Released in 2003, Kirby Air Ride was something special. Originally developed for the Nintendo 64, the game was unfortunately canceled, only to be rebooted later for the Nintendo GameCube. Taking a page from his work on the Super Smash Bros. series, Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai turned Air Ride into a multiplayer, party-style racing game. The title was packed with secrets to uncover, content to unlock, and an in-depth challenge system that would later be carried forward into titles such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Kid Icarus: Uprising. It is thanks to these features that the game not only became a cult hit on the GameCube but also helped shape the future of nearly every one of Sakurai’s projects, further establishing his unique style and approach to game development.
Jump ahead 22 years, and Sakurai is back to work once again. Following the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Kirby Air Riders went into secret development while Sakurai ran his YouTube channel dedicated to game design. He kept attention away from the title while applying the signature techniques he discussed on his channel to the game itself. Ultimately announced as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, it released within the first six months of the console's life.
While Mario Kart World served as the system's launch title, Air Riders managed to avoid its shadow by offering a completely unique experience that went above and beyond what the original provided. Rather than focusing solely on Kirby, the title takes the name "Air Riders" literally, introducing a massive roster of characters, various Air Ride machines to pilot, and a wealth of content that fans of the original could never have imagined.
It is a rare successor that truly exceeds the previous title in nearly every way, making it the definitive entry in the series. But is that enough? Is Kirby Air Riders a Switch 2 "must-have," or is it a game only for the hardcore fans? That ultimately depends on what a player is looking for, but one thing is certain: there is plenty to love here, and even those who aren't fans of racing games might be surprised to discover a new favorite.
The Story:
Although the original Kirby Air Ride didn't feature a story, Air Riders corrects this by introducing both a main story mode, and by adding additional lore to the series.
The game begins by explaining what an Air Ride Machine is—strange vehicles that have fallen from the sky and landed on Planet Popstar. Initially these machines cannot move, but when they come in contact with a resident of the planet, they spring to life. After this discovery was made, it didn't take long for Air Ride Machines to become an important part of daily life, with nearly everyone relying on them for transportation. But then something weird happened.
As if drawn by an unknown force, every Air Ride Machine in the world begins a journey to an unknown location, and the riders of each—the Air Riders—join their machines on the adventure. Where are they going, and what awaits the Air Riders at the end of the road? There's only one way to find out.
Air Ride:
Like the original, Kirby Air Riders is broken up between multiple modes, with the first and "main" mode being none other than the classic Air Ride mode.
Air Ride is a standard race mode where players can choose their favorite character, Air Ride Machine, and then complete in a series of races. Race rules can be customized with different settings, and there are 18 tracks in total—each one unique. Not only does the game feature 9 new tracks to race on, but the original 9 are here as well in a remastered form. There have been some alterations due to the differences in copy abilities featured in Air Riders, but the layout of the tracks remain the same.
When it comes to the actual gameplay, Air Riders features a unique system where Air Ride Machines are always moving forward, and a single button is used to both slow down and attack. Slowing down allows you to drift around turns, and holding the button longer builds up a boost gauge to give you an edge. Getting close to enemies that possess copy abilities grants that attack to your character for a limited time, which can then be used to take out or slow down other riders. If you prefer, you can even enable a health bar in the settings, allowing players to be knocked out of a race if their HP hits zero.
Outside of the many copy abilities available, players can also rotate the analog stick to make their Air Ride Machine perform a spin attack. Furthermore, enemies without copy abilities can be inhaled and spat at other riders. This all adds to the chaos that unfolds during a race, where a few well-placed attacks can ensure victory.
In addition to these mechanics, every character has a Special Move that can be activated once their special bar is filled. Some characters' specials are attack-focused, others are speed-focused, and some are defensive. Because each character and Air Ride Machine possesses different stats, these abilities are yet another way for characters to stand out, making every character-and-machine combo feel unique. This allows for a great deal of flexibility, ensuring every player can find a "build" that works best for them. Of course, there will always be a learning curve with your choices, but certain combos will naturally feel better than others—and no two players will have the same preferences.
Top Ride:
The second mode is what is known as Top Ride.
Top Ride features short mini tracks that are views from a top-down perspective (hence the name). There are two control schemes available in this mode, one where machines by pressing left or right on the analog stick, and one where the machine will move in the direction the analog stick is pointing. This mode has always had the largest learning curve, but the addition of this new controller option makes things a lot simpler for newcomers to get used to.
