Back in 2017, Studio Koba introduced us to Narita Boy, a game artfully named after Tokyo’s second-largest airport. It seemed almost destined for Kickstarter success, given its eye-catching pixel art characters set in a neon-filled world. The game exuded a nostalgic ’80s anime atmosphere, enriched with modern visual effects. The story revolved around Eduardo Fornieles, a developer and former Friend & Foe team member, who returned to his hometown to craft the game he always dreamt of making.
Initially, Narita Boy was just a concept, but its visual appeal was compelling enough to propel the ensuing crowdfunding campaign beyond expectations.
Fast forward four years, and the game finally launched, standing out as one of the true Kickstarter success stories in the gaming world. It played like a surreal version of a classic action-adventure game, almost like a living cartoon. However, despite its stunning appearance, the gameplay didn’t quite match up, with simplistic combat mechanics and text-heavy screens slowing down the pacing.
The team’s next project, Haneda Girl, doesn’t encounter those issues.
Announced last year and now available as a demo on Steam, Haneda Girl takes its name from Tokyo’s largest airport. Though the title suggests a connection, it’s not a direct sequel. Instead, it’s an action-platformer boasting faster movement, responsive controls, and the necessity for precision. You’ll find yourself leaping between walls and dodging bullets from all directions.
The character you play as is Chichi Wakaba, armed with a sword and capable of zipping across the screen in mere seconds. She lacks ranged attacks, which means she needs to be stealthy, using “ghost mode” to slip past lasers or slicing through panels to send platforms crashing onto foes below, a nod to classic games like BurgerTime. However, she’s quite fragile and vulnerable to dying from a single hit.
The intriguing twist is her mech partner, M.O.T.H.E.R. Chichi can jump in and out of this mech at will. While the mech moves slowly and lacks agility, it compensates with a machine gun turret and can take several hits before being momentarily knocked out and then respawning.
During my demo playthrough, I often found myself switching between Chichi and the mech, using the latter to charge her attacks, soak up enemy fire, or spray an area with bullets in the hope of hitting a target—and it often worked. The level designs cleverly encouraged this switching, with narrow paths and high walls only Chichi could navigate, and enemy-filled rooms tailored for M.O.T.H.E.R.’s firepower. It felt as though a speedrun using primarily Chichi might be feasible, yet the real thrill came from balancing both play styles. I was torn between rushing to the end and pausing to strategize before diving into the chaos.
Sometimes, I simply dashed forward and met my demise. As per the trailer, it’s clear that’s bound to happen quite a bit.
