#ys net

Publisher ININ Games and developer YS NET have released the debut trailer, screenshots, and information for Shenmue III Enhanced, as well as opened pre-orders for physical standard, Special, and Collector’s editions of the game. The game will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC via Steam, with a release date to be announced “in the coming weeks.”

The physical edition includes a copy of the game, including the full game card on Switch 2.

The Special Edition includes a copy of the game, the “A Gamer’s Journey: The Definitive History of Shenmue” Blu-ray disc, “The Making of Shenmue III Enhanced art book, and a special box.

The Collector’s Edition includes a copy of the game with an exclusive cover and manual, a 15-centimeters Ryo Hazuki training figure, wooden scroll and keychain, an art print bundle (A2-size poster, sticker sheet, Kung Fu cards, and Shikishi), the “A Gamer’s Journey: The Definitive History of Shenmue” Blu-ray disc, the Shenmue III Enhanced art book, and a collector’s box.

Here is an overview of the game, via ININ Games:

About

Step back into the world of Shenmue III with the Enhanced Edition, the latest release of Yu Suzuki’s legendary adventure series. Faithful to its roots yet enriched with modern improvements, this enhanced version offers the most polished and accessible way to experience Ryo Hazuki’s journey. Set in a richly detailed world inspired by rural China, Shenmue III offers a slow-burn, immersive experience focused on exploration, storytelling, and everyday life. As Ryo Hazuki, players investigate mysterious events, train in martial arts, interact with fully voiced characters, and uncover secrets at their own pace. The world follows its own rhythm, with NPCs living daily routines, dynamic weather, and countless optional activities that make the environment feel authentic and alive. Combat blends martial arts practice with real-time battles, while classic Shenmue elements such as capsule toys, mini-games, and detailed environmental interactions reward curiosity and patience. The game emphasizes atmosphere, discovery, and narrative depth over fast-paced action, creating an experience unlike any other.

Enhanced

Shenmue III Enhanced elevates this unique adventure with improved visuals, smoother performance, and optional modern refinements. Enhanced textures, faster load times, and platform-specific upscaling technologies bring the world to life in greater detail, while numerous quality-of-life options make the journey more accessible without compromising the original vision. All major enhancements can be toggled on or off, ensuring purists and newcomers alike can enjoy the experience their way. Whether you are returning to Ryo Hazuki’s story or stepping into the world of Shenmue for the very first time, Shenmue III Enhanced is the ultimate way to experience this legendary saga.

Enhanced Graphics and Performance – Sharper textures, richer details, faster load times, and smoother gameplay.

4K Texture Uplift – Refined, more detailed environments and characters.

DLSS / FSR Support – High-quality upscaling without sacrificing performance

Increased NPC Density – The city village Niaowu feels more alive with more characters populating the streets.

Classic Camera Mode – An optional camera perspective inspired by Shenmue I & II, alongside the modern view.

Gameplay Tweaks – Optional stamina system adjustments, health restoration before fights, and reduced money barriers for smoother progression.

Improved Interactions – Cutscene and conversation skip options, expanded QTE timing window for more accessible gameplay.

Menu and User Experience Enhancements – Streamlined navigation and helpful purchase alerts.

Optionality First – All major changes can be toggled to preserve the original experience for purists.

Key Features

A Living Open-World Adventure – Explore a detailed, story-driven world inspired by rural China, filled with fully voiced characters, daily routines, mini-games, and optional activities.

Epic Story by Yu Suzuki – Continue Ryo Hazuki’s journey in a unique narrative-focused adventure blending mystery, exploration, and martial arts.

Authentic Martial Arts Gameplay – Train, learn techniques, and fight in real-time battles that reward preparation, timing, and mastery.

Enhanced Visuals and Performance – Sharper textures, smoother gameplay, faster load times, and refined presentation across supported platforms.

Modern Enhancements, Optional by Design – Quality-of-life improvements, accessibility options, and a classic camera mode—all fully toggleable.

The Definitive Shenmue III Experience – The most refined and accessible version of Shenmue III for both newcomers and longtime fans.

Watch the trailer below. View the screenshots at the gallery.

Pre-Order Trailer

Air Twister

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Yu Suzuki was attached to many of Sega’s high profile arcade games like Hang-On, Space Harrier, and OutRun, all using fancy 3D sprite scaling technology. He then shook up the gaming world with Virtua Fighter, then moved onto Shenmue, an expensive failure that resulted in his demotion. But having since left Sega for his own ventures, he’s returned to his roots with Air Twister, a 3D rail shooter which barely hides that it’s a modernized Space Harrier.

