Denshattack! was supposed to be a June release, but Barcelona-based developer Undercoders delayed it by a month in order to fix some performance-related issues and other bugs, and it finally arrived on 15 July. The wait was worth it. While a remake and the latest Doom expansion were the biggest releases of July, this small, strange train game was one of the best-reviewed original releases of the month.
Kickflips, but on rails
As Emi Araki, a stunt-train driver (you read that right), you drive your train through a colourful post-apocalyptic Japan and perform jumps, flips and spins in order to score points, reminiscent of a skater in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Critics also kept reaching for Sega’s Dreamcast years, Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi in particular. The campaign keeps adding new mechanics and set pieces, rather than just replaying the same stuff over and over. And as for customisation of your train, there are plenty of options to make it your own. The soundtrack was composed by a team including Tee Lopes.
What critics praised, and what they didn’t
Game Informer praised how often the game surprises you and how carefully the levels introduce each new idea, with generous checkpoints keeping frustration down. Its reviewer was less convinced by the trick system, feeling you could succeed by spinning more or less at random. Shacknews loved the wild systems, music and characters, though it warned that the controls are unintuitive at first and that the sheer number of systems can overwhelm. Nintendo Life found stringing combos together hugely satisfying but thought the story scenes and optional hot-spring interludes padded things out. PC Gamer was the clear outlier, calling it inconsistent.
Critic scores and details last checked in September 2026.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release date | 15 July 2026 |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC |
| Developer | Undercoders |
| Publisher | Fireshine Games |
| Critic score | 87 Top Critic Average, 96% of critics recommend (OpenCritic, as of Sep 2026) |
Verdict
Denshattack! is one of those short and quirky games with an unusual concept. While the trick system might seem complicated at first, it’s really quite simple in the end. The story scenes are a bit of a challenge, especially if you just want to ride around, but fans of old arcade games from the early 2000s will get a kick out of this one. An easy and cheap recommendation.
Quick questions
How long is Denshattack!?
Around 10 to 15 hours. This is for those who want to see the credits. Game Informer finished the game in about 13 hours. Nintendo Life took about the same amount of time to complete the game. More hours are added by trying to complete levels for higher ranks as well as all objectives in one run. Shacknews stated that trying to get the highest score possible added more replay value to the game after the story was completed.
Is Denshattack! hard for beginners?
Mastering a level is hard, but finishing the level is relatively easy since, as Shacknews noted, you can continue through the story of the game even if you fail to complete an objective for a particular level. It’s scoring well on a level that is difficult since you have to learn to chain together tricks without breaking your combo.
How much does Denshattack! cost?
It’s been released in the UK for £15.99, while Nintendo Life says that in the US it’s been priced at $19.99, well below a typical big release. Nintendo Life notes that the Switch 2 version runs well and has quick loading times. If you’re interested in a game that’s played handheld then there’s no need to look for a more powerful console.
More Review of the Month: Previous pick: June 2026, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales | Next pick: August 2026, Big Walk
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