Haneda Girl: The Upcoming Game from the Creators of Narita Boy

Back in 2017, when Studio Koba first introduced Narita Boy, it felt like a gem tailor-made for Kickstarter. Sporting pixel art characters navigating neon, side-scrolling landscapes, the game was steeped in the charm of ’80s anime but blended with contemporary visual flair. At its core was a story about a developer—Eduardo Fornieles, once part of Friend & Foe—returning to his roots to craft the game he had always envisioned.

At that stage, Narita Boy was barely more than a dazzling idea. Yet, its sheer aesthetic appeal propelled its crowdfunding campaign to brilliant heights.

Fast forward four years, and the game finally hit the shelves, emerging as one of Kickstarter’s standout video game triumphs. It played out like an interactive cartoon, offering a quirky take on the classic action-adventure mold. Despite its breathtaking visuals, though, the simplistic combat and text-heavy sequences slowed the tempo, making the gameplay feel less dynamic than it appeared.

Now, Studio Koba has introduced its latest endeavor, Haneda Girl, which sidesteps those earlier pitfalls.

Unveiled last year and currently available for demo on Steam, Haneda Girl—named after Tokyo’s largest airport—breaks away from direct sequel territory. This action-platformer ramps up the speed, enhancing agility and control precision. It’s a must when you’re scaling walls and dodging oncoming blasts.

Players step into the shoes of Chichi Wakaba, a swift swordswoman who zips around the screen in a blink. Without ranged attacks at her disposal, she requires stealth to tackle adversaries. With moves like “ghost mode” for evading lasers or strategically cutting panels to drop platforms on foes below, she channels a certain retro arcade feel. However, with her vulnerability to a single hit, caution is crucial.

The twist? Her trusty mech partner, M.O.T.H.E.R. Wakaba can jump into this behemoth, gaining access to a machine gun turret and a higher resistance to damage, sacrificing speed and agility as a tradeoff. The mech can withstand multiple hits before it’s forced to respawn.

Taking the demo for a spin, I found myself constantly switching between Wakaba and M.O.T.H.E.R., using the mech to supercharge Wakaba’s attacks, absorb enemy fire, or simply unleash a barrage of bullets with the hope of clearing the area. The levels encourage alternating between their distinct abilities, as Wakaba navigates tight corridors and scales high walls while M.O.T.H.E.R. dominates enemy-packed rooms. Although there’s a whisper of a possibility to speedrun with just Wakaba, striking a balance between both characters made the demo sing for me. The push-and-pull of rushing ahead and judiciously planning each move kept the gameplay thrilling, balancing moments of chaos with careful strategy.

Of course, sometimes I’d ditch caution and take a wild plunge, often resulting in a mistake—a reality the trailer cheekily acknowledges will be a frequent occurrence.