The Creators of Narita Boy Announce Their Next Game: Haneda Girl

Back in 2017, Studio Koba made waves with an intriguing announcement: Narita Boy, a game borrowing its name from Tokyo’s second-busiest airport, was crafted perfectly for the Kickstarter crowd. It featured sleek pixel art characters traversing a neon-infused, side-scrolling universe. The game carried an ’80s anime nostalgia, intertwined with modern visual flair, and revolved around the story of its developer, Eduardo Fornieles, a former member of the Friend & Foe team. He returned to his roots to create the game he’d always envisioned.

At that stage, it was just an idea, but its visual appeal was enough to make the crowdfunding campaign a smashing success.

Fast forward four years, and when the game finally launched, it proved to be a standout among Kickstarter video game stories. It felt like diving into a living cartoon, playing out as a dreamlike iteration of a classic action-adventure. Yet, despite its stunning appearance, the game didn’t quite hit the mark with its simple combat and the text-heavy sections that dragged the pace.

Enter the sequel, Haneda Girl, which doesn’t suffer from the same slowdown issues.

Announced last year, and now with a demo available on Steam, Haneda Girl — named after Tokyo’s premiere airport — isn’t a direct sequel as one might suspect. This action-platformer takes things up a notch with quicker movement, snappier controls, and that high-stakes precision as you nimbly navigate wall jumps while dodging attacks from every angle.

Here, you step into the shoes of Chichi Wakaba, a nimble fighter armed with a sword, zipping across the screen in split seconds. With no long-range attacks, she must rely on stealth, using a “ghost mode” to dodge lasers, or dramatically breaking panels to drop foes below, reminiscent of BurgerTime tactics. But she’s a fragile protagonist—just one hit, and she’s done for.

The twist is her companion, a mech called M.O.T.H.E.R., which she can freely enter and exit. The mech might move more ponderously and lacks impressive jump capabilities, yet it sports a machine gun turret, soaking up enemy fire before needing a moment to reset.

As I dived into the demo, I found myself frequently toggling between Chichi and her mech. The mech would absorb damage, power up Wakaba’s attacks, or deliver a spray of bullets to clear the area — a surprisingly effective strategy. The levels encouraged this dual playstyle, presenting narrow passages and towering walls suited for Wakaba, while enemy-laden rooms were tailor-made for M.O.T.H.E.R.’s firepower. While it seems feasible to speedrun using primarily Wakaba, the synergy between the duo is what made the demo resonate with me. I was often drawn to dash towards my target, only to pause, rethink, and then embrace moments of strategy mixed with bursts of chaos.

Or, I’d rush in headfirst—and meet an untimely end. As the trailer hints, expect that to be a frequent outcome.