Denshattack!, a Weird Clash of Subway Surfers, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Japanese Culture.
Denshattack! is a visually distinct 3D platforming game, released on July 15, 2026, based around a subway car. You can do tricks, jump to avoid obstacles, and even summon rainbow train tracks mid-level by scoring enough. Let’s jump into those fantastic visuals, well-done soundtrack, and engaging mechanics.
Denshattack!, a Weird Premise.
I put it to you that a Spanish developer is intending on making a game about a subway car. A subway car that you can customize, do tricks with, and even fight mechs made of other subway cars with. Still with me? Add on top that it will be set in a post-apocalyptic Japan. Lost you yet? Hope not. Because that is exactly what Denshattack! is.
Developed by Undercoders, a Spanish dev outfit who have been active since 2006, Denshattack! is a beautifully styled 3D platformer with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater-esque trick mechanics, phenomenal sound design, and tight responsive controls. On Xbox Game Pass from day one, this is an incredible offering to those who enjoy indie platformers bursting with style.
Denshattack! Controls and Mechanics: Easy to Learn, Hard to Master
When you first load into Denshattack! you already get the sense that it’s brimming with personality and style. After a quick tutorial where you learn that Emi is a ramen delivery girl, you get into the actual meat and potatoes of the game. Starting with the basics, you first learn how to drift, yes drift, and how to change rails. After being taught how to do tricks, you spend a few missions with the absolute basics before it introduces a fun, if frustrating at first, new mechanic. Rail grinding is a thing!
You can also ride walls, launch off of vertical ramps, honk your horn at certain points to affect the map, perform kickflips, and perform manuals to connect tricks, just like in EA’s Skate. After scoring enough points, once you’re past a certain point in the story, you can even see Yaoyorozudo, rainbow colored ethereal tracks that increase your trick points and open up secret map areas.
The game also has collectibles and challenges called “Dares.” Collectibles include Spray Cans, Film Reels, and Train Parts for customization. Dares can range from not crashing once during the mission, achieving certain score amounts, smashing through certain obstacles, or even derailing enough rivals.
Giving Your Subway Train Some Style
As previously mentioned, you can customize your train car. As the Dashing Queens, a Gyaru-inspired gang of teenage girls, say, “Speed is Transitory, Style is Eternal.” When you first start, your train looks like a school bus. Luckily, you can change its color and even add some graffiti designs on top until you end up with something you like a bit more.
As you progress in the game, collecting Spray Cans and Train Parts becomes essential to carving out your own sense of style in the Japanese sub-culture inspired world. Pictured above is my own little creation from early on. With 31 different types of train cars and plenty of art, you can really eke out your own stylistic niche in post-apocalyptic Japan.
Even the Overworld Map Has a Sense of Style
It’s not just the train cars and characters that have incredible style. Every level, and even the overworld, are handcrafted set pieces with all the love Undercoders is legally allowed to give. From grinding rails in a volcano to riding a Ferris wheel and jumping waves on a boat, Denshattack! is full of unique set pieces for the player to mess around with. There’s even a Gundam-style mech boss fight, as well as a baseball pitching machine sand worm à la Shai-Hulud from Dune.
Denshattack!, a Game Worthy of Its Inspirations
Denshattack! is clearly inspired by skateboarding games like Tony Hawks Pro Skater and Skate, but there’s more to it than that. Brimming with the style of several Japanese fringe sub-cultures, unique world-building, and an absolutely out-there premise, it’s an incredible game I hope you, dear reader, intend to give a try.
Furthermore, I dare say Undercoders is an outfit to look out for in the future, if this sleeper hit is anything to go off of. As of writing this article, Denshattack! is on sale on Steam for $17.99, and available on all major consoles for $19.99, but is a Game Pass game as well. Those of us with Game Pass really do eat good. I give this game a solid 9/10; I may very well buy myself a Switch 2 copy to play on the road.
For Total Apex Entertainment, this is Aj Day, signing off. Make sure to follow my socials for other articles on Gaming, Entertainment, and more. https://beacons.ai/ajday
