"Kirby Air Riders": Chaos in perfection
19-11-2025
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Domagoj Belancic
"Kirby Air Riders" is pure, chaotic multiplayer fun. Without any battle passes or other live service bullshit. To enjoy the game, however, you have to get used to the unusual gameplay and the minimalist controls.
I almost gave up on «Kirby Air Riders». The first impression overwhelmed me. Colourful Kirby characters ride through a futuristic city on strange machines and fight each other. My much (!) too fast vehicle is constantly skidding through huge explosions and screen-filling particle effects. Chaos. Anarchy. Sensory overload.
What the hell is this game?
But I'm not throwing in the towel that easily - Kirby's not going to bring me to my knees, dammit. The Rocky training montage music is playing in my head. I play through all the tutorials several times, complete all the single-player challenges, practise advanced tricks and gimmicks. Over and over again until my thumbs are sore.
And suddenly it clicks. I see the matrix - the system behind the chaos. I understand the vision of legendary game director Masahiro Sakurai («Super Smash Bros.»). In short: I'm falling in love with «Kirby Air Riders».
Controls with just two buttons
«Kirby Air Riders» is a simple fun racer at first glance. It quickly reveals itself to be a unique game - even when it comes to the controls.
The vehicles accelerate on their own. I control them with just two buttons. The «B» button in particular is often used. I use it to brake, drift around bends, charge the turbo, suck in enemies and fire items. «I press Y» to activate my driver's special ability - this can be attacks, defensive abilities or speed boosts.
The deceptively simple controls turn out to be a clever game mechanic that requires a strategic approach. The multiple use of the «B» button in particular creates conflicts of objectives and forces me to rethink my approach compared to traditional racing games.
Should I drift round the bend with a long press on the «B» button? Or would I rather shoot fireballs with multiple, short clicks to hit the opponent in front of me?
Source: Nintendo
Another peculiarity of the controls is attacking. If I shake the left analogue stick, I activate a vortex attack. This mechanic causes me the most problems at the beginning. I can't trigger the attack reliably and keep steering my vehicle into walls instead of whirling enemies away.
With practice, however, the shake control becomes second nature. Knocking an enemy away with the stick is much more satisfying than it could ever be with the push of a button.
The different vehicles add another level of complexity to the controls. In contrast to a «Mario Kart», the cars are not only marginally different from each other, but control radically differently.
The «armoured star» is slow and can hardly get around corners, but knocks every obstacle out of the way. With the «paper star» I glide like a world champion, but am destroyed with just a few attacks. And then there are very special racing machines, such as the «Pyramis star». The vehicle does not accelerate automatically, but can only be controlled with repeated turbo boosts.
No, this is not «Mario Kart»
«Kirby Air Riders» offers a total of three multiplayer game modes - two of which are racing game variations.
In «Air Ride», six opponents race against each other on turn-based tracks. The track design is just crazy. In contrast, «Mario Kart» seems really tame. I race through virtual cyber courses, spaceships in space and through the sea, which divides before my eyes as if Moses were playing along.
The roads are repeatedly interrupted by sequences in which I am guided on rails through breakneck loops and other physically impossible sections. The pace of the game is extremely fast and I have no time to catch my breath or relax. The field of drivers is usually very close together and hundredths of a second can make the difference between victory and defeat at the finish line.
I really like how the game constantly gives me something to do while driving. Kirby's short, packed tracks are the antithesis of the often empty and wide open-world track design of «Mario Kart World». I constantly have to drift, jump, fly or smash opponents. I get items by sucking in enemies running around and copying their abilities. This is how I get swords, freeze other players, drill into the ground or roll around the track as a giant ball.
In both local split-screen and online multiplayer, the often short distances trigger the familiar «only one more round» feeling. It's just a shame that the single-player mode quickly becomes boring. It lacks a cup system or something similar to keep me motivated in the long term.
In the second race mode «Top Ride», up to eight riders compete against each other. In contrast to «Air Ride», here you race from a bird's eye view.
The miniature tracks remind me of «Micro Machines» games, which I used to play until I dropped on my first Playstation. The tracks are even shorter than in «Air Ride». The urge to play «just one more track» is therefore even greater. But here, too, it's annoying that there are hardly any reasons to stay longer as a solo player.
Optically, the tracks make a good impression - but only as long as I'm racing through them at top speed. If I slow down or stop my vehicle, I can see how poorly detailed the surroundings look. It is characterised by angular objects and muddy textures. However, the graphical limitations also have a positive side - the game always runs smoothly at 60 FPS.
The sound, on the other hand, is convincing in every mode and on every track. I can't remember when a game has bombarded me with so many catchy tunes as «Kirby Air Riders». Fantastic.
«City Trial» is addictive
The centrepiece of «Kirby Air Riders» is undoubtedly the «City Trial» mode. In this mode, 16 players compete against each other on an open map («Sky Garden»). In five minutes, the aim is to find the best possible machine and equip myself with «buffs». These give me advantages in important skill areas such as speed, manoeuvrability, flight or defence.
