Introducing Haneda Girl: The Latest Game from the Creators of Narita Boy

Back in 2017, Studio Koba made a splash with the announcement of Narita Boy. The game takes its name from Tokyo’s second-largest airport and seemed tailor-made for a successful Kickstarter campaign. It showcased sleek pixel art characters navigating a neon-lit side-scrolling world. Its aesthetic combined nostalgic 1980s anime vibes with contemporary visual effects. This was a dream project for Eduardo Fornieles, a former member of Friend & Foe, as he returned to his roots to craft the game he’d always envisioned.

At the time, Narita Boy was just a concept, albeit a strikingly beautiful one, which was enough to propel its crowdfunding campaign to success.

Fast forward four years, and the game finally made its debut, turning out to be one of the standout Kickstarter success stories in the gaming world. It resembled a playable cartoon, offering a surreal take on the classic action-adventure genre. However, while it boasted simple combat and stunning graphics, the text-heavy screens occasionally bogged down the pace, leading to gameplay that didn’t quite match its visual allure.

Enter Haneda Girl, Studio Koba’s next project, which sidesteps the pitfalls of its predecessor.

Announced last year, with a demo now available on Steam, Haneda Girl is named after Tokyo’s largest airport. Although its name might suggest otherwise, it’s not a direct sequel to Narita Boy but stands as its own action-platformer. The game emphasizes faster movement, responsive controls, and the precision required to navigate wall jumps while dodging incoming fire from every direction.

You step into the shoes of Chichi Wakaba, a protagonist wielding a sword who can zip across the screen in the blink of an eye. Lacking ranged attacks, Chichi must sneak up on foes, use “ghost mode” to move undetected through laser beams, or strategically slice panels to topple platforms onto enemies below, reminiscent of the classic gameplay in BurgerTime. However, she is extremely vulnerable and any single bullet can end her.

Here’s where the twist comes in: Chichi has a mech partner, M.O.T.H.E.R., that adds an intriguing dynamic. Although the mech moves at a slower pace and can’t leap as high, it compensates with a machine gun turret and can take multiple hits before it needs to respawn after exploding.

While playing the demo, I found myself frequently switching in and out of the mech. The strategy involved using the mech to charge up Wakaba’s attacks, absorb enemy fire, or simply spray bullets around in hopes of neutralizing threats—more often than not, this tactic paid off. The levels encouraged this swapping between characters, offering tight passages or towering walls suitable for Wakaba and enemy-laden rooms ideal for M.O.T.H.E.R. to handle. Although it seems possible to attempt a speedrun by focusing on Wakaba alone, the real charm of the demo lay in balancing both styles. I would often feel the urge to dash straight for the finish, only to pause, strategize briefly, and revel in the ensuing chaos.

Or I just threw caution to the wind and ended up getting defeated. As the game’s trailer teases, that’s bound to be a frequent occurrence.