Kirby Air Riders Review – Fast, Furious, and Pink

Kirby Air Riders Review

Back in 2003, Nintendo released Kirby Air Ride for the Nintendo GameCube. As much as I adored my GameCube, I really wasn’t interested in Kirby Air Ride. The idea of a racing game that uses only one button seemed far too simple for my tastes. Flash forward over 25 years later, and Nintendo is releasing the second entry in the franchise; Kirby Air Riders. Kirby Air Riders is sort of a sequel, remake, and reboot all wrapped up in one. It takes everything that made Kirby Air Ride what it was, including the various modes, characters, and even maps, but turns the dial up to 11. The end result is a fun, fast and frenetic game with some genuinely enjoyable moments. I’ll never know if I was wrong to pass up on Kirby Air Ride those 25 years ago, but I’m glad I gave Kirby Air Riders a chance.

Air Ride Evolved

For those of us that never played Kirby Air Ride, fear not, it is not required playing to enjoy Kirby Air Riders. Which is good, since unless you have a GameCube and used copy of Kirby Air Ride kicking around, you’d be out of luck playing the original anyway. In a nutshell, Kirby Air Riders is a racing game with a focus on constant, forward momentum. There is no accelerate button. Your machine will always propel itself forward. To brake, boost, or drift, you’ll press the B button. This, along with the left thumbstick to move your racer, will allow you to navigate you around tracks. As you come into a corner, you’ll hold B down, slowing your machine enough to make the turn. Releasing the B button will give your machine a temporary boost.

Other ways of getting boosts include hitting other racers with various power-ups or your spin move – which can be accomplished with a wiggle of the thumbstick. If all this sounds incredibly simply – good, that’s the point. The depth in the gameplay comes in a variety of ways, such as learning the tracks, learning the different power-ups, and learning the various machines. New to the franchise is the use of a second button which is for engaging Special Abilities once your special meter is filled. Each rider has a unique Special Ability, such as Kirby and his multi-slash attack, perfect for taking out competing riders directly in front of you.

Air Ride and Top Ride

Kirby Air Riders is filled with different ways to play, from racing to Stadium events (think: mini games). The two main race types is Air Ride and Top Ride. Air Ride is where the action takes place from the riders perspective. You’ll race on a variety of different tracks, including all the tracks from Kirby Air Ride and a bunch of new tracks. Top Ride changes the perspective to a top-down view, that feels more like racing matchbox cars. While Air Ride is my preferred race type, I still enjoy the occasional Top Ride.

Kirby Air Riders has a vast assortment of machines for riders to ride. This is important as each machine has unique abilities and are better suited for different types of races or events. And the best way to learn about these machines, and the various tracks, race modes, and stadium events is Road Trip.

Taking a Road Trip

Road Trip is Kirby Air Riders new-to-the-franchise single player mode. In it, you’ll race along various highways, encountering all manner of different races, modes and Stadium events. Road Trip is divided between various chapters, each taking you on a unique looking highway. As you drive along each highway, you’ll frequently come across other riders, usually in a set of three, where you’ll get to decide what mode or event you play next. There is very much a “choose your own adventure” approach to Road Trip, which makes it feel like you’re truly having a say in how the adventure progresses. Along the journey, you’ll come across new machines to add to your stable of available rides. You’ll square off against rivals and even boss fights, each unique in their own way.

None of the events take longer than a couple minutes. In fact, each chapter will only take you 10-15 minutes to complete. Special items you find along your Road Trip will also determine which highway you encounter after each chapter boss fight. This should add an element of replayability. Road Trip also features three separate difficult settings that you can adjust at any time.

Take Me Down to Skyah City

City Trial is one of the modes returning from Kirby Air Ride. In City Trial, you’ll compete against CPU characters or online against friends or strangers in the city Skyah. The first five minutes of City Trial has you exploring a decent sized city while looking for various items to improve your machine. There are many different categories to improve your ride, from Top Speed to Defense to Health and so much more. Other riders will be in the city with you, and if they attack you, you risk losing some of your machines improvements.

Various in-game events happen in City Trial, such as random boss fights appearing. After the five minutes have concluded, you’ll see just how improved your machine is and you’ll get to pick between four different Stadium Events. These short mini games range from gliding into a points board for a high score in Target Flight, taking out as many enemies as you can in Kirby Melee, hitting as many buttons as you can in Button Rush, and much, much more.

Stadium Events

You’ll want to pick the Stadium Event that best matches the machine you are riding and the various improvements you’ve made. For example, if your machine has excellent glide capabilities, you might opt for the Air Glider Stadium Event – assuming its one of the four available. Any other players that pick the same Stadium Event as you, will compete directly with you. In the end, your end rank will solely be based on that single Stadium Event. On the rare occasion no one else picks the same event as you, you’ll win by default.

In truth, I’m still on the fence about City Trial. The five minutes in the city can be chaotic as you race around to try and improve your machine as best as possible. But then, it all culminates in a short Stadium Event that’s often over within 1 minute. I almost wish they did a best-of-3 Stadium Events after City Trial – to give players a better opportunity to compete for the win. You put so much effort into building up your machine, it’s a bit disappointing its over so fast. The other issue with City Trial is the city itself. While it does feature a varied landscape, its still a bit bland and after racing in it a handful of times, it does feel a bit stale. If there was a more randomized city, such as key locations appearing in different spots, that might have helped.

Paddock

The one mode that surprised me the most for being a ton of fun was the Paddock mode. In Paddock mode, up to 32 players can hang out in a lobby. Matches can be set up, including Air Ride, Top Ride, and City Trial matches. It’s a fun little hang out zone, and when you have a group of people chatting it up on GameChat, it’s even more fun. The lobby includes a jukebox to listen to your favourite Kirby Air Riders tunes. There is a window to view your competitors custom rides. And there is a massive screen where you can watch other players competing. If you have a group of friends, this’ll probably be the place you spend the bulk of your time.

Worthy Racer

This is not another Mario Kart game. The action can get very intense with a heavy reliance on learning each machines capabilities and using them to your advantage. There is a learning curve to Kirby Air Riders. There is a lot included in the Kirby Air Riders package. Plenty of riders, machines and customization options. Air Ride and Top Ride gets players into the action right away. The single-player Road Trip might only take someone a couple hours to complete, but there is enough there to justify multiple playthroughs. City Trial is a unique concept, but I feel there is a lack of payoff after the 5 minute city portion. Paddock is an excellent way to get all your friends together for some Kirby Air Riders action. With up to 32 players allowed in a lobby and the Switch 2’s GameChat ability, it can be quite a lot of fun.

Kirby Air Riders is a robust racing game for the Nintendo Switch 2 and the product of beloved game developer Masahiro Sakurai of Smash Bros. fame. While I do hope Nintendo has plans to add to the overall package with at least some new Air Ride and Top Ride tracks, there is still a wealth of content here for fans to enjoy. If you’re a racing fan or looking for something fresh to play with friends, Kirby Air Riders should be a strong consideration for your Switch 2 library.

***Kirby Air Riders key for Switch 2 provided by the publisher.***