Kirby Air Riders is the latest Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, directed by the industry veteran and Kirby creator, Masahiro Sakurai. Dating all the way back to Kirby’s Dream Land for the Game Boy, Sakurai’s games have always been oozing with creativity and sharp game design. If early critic reviews are anything to go by, Air Riders is no different. Some reviewers even enjoyed it more than Mario Kart World.
Here’s a quick review score roundup from some notable publications:
- IGN: 8/10
- Siliconera: 10/10
- Video Games Chronicle: 4/5
- The Gamer: 4/5
- Nintendo Life: 8/10
- Press Start: 8.5/10
So, What’s All The Fuss About?
Initially, there was a bit of skepticism around Kirby Air Riders. This is a game that Nintendo hyped up considerably, with Sakurai leading the charge and dropping two almost hour-long Direct presentations. There, he talked about the game’s features, the design philosophy, and how he wanted to give the fans something accessible yet unique.
For those of you drawing the obvious comparison: this is not a Mario Kart World or Sonic Racing CrossWorlds competitor. Sure, this is the third big mascot arcade racer released this year, but it’s more akin to a Mario Party game than it is to Mario Kart. This new Kirby game focuses on various modes, race modes, and some formats that don’t have much to do with racing at all.
The City Trial mode is the best example of this sentiment. Here, you compete against 15 other players to explore the map, find machines, upgrades, and events to engage in to prepare for the ultimate showdown: the Stadium Contest. In this contest, you’ll compete with the players in one of four different challenges, and a lot of them are more about surviving or racking up points rather than winning a traditional race.
Road Trip mode also looks to be a fun narrative experience for solo players. You advance through different stages with themed locations and take on many challenges in the form of mini games. These can be as simple as a Top Ride race all the way up to a boss battle. It looks to be a lot of fun, even if the end goal is as simple as beating the final boss at the end of your journey.
This game looks to just focus on the purest aspects that make games fun. And that’s certainly very refreshing from a AAA game in 2025.
