Kirby Air Riders

I knew I’d like Kirby Air Riders, since I enjoyed the GameCube original, but I didn’t expect this game to feel stronger than Mario Kart World. It’s so enjoyable and robust. There’s room for both racers on the Switch 2, of course. But if I had to pick a favorite and never touch the other game again, I’d pick Kirby Air Riders every time.

As oddball as the puzzling puffball on the cover, Kirby Air Riders is a spectacular example of twisting preconceived expectations into something weird, wonderful and altogether incredible – inviting you to go fast and kick arse in equal parts.

Kirby Air Riders is pure adrenaline! It's the return that few expected but many longed for. A game that combines accessibility, style, a good level of customization, numerous challenges to tackle, and an infinite amount of content. The game's spirit and numerous game modes offer variety and a fun-filled experience. Technically solid, artistically top-notch, and with an explosive soundtrack, Sakurai's new project is one of Nintendo's best games of this year.

Playing Kirby Air Riders is like learning a new language – it takes a lot of compromise, and it’s not for everyone. It’s those who master the basics who will soon find many new ways to approach each game mode, providing depth and replayability. If you meet Kirby Air Riders on its own terms, you will be rewarded with a gauntlet that’s bursting with thrills, depth, and charm.

Kirby Air Riders really didn't need a combined 107 minutes of Nintendo Direct presentations to sell players on its merits, because it only takes a few races to see how fun it can be. Road Trip mode's imbalanced win conditions will divide players, but the brilliantly diverse Road Trip (which is built with multiple playthroughs in mind) and the hefty 750-mission Checklist ensure solo players have plenty to do.

Still, while Kirby Air Riders won’t be remembered in the countdowns of Nintendo’s greatest games, and certainly won’t have the longevity that Sakurai brought to Smash Bros., it’s a fun distraction and the kind of thing that you’ll pick up every six months or so for a quick blast and laugh. And sometimes that’s all a game needs to be.

The most baffling Nintendo release of recent years, with a quasi-remake of one of the GameCube’s worst games, that seems specifically designed to irritate and confuse would-be players.

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE… A RACING GAME THAT DEFIES THE RACING GENRE: Kirby Air Riders is the kind of game that only comes from a director who understands physics, momentum, and player expression at a fundamental level. Where most modern racers drown in content bloat, Air Riders builds its identity on something rarer: a physics engine so intentional that mastery becomes its own reward. Every drift, glide, and spin is governed by weight and friction. Combat isn’t chaos—it’s choreography. Once the mechanics click, the game reveals a depth that most of the Critics simply failed to reach. ROAD TRIP - THE ADVENTURE MODE I ALWAYS WANTED: Unlike the repetitive Adventure modes in Smash Ultimate, Road Trip is a full Kirby journey built around machine growth, cinematic storytelling, and surprisingly deep lore. While the plot is thin, the sense of progression is outstanding. It teaches physics through play, and by the time the campaign opens up, it becomes one of the most satisfying single-player experiences in the genre. AIR RIDE, TOP RIDE, AND THE BEAUTY OF PURE MECHANICS: Air Ride is momentum-driven racing at its finest—Copy Abilities are tactical tools, not random items. Even Top Ride, which I expected to be filler, is a tight, addictive, skill-based mode where physics still matter at a different scale. Together, they form a package with zero wasted space. CITY TRIAL: EMERGENT STORYTELLING THROUGH PHYSICS: City Trial remains the crown jewel. Five minutes in Skyah—a brilliantly designed vertical sandbox—produces more emergent stories than most games manage in hours. Every session creates a memory: a rooftop duel, a last-second part find, or a perfect build for an unexpected final event. Skyah is nearly perfect; and while it is currently the only map, nothing else in the racing genre comes close to providing this level of variety. A SOCIAL EXPERIENCE BUILT ON GENEROSITY: With GameShare, two-player online co-op from a single console, and rock-solid netcode, this is one of the most player-friendly racers ever released. Grand Prix being locked to online play is a minor limitation, but the overall social design is so thoughtful that it barely dents the experience. PROS: Physics engine that rewards mastery; Combat that feels like a fighting game on wheels; Road Trip offers real progression and excellent cinematics; Air Ride and Top Ride are endlessly replayable; City Trial’s Skyah map is a near-perfect sandbox; GameShare and stable netcode. CONS: Road Trip’s story is a bit thin; Grand Prix is locked to online play; City Trial only features one map. FINAL VERDICT: Kirby Air Riders is a misunderstood masterpiece—a physics-driven combat racer with depth and identity that critics overlooked. Its flaws are minor compared to the brilliance of its systems. For players willing to learn its rhythm, this is the most unique and rewarding game of the generation. A true 10/10.

