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Air Twister Trailer [Apple Arcade, by Ys Net] Yu Suzuki Redoes Space Harrier ... and also Queen

CamHostage

Member


Coming June 24 on Apple Arcade platforms (iOS and Mac and Apple TV.) Developed by Yu Suzuki's Ys Net team (who also did Shenmue III.) No indication if it'll have a release later for anything else, Apple Arcade exclusives sometimes expand out but not always.

Air Twister is an endless shooter where players control Princess Arch as she soars through the skies and fights off enemies invading her planet.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/s...es-air-twister-for-apple-arcade/1100-6503976/

(My take is, big Space Harrier / Panzer Dragoon vibes, although it may not be as fast and frantic according to this trailer. Operating on an Apple Arcade/Shenmue3 budget, but that should fit the style of game okay since it needs to be imaginative rather than super-high production values. Has an operatic Queen-style song in the trailer that I don't recognize the tune of but assume is music the game is set to, which seems a cool throwback style in both '70s musical style and also '90s/early-2000s game style where music could define a game.)
 

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
Glad to see Yu Suzuki back at it and doing something I think he can deliver on.

Space Harrier is one of the defining games of my childhood, like what Mario and Zelda were for most people Space Harrier was for me. So this is very much something I want to play.

Alas, I am an Android guy so I don't really have any means to play this. I do want an iPad at some point so hopefully I get around to it.
 

Pejo

Member
Waiting to see more before I say anything good about this, thanks to the con man attached.

That said, at least it's something new and it could be fun if the gameplay is tight.
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
BTW, that Queen-like music is indeed what's in the game. Air Twister features tracks from Dutch musician Valensia, who is as colored and shaped by the '90s as Yu Suzuki.


Queen wasn’t in the 90s though and this is obviously a heavily inspired by “killer queen “
 
I don't know why people shit on Apple Arcade. It guarantees no ads or microtransactions in your game. There's a ton of variety. And it's amazing for families with multiple iOS devices. Me and my two daughters all get to play as many of these games we want for only $5 a month. Almost everything works with a Bluetooth controllers.
 

CamHostage

Member
Queen wasn’t in the 90s though and this is obviously a heavily inspired by “killer queen “

No, obviously, and also psychedlic, abstract, hyper-saturated visuals are a throwback too. It's '70s/'80s/'90s stuff.

(Also, Space Harrier 1 came out in 1985, so not '90s either.)

But specifically the digital reinterpretation of the Queen sound and the Roger Dean artstyle with computer animation and double-tracking recording styles flourished in the '90s (when artists could play with this stuff themselves, or had music video / video game money to bring it into their work,) plus sampling and style-shifting in the "MTV Era" freed up concepts of what was proper stylistically or what was or wasn't outdated. All of that stuff melded at that time in a weird way that was both throwback and cutting-edge at the same time.

Like, the Valensa sonic style and the Space Harrier graphical theme, that would have still felt of its time then even though the influences are undeniable. (There were kids who went to Wayne's World and thought Bohemian Rhapsody was a new song, and that movie put it on the pop charts over 20 years later.)
Yet you look at and listen to this Air Twister game and go, "Oh, cool, it's so vintage..."
 
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SomeGit

Member
I don't know why people shit on Apple Arcade. It guarantees no ads or microtransactions in your game. There's a ton of variety. And it's amazing for families with multiple iOS devices. Me and my two daughters all get to play as many of these games we want for only $5 a month. Almost everything works with a Bluetooth controllers.
Because the only option is 5$ a month, they should do like Game Pass and have the option to buy the game.

There are a few Apple Arcade games that I wish I could buy, but no enough content I like to pay every month.
 

ManaByte

Gold Member
I don't know why people shit on Apple Arcade. It guarantees no ads or microtransactions in your game. There's a ton of variety. And it's amazing for families with multiple iOS devices. Me and my two daughters all get to play as many of these games we want for only $5 a month. Almost everything works with a Bluetooth controllers.

Because mobile is the devil (despite being able to play these on an Apple TV with any bluetooth controller; including a DualSense or XSX controller)
 

theHFIC

Member
Because mobile is the devil (despite being able to play these on an Apple TV with any bluetooth controller; including a DualSense or XSX controller)
It is also on macOS as well with either keyboard or the controllers you mentioned. Not a mobile only title although Apple Arcade does have a few of those as well.
 

