Like Mario Kart World before it, Nintendo showcased upcoming Switch 2 game, Kirby Air Riders, with its own special Nintendo Direct, showcasing all the new content coming to the racing game sequel when in launches this November.
Kirby Air Riders is a sequel to the 2003 racing game, Kirby Air Ride, which featured Kirby and friends in a simplified arcade racer on the GameCube.
The Direct leaned on Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai, best known now for the Super Smash Bros. series, and director of Kirby Air Riders (Sakurai also directed the original game).
In the original game, players could only play as Kirby (though his signature Copy ability provided several abilities). The sequel features many new Riders from the Kirby-verse, including King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Waddle Dee. Each Rider has their own weight, which affects handling, as well as special abilities and attacks.
To avoid giving Kirby an unfair advantage, Air Riders allows all Riders to Copy enemy abilities.
As with Mario Kart, players can mix and match Riders and Machines. Some are built for speed, and others for withstanding damage, or gliding through the air.
The controls have also been expanded. Machines still auto-accelerate, but Air Riders adds a second button. The B button allows players to stop and Boost Charge, like a Sonic dash. The Y Button attacks nearby opponents, and activates special abilities.
Air Ride Mode returns, featuring up to six riders. The fancy new mode is City Trial, which is set on Skyah, a floating island sandbox. In Skyah, players can drive around, collecting power-ups, upgrading their machine, and participate in pop-up events.
Stadiums are another new mode, featuring different sets of challenges based on collected power-ups. Up to eight players can compete via local wireless, or online with up to 16 players.
Kirby Air Riders will make an appearance at PAX West 2025 later this month, Aug. 29 – Sept. 1, including a hands-on demo. The arcade racer will launch on November 20 exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. It’s rated E10+.
