My Brain Just Glitched: Denshattack! Might Be The Tony Hawk x Jet Set Radio Mashup We Didn't Know We Needed
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Denshattack! is a bonkers, brilliant upcoming game that mashes Tony Hawk's trick-based gameplay with Jet Set Radio's punk aesthetic, letting players pull off insane stunts and multi-track drifts in a post-apocalyptic Japan – proving that genuinely new ideas are still out there.
Right, so you know that feeling when you've scoured every digital corner of the gaming universe, convinced you've seen every permutation, every genre mash-up, every possible combination of pixels and polygons? Yeah, me too. And honestly, it gets a bit... predictable sometimes, doesn't it? Like trying to cast a 'Summon Familiar' spell and getting a slightly grumpier version of the same old cat. But every now and then, mate, something pops up that makes your brain do a happy little glitch. Something genuinely *new*, something that makes you lean into your screen with a conspiratorial whisper of 'what the actual hell is that?'
Enter *Denshattack!*. Now, fair warning, this one sounded like someone spiked the development team's tea with pure, unadulterated chaos magic. The pitch? 'What if Tony Hawk drove a train and it looked like Jet Set Radio?' I swear, my ears perked up like a dog hearing a bag of treats. That, my friends, is basically my sleeper agent activation phrase. And after getting a cheeky hands-off demo (and immediately wanting to smash a controller in frustration that it *wasn't* hands-on), I can tell you: this isn't just a quirky idea, it's a bonkers, brilliant vision that might just derail all your expectations.
So, what's the dealio? We're talking a post-climate catastrophe Japan, where the rich folks are chilling in their fancy air-purifying domes, probably sipping artisanal oxygen, while the rest of us plebs are left to duke it out in what's left of the world outside. Sound familiar? It's the perfect backdrop for a good old-fashioned rebellion, isn't it? And that's exactly what the 'Denshattack' movement is all about – reclaiming the shattered Japanese landscape by rebuilding old railroad tracks and using them for... well, for dueling gangs. And how do you duel, you ask? By being the fastest train on the track, or, perhaps more importantly, by pulling off the sickest bloody tricks. The character designs here are pure punk-anime gold, leaping off the screen with a vibe that just screams 'I'm here to kick ass and chew gum, and I'm all out of gum... because trains don't chew gum.' This game is stylish as hell, make no mistake.
But style ain't everything, is it? You gotta perform on the digital tarmac... or, in this case, the rails. I saw a few glimpses of *Denshattack!* in action, and the first thing that hits you is the sheer, unadulterated *speed*. These trains aren't chugging along; they're blurring past like a digital phantom. And the tricks, mate? Oh, the tricks! We're talking kickflips, FrontImpossibles, Backflips – the whole shebang. You might be piloting a locomotive, but trust me, this beast is nimble. Your only real limitation is having to land on a track eventually. Otherwise, you're free to smash through bridges, catch insane air off colossal jumps while chaining together a ludicrous cascade of tricks, wall-slide like a boss, even ride the ceiling of a tunnel. And get this: *multi-track drifting*. Yeah, you heard me. Because only a train can pull that off, and it looks absolutely bonkers in the best possible way. It’s like the developers had a 'what if we did THIS?' whiteboard session and just kept saying 'YES!' for every insane idea.
Of course, it's not just about landing a single trick; it's about chaining 'em into glorious, gravity-defying combos. And *Denshattack!'s* level design totally supports that. We're talking branching paths, sneaky speed boosts, rails just begging to be ground, corkscrews that'll twist your brain, and levels that snake back over themselves like a particularly mischievous digital serpent. The variety is genuinely impressive, from lush rural areas and bustling urban sprawls to tracks hugging the coast, snaking up waterfalls, and even a lava section that looks like it'd take you right into the fiery heart of an active volcano. Remember that Ferris Wheel? Yeah, you can jump *on* it and ride it down through a city, over a giant dinosaur (no, I’m not making this up), and into a harbour dotted with windmills. Wild, I tell you. What really caught my eye, though, was the dev team, Undercoders, emphasising accessibility. Fail a level? No worries, mate, you're back on track quicker than you can say 'bloody hell.' This encourages players to take risks, to explore off the beaten path, and to just have a go without fear of brutal punishment. There’s definitely scope for the 'sickos' (you know who you are), but it looks like anyone can hop in and have a blast.
Beyond the pure trickery, there are plenty of collectibles and high scores to chase, plus level-specific challenges that sound like pure mayhem – like careening into balloons full of paint to redecorate an abandoned mining town, or knocking over the comm towers of Miraido, the corporate bigwigs ferrying the rich around. With over 50 levels, each sporting a few challenges, there's gonna be a truckload to see and do. And the races? We only saw a little bit, but the ambition is clear. But then... there are the bosses. Yeah, *bosses*. I only caught glimpses of two – one looked like a mecha Voltron made of trains, dressed kinda like Sailor Moon (because why not?), and the other was basically a massive mechanical sandworm. Without getting my hands on it, I'm still scratching my head a bit about how these battles will actually play out, but you can't deny they look utterly bonkers and cool.
Naturally, you can pimp your ride – I mean, train – with customisation options to get just the right look. And the soundtrack, oh lord, the soundtrack! It’s courtesy of folks like lead composer Lee Topes, who brought us the bangers from *Sonic Mania*, *Sonic Frontiers*, and *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge*. So you know it's gonna be funky, fast, and perfect for grinding rails at ludicrous speed. But what really stuck with me, and what truly impressed this curious wizard, was Undercoders' dedication to capturing the essence of Japan itself. Many of the locations are inspired by real places, blending that authentic appreciation for Japan’s landscapes and urban settings with that glorious 'why not?' design philosophy. It's like they're building a love letter to Japan, then letting a train do a kickflip off the stamp.
Before I wrapped up my session, I had to ask the most important question of all, the one that truly probes the bounds of reality: 'Can I put my train on a giant skateboard?' They told me they hadn't done it (yet!), but given their love for finger skating and the fact they made an actual physical model of the train on a finger skate to play with in the office… well, you just know it *has* to make it in, don't you? C'mon, Undercoders, you know it's the right thing to do! Anyway, I came out of that demo buzzing. It’s genuinely refreshing to see studios out there still willing to go for the gonzo, the weird, the silly, and the ambitiously brilliant. The gaming landscape often feels like a well-trodden path, but *Denshattack!* is proof there are still new things under the digital sun. Sometimes, all it takes is a group of mad geniuses asking, 'Hey, what if a train could do a kickflip?' As it turns out, that answer could be pretty bloody rad.
Original story by IGN South Africa
Tags: Indie Games, Action Sports, Arcade, Unique Gameplay, Gaming Innovation
Original article: IGN South Africa