Hands-on: Kirby Air Riders — wild new racing from Sakurai
Release date: November 20, 2025 — Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Kirby Air Riders reinvents the cult-classic Kirby Air Ride with higher speeds, bigger arenas, and a roster of familiar faces like Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Magolor. Directed by Masahiro Sakurai, the sequel leans into chaotic vehicular combat and arcade-style racing that rewards aggression, momentum management, and well-timed boosts.
Key features
- Expanded roster with character-specific stats and special attacks.
- Vehicles with distinct handling — boost, drift, and momentum-based mechanics.
- New special-ability meter for powerful character-specific moves.
- Return of free-for-all action stages and an evolved City Trial-style mode with dynamic events and mini-games.
- Fast, chaotic races that can turn in an instant — aggressive play is rewarded.
Impressions from PAX West 2025
After an hour of play at PAX West, the game’s fast pace and aggressive systems stood out. Controls remain deceptively simple: automatic acceleration, a stick for movement/momentum, plus a boost button — but mastering drifts, power spins, and timing is where the depth lies. City Trial felt like a colorful, hectic mini-open-world full of surprises and emergent moments.
Races can get diabolical — CPU rivals snatched wins in the final seconds — and the new special ability button adds another layer of tactical decision-making. It can take time to find your flow in the chaos, but once you do, the spectacle is highly satisfying.
Why it matters
Kirby Air Riders stands apart from traditional kart racers by injecting non-genre mechanics and a reckless, go-for-broke energy that makes each race feel unpredictable and exciting. It’s a fresh, bold direction for the Kirby franchise on Nintendo’s next console.
Official details and preorders: Nintendo product page for Kirby Air Riders
What do you think — will you be racing on Nov 20, 2025?