Kirby Air Ride is making a comeback. The Sakurai-directed racing title is one of GameCube’s most underrated titles, featuring fast-paced, competitive gameplay combined with Kirby’s signature ability absorption.
Now, it’s getting a sequel, Kirby Air Riders, for Nintendo Switch 2 later this year.
The hype for a sequel is real, and the game’s imminent release presents a perfect opportunity to look back at what was.
A Look Back at Kirby Air Ride
Kirby Air Ride launched in 2003 to a varied critical reception.
Some entities, such as Famitsu, had a great time with it, while others, like GameSpot, were less than enthusiastic.
The game is a bit simpler than many of its contemporaries, such as Super Mario Sunshine, Star Fox Adventures, or Luigi’s Mansion, but that simplicity is in line with Kirby as a whole. The pink blob has always been catered toward kids, presented as a streamlined experience for anyone to pick up and play.
Interestingly, the game doesn’t have you pushing down an accelerator like most racing games. Instead, Kirby and company ride forward automatically. You use the GameCube controller’s analog stick to move, and its big green A button for various actions, such as braking, drifting, or sucking up enemies to absorb their powers, Kirby-style.
While you can only play as Kirby at the start, you can unlock franchise characters like Meta Knight or King Dedede, each of which brings unique abilities and controls. The variety is great for multiplayer, as each player can choose their own character to race with.
Kirby Air Ride Game Modes
Kirby Air Ride has three game modes: Air Ride, Top Ride, and City Trial.
Air Ride
Air Ride offers up to nine courses, having you race against other players or the computer. Much like Sakurai’s other series, Super Smash Bros., there are two ways to play this primary mode: timed or laps.
Laps is like a normal race, having you compete with other players to cross the finish line first.
Timed mode also has you racing against other players, but instead of racing laps, you’re competing to get as far as you can before time runs out.
Top Ride
Top Ride is interesting. It involves smaller tracks and an alternate camera angle: a top-down view of the goings-on. It also has an alternate control scheme, depending on your vehicle of choice. It’s a decent variation on the base mode.
City Trial
City Trial is probably the game’s most underrated mode. It has you racing all around the world with a variety of other players, picking up new cars, weapons, and power-ups.
Over time, you’ll find ever rarer machine parts you can combine to acquire one of two Legendary Air Ride Machines, kind of like acquiring the three Dragoon pieces while playing Smash Bros. Sakurai really has his staple mechanics, doesn’t he?
City Trial is an epic time, and players are hoping it returns in the sequel.
What Does Kirby Air Riders Mean For The Series?
Kirby Air Ride is one of those GameCube series that felt like a one-and-done. Not because it was bad, by any means, but because Nintendo simply never seemed interested in making another one.
In fact, there’s even a rumor that Sakurai had to make a deal with Nintendo to even make the game. Popular industry interviewer Kiwi Talkz hinted that Sakurai may have had to use Kirby Air Riders as a “negotiating tactic,” and said he would only do another Smash Bros. if he could make the Kirby racer first.
Even so, the Switch has a history of blowing up less-popular IP. Luigi’s Mansion 3, with its many millions of sales, comes to mind.
We’ll have to see if Air Riders delivers in that same vein, propping Sakurai’s other passion project into new heights. The Switch 2 is selling like crazy right now, providing Air Riders with a massive potential player base.
