Denshattack! Is “Tony Hawk with Japanese Trains,” Launching Spring 2026

Barcelona-based studio Undercoders has announced Denshattack!, an original action game that combines extreme sports with Japanese train culture. The title, described by creative director David Jaumandreu as “Tony Hawk with Japanese trains,” is set to launch in spring 2026 for PC, Xbox Series X|S (including Game Pass), and PlayStation.

According to IGN, Jaumandreu’s passion for Japan and its train system directly shaped the project. During an interview conducted in an unusual setting—a dungeon-themed studio adjacent to a full-sized train set—he explained that Denshattack! was inspired by decades of fascination with Japanese railways. Undercoders, a small independent team of 12 developers founded in 2005, has previously created titles like Conga Master and Treasures of the Aegean. The studio began its journey making mobile and DSi games before transitioning to console development, and now it’s channeling two decades of experience into its most ambitious idea yet.

Jaumandreu has visited Japan regularly since 1998, when he first traveled there as a teenager. That trip sparked a lifelong admiration for the country’s culture, history, and especially its trains. “I came in '98 for the first time,” he said. “I came just for tourism. My father used to travel a lot for work, so I had the opportunity to follow him on one of his trips here, and it captivated me so much that I just wanted to come back again and again and again.” — David Jaumandreu

Over the years, the developer has returned almost annually, exploring both urban centers like Tokyo and Osaka and the quieter rural areas that deepened his appreciation for Japanese life. He recalled that, during his first visit, Japan’s public transportation system felt decades ahead of Europe’s in terms of technology and efficiency. Riding Tokyo’s Yamanote Line for the first time, he relied solely on a guidebook since English announcements weren’t yet standard. The experience left a lasting impression that later helped define the atmosphere of Denshattack!

Jaumandreu’s fascination reached its peak when he rode the Shinkansen bullet train. “It’s incredibly fast and silent at the same time, so it feels super calm, and you’re going so fast. It feels, I don’t know, discontextualized. The incredible speed that you’re going, and it doesn’t move or shake or whatever. It’s a super smooth ride. It’s super comfortable.” — David Jaumandreu

Years later, while experimenting with a toy train at his desk, he stumbled onto the idea that would become Denshattack!. “I was, you know, finger skating with a train. Like you're bored. And I was doing this and that. I was like, ‘Whoa, this is cool. We could make a game out of this.’ I started thinking about it and giving a lot of thought to how that would translate into gameplay,” he explained. A fan of both skateboarding and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Jaumandreu imagined a hybrid system where players could perform tricks with a train as if it were a skateboard. “I brought a train piece to work, started showing the team some moves, and then I presented to the rest of the team and they told me, ‘They’re shit.’ ‘Are you crazy?’ And then who is super fast in Unreal, I think he spent a couple of days with that and he came out and said, ‘There’s definitely a game here. It’s super fun.’” — David Jaumandreu

That experiment evolved into a three-year development cycle. Denshattack! is visually inspired by Jet Set Radio, Hi-Fi Rush, and Persona, combining bright color palettes and stylized cityscapes with fast, expressive movement. The soundtrack features compositions from Sonic Mania’s Tee Lopes, bringing in a high-energy mix of jazz, funk, and electronic tracks.

Gameplay blends the creative flow of skateboarding with high-speed rail navigation. Players control a train as if performing tricks through stations, cities, and rural landscapes. Each level functions like a skate park, filled with rails, ramps, and structures designed for grinding, drifting, and combo scoring. The game includes multiple objectives: racing rivals, performing complex trick sequences to earn points, and battling bosses such as massive mechanical enemies.

Jaumandreu described the gameplay loop as split between two modes: a “flow state” where players focus on speed and rhythm to reach their destination, and a mission mode featuring competitive and narrative-driven challenges. The team emphasizes movement fluidity and intuitive controls to maintain the satisfying feel of classic skating games while adapting it to the constraints and freedom of rail-based travel.

Beyond its mechanics, Denshattack! also incorporates a Shonen-style story about friendship, rivalry, and rebellion. The narrative revolves around a group of train-riding misfits who transform Japan’s railway network into their own arena of expression and defiance. It combines the structure of anime storytelling with arcade-style progression, featuring collectible upgrades, character customization, and dialogue-driven story beats between major events.

Despite its niche premise, Denshattack! carries the same passion that defines Undercoders’ earlier projects. The team collaborates with external partners for specialized elements such as animation and audio, but the main design, level layout, and gameplay systems are handled internally by its core developers.

During the interview, Jaumandreu’s enthusiasm for Japanese train culture remained evident, even when answering lighthearted questions. When asked about his favorite ekiben—the bento boxes sold at train stations—he mentioned a playful choice: the children’s meals that come in boxes shaped like trains. He also noted his fondness for the self-heating varieties, emphasizing his fascination with the practical details of Japanese travel culture that helped inspire his game’s setting and tone.

Denshattack! represents the culmination of nearly three decades of personal passion and professional experimentation for Jaumandreu and his studio. From its unusual creative origin—a simple toy train on a desk—to a fully realized console release, the game fuses skateboarding mechanics, anime energy, and real-world admiration for Japanese trains into a single project.

The title will launch in spring 2026 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox Series consoles, including availability on Xbox Game Pass at release.