Denshattack! Demo - Impressions (Nintendo Switch 2)
It’s the rare combination of visually stylish, humorously zany, and fun to play that always hooks me, whether it’s a game like Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Jet Set Radio, The Wonderful 101, or No More Heroes. When I saw Denshattack! teased in the latest Nintendo Indie World showcase, I was definitely intrigued. This is a game where you control a train engine that can drift-boost around corners, rail-grind, pull off insane mid-air flips, hop between tracks like Sonic the Hedgehog, and even go off-rails to ride up a half-pipe and land into the game’s equivalent of a manual.
Is This A Sequel to Weathering With You?
I was floored by the concept - you’ll be racing trains on insane courses in a post-apocalyptic Japan so ravaged by the ‘climate crisis’ that most people are living in domes. You start off as Emi, a delivery driver who, upon being told that there’s actual “Denshattackers” who drive trains as well and insanely as she does, decides to embark on a journey to meet and challenge the best of the best. Apparently, this will lead to some sort of an underground rebellion of some sorts. I don’t really care about the story, as I’m here for the vibes and gameplay.
What really stands out here is the speed and creativity of the insanely eye-popping levels. The demo doesn’t disappoint, as you’ll be flipping, boosting, grinding, and rail-hopping through a variety of locales in what appears to be a generous 3-track slice of the main game, plus a trick arena for practice and high score runs that’s littered with collectibles. Some of the things that happen to your train defy explanation. At one point, you’ll land atop a ferris wheel and be rolling through the channel, picking up crashed satellites along the way. On another map, you’ll descend into a volcano and be picking forks in the tracks between pyroclastic flows and crashing boulders.
If At First You Don’t Succeed… Restart!
While the game can sometimes feel straightforward over multiple runs, it’s all about speed, style, and precision, and there are alternate pathways that can lead to branching lines. I imagine that later circuits will probably have many major forks and/or remixes and even alternate endpoints. You can also pick between different trains with varying specialties and customize your ride with art and colors. There are apparently multiple characters as well, though it’s not clear whether you’ll be able to take charge of others beyond Emi, Madoka, and Yoshie.
Could Use A Few More ‘Challenges’
There is a scoring system and each level has ‘challenges’ to overcome, but I was pretty quickly able to complete most of these. My hope is that levels get remixed versions, and additional challenges down the line. But from what I’ve seen here, I’m already pretty sold on the concept and will pick this up on release if I can find the time to play it.
Barcelona-based developers Undercoders have done a great job at optimizing this game for Switch 2. It runs flawlessly in both docked and handheld mode. Denshattack! is a game definitely worth checking out if you’re into fast-paced arcadey titles like Sonic Adventure 2, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Olli Olli World, or Sunset Overdrive.
About the Author - Joseph Choi
Filipino-American gamer, professional shepherd and farmer, author, and filmmaker/videographer living in Central California. First consoles were the Game Boy and Sega Genesis, and I've been gaming since then, with a focus on Nintendo and Sony consoles.
A cross between Vampire Survivors, Arkanoid, Space Invaders, and the base-building elements of Actraiser Renaissance, Ball x Pitt is the perfect combination of old-school charm and difficulty, creating a unique fusion of so many seemingly disparate gameplay elements into something more than the sum of its parts.