‘Kirby Air Riders’ One Hour Direct Suddenly Made The Game A Must-Play
by Sage Ashford
Kirby Air Riders was one of the only surprises during Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal, and the lengthy Direct that followed this past August felt like it was putting all the cards on the table. Yet this new Direct — clocking in at over an hour long — featured director Masahiro Sakurai and proved there was far more waiting for gamers planning on buying Kirby Air Riders when it launches next month.
For starters, Top Ride, the mode from the previous game that involved doing a race from the top down perspective, makes its return. It includes all the aspects from main Air Ride mode, but adds special exclusive items to shake things up even more.
Next, they confirmed the addition of Road Trip, a new mode that effectively operates as Kirby Air Riders‘ story mode. It combines elements from Air Ride, City Trial, and Top Ride, offering a series of challenges to clear as players go through stages. While they progress, they’ll learn why Kirby and his allies have started racing. Other major elements mentioned include the Paddock, a new form of lobby for players to get together and set up matches; the Transform Star that swaps between being a bike and a standard flying machine; and the game’s customization, which stretches from the design of the Air Ride machines to player garages.
The full hour-long Direct also gave a glimpse at the full roster, while confirming that all the tracks from the original game will be finding their way in this new release. Much like Smash Bros. Ultimate, Sakurai mentioned he’s stuffed Kirby Air Riders with literally everything he could think of, meaning there’s no real reason for him to return for a third installment. He even went one step further, claiming there will be no DLC for this game, so the project that launches will be the complete edition. This Direct makes Kirby Air Riders feel like a must-play for Nintendo Switch 2 owners, with the only downside being there are barely any secrets left to be discovered when players pick up the game.
Players will be able to experience a demo November 8th-9th, then again from the 15th-16th, just before the game launches on November 20th.
