Denshattack! Boss Ranking: From Worst to Best

Boss battles are pivotal in Denshattack!, even though they typically occupy a single level within larger zones. Each stage builds towards the final confrontation, preparing you to face the leader's crew, cause enough mayhem to get their attention, and race to prove your worth. The ultimate battle looms as you jump, slide, and combo your way toward your formidable adversary. If a final fight falls short, it can sour the entire zone. Fortunately, each boss offers something unique, but we felt it was worthwhile to review and rank them from least to most impressive based on gameplay, spectacle, and, of course, their incredible music.

9. Molty and the VACTRAIN

Among the nine entries, this is the one that's hard to call a "boss fight." I wouldn't have included it if the game hadn't specifically designated it as such. Emi's encounter with the VACTRAIN is more akin to a race; she travels across Japan, enlisting the help of friends made along the way. It serves as a solid endgame boss to test your acquired skills and showcase Emi's growth from her ramen-delivery days in Beppu.

However, it's hard not to feel this level would have been more effective as a race than a fight. While the objective is to reach Beppu before Molty, there's little incentive to rush through the level. A map on the screen indicating your progress relative to the VACTRAIN could have added much-needed urgency, making the use of magnetic trails to boost your speed essential for staying in the race, rather than just a gimmick. This doesn't mean the level is bad; far from it, but it doesn't function as well as a "boss fight" compared to the others.

8. Shihori Yoneda

Honestly, ranking any of these bosses this low feels unfair given Denshattack!'s incredible roster. What hinders this boss the most is the time it takes to reach the core of the action. This fight against Shihori and the Yakuza feels more like a group battle than a focused duel. The initial phase is straightforward: Maiko fires a volley of arrows that can be avoided with simple lane changes. The Hamamoto twins add some variety with an aerial battle where you must cleverly switch your train's energy between positive and negative to redirect their projectiles back at them. However, it quickly becomes repetitive and doesn't fully capitalize on the potential chaos of soaring through the skies.

The confrontation with Shihori makes good use of the magnetic switch introduced in this chapter, featuring gravity-inverting moments that felt reminiscent of a Geometry Dash level, in the best possible way. Overall, though, this level lacks both intricate mechanics and breathtaking spectacle, causing it to be surpassed by other boss encounters.

7. Yamagata

Believe me, it pains me as much to rank him this low as it does for you to read it. Everything about Yamagata screams Denshattack!: his ragged punk attire, his tragic yet triumphant backstory. No character is more deserving of a super boss fight. Unfortunately, he's not even present for most of the fight in Bosozoku, a recurring issue with lower-ranked bosses.

The battle begins with a fight against 100 trains, which, while an exciting concept, would have been better served as a standalone level. There's a peculiar mid-section that solely exists to charge your Yaoyorozudo gauge, and by the time Yamagata finally engages you with his own train, the fight is already half over. I'm placing him above Shihori because of his final phase; riding the Phantom Typhoon on a motorcycle is one of the game's most memorable moments. This is further elevated by a phenomenal appearance from Lotus Juice on the level's soundtrack, pushing the excitement of the finale to its peak. However, with Yamagata so underutilized in his own level, it's difficult to rank this much higher.

6. Madoka Sato

Even before confronting her, you're told Madoka is one of the country's most dangerous "denshattackers," and her conviction of superiority over Emi is reflected in the fight's design. Before deeming you worthy of her presence, Madoka makes you face members of Dead Ball as you make your way to her base: a dilapidated baseball stadium equipped with cranes that alter the track layout, constantly changing the course to keep Madoka in control.

Madoka's chosen train is fitted with a cannon that launches enormous, homing baseballs at Emi. Since you can neither dodge nor evade them, the only solution is to return them to her with a trick. It's a fun gimmick but doesn't really advance the fight. Madoka ends the battle by knocking Emi off the track and out of her territory, making it the only fight Emi doesn't win, and a somewhat disappointing one at that.

5. Brian Ishida

The fight against the Miraido Intervention Force's big boss narrowly misses a top 4 spot due to a somewhat sluggish start. While diverting a Miraido Intervention Force drone is a great moment, it quickly slows the gameplay to a snail's pace in a section that leaves little room for skill expression, as combos are impossible with the right stick transformed into a spectacular missile launcher. Fortunately, this serves only as an interlude before Brian enters the fray and immediately ratchets up the tension.

The Wretchhound is a vehicle perfectly suited to the Task Force leader, an oppressive presence throughout the fight. Brian fires rockets, blasts through tunnels, and attacks from the very tracks Emi is riding, never giving you a moment to breathe. After recharging with Niigata's particle accelerator, Emi's train is flooded with energy, which you can project onto the Wretchhound by performing tricks. The fight's finale sees Emi taking control of Brian's crushing device, devouring rows of police cars before overloading the power grid and bringing this marathon battle to an end.