Grundsätzlich ist das Spiel gelungen und kann viel Spaß machen. Allerdings lässt die Motivation bei einem zweiten Rennspiel dieser Art relativ schnell nach. Wer gerne online spielt, trifft zudem häufig auf leere Lobbys.Offline hingegen überzeugt das Spiel durchaus: Es gibt schöne Spielmodi, und Spaß kommt definitiv auf. Der „Story“-Modus ist meiner Meinung nach allerdings eine Enttäuschung und bleibt deutlich hinter den Erwartungen zurück. Außerdem frage ich mich, warum Nintendo innerhalb eines Jahres – genauer gesagt innerhalb von etwa sechs Monaten – gleich zwei Rennspiele veröffentlicht hat.

Kirby is back! Not as a platformer, but as a racing game and a direct sequel to Kirby Air Ride. Fans have waited 22 long years for this moment. Releasing during the strong racing game era of late 2025, it faced stiff competition from Mario Kart World and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. The big question is: does it keep up with the competition, or does it fall flat?PACKED WITH CONTENTThis game promised more than just standard racing, and it absolutely delivers almost to a fault. There’s so much content here that it can feel overwhelming. Alongside traditional races, there are three additional modes. Top Ride is a simplified, top down racing mode with small tracks designed for quick matches. City Trial is a two phase mode where players explore a large city, collecting stat boosting power-ups before competing in a randomized stadium challenge using their vehicle. Lastly, Road Trip is a story driven campaign where Kirby travels across branching paths, completing challenges, collecting new machines, and uncovering a mystery behind the strange behavior of the Air Ride vehicles. On top of all that, each mode has its own set of challenges that reward hardcore completionists with customization options and online bragging rights. There’s truly something here for everyone.SIMPLICITY ISN’T ALWAYS BETTERAir Riders features some of the simplest controls I’ve ever seen in a racing game only four buttons. On paper, that sounds incredibly accessible, but in practice, the learning curve is surprisingly steep. It took me a while to feel comfortable playing well, though the game’s excellent tutorials do a great job easing you in. At first, I thought this might just be a personal issue, but after inviting friends over for a game night, the same struggles popped up. This isn’t as pick up and play friendly as other racers, which is disappointing since I usually buy racing games for casual group fun. That said, if you enjoy mastering systems and overcoming a challenge, this game is right up your **** FAST TO HANDLEOne thing I have to praise Air Riders for is its presentation. The visuals are gorgeous, with each stage feeling distinct and carefully crafted. Every track has its own standout music, and dynamic environmental events making the worlds feel alive as you race through them. Unfortunately, this is also where my biggest issue lies. The game moves extremely fast so fast that it’s hard to appreciate any of that detail. With blistering speeds, constant collisions, and chaotic player movement, everything can feel overwhelming. I often found myself unable to fully enjoy the environments, which dampened my overall experience and made it harder for me to come back to the game.ALMOST A POP STARKirby Air Riders is undeniably fun and offers a ton of content for a wide range of players. However, the issues mentioned above significantly affected my enjoyment. I found myself playing it less frequently than other racing games on my Switch. While I still recommend it, this isn’t a game for everyone. It’s likely to develop a dedicated cult following, especially among players who love high-speed chaos and a challenge to master.7/10