After these five minutes, I have to choose one of four mini-games to play. Some of my favourites: In «Kirby Battle», the driver who kills the most opponents in an arena wins. In «Formula Mampf», the aim is to eat as many snacks as possible that are lying around. And in «High Jump» and «Sliding Jump», flying skills are required.
Depending on which machine I drive and which buffs I collect, I have massive advantages or disadvantages in the mini-games. With an attack-optimised «tank star», my chances of winning the «Kirby battle» increase - but I am hopelessly outclassed in the «high jump» with the heavy hulk.
The extreme collecting frenzy is what makes this game mode so appealing to me. It's absolutely insane how much I can boost my stats.
When I collect speed boosts with an already fast vehicle, I race across the map at the speed of sound. It feels like cheating. Awesome.
Further variety is provided by numerous events in the five-minute phase, which further mix up the gameplay. For example, random boss battles and mini-races in which there are heaps of buffs to be won. Absurd gameplay modifications such as reduced gravity or slippery floors also cause chaos and always make me laugh. Sakurai has perfected the chaos in «City Trial».
My only criticism: The mini-games are too quick to get through. I put so much effort into crafting an overpowered machine and only use it for a few seconds at the end - depending on the mini-game. I'm also surprised that the sky garden mode only has one map. Although it is beautifully designed and full of secrets, some variety would have been desirable.
Exploring the world on your own
The «Road Trip» mode is the game's single-player campaign. The dark story stands in stark contrast to the otherwise colourful game world - typical of the «Kirby» series. The absurd story is staged with cinematically produced cutscenes reminiscent of «Super Smash Bros.». Very cool!
I choose a character and travel through a total of eleven worlds. I am repeatedly challenged to duels by NPCs. These are based on the game mechanics from «Air Ride», «Top Ride» and «City Trial».
Little by little, I'm getting to know all kinds of gameplay features. I also collect the buffs from «City Trial» along the way and, over the course of the two-hour story mode, create the perfect rider to hopefully take on the final boss.
What reads boring and repetitive on paper works brilliantly in practice. The «Road Trip» also has that «just one more time» feeling. In addition, the mode shines with numerous secrets and branches - I have to play through the mode several times to discover everything.
No bullshit, just love
I love the progression system in «Kirby Air Riders». No matter which mode I play, I get rewarded even for mundane achievements like «stay in the lead for 60 seconds» or «use your special ability 20 times». I am constantly unlocking new machines, drivers or decorative elements. I can use the latter to personalise both my vehicles and my virtual online driving licence.
I don't have to worry about in-game currencies, microtransactions and other live service stuff. «Kirby Air Riders» is a finished game without expansions. Director Sakurai explains why this is the case in the second «Direct» video for the game:
We don't have any DLC planned. All the content is here. I also have no plans to continue this series. Everything I had, I put directly into this game.
That's a statement for once. It's refreshing to play a multiplayer game that doesn't «want to tie me to the controller forever». No Forever Game bullshit. Instead, a project from the heart with a lot of love.
Although I celebrate this approach, I feel a touch of sadness. The game is so good that I just want more of it - especially solo content in the racing modes and more maps for the «City Trial» mode.
Don't give up!
Finally, a little anecdote from a multiplayer session with three colleagues. I organised this after my Rocky training session. It was amusing to see how the three of them reacted to their first contact with the game. Shock, amazement, being overwhelmed - just like I was.
As the game progressed, opinions within the group became more and more divided - depending on whether «clicked» with them. One colleague had fun despite the sensory overload, the other wanted to buy the game at launch and the third thought it was - and I quote - «just totally rubbish».
One thing is clear: «Kirby Air Riders» will polarise and not everyone will like it. If this article has made you curious, I advise you to take the risk - get the game. But, very importantly, don't give up, even if you keep asking yourself the same question for the first few hours of play:
What the hell is this game?
We talk about the game in detail in the Tech Affair podcast.
In a nutshell
Chaos in perfection
"Kirby Air Riders" is perhaps the most chaotic game I have ever played. The racer shines with minimalist controls that force me to rethink. The races on the crazy tracks are ultra-fast and addictive - even in the cute "Top Ride" mode from a bird's eye view.
The centrepiece of the game, "City Trial", is chaos in perfection. It's a lot of fun collecting buffs on the open battlefield and smashing away enemies. The feeling of having assembled an extremely powerful machine that I barely have under control is priceless.
The approach of dispensing with annoying live service bullshit is commendable. The downside of this decision is that I wish for more content in some modes that will never come.
Pro
- Unique game concept and controls
- "City Ride" is brilliant
- Catchy soundtrack
- no DLC, no expansions, "Kirby Air Riders" is a finished game
- top performance...
Contra
- ... but poor graphics
- I want more - especially in single player and "City Trial"
Header image: Nintendo
Domagoj Belancic
Senior Editor
Domagoj.Belancic@digitecgalaxus.chMy love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.
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