Outside of the change in perspective, and small size of the maps, Top Ride is still a race mode and is very similar to Air Ride. Again, every character and Air Ride Machine can be used in this mode as well, and power-ups and copy abilities exist to help one win. Each track does have a gimmick attached as well, with alternate paths, and patches of ground that will either slow you down or speed you up as you cross over. Due to the smaller scale, tracks do have more laps by default, but this can be customized as well. If one wishes to drop everything down to a single lap and have 20 second races it is completely doable, or you can also crank it up to 99 laps and let it be a long hectic race to the finish.
Air Riders lets players decide how they want to play the game, and Top Ride is no exception.
City Trial:
City Trial is the third and final returning mode from Kirby Air Ride, and it is a fan favorite. It is the mode that kept fans returning to the original title time and time again, and it could very well be the only mode some players ever touch—possibly after unlocking everything from the others that is.
In City Trial, players are thrown into a large, open city map featuring diverse regions and hidden areas to discover. Everyone begins on a weak starter Air Ride Machine and must roam the map to search for better vehicles and stat-boosting power-ups. The goal is to maximize your stats and find a machine combo that will help you win the final event. By default, you have only five minutes to prepare; once the timer hits zero, everyone is transported to a stadium. While the stadium event is typically chosen at random, the game often provides hints about what it might be—and at other times, players are given the chance to vote. There is a vast variety of possible stadium events, and those who come out on top are crowned the winners of City Trial.
Stadium events range from traditional racing and crushing enemies to controlling territory, skydiving, dodging lasers, and hitting targets. There are even full-scale boss fights against key figures from the Kirby series, including several surprise appearances. During these encounters, the camera shifts to a locked-on point of view to keep the boss centered, though this can be toggled off if you prefer the standard camera.
Additional bosses can also appear and attack during the initial exploration phase; defeating them drops a massive haul of power-ups. Furthermore, over 30 random events can trigger while roaming the city, ensuring every run feels unique. While some of these are returning favorites from the original game, many are brand-new.
In addition to the main mode, stadium events can be played freely once unlocked. There is also a Free Play mode for the city itself, which removes the time limit. While this mode is primarily for exploring and learning the map, it also serves as a sandbox where players can hang out and even invent their own mini-games. In this mode, your imagination is the only limitation. Sadly, the original City Trial map is not included, but the new one is so expansive that it more than makes up for the omission.
Road Trip:
Road Trip is the final mode in Air Riders, and is completely new to the series.
In Road Trip players pick a starting character, and set out on a randomized adventure across the world. This is where the main story comes into play, and there are multiple paths to reach the end (with multiple endings as well).
To put it simply, Road Trip begins with your chosen character moving along a path; at specific checkpoints, you are given three options to choose from. These choices range from jumping into a race or participating in a City Trial stadium event to fighting a boss. Whatever you choose, every event rewards you upon completion. The event preview displays exactly which stat will be increased or which item you will receive for winning.
The goal is to level up your stats as much as possible, though there are also branching paths that determine which "stage" you play next. Every stage features at least one new Air Ride Machine to unlock, a shop to visit, and a major boss to defeat. However, the smaller events between these checkpoints are randomized, making every run feel different. If you fail to win an event, you are sent back to the previous checkpoint, giving you the opportunity to alter your choices and potentially rebuild your stats in a new way.
While this randomness means you cannot fully plan your runs, focusing on a handful of specific stats is often better than being a "jack of all trades." This approach allows you to select events suited to your specific build and prevents you from getting stuck.
Unlike the other modes, Road Trip is a strictly single-player experience, but it offers nearly unlimited replayability by utilizing everything the game has to offer. Even City Trial events and bosses are woven into the mix, with the City Trial map itself appearing in unique ways. It offers a completely fresh way to experience the Kirby Air Ride series—which may unfortunately never receive another entry—and stands as a fantastic addition to the game.
Online:
Of course Kirby Air Riders wouldn't be complete without the online mode, which can be used to play every mode outside of Road Trip.
By either jumping into random matches, or opening public or private rooms, players can meet up, hangout, and challenge each other online. Up to 16 players can partake in a single event, but rooms (known as "Paddocks") can support up to 32 players in total. Each can choose their own character and Air Ride Machines, and freely run around in the mini hub room before a match. There are quick message shortcuts to communicate with others, and there are even ways to let players know if one is live streaming, or if they'd like to jump into a voice chat. Of course there are limitations to help keep the game safe for everyone, but it does a lot to help keep things more social—especially compared to other Nintendo titles in the past.
The original Kirby Air Ride had a large focus on its multiplayer content (even allowing for LAN parties), and that hasn't changed in Air Riders. The online mode now makes multiplayer an even more fundamental part of the experience, with everyone now having the option to play with others... Assuming you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription that is.