En pocas palabras, juego muy aburrido, con gameplay errático y poco gratificante. El gameplay es súper simple, sólo un botón, lo que lo hace aburridísimo de jugar, sólo tiene 4 modos, de los cuales 2 son carreras (uno normal y otro desde arriba), 1 es el "modo historia" el cual no está mal del todo, pero aun así es repetir lo mismo una y otra vez, y el último modo es el único salvable, las pruebas urbanas, pero ese modo también se hace aburrido al poco tiempo, pues son partidas de 5 minutos, por lo que a las 2 horas a mas **** habrás visto todo y aburrido ya. Como dije, el gameplay es horrible, las naves son muy dificiles de manejar y cada una tiene un control distinto, igual con los personajes, lo que lo hace abrumador. El hecho de que un mismo botón sirva para: Absorber, cargar, frenar, derrapar ,atacar y bajar (cuando estás volando) hace que el gameplay sea desastrosamente simple, errático y poco preciso. Las carreras "normales" es donde se nota que el juego está mal planteado, no hay forma de alcanzar a los demás si te quedas un poco atrás, pues no hay objetos como en Mario kart, esto sumado a que son sólo de 6 jugadores (si no me equivoco) hace que las carreras sean: sigue recto, derrapa si puedes, chocarte con las paredes y poco más. Para rematar hay poca gente jugando online y el doblaje en español de españa, muy posiblemente sea de los peores que he visto en toda mi vida, no se puede narrar un juego tan bonito visualmente con tan pocas ganas, logra un contraste que hace que el juego como producto parezca aún más mediocre. En resumen, juego con gameplay mal planteado, lo vendieron como que tenía mucho contenido (y es cierto) pero ese contenido es insuficiente si el core del juego es repetitivo y aburrido. Visualmente precioso pero los gráficos no le salvan, para mí no llega ni al aprobado sinceramente. Sólo recomendable si lo encuentras por 20-25 euros y no 60-70

The majority of the content is carried over from the previous title, which is now 22 years old. I realized quickly that this game doesn’t actually look much better. The new maps feel even shorter and feature even more "on-rails" segments. While the racing is fun, no one really wanted to play it—especially given how poorly balanced the AirRiders **** top-down mode, much like the racing, is more or less the same, with minimal or disappointing additions. Yes, there are new maps, but for the most part, they aren’t as good; they feel short and lack replayability. The creator, Masahiro Sakurai, claimed that a roster of 24 racers—like what Mario Kart World has—felt like too many, but after playing, I can honestly say that more variety would have only **** biggest "kick in the teeth" for me is the City Trial mode. It’s bizarre. I can’t say for sure if it’s smaller, but it feels that way. Even where it is technically larger, it doesn't feel expansive; there are just more underground areas. There is an island off in the distance that I have no idea how to reach. Even using the best flying vehicle with high stats, I couldn't fly there. I suspect you need a legendary vehicle or there is a hidden gimmick.Speaking of legendary vehicles: I have nearly 100 hours in this game and have yet to unlock them all because the process is purely based on happenstance. Since I play with others rather than alone, progress is slow. I’m sure it would go faster if I played in single-player and kept the AI easy, but this is a huge step back from the original. In the first game, you just had to find the parts; it wasn't an impossible grind that lasted over 100 hours.Finally, the nail in the coffin: after a 4–6 hour campaign mode, you don’t even get the real ending unless you collect every single vehicle. The game never explicitly tells you this; you have to Google it to find out, and by then, it’s far too late. I am not going to play for another several hours just hoping to get lucky with vehicle drops so I can see the "true" ending and the content locked behind it. That is an outrageous request for a game like **** top of that, the new music is just terrible. I wouldn’t recommend this game to most people. The creator has this bizarre idea that fewer buttons make a game "simpler" and therefore better, but that isn't true. Mapping every action to a single button through very specific taps and presses is something I managed to learn, but no one who has come over to play has enjoyed it. Because of this bizarre driving style, most people don't even want to try it—we just end up booting up Mario Kart World **** a side note, unlocking more vehicle edits requires playing daily limited activities. Getting the Kirby keychain was something I only got by grinding the daily activities like it’s a mobile app. It seems the creator actually expected you to be on this game every single **** bad this took 22 f$&@“ing years. RIP AirRide—what a shame.