Bless Yu Suzuki. He’s a legend in this business and responsible for a number of memorable titles, like Virtua Fighter and Shenmue amongst countless others. So since he’s stepped away from his work at Sega, what’s he been up to?

Well, thanks to his company Ys Net, he’s finally come through with a third chapter in the Shenmue saga not long ago; and now he’s got a modern take on Space Harrier that could very well blow your doors off, depending on what you’re expecting.

Air Twister from ININ Games channels the best of Harrier’s gameplay, but does so with an interesting (if somewhat bloated) progressive structure, as well as trippy visuals and a soundtrack that will put you in the right frame of mind for a rock musical. That’s a good thing.

So, yeah, we were definitely curious about diving into Suzuki’s latest. And we’re glad we did.

The Not So Typical Adventures of Princess Arch

Story isn’t exactly Air Twister’s strong suit, but it’s not really needed anyway. The game puts you in the shoes of a flying femme fatale as she sets out to save the world from monsters across a variety of stages. She does so with a cannon that doesn’t just shoot normal shots, but also lock-on beams, ala Panzer Dragoon, to destroy them. Bosses pop up as well, posing more of a challenge.

The core gameplay is fantastic, though, like Space Harrier, it can only go far with its concept. You’re shooting, shooting and shooting some more on rails, with not much else to do. But it stays true to its arcade roots, and, for many, that’ll be more than enough.

Air Twister has some decent length to it, and, surprisingly, it has a ton of extras to unlock to enhance said gameplay. Alas, the progressive system might be too overloaded, mainly built on cosmetics and tiny touches instead of worthwhile extras. Still, it’s something, and the number of additional modes might just keep you busy for a while once you beat the main one, which won’t take long.

It would’ve been nice to have a few more modes or, hey, maybe even some behind-the-scenes stuff to discuss the wild makings of this game. But as it stands, Air Twister is a neat way to bring back an old shooting concept into the modern day. And we haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.

Someone Sure Likes Queen

Considering it originally started as an Apple Arcade title last year, Air Twister has transitioned onto modern consoles beautifully.

The worlds whiz by at a dazzling frame rate (at least on Xbox), and the visuals pop to life with each new world you explore, in both 3D and 2D fashion. The bosses are imaginatively designed, including weird creatures and an interesting one that’s built around the concept of time, complete with clock. The cinemas are very nice to look at too, even though there’s not much story here.

What’ll really trip you out, however, is the soundtrack. It’s provided by Valensia, a Dutch band that really, really likes what Queen had to offer. In the handful of tunes provided here, you’ll hear that inspiration, and it actually adds quite a bit to the game’s uniqueness.

I do wish more unlockable tunes were available, but what’s here is really good, and might just hook you onto the band as a whole. The sound effects are good as well, complete with some old-school Space Harrier effects for good measure.

Don’t Get It Twisted, This Game Is Great

Even though it could’ve used more meaningful extras in the long-term, Air Twister is really something. It brings back the classic Space Harrier gameplay with some twists, wrapping it around a presentation that really sparkles both on the screen and in your ears. The soundtrack itself is truly noteworthy, and should get its own vinyl release somewhere down the road.

It’s built on arcade rules, so if that’s not your thing, you may proceed with caution. However, if you grew up on Yu Suzuki games, as I have, and you need an imaginative shooter that will get you through the holiday season, this one will certainly give you an Air-y feeling.

Thank you, Suzuki-san. Now then, how about something like this inspired by OutRun…?

GAMERHUB RATING: 4 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS

(Thanks to ININ Games for the review code!)

This game is available digitally, but you can get it physically through Strictly Limited Games as well. Order here!