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

Back in 2017, Studio Koba unveiled a fascinating game called Narita Boy, drawing inspiration from Tokyo’s second-largest airport. It seemed like the perfect candidate for Kickstarter, boasting slender pixel art characters that traversed a neon-lit side-scrolling universe. This game oozed nostalgic ’80s anime charm intertwined with modern visual flair. At its core was a storyline involving developer Eduardo Fornieles, once part of Friend & Foe, returning to his roots with a mission to create the game he had always envisioned.

Although just an idea then, its sheer beauty propelled the crowdfunding initiative to a resounding success.

Fast forward four years, Narita Boy hit the market, becoming one of Kickstarter’s standout achievements. It resembled a living cartoon, offering a unique twist on the classic action-adventure genre. However, while its visuals dazzled, gameplay was occasionally bogged down by simplistic combat and text-heavy sequences that disrupted the flow.

Now, Studio Koba is back with their latest creation, Haneda Girl, and this time they’ve avoided those previous pitfalls.

Announced last year, with a demo currently accessible on Steam, Haneda Girl— a nod to Tokyo’s primary airport—stands on its own rather than as a direct sequel. This game takes the form of an action-platformer, featuring brisker movement and more responsive controls. Precision is key, especially as players navigate wall jumps and dodge incoming fire from every angle.

The protagonist, Chichi Wakaba, wields a sword and can zip across the screen in an instant. Deprived of ranged abilities, she relies on stealth to ambush enemies, employs “ghost mode” for evasive maneuvers among lasers, or cuts through panels to unleash platforms on foes below, reminiscent of BurgerTime. However, she is extremely fragile, succumbing to a single hit.

Here’s the twist: She teams up with a mech companion, M.O.T.H.E.R., enabling her to jump in and out as needed. Though the mech is slower and lacks agility, it compensates with a turret and durability, withstanding multiple hits before temporarily shutting down and reappearing moments later.

Playing the demo, I often found myself alternating between Chichi and the mech, using the latter to power up her attacks, absorb enemy fire, or simply unleash a flurry of bullets and hope for the best—and surprisingly, it often worked. The level design encourages strategic shifts, with tight spaces and towering obstacles suited to Chichi’s capabilities, while rooms teeming with adversaries are ripe for M.O.T.H.E.R.’s firepower. It feels like there’s potential to master speed runs focusing on Chichi, but the interplay between the two is what makes the demo compelling. I was frequently torn between dashing towards the finish and reconsidering for a brief planning session before plunging into exhilarating chaos.

Or, in true form, I sometimes just charged ahead and faced defeat. As the trailer hints, expect that to happen quite frequently.