Challenges:
On top of each game mode itself, every single one also has a set of its own challenges—150 for each game mode to be precise.
Similar to other games developed by Sakurai, challenges take on the form of a grid, and are completely hidden when the game is first booted up. It is by clearing these challenges by simple chance that they are unlocked, and the tiles on the grid next to the completed challenge become visible. Thankfully many challenges will be completed without even trying to do them, and can range from anything as simple as attacking an enemy, or be as specific as using the Shadow Star Air Ride Machine and finishing a race while flying in the air (just an example). Even these can be triggered without trying and by simply playing the game, but there are others that will require one to go out of their way to complete. And what do you get by doing so? Well, a lot of stuff.
New characters, alternate character colors, Air Ride Machines, race tracks, stadium events, stickers, decals, music, plates for your player profile, and more—Air Riders is packed full of unlockables, and players must complete all challenges if they want to get it all. Thankfully there are also "free pass" unlocks that can be used to automatically clear a challenge of your choosing if things get too hard, but these are best saved for where they are really needed. The game can get pretty ridiculous with some of the challenge requirements, with the later ones putting you up against high level computer players, and racing to beat the clock in races that require you to be absolutely perfect to meet those times. It isn't an easy ride to 100% completion, but the joy of unlocking something new is worth it.
Customization:
The final new aspect to Kirby Air Riders is none other than the customization itself—and there is a lot of it.
Besides picking your character and Air Ride Machine, players have free range to change machine's colors, add stickers, decals, patterns, and accessories. Much of this is purchased by spending points accumulated by playing the main game modes, but of course some options are unlocked from the challenges. Players can also purchase extra copies of Air Ride Machines to customize them, or they can even head online to buy creations other players have uploaded. Players can save up to 100 unique Air Ride Machines at a time, and they can be selected at any time from the character select screen. Customized Air Ride Machines can also be displayed in custom garages, which can also be purchased by spending earned points.
When it comes to City Trial however, customized machines will appear at random, and when playing online the game will pull from the stock of all the current players. This means you never know what machine you'll encounter when playing online, and that just further adds to the fun.
In addition to customizing machines, hats can also be unlocked and worn by the characters themselves, with some hats (and other customization options) being locked behind online events. Although there is no planned DLC for the title, Nintendo has plans to continue supporting the title in smaller ways for the foreseeable future. This gives players even more reasons to return and check in daily, just to see if anything new can be unlocked.
Along with player customization options, the game also allows players to select their favorite songs to play during races or events, and set how often the song is likely to appear. This is a feature that has been carried over from the Smash Bros series, and fans will already be familiar with the sliders used to set the odds. Since songs are not locked to a specific race track or game mode, players can change the music up as much as they want, with a large selection of musical tracks unlockable. This even includes songs that are remixes from the Kirby anime (known as Kirby: Right Back At Ya! in the West), and other fan favorites from the series.
Finally, Air Riders also allows players to fully customize their experience to help make things a bit more accessible. As mentioned before, the game is quite hectic with a lot going on on screen at once, but thankfully effects and screen size can be adjusted to help with motion sickness, and viability. For those who still have an issue with how fast the game can become, the game can be switched to a slower speed mode also, but sometimes it feels a bit too slow. Additionally there are also color options for those who deal with color blindness, and you can fully customize the buttons as well. In fact, it is possible to play Kirby Air Riders with a single hand by default, but buttons can be swapped to whatever is most comfortable to the user.
These settings are all great options to have, and they can be assigned to different named profiles.
Should you play it?
Kirby Air Riders is a dream come true for fans of the original Kirby Air Ride, as well as an excellent party and racing game. It is packed with content, bringing back all the classic game modes and featuring a deep cosmetic customization system for the Air Ride Machines. Additionally, the online mode ensures everyone can enjoy the title to the fullest, the way it was meant to be played—with others.
While City Trial remains a highlight, the addition of the single-player campaign, Road Trip, is a very welcome change. This new mode, along with hundreds of challenges to complete, makes Air Riders a title fans can spend a significant amount of time playing. Those looking for 100% completion will have their work cut out for them, but the dozens of unlockable characters, alternate colors, and Air Ride Machines make it more than worth it. Unfortunately, the steep price might deter some from giving it a chance, but those who take the plunge will be met with a truly enjoyable experience.
There are ways the game could be improved upon, such as by having a middle speed option, but these are little gripes that do not ruin an otherwise fun game. Those who own a Switch 2 should consider picking this one up.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2
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