Kirby Air Riders Direct review: On the fast track to first place

When there comes an amazing game, there's usually a chance it will create its own fandom to the point that it becomes a cultural icon. For example, games like Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and Chibi Robo, all of which were released on the GameCube, are no exception. But there is one title that stands above the rest with Kirby Air Ride, which is getting a sequel later this year in the form of Kirby Air Riders, featuring the creator of the Kirby franchise, Masahiro Sakurai.

 

Kicking off the direct, we’re once again introduced to Masahiro Sakurai, who we haven't seen since Super Smash Bros Ultimate and his YouTube channel. He then introduces the concept of having us pick our own riders, including characters such as Kirby himself, King Dedede, Meta Knight, Bandana Waddle Dee, Chef Kawasaki, and so much more. 

 

Sakurai then goes on to state that a new Kirby Air Ride game has been highly requested over at Nintendo, but he had to wait because he was making DLC for Smash Ultimate at the time. This is understandable as game development takes a long time to do, so once he wrapped up the DLC, Sakura got straight to work on Kirby Air Riders. 

 

We are then introduced to the concept of the game, as Sakurai joked that it’s basically Mario Kart with Kirby characters. We see our first look at gameplay, and from what I have seen, it feels like an evolution of the first game. We’re also introduced to the concept of Machines, the vehicles you race on, and Riders, which are the playable characters that ride on machines. As the racing goes on, we see that unlike Mario Kart and its controls, Kirby Air Riders prides itself on having the players go forward on their own, with only one button being used to boost their machine in tight corners, perfect for drifting. These machines even have the ability to glide off of ramps, perfect for more of that airborne racing. Land these right, and you get a burst of speed. 

 

Next up, we get our first look at the Speical button, which, when charged, can give you a bonus attack, similar to that of a final smash from the Super Smash Bros series. Some of these special moves include Kirby with his Ultra Sword, King Dedede’s Jet Hammer, Meta Knight’s Night Wing, Bandana Waddle Dee’s Spear Cyclone, Chef Kawasaki’s Superspicy Cooking, Cappy’s Booster Cap, Red Kirby’s Burn, Blue Kirby’s Snow Bowl, and Yellow Kirby’s Crash. With this, Sakurai then shows off Cappy as the next character, which is a surprise due to their roles in the games as a minion. 

 

With that, Sakurai then showcases a lesson mode to show off how to play the game. Following that, more machines were shown off, including the classic Warp Star, Winged Star, Wagon Star, Wheelie Bike (based on the iconic enemy from the main games), Shadow Star, Paper Star, Bulk Star, Swerve Star, the Chariot type, and Tank Star, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, traits, and designs. Personally, I think it’s great to show off what they can do in order to understand how the game works. 

 

Sakurai then shows off even more characters for the game. These characters include Magolor from Kirby Return to Dreamland, Gooey from Kirby’s Dreamland 3, Waddle Doo and Knuckle Joe, classic enemies in nearly every Kirby game, and Suzie from Kirby: Planet Robobot. With a unique cast of characters from Kirby’s history, your favorite is in there, waiting to race. With the right machine and the right rider, you can guarantee a victory. This shows that Kirby Air Riders is easy to pick up, hard to master, and fun for everyone playing the game. 

 

Additionally, it’s not just Kirby that can use his iconic copy abilities. Everyone in the game can do that, so Kirby’s not an overpowered character. Everyone can copy the attacks of the abilities and wear the hats Kirby wears by capturing them, instead of Kirby’s iconic inhale. Some of these copy abilities include Fire, Sword, Bomb, Wheel, Mike, Cutter, Jet, Steel Ball, and Plasma. Not only do they attack your enemies or the NPCs on the track, but they can also boost your speed. You can even steal copy abilities from the other racers. 

 

Also, Sakurai revealed another character without a second thought: the Starman enemy from the games. 

 

Next up, Sakurai started explaining the different modes in the game, starting with the race mode called Air Ride. It’s a simple mode of racing with your friends or the computer for first place, set to 6 players maximum. I like the smaller number of racers, unlike Mario Kart World’s 24 racers. It’s simple, easy on the eyes, and has a chance where anyone can win. Sakurai then demonstrated a race on stream on one of its tracks called Waveflow Waters. It’s fast, colorful, and filled with alot of personality, an ideal race track for a game like Kirby Air Riders.

 

We then get a little showcase of some of the courses that will be featured in the game. These stages include Floria Fields, Cavernous Corners, Cyberion Highway, and Mount Amberfalls, all of which sport a wide variety of gimmicks, enemies, and obstacles that will prevent you from finishing the race. Following that, we get a showcase of different gimmicks that the racer can do in order to secure a victory over their rivals. 

 

Next, we get even more machines showcased, like the Turbo Star, Slick Star, Rocket Star, Rex Wheelie, and the Battle Charriot, all of which provide new ways of racing. Then we get to the rules of the game, which can be altered to fit your needs. Such rules that can be changed include how many laps you wanna do, whether to slow down the game or not, if you wanna destroy your opponent’s machines or not, and many others. Find the right rule set that fits your needs. 

 

Next up, we get the return of the mode that made the first Kirby Air Ride game into a legend: City Trial. City Trial was a mode in the first game that let you collect stat boosts, crash into enemies, and uncover hidden secrets that would guarantee you a victory at the events ahead. This time, however, it is set on a floating island, named Skyah. This may be the only map of City Trial for Kirby Air Riders, but it’s sure to leave a lasting impact on the players, both those experiencing the mode for the first time and those being welcomed back. 

 

Like before, City Trials is split between different areas, each with unique visuals, powerups, and extra machines to swap on the fly. Some of these areas include Flower Field, Urban District, Plaza, Caves, Subway Station, Forest, Colosseum, Underground Mall, and Sea. The rules are simple for this mode: you and your opponents have 5 minutes to drive around all of Skyah, swapping machines on the fly and collecting powerups that improve your stats. After the five minutes are up, you and your opponents head over to a collection of minigames that include racing, landing on targets, and a free-for-all battle arena. One of the differences for this mode is that up to 16 players can play City Trial this time, both as actual players and CPU bots. 

 

We’re also introduced to a machine that’s exclusive to City Trial: the Compact Star. It’s an all-around vehicle that you can easily use before finding a better machine in a match. You can either hop off your current machine or you can swap while riding, including the fact that you can steal your opponent’s machine. You also collect power-ups that help make your machine stronger for the final challenge. But watch out for the surprise events during the City Trial mode, including bonus races and battles that give you even more stat boosts. Even bosses from the Kirby series will show up, including Kracko and Dyna Blade. 

 

After the five minutes are up, we then get to see the battles that you prepared yourself for. These modes include Kirby Melee, Air Glider, Drag Race, Target Flight, Dustup Derby, Skydive, and the iconic Gourmet Race. Each mode has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on how well you power up your machine, and can be picked before competing, even giving you a recommended mode based on your stats.

 

Finally, we have a surprise first look at the main theme of Kirby Air Riders: Starlit Journey. It’s an honest vibe and gives you a feeling of the game’s atmosphere. It can even be listened to on the Nintendo Music app. We also have a surprise, mysterious character from a mini cutscene, and we have the game’s release date: November 20th, 2025. 

 

Overall, this is shaping up to be an impressive game. Amazing tracks, tons of vehicles and characters to play as, and a ton of modes to play through. Kirby Air Riders can be placed upon the pedestal of one of Nintendo’s best racing games, and I, for one, can’t wait to try it out when I get a Switch 2.

 

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9/10