"If Mario Kart World is a nice leisurely drive through the countryside, then Kirby Air Riders is screaming down a twisty mountain road at 2 a.m. while blasting Nirvana. Despite both appearing to be similarly styled racing games, they couldn't be more different - and where Mario Kart feels solid but safe, Kirby revels in its chaos, like a mischievous little demon."
"The original GameCube Kirby Air Ride was extremely divisive for its time, being shockingly hardcore and deep in spite of Kirby's reputation as one of Nintendo's more approachable franchises. I'm extremely pleased that this long-awaited follow-up hasn't lost any of that rambunctious energy, and even feels like it's truly trying to deliver on the vision of the original. It's the kind of weird and abrasive games I want on the Switch 2."
"Air Riders might feel initially simple, but what I loved the most about it at the end of my time was how relentlessly demanding the game is. Unlike Mario Kart, you don't need to hold a button to move forward; your ride will automatically do that on its own. Instead, you're controlling the direction, drifting and boosting, and the ability to point your ride's nose up and down."
Kirby Air Riders is a refined, upscaled spiritual successor to the 2003 GameCube Air Ride that restores the original's hardcore, rambunctious energy. Masahiro Sakurai returned to guide design toward more abrasive, experimental racing focused on aerial combat. Rides auto-forward while players control direction, drifting, boosting, and vertical pitch for nuanced movement. Combat is integral: striking rivals and enemies impacts race position and strategy. City Trial mode and race events return with expanded polish and depth. The game emphasizes skill, aggression, and chaotic fun rather than safe, casual karting, making it a standout, demanding racer suited to Switch 2 hardware.
Read at Inverse
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