If there is one thing that could tempt Masahiro Sakurai out of retirement after Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it’s the chance to create his dream Kirby game. Kirby Air Riders, directed by Sakurai and developed by Sora, HAL Laboratory, and Nintendo, stands as a spiritual successor to Kirby Air Ride, which launched on the Nintendo GameCube in 2003. Sakurai has never been shy about how much Kirby, and this project in particular, means to him, so it’s exciting to finally see this game become a reality all these years later.

In the Kirby universe, living machines are created by Galactic Nova, and once they land on Planet Popstar, they wait for a rider with a strong enough will to claim them. These riders form bonds with their machines and become Air Riders. The narrative in Kirby Air Riders is drip-fed through cutscenes at the end of each stage of the game’s solo campaign, appropriately titled Road Trip.

The mode also serves as the perfect introduction to the game, gradually teaching you the different types of races, modes, the attribute system, and the various machines you can use. This includes learning the game’s unique handling. The two-button approach may be a turnoff for some; it certainly took me a while to get used to, and I found myself frustrated at times. But once it clicks, everything becomes intuitive, and it’s an absolute blast to play.

Each stage of Road Trip is broken into sections, and in most of them, you’ll compete in a series of events, such as races or mini-games, before facing the stage’s mini-boss and, eventually, its main boss. Rest stops between certain events let you choose an attribute, allowing you to shape your machine with different builds. You might boost your machine’s top speed and boost if you’re aiming for pure pace, or invest in offence and defence attributes to create a stronger, more combat-focused build.

At certain points during a stage, icons will appear; choosing one determines the theme of the next section. It gives the mode a slight roguelike feel, ensuring that no two playthroughs of Road Trip are ever quite the same. Overall, I was surprised by how invested I became in the story, and even after finishing it, there’s still plenty more to discover, including some familiar characters, giving the game a strong sense of replayability.

To simply call this a kart racer wouldn’t be right, because Kirby Air Riders is many games in one. Sure, you could call it a kart racer since that is definitely there, but sprinkle in the roguelike elements I mentioned, the rapid-fire variety of modes you would expect from Mario Party or WarioWare, and appropriately, the chaos of Super Smash Bros., and you get Kirby Air Riders.

There’s no better example of this than City Trial, a mode that drops players into a compact map and gives everyone five minutes to collect as many attributes as possible. Scattered across the area are various machines you can swap to at any time, letting you adapt your strategy on the fly. Once the five minutes are up, you’ll choose from four different stadium events, with the game recommending options that best suit the attributes you gathered.

Personally, I gravitated toward the Wagon and focused on top speed, boost, and turn attributes, which gave me a real edge in drag races, rail and other speed-focused events. City Trial is the star of the show for me, an endlessly fun mode, especially with friends. And if you happen to get the team stadium event, where everyone works together to take down a boss instead of fighting each other, it becomes even better. In those moments, everyone wins. Vs. Nightmare was my favourite thanks to its pretty visuals during fights.

Other modes include Air Ride, which offers a more traditional lap-based kart racing experience, and Top Ride, a top-down mode reminiscent of Micro Machines. Both can be played solo or online, including ranked modes, and each features time trials so you can push for your best possible runs.

Regardless of the mode, each event rewards you with progress toward a mural in the Collections menu, based on a variety of objectives that essentially work like an achievement system. Completing these objectives unlocks the game’s extensive roster of characters and machines, along with stickers and badges for your profile.

In classic Nintendo fashion, a gorgeous soundtrack accompanies you throughout. This is immediately apparent the moment the game’s beautiful intro theme greets you. Each stage in Road Trip features its own distinct track, while menus and races enhance the atmosphere with energetic battle music.

Visually, this is also one of the best-looking games on the Switch 2; cutscenes are beautifully rendered, and gameplay runs smoothly even when the action on screen gets chaotic.

Kirby Air Riders is a chaotic, charming, and endlessly replayable experience that blends racing, combat, and mini-game madness into something truly unique. While the two-button controls can take some time to master, once they click, the gameplay becomes a total blast. With its vibrant visuals, catchy soundtrack, and deep gameplay, it’s a must-play for newcomers and longtime fans of the original Kirby Air Ride.

Written by: Dylan Kocins