With Air Twister, Apple Arcade is entering its Netflix-style golden age

digitaltrends.com:

Like any subscription service, Apple Arcade has had a tough task since it launched in 2019. It wasn’t just that it had to convince iOS device owners to pony up for another monthly subscription — it also had to give them a good reason to stay subscribed. The gaming service has been through a few pivots to accomplish that, from including mobile classics to reportedly moving its focus to games with more long-term engagement.

Apple’s strategy seems to be shifting again, and you can see that in its latest game, Air Twister. Created by video game legend Yu Suzuki, it’s a gonzo space shooter that’s truly unlike anything on the market today. The psychedelic game has players soaring around giant mushrooms, shooting desert manta rays, and riding on the back of a carp – all while Queen-like art rock anthems play in the background.

Air Twister is a sign that Apple might be taking a page out of another popular streaming service’s book: Netflix.

Air Twister is essentially a spiritual successor to 1985’s Space Harrier, another title Suzuki famously worked on. It’s an on-rails arcade shooter where players fly, shoot, and dodge their way through 12 stages. Like Space Harrier, players will dodge multicolored energy pellets, shoot down geometric shapes, and take on giant bone dragons.

The key difference is that this is a mobile game meant to be played on touch devices. The main hook is that players swipe their finger across the screen to lock on to rows of enemies, taking them all out with homing shots. Blasting an entire group of monsters grants players stars, a currency that’s used to unlock cosmetics, weapons, health, and more perks that’ll make the next run easier.

It’s very much a classic arcade shooter, which might be off-putting to