Air Twister community mini interview with Yu Suzuki

Gematsu recently had the opportunity to conduct an email mini interview with Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki to discuss the upcoming console and PC release of his new rail shooter Air Twister, which initially launched for Apple Arcade on June 14, 2022.

ININ Games will publish the new release of Air Twister for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam on November 10.

Get the full interview below, with questions pulled from Gematsu’s Twitter community.

With Air Twister now on its way to consoles and PC, have you added any additional content from the initial Apple Arcade release? Or are there any big differences?

Yu Suzuki, Creator: “No additional content is included.”

What brought you back to the rail shooter genre?

Suzuki: “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.”

And what brought you to Valensia to compose the soundtrack?

Suzuki: “I have been a fan of Valensia for a long time and thought his music just went so well with fantasy. 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 active as an artist, I looked him up on social media to get in touch. I introduced myself and straight out said I wanted to work with him.”

What ideas do you think the rail shooter genre can implement going forward, whether in your own games or others’?

Suzuki: “I cannot speak to other people’s games, but I think if I was going to create another rail shooter, I would want a freedom of spatial movement where you would not believe it was a rail shooter, and a new mechanic for the appearance of enemies.”

Can you talk a bit about what inspired the art direction of Air Twister? What feel were you aiming for?

Suzuki: “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 Dali’s works and science fiction novels. The idea of riding atop a large animal is my homage to the The NeverEnding Story.”

What went into choosing the game’s weapon variety? What was the development team’s favorite weapon to implement?

Suzuki: “To fit the world setting, we came up with weapons that have a retro look but are powered by some futuristic energy. The Lightning Chaser is my personal favorite.”

Could we possibly see additional stages or other add-ons via future downloadable content?

Suzuki: “Unfortunately we do not have anything planned at this time.”

Is virtual reality headset support—maybe something similar to Rez Infinite—something you might consider implementing in the future?

Suzuki: “We do not have plans to implement something like that at this time.”

What message do you have for fans looking forward to Air Twister on consoles and PC?

Suzuki: “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.”

Since Air Twister was quite the surprise announcement from YS NET back when it was revealed, where does Yu Suzuki go next? Shenmue IV? An Out Run or After Burner spiritual successor? Can you talk about what’s to come?

Suzuki: “We will let you know about our future development plans when the time is right to announce them. I hope you will look forward.”

Thank you for your time, Mr. Suzuki!