Air Twister (iOS)

Developed/Published by: YS Net Released: 24/06/2022 Completed: 21/10/2022 Completion: Finished it! Trophies / Achievements: n/a

Air Twister is a fascinating bit of work, representing, as it does, the return of probably one of the most important game developers ever, Yu Suzuki, to the kind of classic arcade play that he made his name with–the most obvious comparison being Space Harrier, only his third game released mere months after his second (Hang-On). But… and I’m trying to be gentle here, Yu Suzuki is also in his sixties, and the last arcade-style game he directed was over twenty years ago, meaning Air Twister gets to be possibly the first example of something that cinema fans have long dealt with: an reappearing auteur putting out new work that isn’t a revitalising return to form but just a pale imitation of what they’ve done before.

The thing is though, it’s not like I hate Air Twister. It’s a little bit charming in its way, with a lot of work being done by Dutch artist Valencia’s, er, derivative–but catchy–score (His obvious Queen obsession means he might as well just be singing “he’s a thriller bean” on the game’s main track, but to be fair to him in one of the boss themes he’s biting Kate Bush’s Sat In Your Lap, which is comparatively a deep cut.) It’s just that with Air Twister I really couldn’t work out if this was something Yu Suzuki cared about or wanted to make or if it’s just like “people liked the bizarre fantasy sci-fi mish mash of Space Harrier, we’ll do that” the way that (say) Dario Argento keeps crapping out sloppy nonsense.

It’s probably not helped by the fact that as an Apple Arcade title, Air Twister either has a bunch of player retention nonsense in it that was originally intended for when it was a normal mobile title, or it’s go a bunch of player retention nonsense in it because you need people to keep coming back to your Apple Arcade game for the hours played stats. Neither option fits at all with the game, which is a straightforward rail shooter with no branching paths or random generation or anything that you have to play from the start every time!

Most of the game, honestly, boils down to you, the player, playing as far as you can get into the main game to unlock stars which allow you to buy things on the “adventure map”, which is actually just sort of a tech tree where you buy more life, charms that let you survive hits and occasionally new weapons and powers, but also have to buy loads of cosmetics to get to them. And then you play the main game as far as you can again, having basically memorised it.

Air Twister is not hard–but it does quickly get dull, because there’s not much to it either in gameplay–which is more like Rez or Panzer Dragoon than Space Harrier, as you’re mostly locking-on to enemies before firing–or in setting and story, and that it’s the same every time you play is kind of a death knell. You can’t even really argue that any of the enemy formations or level designs are particularly interesting, so the saving grace ends up being that you’ll eventually unlock one of the weapons (or get enough “trial tickets” to use them) and the weapons basically just infinitely kill everything on screen until you get to the last couple of bosses where you’ll actually have to dodge stuff.

Playing this is really a reminder that often what you want isn’t the person who made the thing you like making more things–because, after all, how can it live up to that first thing–but people taking that thing you like and evolving it in interesting ways. Space Harrier might have been a mad old mish-mash but it worked due to pixel art and super scaler tech, and by the era of the Saturn you needed Panzer Dragoon to evolve that into a consistent universe. By the Dreamcast, you have Rez adding music to the mix (and not just slapping a Dutch guy singing “Morovian Symphony” over it). If anything, Air Twister feels like an imitation of them more than a continuation of Yu Suzuki’s work.

Really, there’s a “you can’t go home again” sensation to this. While playing it, I tried to imagine it as a Dreamcast or even a PS2 cult classic, but it doesn’t feel like one of those, and no amount of squinting to imagine it being played at 480i helped (even with an iPad being about the size of a tiny CRT.) What it actually feels most like is an early iPhone game, which is not nostalgic.

Although I suppose for some people it might be? One day?

Will I ever play it again? There are a lot of bonus modes and stuff to this, including a kind of flappy bird thing and even an extra proper stage, but I didn’t even boot up the extra stage, so I’m done with this, clearly.

Final Thought: As usual, despite saying I don’t hate this, I’ve spent most of my time giving it a kicking, which is the result of playing it until I finish it instead of–like a normal person–playing it a few times and moving on. And I do think if you play this a couple of times, the combination of the mish-mash setting and odd soundtrack make it a charming diversion for just long enough. And, you know, Yu Suzuki is a legend, so add to his hours played for Apple Arcade and maybe they’ll do a new Hang On. Now that’s the nostalgia I’m talking about!