TGS 2025 | "Tanuki: Pon’s Summer"
Out of all the yokai characters in the world, I love tanukis the most. They’re cute, fluffy, and filled with great spirit. Denkiworks's Tanuki: Pon’s Summer takes my love of these creatures, and places it in a Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX-styled game. Yet despite its radical nature, the demo at Tokyo Game Show demonstrated why it’s also a super comfy game!
The demo began with a tutorial, as you learn how to move the tanuki Pon both on-foot and on his bike. At first, it’s a nice quiet ride in the forest, until you get to hills, ramps, and rails. Here, you learn just how much of a pro Pon is at extreme biking! Grinds, flips, and even Supermans, no move is too tough for Pon…so long as you’re good at it.
Controlling the bike is very easy, especially if you’ve played extreme sports games from the 90s. However, going from jumps to tricks can be a challenge, one that brings to mind the era of Neversoft games. Once I figured out how to do these proper tricks, I was thrown right into the game. And here, I learned that Pon isn’t just a pro biker; he’s a delivery man.
After I Tetris’d the packages together, I set off to deliver a package to a local sumo wrestler. It’s here where the game shows that it’s not just about biking. I was thrown into a fun Punch-Out!!-styled mini-game, as I trained Pon to become the first tanuki sumo wrestler. After figuring out the cues, Pon emerged as the cutest champion in the world…next to Maki Itoh.
After the mission, I rode around the town to see what the layout would be like. Tons of ramps, rails, and mailboxes waiting for packages lined the quiet town, meaning there will be plenty to do in this game. And thanks to its cute visuals, you have the option to play as a comfy delivery tanuki, or be the kind that rides on the wild side!
Tanuki: Pon’s Summer looks charming, and the demo was tons of fun. I look forward to seeing what sorts of people and places Pon will interact with, as it combines so many of my loves into one adorably wicked game. Tanuki: Pon’s Summer arrives on PC and consoles in 2026, which is enough time for gamers to load up on some Joe Hisaishi and CKY for their delivery playlist!