4. Shin and Fukihimo

This is where things get truly brilliant. All bosses from here on are close to perfection, and honestly, I could arrange these four in any order. The Rocker's design perfectly blends madness and menace; it towers over you, perched atop a hill and moving on mechanical legs. Its destructive capabilities are a sight to behold: it opens the fight by firing massive "8-Balls" from its banana-shaped cannon and pounding the ground to unleash rings of fire that spread across the mountain.

After a brief tour on the Yaoyorozudo, Emi hops inside the Rocker, dodging all its defenses and mechanical parts while dismantling it from the inside. Even severely weakened, Shin and Fukihimo don't go down without a final surge; they speed across Shikoku as Emi pursues them via the moats—arguably the best use of a half-pipe in the game. After dodging a few more 8-Balls, it's time to ascend the Rocker and dismantle it with a series of fluid aerial jumps before finally crashing onto its cannon in a resounding gong, sealing their defeat. No other fight in the game better captures that "David vs. Goliath" feeling you love in action platformers, all without making poor design choices for the sake of it.

3. Suzuna Sei

As I progressed through each region of Denshattack!, I felt there would be at least one fight that redefined the gameplay and threw things completely off the rails. What I didn't expect, however, was a boss that turns the rails themselves into guitar necks for a boss fight proudly showcasing its Guitar Hero influences. Sei uses the Yaoyorozudo's magnetic currents to her advantage, transforming the track into her own concert where too many wrong notes will lead to your demise. The fight escalates in complexity as it progresses, introducing a series of parallel tracks alongside grind rails, monorail runs, and a sliding section, with track changes timed to the soundtrack to turn the stage into a true musical ride.

With a fight so heavily music-focused, everything hinges on the quality of its accompanying song, and Sean Bialo and Sumika Inoue's "I'm the Music" does not disappoint. The fusion of J-Pop, breakbeat, electro, and other genres I likely don't even recognize comes together to form one of the soundtrack's greatest hits, perfectly capturing Denshattack!'s musical style while understanding exactly what makes music in other rhythm games successful. It's such an effective remix of Denshattack!'s gameplay that I'm almost disappointed all the game's songs couldn't be experienced in this style. If Undercoders plans to release DLC, this would be an exceptional addition.

2. Madoka Sato (Second Encounter)

If the first fight against Madoka left something to be desired, this rematch more than makes up for everything that was missing. Now considering Emi a more worthy adversary, Madoka ups the ante, swapping her vehicle for a stolen Sandworm train, hurtling across the dunes and once again firing her signature baseballs. It's with this vehicle that Madoka truly unleashes her aggressive and ferocious personality, rampaging through the abandoned city and leveling entire skyscrapers, leaving you ample room to weave through the ruins she creates.

After clearing the city, Madoka dives into a tunnel with her sandworm, lunging at Emi, firing heat rods from the worm's head, and unleashing lasers from its eyes. Despite the massive size difference between Emi's and Madoka's vehicles, the fight incredibly succeeds in making it feel like two evenly matched opponents giving their all, further emphasized by the subsequent joust where you charge your Yaoyorozudo gauge to leap over the worm and destroy the tanks on its back. The fight comes full circle for its grand finale as Madoka fires one last volley of baseballs, but these are nothing more than a final bluff, as Emi pierces the worm's mouth, sending it crashing into the sea. Fantastic.

1. Yoshie Mitsutake

They say you should always start strong, and Denshattack!'s opening boss is the perfect example. Emi's fight against Yoshie is a relentless, no-holds-barred encounter that refuses to be boring for even a fraction of a second. Yoshie fully commits to the mecha anime universe; she and the Dashing Queens combine their machines to form a glamorous, Y2K-inspired robot-train. She sweeps your vehicle with her train arms, slams the ground to create energy pillars, and even uses the treads on her mecha's calves to charge at Emi at high speed.

After ramming the mecha and shattering the glass dome, Yoshie launches an all-out assault, throwing everything she can find at you: ruined buildings, pieces of highway, and an entire broadcast tower. The chorus of the level's song, "Fashion Overdrive," kicks in as you slide, jump, and combo over this flying infrastructure debris, Alice Peralta's powerful vocals soaring alongside you. As if that weren't enough to make this level a serious contender for best boss, the fight concludes with Emi parrying the attack and riding one of the mecha's rocket arms, blasting through the streets and blowing up stacks of oil drums as Yoshie's team desperately tries to escape, knocking down buildings to block your path. It's ultimately futile, as Emi rides this rocket-punch all the way into the mecha's core, pinning it to the wall and bringing the curtain down on the best boss fight you'll see this year.

What was your favorite boss in Denshattack!? Are there any you feel were wronged on this list? Let us know your personal ranking.