Japan has a serious train fixation. And honestly, who can blame them? On top of having trains fast enough to make planes feel obsolete, Japan’s entire system runs like clockwork in the most punctual of ways. Plus, some trains like to show off some cool artwork, especially if it’s to promote an anime, an upcoming movie, or even a Blue Man Group residency. As one can imagine, Japan has plenty of train simulation games too, with so much detail put into them that it’ll satisfy anyone with a case of “Train Autism”. (Yes, that’s a real term. Google it!)

However, Denshattack! is by no means a train simulator. In fact, Undercoders’s latest game is what happens if someone played Jet Set Radio, and replaced the roller blades with a Shinkansen! Not only is it an out-of-this-world concept, but it somehow manages to make it work on so, so many levels! But man, does it come with a price: one’s internal battery!

Taking place in the land where trains run supreme, Denshattack! follows the journey of Emi, a ramen delivery woman. After meeting zine writer and photographer Fernando, Emi enters the world of competitive train conducting, known as “denshattackers”. In this madcap realm, conductors ride their trains fast, as well as pull off tricks and stunts that Tony Hawk and Bam Margera could only dream of. With a new goal set, Emi rides coast to coast throughout Japan to build her notoriety, her posse, and even her knowledge of all things trains. Plus, there’s also an evil corporation that’s trying to do…something evil, I guess.

The game has you ride through ten parts of Japan, as you take on levels, races, and the occasional boss battle to become the best denshattacker in the country, maybe even the world! Once Emi learns the basics like drifting and ollies, the young lady can then take her skills to the extreme with twists, turns, and a few flips for good measure. So long as she doesn’t derail, her skills won’t be questioned too much. However, that does take a lot of practice to master!

While playing, you can unlock new trains and designs, which come in handy as the story goes on. You never want to find yourself using the same train all throughout the story, as each one you can buy has something that can help you in specific levels. From better grinds to bigger speeds, finding the right train for each level will be key to getting high marks and gold medals.

One thing that I am very grateful for regarding Denshattack! is its controls. When I demoed it at last year’s Tokyo Game Show, I had a really hard time hitting combos, perfecting slam landings, and even mastering the drift. After my experience with the game, I was worried that it would take the steam out of its hype engine. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case!

Perhaps they saw a lot of people having the same trouble, as the controls have been both revamped and simplified. Thanks to this, pulling off combos and avoiding derailment is a lot more comfortable to take on. No more did I have to worry about messing up on even the easiest of tricks, as I found the flow of controlling my super train to be less of a hassle on my fingers.

Instead, it’s all about paying attention to one’s surroundings. Denshattack! is fast as hell, and it only slows down when you need to brake after completing mission-based levels. Having to leap from track to track to avoid crashing and making that perfect grind to speed everything up is a big challenge. This is the kind of game that throws so much at you in a short amount of time. At times, it can be exhilarating, whereas other times…well, I’ll talk about that in a moment.

Two modes that wound up being the most fun are races and boss battles. The former has you going up against nearly 30 different trains, as you attempt to knock them out and claim first place. Although there are no weapons you can use like in certain kart racing games, it makes up for it with imaginative tracks and a high-octane thrill that’s very F-Zero-like. (But make a note of weapons in races for the sequel, Undercoders!)

As for the boss battles, you’ll witness trains becoming giant robots, moving castles, and other creatures that are injected with Japanese pop culture homages. The battles are a blast, with the means of defeating each one standing out from one another. Never do you feel like you’re repeating the same fight, as these bosses have their own unique look, feel, and attitude. It makes me wish other games with boss battles were that considerate!

It’s hard not to look at Denshattack!, and not think of Jet Set Radio. The graffiti art style this game has may pay tribute to the SEGA classic, but there are plenty more anime, gaming, and manga references to be found in these levels that’ll make you appreciate the love Undercoders put into it. Also on par is its soundtrack, which has a bountiful of bangers from Lotus Juice, Andrew One, Ryo Nagamatsu, and many others. Plus, with the right button commands, you can unlock special commentary from the likes of Ironmouse, Eyepatch Wolf, CDawgVA, and IRyS just to name a few.

This game delivers so much in a tight little package. That does lead me to one of the game’s flaws: it sometimes throws WAY too much at its players. Denshattack! can be very overstimulating, to the point where I found myself only able to play 3-4 levels at a time before I needed to lie down and rest. Never in my life have I felt like a game has given me so much that it forces me to turn it off and take a walk to calm my brain down. It’s the equivalent of a large-sized Pixie Stick: fun at first, but trying to eat one all at once can be considered a form of torture!

PROS:

• Unique concept, badass visual style
• Excellent gameplay, great controls
• Killer soundtrack

CONS:

• Overstimulating at times

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Denshattack! is one of the wildest concepts to speed through the video game rail system. But it works on so many levels, thanks to its killer style, fun gameplay, and awesome soundtrack! This is one game worthy of a victory lap around Shining Time Station or the Galaxy Express. However, be prepared for Denshattack! to make you feel like you need to make a reservation in a sleeper cabin, as just playing a couple of levels will get you tuckered out!

Promotional consideration provided by Colby Tortorici of Tinsley PR. Reviewed on the PC via Steam.