In 2017, Studio Koba unveiled Narita Boy, a game intriguingly named after Tokyo’s second-largest airport. It seemed tailor-made for a Kickstarter campaign, boasting slim-fit pixel art characters traversing a neon side-scrolling realm. The game was heavily infused with nostalgic ’80s anime vibes, complemented with modern visual effects. It spun the tale of a developer—Eduardo Fornieles, formerly of Friend & Foe—returning to his roots to create the game he had always envisioned.
At that stage, it was merely a concept, yet it was stunning enough to drive the inevitable crowdfunding campaign to success.
Four years down the line, the game was released and emerged as one of Kickstarter’s better video game success stories. It was as if you’d stepped into a cartoon, offering a surreal take on classic action-adventure gaming. However, the game’s simple combat and text-heavy sections occasionally slowed down the pace, making it feel less smooth than it appeared visually.
The team’s next venture, Haneda Girl, steers clear of such issues.
Revealed last year and now available as a demo on Steam, Haneda Girl—named for Tokyo’s largest airport—doesn’t follow directly in Narita Boy’s footsteps despite the aviation-themed names. It’s an action-platformer teeming with faster movement, responsive controls, and the precision needed to execute wall jumps while dodging shots flying from all directions.
Players take on the role of Chichi Wakaba, a sword-wielding girl capable of zipping across the screen in milliseconds. Lacking ranged attacks, she must stealthily approach foes, use a “ghost mode” to evade lasers, or slice through panels to send platforms crashing down on enemies, reminiscent of a classic arcade style. Her vulnerability is stark—one bullet, and she’s down.
However, there’s a twist. Chichi teams up with a mech partner, M.O.T.H.E.R., which she can jump in and out of. The mech, while somewhat cumbersome and unable to jump as high, is armed with a machine gun turret and can take several hits before it blows up, only to reappear a few moments later.
As I navigated the demo, I found myself frequently maneuvering between Chichi and the mech. I relied on the mech to charge Chichi’s attacks, soak up enemy fire, or simply fire indiscriminately and hope for the best—often with successful outcomes. The level designs deftly nudged me to switch between playstyles, presenting narrow corridors or towering walls that only Chichi could navigate or scale, alongside enemy-saturated rooms perfect for M.O.T.H.E.R. to clear. It seems feasible that one could attempt to speedrun using Chichi alone, but the interplay between the two characters is what made the demo click for me. I was perpetually tempted to rush towards the objective, only to pause and consider a tactical approach, alternating between moments of strategy and chaos.
Of course, there were times I just threw caution to the wind—and paid the price. As the trailer hints, expect to experience this often.
