Yu Suzuki Talks Shenmue 4, Air Twister, and 40 Years of Game Development
In 1983, video game legend Yu Suzuki started his career at Sega. Now, 40 years later, his newest game, Air Twister comes to consoles and PC on November 10. The arcade-like shooter was originally released as an Apple Arcade exclusive back in June 2022.
“I look forward to more players — old and new — enjoying this classic gameplay experience. I might be one of the oldest game creators by now, but there should be some value in a retro game by a retro creator, right?” Suzuki told IGN with a laugh.
Known for games such as Space Harrier, OutRun, Virtua Fighter, and Shenmue, Suzuki was considered by many as Sega’s equivalent to Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, especially during the ’80s and ’90s, and rightfully so. He made the world’s first arcade motorcycle cabinet with Hang-On in 1985, created the first 3D fighting game with Virtua Fighter in 1993, and directed 1999’s Shenmue, a game that is seen as one of the earliest examples of a modern open-world video game. If Psy-Phi wasn’t canceled in 2006, he would have also been one of the first to bring touch controls to the arcades. How can one person contribute to the industry in so many different ways through widely different genres? To find out, we interviewed Suzuki at Ys Net, his development studio in Tokyo.
Upon us congratulating Suzuki on his 40-year career so far, he returned the favor by remembering his humble beginnings at Sega. From removing the CRT of a television to attach to a cabinet, to functioning as the weight for a load test of 1983’s Astron Belt, the young Suzuki got to experience every corner of the company. He even was tasked to develop a time card tabulation software application with one of his colleagues.
“I also remember being given a blueprint to make a circuit
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