{"id":1130607,"date":"2026-02-03T07:47:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T07:47:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=527335"},"modified":"2026-02-03T07:47:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T07:47:50","slug":"how-to-name-your-game-after-a-japanese-airport-twice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/how-to-name-your-game-after-a-japanese-airport-twice\/","title":{"rendered":"How to name your game after a Japanese airport, twice"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Back in 2017, Studio Koba announced Narita Boy<\/em><\/a>, a game named after Tokyo\u2019s second-biggest airport that seemed custom built for Kickstarter. It had slim-fit pixel art characters in a neon side-scrolling world. It had nostalgic \u201880s anime vibes with modern visual effects. It had a story of a developer \u2014 former Friend & Foe<\/a> team member Eduardo Fornieles \u2014 going back to his hometown to make the game he always dreamed of.<\/p>\n

It was just a concept at that point, but it was gorgeous, and that was enough to push the inevitable crowdfunding campaign over the top.<\/p>\n

Four years later, the game shipped and turned out to be one of the better Kickstarter video game success stories, looking like a playable cartoon and playing like a surreal version of a classic action-adventure game. With simple combat and text-heavy screens slowing the pace, though, it never felt quite as good as it looked.<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s follow-up, Haneda Girl, <\/em>doesn\u2019t have that problem.<\/p>\n

Announced last year with a demo now on Steam<\/a>, Haneda Girl<\/em> \u2014 named after Tokyo\u2019s biggest airport \u2014 isn\u2019t a direct sequel, despite the name. It\u2019s an action-platformer with faster movement, more responsive controls, and the kind of precision required when you have to bounce between wall jumps while avoiding shots from all directions.<\/p>\n

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