This review was made possible by Popped receiving a review code for Kirby Air Riders.
The Nintendo Switch 2 has been out for nearly six months, and what a ride it’s been. Mario Kart World got our engines revving, Donkey Kong Bananza barreled its way into our hearts, and now, with the arrival of the holiday season, it’s time for Kirby Air Riders to really kick things into gear. Whether you’re a Kirby superfan, a racing game diehard, or you’re just looking for a shiny new game to pop into your Nintendo Switch 2, we’re here to dive into the game’s mechanics and modes to see how things stack up. So hop on your Warp Star, fasten your seatbelt (although I’m not sure Kirby has one of those), and get ready for a wild ride.
‘Kirby Air Riders’ Couldn’t Be Simpler To Play
It’s easy to wonder where Kirby Air Riders fits into the Nintendo ecosystem when Mario Kart World released so recently. Aren’t they both arcade kart racers? Put in the most basic terms… yes. But the simple genius of Kirby Air Riders is that it follows in the footsteps of its GameCube predecessor Kirby Air Ride when it comes to controls. For those unfamiliar with the original, here’s what that means: You only use a single button to race. It’s simple, yet creates a unique experience unlike any other. In one hand, there’s Mario Kart and other competitor kart racers. In the other there’s Kirby Air Riders… and that’s it. It’s created and mastered its own playing field.
Here’s how it works. Your machine (the game’s term for vehicles) auto-accelerates, and as you’d imagine, you steer with your control stick. Everything else is done by pushing “B.” The main mechanic is that when you hold “B”, your machine begins braking, but it also builds up Boost Charge, which then allows you to Boost Dash when you let go. It’s particularly useful for drifting around corners and getting a quick boost of speed coming out of them. The other use of the button is to inhale enemies standing around the course, which then copies their abilities (shooting fireballs, for example). Additionally, attacking enemies – and players for that matter – gives you a little speed boost as well. Another way of attacking is with a Quick Spin by quickly flicking the control stick left and right. Combine all of this with the Star Slide (drafting behind other riders for speed) and ramps for jumping and gliding, and you’re off to the races! While on paper it’s simple, in practice it’s not necessarily easy at first — but once you get the hang of it, it’s an addictive thrill to play.
Choose Your Rider In ‘Kirby Air Riders’
Part of what makes this game stand out from the Mario Kart series is the selection of riders and machines. While modern Mario Kart games have a few vehicle stats that create an enjoyable driving experience no matter what kart you choose, Kirby Air Riders has a whopping nine, and they’re far more impactful on what your gameplay experience is like. Want to glide higher and further than your opponents? Choose the Glide Star! Maybe you want to be on the attack? Try out the Battle Chariot. While any of these can work, it’s best not to look at the machines with a one-size-fits-all approach. For instance, you’re most likely going to have the best time racing the winding, sharp turns of Mount Amberfalls with the Wheelie Scooter and its skill for turning on a dime. That’s not to say other machines won’t work, but it’s best to test things out, see what you like, and find what feels right for each circumstance.
In that sense, Kirby Air Riders actually shares a lot more DNA with the Super Smash Bros. series than the Mario Kart series. It is developed under the same director, Masahiro Sakurai, after all. From the menus, to the modes, to the rider selection — the game looks and feels like a sibling to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in every way. Speaking of the riders, they are an equal part of the stat system here; they each have their own set of stats that you’ll want to take into account in combination with the machine you choose. But they also offer something that adds an extra dimension to gameplay: Specials. Remember when I said the game only takes one button to play? I may have fibbed a bit. A new addition to this entry in the series is the use of the “Y’ button to perform a Special when the meter is full. Kirby, for instance, begins to slash with the Ultra Sword. King Dedede can activate his Jet Hammer to blast through the course. And perhaps the most fun of all, Rick (a hamster, in case you didn’t know) can hop off his machine and run like crazy. All in all, the 20+ riders and 20+ machines mean there’s a play style for everyone.
