Kirby Air Riders Review
- Matthew Rondina
- 22 hours ago
- 6 min read
Kirby Air Riders is a fun, heartfelt racer packed with speed, chaos and charm, my full review.
I’ve been waiting for a proper follow-up to Kirby Air Ride since the GameCube era, and it’s finally arrived on the Nintendo Switch 2. The original game was a unique little gem that is still one of Nintendo’s most daring spin-offs. When Kirby Air Riders made its surprise debut, I was shocked to see the franchise back, but eager to dive in. What immediately grabbed me was the amount of variety packed into the experience.
"What immediately grabbed me was the amount of variety packed into the experience."
It looks like a remix of the Mario Kart World experience, but it is entirely different. From the story campaign to the chaotic party modes, from unlockable riders to deep machine customization, the game feels like a fully loaded celebration of everything that made the original special. And honestly, I went in expecting a nostalgic ride, but what I found was a much more robust racing experience than I ever anticipated. Let’s dive into the full air riding experience in my full review.
Kirby Air Riders Details
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch 2
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: Sora Ltd. / Bandai Namco Studios
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Racing / Vehicle Action
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+
Kirby Air Riders Campaign Mode: Epic Road Trips Await
The story in Kirby Air Riders is found in the “Road Trip” campaign mode. It’s a surprisingly deep narrative for a racing game and comes packed with content. The way the story unfolds lets you experience different machine types, challenges and boss battles. Each of the 11 chapters feels like a bite-sized adventure through the various corners of Dream Land, letting you try out machines I might never have tried otherwise.
"Each of the 11 chapters feels like a bite-sized adventure through the various corners of Dream Land, letting you try out machines I might never have tried otherwise."
I always felt rewarded, whether I earned a new machine for mastering a track or unlocked a new character after pulling off a tough challenge. What I loved most is how this roster ties back into Kirby’s long legacy. There’s something magical about launching through a course on a sleek machine powered by characters I’ve grown up with.
Kirby Air Riders Gameplay - Boost, Drift, Glide, Repeat
The first thing that hit me the moment I started racing was the speed. There is a constant rolling momentum that starts the second the race begins, and I love it. The machines accelerate automatically, so all the tension shifts into how you steer, when you boost, how you glide off ramps, and when to fire off your special attacks.
"There is a constant rolling momentum that starts the second the race begins, and I love it."
It’s straightforward: left stick, a button for boosts, and one for specials. But once I started swapping between machines, I realized there’s more depth under the hood than the controls let on.
Mastering the Air Ride Balance
Some machines glide like feathers. Others hit the ground like anvils. Some handle like precision tools, others feel like a shopping cart with a rocket strapped to it. Learning how each one behaves became half the fun and half the chaos, especially when I pushed myself to master landings and drift boosts.
Play the Air Riders Tutorial to Maximize Your Experience
My biggest tip: play the tutorial. Seriously. I usually skip them because I’m stubborn, but here, the tutorial is key to getting the most out of the experience. After I went through it, everything clicked: the shortcuts, the rhythm, the angles, the flow. This isn’t a karting game, and you’ll get so much more out of the experience by exploring the subtle nuances of the air riders' experience through the tutorial.
Incredible Racing Mechanics
The game has standout mechanics once you get the hang of things: smooth drifting, the incredible sense of speed, how kinetic and responsive boosts feel, and a few weak spots too. With acceleration handled automatically, I sometimes wished I had more control in my hands. And the simplicity, while great for accessibility, can occasionally make things feel a bit too light. But overall, I had a blast with the moment-to-moment racing.
Top Ride Mode: Chaos in a Tiny Package
Top Ride returns from the GameCube original, featuring a miniature form with tiny courses, a top-down view, and quick bursts of racing fun. It definitely feels like a playful throwback; it’s cute, quick, and chaotic, and it adds nice variety to the package. That said, I found myself always drifting back (no pun intended) to the main races. Top Ride is fun, but the heart of the experience definitely lives elsewhere. I still appreciate that it’s included, though; it feels like a small, but welcome nod to longtime fans.
City Trial Mode: Multiplayer Pandemonium
City Trial is where the game completely lets loose. Sixteen riders drop into a sprawling city, scrambling to power up their machines with whatever parts they can find. You’ve got five minutes of pure scavenger-hunt chaos, smashing boxes, stealing upgrades, ram-raiding other riders, and sometimes discovering events on the map that completely warp the flow of the match.
Once the timer hits zero, everyone gets thrown into a showdown: a race, a battle, or some oddball challenge. And this is where things got unpredictable in the best (and occasionally frustrating) ways. Sometimes I’d enter the finale with a souped-up beast of a machine and win by a mile. Other times, I’d get a challenge that didn’t suit my setup at all and instantly wipe out. That’s City Trial part strategy, part luck, and all beautiful, zany chaos.
Kirby Air Riders Graphics & Performance — Better, Brighter, and Faster
On Switch 2, Kirby Air Riders looks and runs incredibly well. The artistic direction leans fully into Kirby’s signature charm: bright colours, playful track design, and scenery that feels almost hand-crafted. Every course has its own flair: floating islands, neon cityscapes, pastel dream worlds, mechanical arenas and the branching paths make exploration rewarding.
Performance is rock-solid. I played at a consistent 60 fps in single-player and local multiplayer, and even the massive 32-player online lobbies held together with rock-solid performance. Races felt smooth, inputs responsive, and I never had a moment where performance issues took me out of the action. Even the online invite and matchmaking system feels polished and intuitive. This is one of the most visually confident spin-offs I’ve played.
Final Thoughts on Kirby Air Riders
After sinking a ton of hours into Kirby Air Riders, I walked away feeling incredibly satisfied. It’s fast, fun, expressive, and packed with personality. There are some rough patches, sure: the simplified controls won’t be for everyone, and a couple of modes lose steam after a while. But the highs are very high: the gorgeous tracks, the buttery performance, fun City Trial antics, and the sheer charm of controlling Kirby and friends in a polished, modern racer. If you’re a Kirby fan, a multiplayer fanatic, or someone who just wants a racing game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is absolutely worth the ride.
Kirby Air Riders PROS
+Fast, fun racing with tons of personality
+Great roster of riders and machines with satisfying unlocks
+Excellent performance and beautiful track design
Kirby Air Riders CONS
-Controls may feel too simple for some players
-Top Ride mode loses novelty quickly
-City Trial finales can sometimes feel hit-or-miss
Overall Assessment of Kirby Air Riders
Gameplay: 8/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Lasting Appeal / Replayability: 7/10
Kirby Air Riders Overall Rating: 32/40 = 80%
Nintendo provided a copy of this game in order to conduct this review.
About the Author - Matthew "Dapper Tux" Rondina
Matthew has been involved in all things gaming since the 8-bit era. He is a video game and tech industry veteran who has been passionate about technology and gaming for over 20 years. In addition to being the Managing Editor of dappertux.com, he has bylines with Best Buy, Cineplex Entertainment, Mobile Syrup and Walmart. Follow Matthew’s gaming + tech adventures on multiple social platforms with the handle @dapper_tux via X, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and join in on the fun!
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