Mario Kart World is great. I admit, that’s a weird way to start a review about Kirby Air Riders, the other Switch 2 launch window racing game direct from Nintendo. Bear with me. That game? It’s a strong, solid title for a new system. But the thing is, I think Masahiro Sakurai’s racer is better. There are so many modes in Kirby Air Riders to enjoy and such an array of unlockables that it always feels rewarding to play. There’s a sense of excitement that comes from the dopamine rush generated from every race here that makes it feel more fulfilling. I really enjoy playing it alone or online with others. It’s truly a perfect follow-up to the GameCube original.
When I bring up how robust Kirby Air Riders is, that applies to every part of the experience. Upon starting it up, you can go through Air Ride, City Trial, Lessons, Road Trip, and Top Ride. Each one feels different, though Road Trip will “borrow” minigames and elements from the three other major modes. Every one of them except Road Trip could be played alone or in multiplayer both locally or online. Going through all of them will unlock things like Riders, Machines, and customization elements for any kind of action or accomplishment you can think of, with all of them being accessible solo and offline and none tied to online-exclusive elements.
A new feature in Kirby Air Riders is the actual ability to choose your Rider in addition to your Machine. While the series always involved a range of machines that each featured their own specializations and traits, with familiar ones returning alongside new ones for this sequel, choosing your avatar adds additional perks. Characters can have different starting traits, such as Chef Kawasaki getting more health from food items picked up or the extra nimble Rick. But what really matters is their Special, as folks like Rick and Susie get additional boosts of speed while Waddle Doo and Scarfy get more firepower and abilities to attack anyone around them. So from the very start, we’re getting a lot of customization items that let us choose a driver and vehicle that complement our style of play.
While not on the scale of The Subspace Emissary from Super Smash Bros Brawl, the Kirby Air Riders Road Trip campaign feels like it offers the same sort of vibes. After selecting a Racer as your playable character, you’ll drive along a road through various chapters. As you go down the road to an unknown destination, three options will come up frequently and ask you to pick one. These could be quick races from Air Ride or Top Ride with specific objectives or Field Events and Stadium challenges City Trial. Sometimes, there’ll be a “boss” event that could be a rival race, or a stronger-than-expected foe will drive up and replace an option. You might get a store with power-ups and stat bonuses. A new Machine could come up to switch to and add to your roster. One option in each route will always be an “ally” who, by picking them, will determine what the next chapter you head to will look like when you continue to drive down the dividing paths. Succeeding in each one boosts your Rider’s stats and level, leaving them better prepared for things to come.
I genuinely adore it. As much as I love City Trial, I think Road Trip is the ideal way to play Kirby Air Riders in so many situations. Did you just start the game and finish all the tutorials in the Lessons section? Play Road Trip to practice your skills in a safe environment that gradually scales in difficulty. Looking for a diverse experience with a little bit of everything the game has to offer? See what all the modes, minigames, and race types in Road Trip. Want to work on unlocking Riders, Machines, customization elements, and miles for shopping? The stage and challenge diversity in chapters is enough to tick off tons of boxes.
But speaking of City Trial, it is the other stand-out mode in Kirby Air Riders, just as it was in the original GameCube game. This is a large island with a number of different biomes on it similar to the map from the original GameCube game’s mode. It feels like the island we knew and loved developed and expanded, adding more to do. I found at least eight people seemed like an optimal number to compete against here, though 16 also seems pretty great. (Team battles also seem great!) Your goal is to collect Patches that will increase your Rider’s stats, such as boost, charge, defense, glide, HP, offense, top speed, turn, and weight, so you’re prepared for the final Stadium challenge at the end of the round.
However, prior to that, random events can come up that can involve brief challenges or minigames. You can also find new Machines to swap to for better odds in the final “fight.” And before that, it’s also a good idea to target other Riders to steal their patches or get them off of a potentially powerful Machine, though being successful in that will make you their “Rival” and give them more items if they find you for revenge and defeat you. It’s so much fun, and the fact that you can opt to call a vote for the Stadium challenge at the end is great. The only downside I can see is that I sometimes wished some of the events would come up during the pacifist Free Ride option that lets you explore, so I could get some intel.
Aside from those more focused and intensive City Ride and Road Trip modes, Kirby Air Riders offers two types of races to choose from, each with modes that add extra diversity such as a standard race, a relay where each player on a team handles a different lap, and time attack. Top Ride feels like a classic, arcade-style racer with an overhead perspective and the whole track visible from above. You can even set free directional controls or a steer option that lets you only move left or right to drive. Your Machine always accelerates on its own, and you need to hold boost for drifting around corners. For this installment, that steering option is in the options and not tied to your Machine, so you can use any Machine and Racer for a more free experience, relying on your skill and items and abilities that randomly pop up to improve your odds of success.
Air Ride is the more traditional racing mode in Kirby Air Riders, which is 3D with a behind-the-driver perspective like Mario Kart World. As Sakurai noted, the controls are limited and fairly simple. Some elements are the same as Top Ride. A Machine is always moving forward on its own. You ideally drift around corners to take advantage of the boost and get a sharper turn. However, the real way to accelerate here is to attack other enemies either with acquired Copy Abilities from enemies on the track, spinning to hit, or Specials. Gliding is also necessary, allowing you to reach certain areas of some tracks or get a boost from landing in the right position. The Rider you pick and their Machine can lead to effect benefits that allow certain strategies to be more successful, so a lot of thought can go into winning. Again, it’s more strategic than you might think and great, but also easy to get into.
I know I’ve gone on for a while here about how great Kirby Air Riders is. (Did I mention it looks gorgeous and has an amazing soundtrack? It does!) But another element I ended up loving more than I expected is the Machine customization option and Machine Market. You can acquire and purchase extra machines from the Mile shop, then customize them with decals, stickers, lines, accessories, and other elements you buy with miles or earn via accomplishments in modes. While you only are limited to 20 decals/stickers/lines at a time, I feel like there’s so much you can do with that. Now, I’ve held back a bit since I do want to wait until I unlock at least another 20 decals and lines to get back into the “studio,” but so far I’ve customized Machines with an Animal Crossing Brewster’s Cafe logo, The Legend of Zelda Master Sword, and Pikachu, and I still feel like I’m only starting to scratch the surface.
Here, see how all three turned out so far for yourselves. The IDs for them, from left to right, are M7GMBLX6, MBC2T6J9, and MJ54FLY3.
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. There’s so much to do, and every mode feels well-realized and valuable.
Kirby Air Riders will come to the Switch 2 on November 20, 2025.
Kirby Air Riders
I knew I’d like Kirby Air Riders, since I enjoyed the original, but I didn’t expect it to feel stronger than Mario Kart World. Switch 2 version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
