Denshattack! Review

A stylish arcade adventure that never loses momentum.

Spanish indie developer Undercoders is known for experimenting with unusual ideas. The studio has developed arcade games with novel gameplay ideas, often influenced by classic gaming but with their own mechanics. Undercoders has always focused on stylized graphics and gameplay-first design, not on photorealism or large open worlds.

The developer again shows, with Denshattack!, that creativity can be as entertaining as a technical spectacle. The user controls a train that races over enormous expanses, doing tricks, sliding over rails, avoiding obstacles, and striving to score higher. The pitch immediately raises eyebrows and makes you ponder. That novel idea isn't just a gimmick; it's the basis for one of the best arcade experiences in recent memory.

Its influences are evident from the opening of Denshattack!. The cel-shaded graphics, furious soundtrack, exaggerated character designs, and fast-paced action evoke Sega's golden arcade years. Fans of Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, and Sonic Adventure will recognize the snappy energy, but Denshattack! never feels like a copy.

It blends aspects from other genres into something delightfully original.

Fast platforming and trick-based scoring create a gratifying gameplay cycle that encourages exploration through the rhythmic chaining of jumps, drifts, grinds, and aerial feats. Instead of just finishing, players must improve their routes, extend combinations, and master increasingly challenging stages. Replayability makes Denshattack! great. After completing a level, the desire to run cleaner or win a better medal persists.

Environmental disasters have driven most of humanity to live in massive biodomes in Denshattack! futuristic Japan. Beyond these protected cities is a dangerous landscape connected by an aging railway network that's more than simply transportation. World-class riders race in Denshattack!, an underground sport. Who gets recognized depends on crazy stunts, fast races, and gang rivalries.

Players play Emmy, a teenage ramen delivery driver whose life is upended by this weird subculture. Inspired by the excitement of competition, she quits her job and challenges the region's strongest riders to become the best.

The game has many strange characters representing warring gangs in various locations. Every organization has its own identity, aesthetic, and goals, creating a larger underground society. Emmy defeats more talented rivals, more allies join her journey, and greater mysteries of the world's industries and environmental catastrophe emerge.

The idea is clever, but the storytelling often lags. Some talks drag on, and some characters are introduced in detail just to disappear later in the game. Some emotional events do not grow sufficiently to last. Thank goodness the plot never interferes with gameplay. You can quickly skip the conversation to get back to the action, keeping the campaign's focus on the gameplay.

Suppose narrative provides context, Denshattack! gameplay defines it. Each level places players on a moving train that automatically follows the tracks over challenging terrain. As the train moves, controlling it requires more than turning the wheel left or right. You must react quickly to hazards while carefully mixing mechanics to succeed.

Early essentials are introduced slowly. Players learn to drift around corners, leap across tracks, cling to rails safely, transfer courses, and do amazing aerial tricks using multiple controller inputs. First, these mechanics seem sensible, but each chapter slowly adds powers to the player's toolkit. Wall riding and rainbow rails offer new routes and scoring opportunities for long combo chains.

Later stages have regions where players go airborne for a short time without rails before landing perfectly on the track. Each mechanic learned throughout the campaign is combined to create spectacular obstacle courses that test response speed and muscle memory in the final chapters.

Despite its increasing complexity, Denshattack! presents its mechanics step by step to avoid overwhelming newcomers.

Each chapter logically builds on the previous ones, creating a steep but fair learning curve. This game is known for its replayability. Stage medals are awarded for completion time, trick score, collectibles, and mission-specific objectives. Finishing may be enough, but winning gold medals requires route optimization and continual execution.

Pursuing perfection becomes alluring quickly. A failed trick or a poorly timed landing rarely upsets players, since they can immediately improve. Frequent checkpoints punish well without discouraging cleanliness. Variety is also good. Simple races are still a staple, but the campaign is typically spiced up to avoid staleness. Some levels involve exploring interconnected railway networks, while others involve achieving numerous goals over large territories. Time trials, obstacle courses, collection missions, and complicated set pieces change the pace.

Boss fights are game highlights. These races are multi-stage spectacles featuring gigantic mechanical foes, opposing gangs armed with insane train-based weaponry, and platforming and precision hits that culminate in amazing finales. Each boss has unique mechanics to keep players on their toes, not just tried-and-proven ones. Players unlock new train models with statistical differences and customization options, including colors, patterns, decals, and cosmetic additions, as they complete missions.

Customization is enjoyable and gives players another reason to find the trinkets in each area, even though it's more superficial than an advanced advancement system. Player improvement is more important than RPG systems in growth. Mastering harder controls, memorizing stage layouts, finding efficient routes, and executing longer trick combinations win, rather than gathering experience points to level up and get stronger. That design concept fits the game's arcade roots, emphasizing skill above numbers.

Denshattack! is largely about arcade score chase, but it always finds creative ways to change things up. Instead of finishing a race, players progress through many stages with distinct goals, which change how they approach traversal. Missions may demand you to explore huge railway networks to find scattered valuables, turn levers, meet environmental goals, or take branching paths to complete criteria before time runs out. These goals are easy to write, but the game's speed requires quick decisions.

Here, the branching railway system matters.

Experienced players will understand which paths offer better trick opportunities, secret items, or shortcuts to higher scores. The game's rainbow rails embody this mindset. A long series of tricks unlocks these brilliant alternate paths, which reward outstanding performance with more scoring opportunities and challenge players to improve their talents rather than just survive each round.

Combat is mainly about creative boss fights rather than direct attacks. Each big competition presents a distinct spectacle that advances physics. Boss fights are now sophisticated action sequences that require precision, quick reactions, and mastery of preceding chapters. Players might bounce missiles back at an attacker while maintaining speed in one fight or shoot the weak places of a massive mechanical device made of glued trains in another.

