Growing up with a PlayStation 2 meant I had a wide variety of video games at my disposal; some were my go-tos, such as Sonic Heroes and Simpsons Hit and Run. I also remember my time fondly with games that involved skating, such as Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland. I loved just skating around doing tricks, trying so hard to master difficult moves. When I eventually got around to playing Sonic Riders, my enjoyment of this genre grew as that game also had me doing similar stuff but now with a high-speed element involved.
As I grew up, I still loved the excitement of playing those two titles; I also developed an appreciation for trains, thanks to media like Kamen Rider Den-O. So when I first heard of Denshattack! A game that combined the high speed of Sonic and the tricks and grinding of Riders and Tony Hawk with trains, I knew I was going to be in for a fantastic time. What I experienced, however, was even better than I imagined; the developers of the game, Undercoders, crafted a game that blended what I enjoyed and combined it with a dystopian yet optimistic world filled with fantastic characters, incredible music, and so much more.
The Train is Departing
The world of Denshattack! is one where most of the world is in ruin, with Japan having most of its citizens behind glass domes. The story starts small with the main protagonist, Emi, making a simple food delivery. From the start of the game to the very end, Emi was a fantastic character to follow; the way she easily made friends and ran into danger headfirst reminded me of some of my favorite characters in other media. So seeing her growth from simple delivery driver to mastering Denshattacking made me really enjoy the story. While the story is simple and some characters can feel a bit flat compared to others, I found myself loving mostly everyone and their interactions with others.
It’s hard to talk about Denshattack! without mentioning how beautiful the game’s art style and music are. Almost every level has its own unique song, perfectly crafted to fit the mood of the level and the vibe of the current situation in the story. The same can be said for the levels; each one is a love letter to Japan and its culture. Blending so many iconic looks and genres into the game, with levels referencing things like anime, tokusatsu, and so much more, made for an experience that’s incredibly hard to put down.
All Aboard
Denshattack!’s gameplay is easy to learn and incredibly satisfying to master. The first few levels start by teaching the basics, such as drifting on turns for an extra speed boost or changing lanes to avoid crashing. But as the game goes on, more and more mechanics are introduced, only adding to an already fantastic experience. My two absolute favorites are Yukaze, which is a green wind that, when unleashing a trick, propels the train upwards, allowing for new paths or to avoid obstacles, and Yayorozudo, which is a mechanic that requires filling up a trick meter and allows for a rainbow line to form during a stage that can take Emi to areas normally out of reach.
The game always introduced these abilities slowly, making sure that players wouldn’t be overwhelmed, to the point that near the end of the game I was easily switching between wall grinding, air tricking, and riding the rainbow line without any worries. However, there was one mechanic I found least useful: multi-track drifting. At first it was exciting as it was such a neat concept, but compared to the other mechanics, which felt more satisfying to use, multi-track drifting was mainly used to open doors in a few levels as well as drift on specific boost pads. Other abilities were just more exciting, so I was left wanting more from this one in particular.
What I found most fun about Denshattack! is how varied the levels are: some are simply about reaching the end of the stage, while others have me racing against a zone’s boss and their minions or completing a series of challenges as fast as possible. I never got to the point where I felt a level overstayed its welcome; some I wish went on for longer, or, in the case of the levels involving the train leaving tracks and skating on ice or the parody of Gamera, I wish they were in more of the game. This is due in part to how forgiving Denshattack! is; each time the train crashed, I was put maybe a few feet back from where I was. The only things affected were time and the level objective, allowing me to learn easily from my mistakes and jump straight back into the action without losing momentum.
At the end of each zone, there was a boss battle that tested the skills and mechanics learned up to that point, and each one was a highlight of the game. Each one was heavily inspired by not only that boss’s personality but also an aspect of Japanese culture that only made them more special. I had so much fun with these sections, but the final boss was by far the best, leaving me in awe of how wildly creative the battle and level design were.
After some time, Denshattack! unlocks the ability to purchase new trains, each with its own special abilities that change how the levels are played. Some are simple, such as allowing for up to three crashes that won’t affect the final score, to some that make performing certain mechanics easier, like a bar that shows when the perfect drift can be performed or a no-danger zone for grinding on monorail tracks. It was very fun to switch around trains every so often to see which ability worked best for my playstyle.
The game also features multiple collectibles scattered throughout the world, such as spray paint cans and gears used to unlock decals and additional trains. However, the collectibles I enjoyed finding the most were the pictures. Throughout the game, Fernando, the first friend Emi makes, is crafting a kind of in-universe magazine to spread around. From a gameplay perspective, the magazine offers insight not only into Emi’s life but also into the people she meets along the way. It was fun to get this look into the world of Denshattack! I love learning about the worlds of video games, and presenting those details in such a stylish way allows the game to focus on its gameplay rather than slowing things down with explanations that many may not find interesting.
Bumpy Tracks
Denshattack! was a solid experience from beginning to end; however, there were a few times where the game had a slight hiccup. For starters, the game can slightly slow down if too much is happening on screen. At first, I chalked it up to my eyes playing tricks on me, as it was a brief second or two, but as levels became more and more intricate and expansive, I began to notice it. It also felt as though it happened in areas where no action was happening, such as buying from the in-game shop. It barely happened, but when it did, those moments were noticeable. There were also a few times where the train either clipped through a wall I was supposed to get on or fell through the map. This only happened a few times during the game, but it did cause me to lose progress or not gain a no-crash win.
One other minor complaint I had about the game was its customization system. Each train can have one of three paint jobs and one of three patterns, creating countless combinations across the various unlockable trains. However, my main issue was with the decals. Spray paint cans are scattered throughout every level, and collecting them allows you to purchase decals from the castle shops. While I enjoyed being able to customize my trains even further, I wish the game had allowed me to choose where each decal was placed.
Surpass The Impossible
Denshattack! was an incredible experience from beginning to end, with expertly crafted levels that blend high-speed action with an excellent soundtrack. The characters are also fantastic, even if a few feel underdeveloped compared to others. The same can be said for certain mechanics, such as multi-track drifting, which I wish had been used more effectively. I also encountered a few minor technical issues, including occasional slowdown, the train clipping through a trick wall, and falling through the ground. Even so, these moments were few and far between and rarely took me out of the experience
By the time the credits rolled on Denshattack! I had the biggest smile on my face; this is easily one of my favorite games of this year as well as one of my favorite experiences on Nintendo Switch 2. This is definitely a game worth checking out, so be prepared to hop on board and head towards a future worth fighting for.
Disclaimer: Fireshine Games provided a Nintendo Switch 2 copy of Denshattack! for review purposes.