Topher

Gold Member
BTW, that Queen-like music is indeed what's in the game. Air Twister features tracks from Dutch musician Valensia, who is as colored and shaped by the '90s as Yu Suzuki.



for a split second, in the game video, I thought it was Queen's Somebody to Love



But then....I was like WTF
 
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That's looking really cool tbh.

Between this and that JRPG, I'm actually pretty optimistic about Apple joining the console race...if they're considering doing it at all, of course. Someone there certainly seems to have good tastes.

Hmm...if this and stuff like that JRPG game stay exclusive to Apple Arcade, I might have to consider picking up an Apple TV in the near future. Not like I would be the only one using it anyway. Wonder how hacker-friendly they are (so I can have stuff to do on it when not subbed to Apple Arcade 😁).
 

sachos

Member
Really cool they gave the genre another try, art/color palette looks kinda garish though. Hope it comes to other platforms eventually.
 

MegaBustet

Member
I don't know about this one. I liked Space Harrier back in the day, loved Panzer Dragoon, I'm getting vibes of those from this but this game is looking like a low budget project. I think the graphics and art style are really hurting it.
 

CamHostage

Member
I don't know about this one. I liked Space Harrier back in the day, loved Panzer Dragoon, I'm getting vibes of those from this but this game is looking like a low budget project. I think the graphics and art style are really hurting it.

Unfortunately, there will probably never again be a "high-budget" Space Harrier ever again. Planet Harriers was it, and practically nobody has ever heard of that one.

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/planet-harriers/

If you want classic gameplay by old masters of the form, for the most part you're going to have to put up with some production value shortfalls. This is probably the most reasonable route to go, with mobile-level graphics and a low pricetag but some style to the art and presentation. So, it is what it is. Those who have to make a hardline stance on games of this type being as top-tier as their predecessors, best of luck getting what you need out there, but chances are you won't be served too often.
 
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What, like Time Crisis? Sure. But this is nothing like that.

This is a Space Harrier clone. But with weird art that doesn't have anywhere near the charm of the original game.

Yes, lightgun shooters are a subgenre of rail shooters but this is clearly a rail shooter in the vein of Space Harrier, Panzer Dragoon and Sin & Punishment. Made by the man who created Space Harrier so, yes, it is similar. That is the point. Are you okay?
 
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bender

What time is it?
That character model looks so amateurish which is odd as the animations (leg flails) look okay.
 
Yes, lightgun shooters are a subgenre of rail shooters but this is clearly a rail shooter in the vein of Space Harrier, Panzer Dragoon and Sin & Punishment. Made by the man who created Space Harrier so, yes, it is similar. That is the point. Are you okay?

I'm great. Thanks for asking.

Yeah, I don't really care who made it. This game looks like ass artistically. So much so that it's off-putting for me. Sorry if that offends your fragile sensibilities.

But you do know that we don't all have to like the same things, right?
 

bender

What time is it?
But you do know that we don't all have to like the same things, right?
6821fef95215e01b875144bc8cada9cc.gif
 
Dude it's $5. But if you're in the Apple Ecosystem, just to the all in one plan for $20 that gives you Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade (plus a tiny amount of iCloud storage).
If you live in the right country you also have Apple news and Apple fitness in there, I don’t unfortunately. Would love to try out the fitness program. But yes, the 20 dollars even without those 2 services is unbeatable because you don’t only get what you listed but it’s for the whole family even, not just one account. It’s awesome.
 

Nautilus

Banned
I don't know why people shit on Apple Arcade. It guarantees no ads or microtransactions in your game. There's a ton of variety. And it's amazing for families with multiple iOS devices. Me and my two daughters all get to play as many of these games we want for only $5 a month. Almost everything works with a Bluetooth controllers.
Its mobile gaming. Nobody needs to say anything more than that.
 

Holammer

Member
Meh, the quirky lol-random elements feel so tacked on.
It'll disappear into the black hole that is Apple Arcade after release and never be mentioned again.
 
