Kirby has been a reliable pink ball of fun for Nintendo for decades at this point and has had games in nearly every genre you could think of. One of the more well-known games, Kirby Air Ride, was trapped on the GameCube for years, with no hope for a rerelease or sequel. That was until Nintendo finally brought the Kirby racing franchise back into the public eye with Kirby Air Riders. Having not played the original, I was curious about what this game had to offer. Luckily, I got my chance at PAX Aus 2025 as Nintendo brought the game to the show and I thought it was the perfect time to see what I’d been missing out on.
Air Riders doesn’t play like any other racing game I’ve experienced, so it took a little getting used to. Instead of holding down a button or trigger to accelerate, you move forward automatically. In order to increase your speed, you need to hold the drift button to charge a boost. You can do this at any point, regardless of whether you’re drifting or not. This led to some interesting races that felt slow if you weren’t constantly boosting. The same button is also used for sucking in enemies to can their powers, so it’s a tricky balance of drifting, boosting, and power management that was fun once I wrapped my head around it.
I was able to try out two modes: normal races and City Trial, the new mode for this game. The races were what you would expect, involving three laps around a track. They’re fun, but I wouldn’t say it was my favourite racing game I’ve played. However, the 16-player City Trial is where this game truly shines, as it’s really fun. This mode involves a five-minute free-for-all in an arena (think a battle mode map from Mario Kart) where you collect different power-ups or switch to different vehicles. The aim is to boost your stats and be as prepared as you can be to win the mini-game that happens next (and win the whole thing). The game will recommend the mini-game that best suits your build, and then you can select which game you want to play. I had a boost build, so I went with a skydiving minigame where I had to hit rings while free-falling to get points. I can see the appeal of this mode, and it’s where I’ll spend most of my time in the full release.
Kirby has always been a bright and colourful series, and Air Riders is no different. Each area looked like it was ripped straight out of the main Kirby series, with a lot of bright colours and designs that just look whimsical. The characters, in particular, are all overflowing with personality, no matter what you’re doing. An example is when you drift as Kirby and his little feet flail in the wind, or if you hit a perfect boost, he turns around with a smile and winks. It’s just so adorable! Other characters like Waddle Dee have similar animations that make every second of this game enjoyable, even if you’re losing.
The track design didn’t seem like anything groundbreaking, as they were all pretty straightforward. However, I would assume the later tracks will ramp up the creativity. The City Trials arena was cool, with many different paths you can take to snag power-ups and complete challenges to gain an edge in the following rounds. I do hope there are more arenas instead of just one, just to keep things interesting.
Kirby Air Riders was an interesting experience. I didn’t click with the normal race mode all that much, but the City Trials are really fun and are what the game does best. I’m keen to experience more of both modes when the game drops in November.
Are you going to pick up Kirby Air Riders? Which character are you gonna main? What other old games deserve a sequel? Let us know in the comments where we can talk about all things Kirby.
