Haneda Girl Review
Haneda Girl is an action-packed ballet that will make your palms sweat and your dopamine surge.
Haneda Girl. Studio Koba
Haneda Girl from Studio Koba is a little bit Katana Zero, a little bit Hotline Miami, and a little bit Tron. It’s a thrilling speed-run action platformer with instakill death and an incredible play feel. I found myself completely addicted, trying to get platinum rank on every level.
Chichi Wakaba’s favorite arcade game, Haneda Girl, turns out to be a The Last Starfighter style test of skill, made by genius scientist Professor Nakamura. Nakamura recruits Chichi to become the real Haneda Girl, to enter the digital realm and save the Data Empire from the evil Hackernauts. The story seems to take place in the same world as Studio Koba’s previous title, Narita Boy.
Haneda Girl. Studio Koba
There are two ways to tackle things most of the time: as the pilot herself, or with the help of her mech suit, M.O.T.H.E.R. The mech suit is slow, but can take more hits, and can fire a ranged weapon. Haneda Girl, meanwhile, is lightning fast and relies on her deadly beam sword to take out enemies at close range, but will die in a single hit. Movement as the pilot feels great, especially once you master the sword dash ability and can cleave through legions of enemies and shatter glass barriers. Since she’s faster, I spent as much time as possible outside of the mech suit, though firing the shotgun weapon from the mech also feels fantastic. There are multiple weapons you earn as you play, but that was by far my favorite.
Each level is relatively small in size, designed with multiple paths in every scenario that let you vary your playstyle. Levels end up being like hyperviolent puzzles where you have to figure out the quickest way through without being killed, splattering your opponents’ guts all over the walls in the process. Every area presents surprises in the form of new enemies, obstacles, or level mechanics, ensuring the game never gets dull.
Along with the levels you must complete to progress, the game is also peppered with challenge levels where you can unlock new weapons or lore drops. These levels will often limit your abilities in some way—play only as the mech, no recovery of dashes, no stealth mode, strict time limits, and more. The limitations force you to puzzle out how to get through the levels; along with being challenging, they teach you important tricks that you can use elsewhere in the game and help you master your abilities.
Haneda Girl. Studio Koba
The pixel art is simple, with nearly monochromatic art for the levels. Highlights come from the small sprites, brightly colored hazards, and the neon pink sprays of blood. Bullets, shattered glass, and other particles constantly fly, and the visual design keeps the action clear. These are graphics you can only truly appreciate when they’re in motion. It’s got a great look, complemented by the fitting synth soundtrack that accompanies the bombastic sound effects.
Haneda Girl. Studio Koba
Games rarely feel that they’re tuned as well as Haneda Girl, with its superb gamefeel. Playing it feels sublime, and pulling off perfect runs made me feel like a badass. It’s incredibly addictive. I’d love to see Studio Koba release a level editor so we get more levels! In the meantime, I’m going to continue grinding for those platinum rank.
Haneda Girl is available now on Steam.
Overall Score: 9/10
Played on: Steam Deck