Unfortunately, there will probably never again be a "high-budget" Space Harrier ever again. Planet Harriers was it, and practically nobody has ever heard of that one.

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/planet-harriers/

If you want classic gameplay by old masters of the form, for the most part you're going to have to put up with some production value shortfalls. This is probably the most reasonable route to go, with mobile-level graphics and a low pricetag but some style to the art and presentation. So, it is what it is. Those who have to make a hardline stance on games of this type being as top-tier as their predecessors, best of luck getting what you need out there, but chances are you won't be served too often.

Yeah, people gotta have more realistic expectations. You can't expect a AAA Space Harrier in today's market, not right off the bat anyway. New takes on these kind of games are going to start on the lower AA/indie-style end and if they are successful, future efforts can up the production values.

But that requires people who claim to enjoy these kind of games, to actually support them. Which I'll do if I pick up an Apple TV in the near future.

Meh, the quirky lol-random elements feel so tacked on.
It'll disappear into the black hole that is Apple Arcade after release and never be mentioned again.

Nah.
 

CamHostage

Member
It'll disappear into the black hole that is Apple Arcade after release and never be mentioned again.

The black hole of Apple Arcade is where your children and nephews/nieces live. We on GAF go on and on about the AAAA mega-budget games that even the newest console hardware is hardly enough for when we really should be shaming ourselves into affording $2000 computer rigs, yet the kids who fund this business are happily making games like Roblox and Fortnite and Candy Crush Saga and still even Angry Birds games way more popular and lucrative than us old folks could ever comprehend.
 
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ManaByte

Gold Member
That's looking really cool tbh.

Between this and that JRPG, I'm actually pretty optimistic about Apple joining the console race...if they're considering doing it at all, of course. Someone there certainly seems to have good tastes.

Hmm...if this and stuff like that JRPG game stay exclusive to Apple Arcade, I might have to consider picking up an Apple TV in the near future. Not like I would be the only one using it anyway. Wonder how hacker-friendly they are (so I can have stuff to do on it when not subbed to Apple Arcade 😁).

There's a gacha Star Trek RPG that's good on it too. One of those gacha hero turn based games but with no MTX at all.
 
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Krathoon

Member
Do you have to have an Apple device to play Apple Arcade? It sounds like it.
That annoys me.
I would love to play this game, but not enough to buy an Apple device.
 

Killer8

Member
I don't know why people shit on Apple Arcade. It guarantees no ads or microtransactions in your game. There's a ton of variety. And it's amazing for families with multiple iOS devices. Me and my two daughters all get to play as many of these games we want for only $5 a month. Almost everything works with a Bluetooth controllers.

Apple are cultivating a lot of unique games for their platform, particular niche titles from Japanese creators. I mean it has an exclusive Platinum Games title, JRPG from the maker of Final Fantasy, and a Metroidvania from Capcom. I normally couldn't give two shits about Apple, but the amount of genuine exclusive titles they have added to the service is making me interested in it.
 

CobraAB

Member
Yeah, they are mobile games but I think Apple Arcade has a pretty solid line up of games which I think is close to 200 games now.

$5/month ain’t too bad.
 

sCHOCOLATE

Member


Coming June 24 on Apple Arcade platforms (iOS and Mac and Apple TV.) Developed by Yu Suzuki's Ys Net team (who also did Shenmue III.) No indication if it'll have a release later for anything else, Apple Arcade exclusives sometimes expand out but not always.



https://www.gamespot.com/articles/s...es-air-twister-for-apple-arcade/1100-6503976/

(My take is, big Space Harrier / Panzer Dragoon vibes, although it may not be as fast and frantic according to this trailer. Operating on an Apple Arcade/Shenmue3 budget, but that should fit the style of game okay since it needs to be imaginative rather than super-high production values. Has an operatic Queen-style song in the trailer that I don't recognize the tune of but assume is music the game is set to, which seems a cool throwback style in both '70s musical style and also '90s/early-2000s game style where music could define a game.)

Player character (pose, clothing and style of firearm) is Space Harrier.
Player mount is Panzer Dragoose.
BGM choice is unique. If Suzuki synchronizes the music to the on-screen events that would crib from Rez.
 
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