister: Gameplay and Controls
Suzuki has taken a straight forward approach with Air Twister with both storytelling and gameplay to get a wider reach among users. Air Twister is a simple game, but not crazy. You jump straight to the gameplay, like old-fashioned arcade games. You, a princess warrior, have to zap enemies in the air by sweeping away and tapping the targets to shoot them down. Just tap where you want to shoot and hold where you want to go. The faster you destroy your enemies, you will be rewarded with a star that you can use to get weapons and cosmetic and health upgrades. The game works best with touch controls, but you can also play Air Twister on the Apple TV box with a Bluetooth controller attached. The game has 12 stages and 10 boss battles, each with its own challenges. Speed is important here, as is timing.
Air Twister combines stunning graphics with familiar arcade style gameplay. Credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express
Should you play Air Twister?
I always believe that a game should be fun, no matter how simple or complicated it is. Air Twister isn’t Suzuki’s best work yet, and I understand that. The core problem with Air Twister is that it gets repetitive after a while, but it never tests your patience nor does it get boring. It’s a chill game to play when you need a break in between work. Air Twister can be played for stunning visuals and music, something you don’t often see in a mobile game.
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