In 2017, a little indie studio called Studio Koba introduced a game concept named Narita Boy. Borrowing its name from Tokyo’s second-largest airport, this project seemed tailor-made for Kickstarter enthusiasts. With stylish, form-fitting pixel art characters set against a vibrant side-scrolling backdrop, Narita Boy evoked a nostalgic ’80s anime feel, enhanced with modern visual flair. Its story revolved around Eduardo Fornieles, a former member of the Friend & Foe team, who returned to his roots to craft his dream game.
Though merely an idea at the time, its captivating appeal quickly propelled its crowdfunding campaign to success. Fast forward four years, Narita Boy emerged as a standout Kickstarter triumph—a vibrant, playable cartoon with elements of a classic action-adventure. However, despite its visual allure, it was occasionally bogged down by simplistic combat and text-heavy pauses that slowed its momentum.
Enter the team’s new release, Haneda Girl, which deftly sidesteps these pitfalls. Announced last year and now available as a demo on Steam, Haneda Girl, named after Tokyo’s largest airport, isn’t a narrative continuation. This action-platformer prioritizes speed and precision, challenging players with quick maneuvers and wall-jumps to evade attacks from all angles.
Players step into the shoes of Chichi Wakaba, a nimble protagonist armed with a sword, zipping across the screen in the blink of an eye. Lacking long-range abilities, Chichi has to employ stealth, activate “ghost mode” to dodge lasers, or skillfully drop platforms on enemies below, reminiscent of the classic BurgerTime. Yet, her vulnerability is high—one hit, and she’s done for.
The twist is her ally, a mech called M.O.T.H.E.R., which she can enter and exit at will. While the mech is slower and can’t reach the heights that Chichi can, it comes with a handy machine gun turret and the durability to survive several hits before being taken down, only to respawn shortly after.
My experience with the demo had me frequently switching between Chichi and M.O.T.H.E.R., utilizing the mech to supercharge Chichi’s strikes, shield her from enemy fire, or ambitiously spray bullets and hope for the best, oftentimes to great success. The carefully crafted levels nudged me towards alternating between both characters, featuring tight corridors and tall barriers that only Chichi could navigate, alongside enemy-filled arenas perfect for the mech’s arsenal. The temptation to attempt a speedrun mainly using Chichi was there, yet the push-and-pull dynamic between the two characters truly made the demo shine for me. I regularly found myself torn between dashing straight for the finish and pausing for a strategic moment, followed by bursts of intense gameplay.
Or, in other moments, I charged ahead recklessly and met my demise. Just as the trailer promises, that’s an outcome to expect frequently.
