I finally had the chance to go hands-on with Kirby Air Riders on Switch 2, and I’ll be honest: I wasn’t expecting it to hit this hard. A new Kirby racing game in 2025 almost sounds like an odd throwback, a wink at the cult status of Kirby Air Ride on GameCube. But the moment I sat down with the demo, it became clear this isn’t just nostalgia fuel. It’s a full reimagining, designed from the ground up to take Kirby’s chaotic charm and fuse it with mechanics that could easily stand toe-to-toe with the biggest names in the racing genre.
Oh this one controls differently for sure
The demo began with a tutorial and within seconds, I was already unlearning habits from every other racer I’ve played. There’s no accelerate button here. No need to squeeze a trigger and manage speed. Your machine just moves. It never stops. At first it feels strange, even counterintuitive, but it quickly clicks. By removing the busywork of holding a throttle, the game shifts your attention to what actually matters: how you steer, when you boost, and how you use Kirby’s unique abilities to outplay your rivals.
The left stick takes care of movement, sliding you gracefully across the track or violently jerking you into another lane. The B-button, though, is where the magic happens. You tap it to drift into corners, building up a burst of energy that explodes into a boost if you time the release just right. It’s the kind of mechanic that’s easy to grasp but endlessly satisfying to master, rewarding your rhythm as much as your reflexes.
But B isn’t only about boosting, it’s Kirby, after all. That same button triggers his inhale, sucking up enemies scattered across the field and spitting them back out as projectiles. Do it right, and you’re not just dodging around opponents, you’re turning their presence into fuel for your momentum. Sometimes inhaling grants you Copy Abilities, layering even more depth onto what could’ve been a single-button trick. It all feels like classic Kirby injected straight into the heart of a racing game.
Pick your rider
Once the controls were in place, I jumped into character selection. And this is where the game really surprised me. Choosing a rider isn’t just cosmetic, it completely changes the flow. I started off safe, picking Kirby himself. Balanced, responsive, a jack-of-all-trades. It felt like the intended entry point, easy to understand but with plenty of nuance hidden in the edges. Then I swapped over to Meta Knight, and suddenly I was wrestling with a whole new beast. Heavier, bulkier, more aggressive. The kind of machine that bulldozes through obstacles but punishes sloppy cornering.
The difference wasn’t subtle. It was immediate and impactful, forcing me to rethink how I approached each section of the map. That was when it dawned on me: if just two characters can feel this distinct, how wild will the full roster be? From what’s been teased, we’re looking at a lineup that stretches well beyond Kirby’s usual suspects. King Dedede, Magolor, Gooey, Susie; each with their own stats, their own quirks, their own learning curves. It’s a layer of depth that goes far beyond the surface, and it already feels like it could fuel a proper competitive meta.
City Trial steals the show
The second phase of the demo threw me straight into City Trial, and let me tell you, it’s the beating heart of Kirby Air Riders. Imagine a sprawling urban playground buzzing with power-ups, hidden machines, random events, and rival riders all chasing the same goal: build the best ride you can before the clock runs out. You get five minutes, and those five minutes are pure chaos.
My first run was overwhelming. I zipped around grabbing whatever upgrades I could find, bumping into enemies, and barely making sense of the madness. But even then, the thrill was undeniable. By the second run, the rhythm began to emerge. You’re not just collecting at random, you’re putting together your machine to match whatever stadium event is about to come. Do you focus on speed? Handling? Offense? Defense? Those choices matter, and the game makes sure you feel the consequences.
Events in the city keep things unpredictable too. A meteor shower cracked open the sky in one match, scattering high-value upgrades across the map. In another, rival riders ambushed me out of nowhere, forcing me to use inhale-and-spit tactics just to survive. It’s part scavenger hunt, part battle royale, part preparation phase and somehow, it all flows into a cohesive loop that makes the eventual race feel earned.
Prove your skills in the Stadium
After City Trial ends, the real test begins: the stadium event. This is where everything you’ve collected pays off, or falls apart. In my session, I got thrown into two types of events. The first was a fruit-collecting challenge, where the goal was to scoop up as many pieces as possible before the timer hit zero. Because my build leaned into handling and acceleration, I thrived, zipping between corners and snatching fruit with precision.
The second event was a brutal straight-line dash, pure speed with no tricks. And here’s where I crashed hard. My stats were all wrong, and I paid the price, watching rivals blaze past me while my carefully tuned machine lagged behind. It was a humbling moment, but also the kind of failure that makes you immediately want to dive back in, adjust your approach, and try again. The game doesn’t just test your racing skills, it tests your ability to adapt, to read the situation, and to make the right calls before the starting line even drops.
A promising start
What I walked away with was a sense that Kirby Air Riders is so much more than a racing game. It’s a fusion of genres; part racer, part brawler, part strategy builder all wrapped up in a pink puffball’s trademark chaos. The accessibility is there; anyone can pick up a controller and grasp the basics within minutes. But underneath, there are layers upon layers of depth for players who want to dig in.
That’s what makes it feel special. It’s not just about memorizing tracks or shaving seconds off your time. It’s about character choice, machine building, stat balancing, and reacting to unpredictable events. Every run is different, every build unique, and every match a chance to discover something new.
The demo was just a glimpse, but everything I’ve seen suggests Nintendo and Sakurai aren’t messing around. The controls have been modernized without losing the spirit of the original. City Trial has been expanded into something that feels alive and unpredictable. And the promise of online modes, expanded rosters, and full multiplayer chaos hints at a game that could become a staple of the Switch 2 library.
Early conclusion:
I went in expecting a nostalgic callback, a lighthearted diversion. I walked out convinced that Kirby Air Riders is on track to become one of the most exciting and original racers in years. It’s chaotic, it’s strategic, it’s full of personality and above all, it’s a blast to play. If this is just the start, I can’t wait to see how deep this rabbit hole goes when the full game launches.