Denshattack! — an extreme platformer hybrid blending skateboarding and train tricks

Every so often a game appears with a premise so outrageous it stops you in your tracks. Denshattack!, a game about kickflipping trains across a dystopian future Japan, is the epitome of this feeling. Set in a post-climate disaster world, people live in corporate-owned domed cities, while outcasts and rival gangs battle on the ruins of Japan's extensive rail network.

The protagonist Emi aims to become the best Denshattacker, one nosegrind at a time. Developers Undercoders have combined the best of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater – grinding, flipping, spinning – with the anti-establishment vibe of Jet Set Radio. Enemies include aging rockabillies and violent girl gangs, showcasing Japanese misfit culture.

The game starts simple with a single train and a few tutorial levels, gradually introducing mechanics over several hours. Courses open up into races, score attacks, and challenge levels, with boss battles being a highlight – such as launching giant baseballs at a tunneling mole-train or escaping a vinyl-record-powered castle on a rainbow railroad.

Level design is fantastic, saturated with Japanese culture past and present – from honking through a kabuki theatre to delivering ramen in the spirit of Initial D. Despite its zany premise, the game feels great to play, with genre hallmarks reinvigorated by the extreme public transport theme.

The reviewer notes that in an era of remakes and remasters, weird games like Denshattack! are satisfying to discover and should be celebrated for their nonsensical daring.