The following confrontations have interesting mechanics, making them more like participatory set pieces than boss fights. This constant variation makes boss fights unpredictable. They showcase the developers' creativity rather than just being difficulty spikes. Denshattack! fast-paced architecture smoothly integrates mechanics from various genres, making every encounter unique.

Late-game difficulties occasionally plague the game. In the final chapters, almost every concept from the campaign is packed into complex obstacle courses with threats, branching paths, environmental interactions, aerial mobility, drifting, grinding, and clever chaining. Scaling up is great for arcade game challengers. Newer or casual gamers may be intimidated by the multiplicity of mechanics. Keeping up with combos and reacting to random obstacles might be overwhelming in some areas.

The forgiving checkpoint system softens the blow. Crashes normally reboot quickly, so you can play without much frustration. Competitors have every incentive to polish their runs because timers remain ticking after crashes. Those who desire to finish the campaign can progress steadily. Denshattack! has skill-based improvement, no experience points, or character progression.

No convoluted upgrade trees that simplify previous processes. Rather than relying on an arbitrary power curve, the player improves by learning the mechanics, refining their reflexes, optimizing their routes, and understanding each level's structure. That attitude emphasizes the game's arcade roots and makes every run feel good.

Denshattack! first minutes forcefully establish its visual style.

Its cel-shaded graphics, with bold edges, exaggerated proportions, and brilliant sceneries, recall the Dreamcast's colorful look. The graphic style complements the game's dynamic gameplay and helps you spot hazards even during quick periods. The advertising is varied, and numerous regions have different vibes to avoid monotony.

Rural panoramas, cherry blossom-lined trains, industrial zones, volcanic terrain, amusement parks, and futuristic biodomes replace neon-lit cityscapes. Environmental storytelling subtly emphasizes the game's post-apocalyptic setting without overwhelming it. 

Beautiful set elements make the campaign stand out. Players may race across falling structures, navigate gigantic mechanical marvels, fly across impossible railway networks high above the terrain, or drive through beautiful natural dangers that make typical stages special. The innovative portions keep the campaign exciting.

Character designs are also noteworthy. Each opposing gang has a distinct persona reflected in their bright clothes, exaggerated expressions, and modified trains. Each visit is different, but they have that rebellious arcade feeling. Technical performance is comparable. Denshattack! runs smoothly on contemporary platforms, which is essential for a game that involves precise timing and quick reflexes.

Quick load times and practically immediate restarts reduce error delays, encouraging repeated attempts without irritation. Some tiny visual pop-ins and graphics inconsistencies occur in larger environments, but they are rare and negligible to the visual quality. Denshattack! shows that good art direction can outperform high-end visuals.

The game's distinctive, timeless design gives it a personality that will likely last for years. If pictures are Denshattack! personality, the soundtrack is its pulse. An infectious soundtrack of hip-hop beats, electronic rhythms, funk-inspired tunes, and cheerful Japanese influences matches the game's free-spirited, exuberant mood. 

The soundtrack heightens the action, motivating players to keep playing as they combine acrobatics and fly through increasingly intricate courses. Each place adds new parts that fit its surroundings while keeping the musical identity. High-energy music enhances boss battles and action scenes, while calmer menu themes and quieter intervals provide a break between stages. Due to its outstanding pacing, the music rarely wears off despite its energy.

Denshattack! sounds different from classic arcade games, despite their influence. Instead, it brings the youthful optimism and rebellious energy of many popular late-1990s and early-2000s action games while creating its own musical identity.

Another pleasant surprise is the voice acting. 

The storyline is often lackluster, but the fully animated cutscenes bring the colorful cast to life with impassioned performances. While most exchanges are textual, the cinematic and conversational difference is striking. Fully voiced discussions about the game would have added to the character evolution, but the current performances are amusing.

Audio restrictions are minimal. Since in-game audio snippets are repeated across long play sessions, some catchphrases wear out their welcome. With such a terrific soundtrack, not having a music player or jukebox seems like a missed chance. Players will wish to listen to several of these songs while not playing. However, they are minor issues that don't detract from a great audio experience that reinforces the game's uniqueness at every turn.

Denshattack! is a rare game that sounds like a fraud but wins you over with its ingenuity. A stupid idea—a trick-filled arcade game about riding trains—becomes a stunningly meaningful, endlessly replayable experience that knows what makes classic arcade design so compelling. Its greatest achievement may be how beautifully each mechanic works together.

Drifting, grinding, wall riding, aerial feats, branching pathways, environmental hazards, and difficult boss encounters make for an exploration and skill-filled game. New mechanics are introduced gradually, making the learning curve manageable yet rewarding for dedicated players who want perfect runs. Not all are high-quality.

Long speeches and underdeveloped characters often slow down the otherwise great plot. Customization is enjoyable but could be deeper, and the late-game challenge may be too much for casual arcade players. These flaws never ruin the wonderful gameplay that drives the experience. Denshattack! succeeds because it recognizes that distinctive mechanics, a distinct artistic approach, and rewarding replayability are as important today as they were in the arcade-inspired golden period it fondly recalls.

Denshattack! stands out in a genre dominated by conventional ideas and vast open spaces. Unique without being unreachable. Nostalgic without derivative. Hard but not punitive. The game is full of contagious excitement, whether you're pursuing top scores, level mastery, secret passageways, or soaring through strange realms at breakneck speed.

Arcade action, evocative graphic design, and gameplay that rewards practice and mastery over statistics make Denshattack! a great contender. It may not reinvent the genre, but it proves that bold ideas, smart physics, and creative execution can create one of the most exhilarating arcade experiences in recent years.