Here we are: the 2026 soundtrack of the year has dropped this morning, and it has the excellent sense to accompany a game that pushes the fun factor to the absolute limit. Crafted by Undercoders, Denshattack! is a skate game where you ride a train (yes), chaining tricks together across a post-apocalyptic Japan that hasn’t lost a shred of its vibrant glow. I had the absolute pleasure of getting early access to the game to hear how the music sounded in situ, and with the soundtrack now landing on all streaming platforms, I’m taking the opportunity to tell you a little bit about it.
The hype train has been running at full steam for months now. Kid Katana clearly worked their contact list to invite what I like to call the Avengers of VGM to join the collective effort. Spearheaded by Tee Lopes (Sonic Mania, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge), Sean Bialo (Penny's Big Breakaway, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) and Andrew One (Wrath of Cobra), the OST shines even brighter thanks to its star-studded guest list.
Hold onto your seats; the name-dropping goes choo-choo: Harumi Fujita, Miyachi, 2 Mello, Milkyprism, The Noble Demon, Junky58%, Tony Leys, The Do Do Do's, Richard Jacques, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Kohta Takahashi, Shoji Meguro, Lotus Juice, Alice Peralta, Yunosuke, Ryo Nagamatsu, Ironmouse. That is an outstanding lineup, featuring the composers behind Persona, Daytona USA, Ace Combat, and Sonic, alongside personalities like the VTuber Ironmouse and video creator/rapper Miyachi. Even Liqid, Kid Katana's boss and co-founder, grabs the mic for a bonus track!
The way the music is integrated into the game is beautifully straightforward: each stage gets its own track. In Denshattack!, you play as Emi, a rookie densha rider with a lot of grit, who is rebelling against Miraidō—a megacorporation that built domes across the archipelago following a climate catastrophe to house "first-class citizens." As you explore Japan’s distinct regions one by one, you clash with the colorful local gangs, giving the game the perfect excuse to deliver one memorable musical theme after another.
I have a confession to make: I am absolutely terrible at Denshattack!. High-score games aren't my strong suit, and I’ve rarely gotten better than a bronze medal on any of the game's many stages. But that didn't stop me from having an absolute blast every single time I tried to beat my personal best. That’s also where the soundtrack acts as an incredible crutch: sometimes, you just want to go for another run to vibe to the music a little longer.
It’s a soundtrack that’s actually quite challenging to put under a single umbrella, blending a bit of everything and rooting in basically every arcade racing game from your childhood. The primary inspirations are obviously Sonic, Jet Set Radio (basically everything SEGA), with a future funk flavor laced with hip-hop that perfectly matches the colorful urban aesthetic created by Undercoders. Breakbeat music is also heavily featured, pushing you forward like a tailwind while you try to make your combo counter go wild. Rock, occasionally verging on metal and punk music, are other genres the Denshattack! OST juggles effortlessly without ever breaking the cohesion of the album. Nods to the music of Splatoon are also everywhere, which makes total sense given the game’s setting and the presence of Ryo Nagamatsu and Alice Peralta on the lineup.
Denshattack! is pure nekketsu through and through. Emi is a fighter with serious attitude who never backs down in the face of adversity. Her warmth and determination become magnetic as she proves her worth to her rivals, slowly winning their respect. Undercoders' game is steeped in classic manga tropes, and its story plays out like a plot-twist-heavy anime. Behind its facade as a "simple" trick game, Denshattack! never stops surprising you, rolling out wildly absurd new ideas and piling on dizzying gameplay mechanics. At times, it's almost overwhelming, yet you just keep coming back for more. You find that exact same uncompromising energy in the music: just when you think you've heard the best track on the OST, the next stage proves you wrong.
While it is demanding—and maybe a bit unfair for people like me who clearly suffer from high brain-ping—Denshattack! is never punitive. It stays consistently fun, even during its most spectacular and cognitively intense moments. I’m thinking specifically of the boss fights (oh yes, there are boss fights), which are always high-tension sequences where, paradoxically, you just can’t wipe the smile off your face.
Denshattack! is a rollercoaster; it's a celebration. A never-ending party where every moment is just the buildup to the next explosion. It's an oversweet piece of candy hiding a shockingly sour center that keeps you reaching back into the bag for more.
This is a game, but even more so a soundtrack, that will stand the test of time in the video game music landscape for its biggest achievement: synthesizing the most flawless auditory drug, engineered to hijack your playlists for the rest of the summer. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need my fix.
Denshattack! is now available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch & Switch 2.