The Many Modes Of Transportation In ‘Kirby Air Riders’
Air Ride is unquestionably the main course of Kirby Air Riders. It’s the standard racing mode, offering 18 courses — 9 are brand new, and 9 are Classic courses from the original game. There are far more hits than misses among the selection, and when they hit, they really hit. Cyberion Highway and Galactic Nova just might be the high points, offering smart, wildly engaging, and visually stimulating level design. There are the typical options to race with friends in split screen, with CPU, or even with players online. There’s even time trials and a test mode, both of which are great ways to try out rider/machine combos. While all of these Air Ride offerings are a blast, it’s the split-screen multiplayer that’s the standout. The easy-to-learn, tricky-to-master nature makes it great for anyone to pick up a Joy-Con and play. At first it may feel quite chaotic sharing a TV screen with so many colorful characters zooming through these often extravagant courses, but while the chaos never truly dies down, with a small amount of time, anyone should be able to get a grasp on things. A decent-sized menu of visual settings allow you to tone things down by changing your FOV or even giving characters a white outline, but ultimately, the visual chaos is just an inherent part of the experience.
Similar to Air Ride, is Top Ride — a top-down racing mode. It’s the same riders and machines, but on scaled down, bite-size versions of the Air Ride courses… sort of like slot car racing! While it’s a little less chaotic, it also has a little less depth to it. It’s perfect for little breaks between rounds of Air Ride with your friends, but otherwise Top Ride is a bit of a novelty, even given that it has online multiplayer support. Then there’s City Trial. This is where you’ll start to realize Kirby Air Riders isn’t just a racing game, it excels at being a party game. City Trial pits you against 15 opponents in a cityscape where you zoom around finding machines and stat buffs. Your machine’s stats are all at 0 when you start, so it’s up to you to build them up in the 5-minute time limit! You can attack opponents and steal their powerups, discover underground passageways full of machines, or even glide to an island full of loot that’s floating in the sky. All the while, random crazy events pop up, such as one that inverts everyone’s controls for a short bit. Once the time limit is reached, everyone votes on and competes in a final challenge; This can include minigames such as Dustup Derby, where you battle one another in an arena, Air Glider, where you glide as far as you can, or even just a standard race. And if just those sound like fun, you can always play them whenever you’d like outside of City Trial, in Stadium. But City Trial is well worth a try, and will likely have you wanting to come back for more, in both local and online multiplayer.
The final main mode is Road Trip, which compiles all of the experiences the game has to offer into a single-player campaign. Your rider drives down a 3-lane road, where you’ll approach other riders, who each have a bubble over their head with a game and a prize to offer. For instance, the left lane may have a rider offering a Top Ride race, while the middle may have one offering an Air Ride time attack race, with the right offering a round of High Jump (a Stadium minigame). Each one has a prize, usually in the form of stat buffs, because, similar to City Trial, you’re building up your machine from scratch. Most of Road Trip consists of levels where you make several of these choices, interspersed with a few other things such shops or boss battles. Ultimately, it feels like a bit of an afterthought compared to the other modes, but its great that its there for when you want to shake things up.
All of these modes are kept engaging by unlocking new riders, machines, and courses by completing a variety of goals. This progression system is displayed in the form of five mosaics (one for each mode, plus online) that fill in as you finish objectives. It keeps you wanting to try every mode and every course, so you can keep unlocking new things. Additionally, you can just outright buy new machines with Miles, the in-game currency you earn just by playing. So if you want a challenge, you can earn the vehicles, or if you just want to hurry up and try them all out, you can buy them. Miles can also be spent on cosmetics, including headwear for your riders, parts for your machines, or, most fascinating of all — custom user-created machine designs. Anyone can make and list these designs, and taking just one look at the shop, you’re likely to come across things such as a Warp Star that looks like a Clefairy or a Wagon Star mimicking a GameCube, to name a few. All in all, the list of unlockables and cosmetics are sure to keep things flavorful throughout your playtime.
‘Kirby Air Riders’ – Final Thoughts
Kirby Air Riders is part racing game, part party game, and wholly exhilarating. The sheer quantity of modes and options typical of Sakurai’s games should be enough alone to grab your attention, but it’s the quality of the chaotic racing experience that will keep your eyes glued to the screen. It’s a kinetic hit of adrenaline, a kaleidoscope of colors, and a rollicking good time to play with friends. While the single-player campaign leaves much to be desired, there is otherwise something for everyone across Air Ride, Top Ride, and City Trial. Kirby Air Riders is a blast, and is going to remain unmatched in the place it’s carved out in the Nintendo Switch 2 ecosystem.
Kirby Air Riders is now available for the Nintendo Switch 2. Check out the trailer below:
