New Year’s Greetings for 2026 from Yu Suzuki and YS Net | Cultural Notes

Yu Suzuki and YS Net have once again marked the arrival of the New Year with a charming Shenmue-themed greeting illustration and message, published as part of Famitsu.com’s annual New Year special.

Famitsu introduced the feature as a celebratory roundup of New Year’s cards and messages from 95 game companies, reflecting on a lively 2025 and looking ahead to 2026, an anniversary year marking Famitsu’s 40th birthday.

YS Net’s New Year Message

YS Net shared the following message with Famitsu readers:

ファミ通読者の皆様、新年明けましておめでとうございます！

昨年お知らせした『シェンムーIII エンハンスド』は、より遊びやすく、より深く楽しめる作品として鋭意準備中です。もう少しだけお時間をいただければと思います。

今年も皆様の期待を超えられるよう、新しいチャレンジを届けていきます。本年もよろしくお願いいたします！

New Year 2026 illustration from Yu Suzuki and YS Net, published as part of Famitsu’s annual New Year feature.

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Steel Paws: Trailer & Images for Yu Suzuki's New Mobile Game

A new mobile game has just been announced from Yu Suzuki and YS Net! Steel Paws is billed as a "feel-good battle action" game for mobile devices. It was revealed by way of a premiere trailer at the recently-held The Game Awards and is set to launch exclusively on Netflix Games in 2025.

Steel Paws: a "Dynamic Action Adventure Game"

The description provided by Netflix for the trailer reads:

"Embark on a dynamic action adventure game as a girl alongside her Buddy Robots to conquer a mysterious Tower that reappears every century".

The Japanese trailer has a similar description, with some additional detail (translation):

 "A girl sets out on an adventure with her companion robots to conquer the mysterious tower that appears once every 100 years. Master abilities, upgrade your companion robot, and take on the enigmatic tower. Defeat enemies, earn rewards, and fight your way through a world beyond imagination!"

The Game Awards Premiere Trailer

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The Shenmue III Publishing Torch Has Passed to ININ Games | Community Video Selection

Although several days have passed since the announcement caused a flurry of excitement in the Shenmue community, we could not let it go unmentioned on the blog any longer: with the blessing of YS Net, ININ Games has assumed publishing rights for Shenmue III!

The YS Net Press Release

It all started with a rather inconspicuous news entry added on 19 November 2024 to the YS Net official site, simply titled "Notice Regarding Shenmue III Publishing Change". This linked to a press release  document that announced the immediate transfer of publishing for Shenmue III to ININ Games, stating:

"Following the previous collaboration on Air Twister, this will deepen the relationship between ININ Games and YS NET. Known for their commitment to celebrating beloved titles, ININ Games is excited to shepherd Shenmue III into its next phase.

This collaboration marks the beginning of a new chapter for Shenmue III, with ININ Games working closely alongside YS NET to honor the series' legacy while ensuring its accessibility to even more fans around the world".

 

The ININ Games Press Release

A couple of days later, an online article by Gematsu quoted a press release from ININ Games. After noting the significance of the transfer date coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Shenmue series and the fifth anniversary of Shenmue III, the release continued:

"We at ININ Games are honored to carry the Shenmue torch forward during such a significant moment in the series’ history. As we reflect on two decades of innovation and passion, we remain dedicated to preserving and sharing the journey of Ryo Hazuki with both long-time fans and newcomers".

 (Note, there had been some initial confusion about whether the rights were for the complete franchise, but it was later clarified to be just Shenmue III).

The timing, on the 5th anniversary of Shenmue III, suggests that the previous publisher, Deep Silver, had publishing rights for a period of five years from its release. In addition, the mention of ensuring "accessibility to even more fans" suggests that the exclusivity to Sony's PlayStation platform has now also ended.

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Air Twister: New Shooting Game from Yu Suzuki Releasing 24th June, 2022

Yu Suzuki and YS Net are back with the imminent release of a 3D shooting game called Air Twister, which is scheduled for release on 24th June for Apple Arcade.

A spiritual connection with Yu Suzuki's own 1980s arcade hit, Space Harrier, can be felt in the trailer and promotional screenshots, with the player flying through a fantastical world, shooting at swarms of attacking enemies.

At times, she rides on the back of a giant swam, evocative of gameplay from Sega's Panzer Dragoon franchise.

Alien enemies revealed in the trailer include those shaped as giant toadstools and the Moai statues of Easter island (both of which resemble objects that appeared in Space Harrier), flying dragon-like skeletons and spiky metallic orbs.

Giant toadstools also featured in Space Harrier

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Ys Net Animated Ryo & Shenhua Greeting Illustration 2021/22

Ys Net has continued their tradition of Shenmue-themed greetings this season with a new animated illustration, this time featuring Ryo and Shenhua. The image was shared on Twitter by Gameblog's senior editor Romain Mahut, who received the greeting card from Ys Net last month.

Shenhua is wearing a Santa hat in addition to her scarf and mittens, and her earring glistens in the snowy air. Ryo also has on gloves, and stands with his familiar bag-over-shoulder pose - but this time he appears to be taking on the role of Santa's helper by carrying a large sack, presumably packed with presents.

The Shenmue III logo is also present - hopefully the day will not be far away when we see a Shenmue IV logo in its place on new illustrations!

Here are other Shenmue seasonal greeting illustrations from past years that we have covered on the blog :

• 2019/20 Season's Greetings Illustration
• 2018/19 Two Season's Greetings Illustrations
• 2016/17 Season's Greetings Illustration #1
• 2016/17 Season's Greetings Illustration #2

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