Review: Kirby Air Riders

Kirby Air Riders is a chaotic and colourful racer that delivers a lively experience, although it asks players to adapt to controls that feel unconventional and unintuitive. It shines when the action gets wild, but the learning curve may test your patience before the fun fully settles in.

Since I never played the original, I approached Kirby Air Riders without expectations. The first hour and the plodding tutorial was a challenge. Eventually, after easing up on my usual kart racer instincts, the flow began to make sense.

Graphics

Kirby Air Riders immediately makes a strong first impression with its bright, saturated visuals. Environments are packed with movement and colour, and although the art direction leans toward simplicity, it works well within the series identity.

Tracks vary enough to keep repeat races visually interesting, with each stage featuring small touches that reward attentive players. I recently played Kirby and the Forgotten Land so I was whizzing past the levels with a warm sense of familiarity.

The game performs consistently, with stable frame delivery even during crowded moments where multiple riders, projectiles and effects fill the screen at once.

Character models are expressive, animations are smooth, and the improved hardware helps the game avoid the visual compromises that often appear in late generation ports. This is a title built around charm rather than fidelity, and within that space it succeeds confidently.

Gameplay

The gameplay is the most divisive aspect of Kirby Air Riders, particularly for newcomers who may expect the more conventional handling of a typical kart racer like Mario Kart World.

At first the steering feels loose and imprecise, and the automatic forward propulsion demands a different mindset compared to racers where acceleration is manual and drifting is intuitive. Early races often involve bumping into walls or missing corners entirely, which can be discouraging for players who want a sense of control from the outset.

The system reveals more nuance over time with momentum, positioning and timing playing central roles, and once you begin syncing your movements with the boost and drift mechanics, the game opens up considerably.

I went in expecting a simulacra of Mario Kart and I ended up feeling like I was playing a squishy marshmallow version of F-Zero X (Nintendo’s version of WipeOut if you want to trigger people).

Copy abilities further diversify each run by introducing defensive or offensive tools that can swing a race. Items are not simply chaotic distractions, but components that influence the risk and reward of your racing line.

Game Modes

Kirby Air Riders offers a respectable variety of modes that broaden its appeal. Standard races cater to players who prefer quick, focused sessions. Combat modes introduce a more direct competitive flavour, turning the track into an arena where managing your machine’s health becomes as important as finishing first.

The expanded City Trial mode is a fun experience. You explore a compact open environment, collect upgrades, sabotage opponents, and prepare for a final event that could be a race, a challenge or a survival test. This creates a refreshing loop that encourages experimentation and replay.

There is also a top down mode which reminded me of the old classic isometric racers like Micro Machines, but like the other modes, I struggled with controls.

My son and I spent most of our play-through in the fun single player mode and it had a great sense of progression as we unlocked various items while shuffling across the missions.

Switch 2‘s improved online architecture helps deliver more stable multiplayer sessions, although as always, local play remains the most enjoyable way to experience the chaos. The mixture of modes ensures that both newcomers and returning fans have something to latch onto, even if mastery of the controls remains a hurdle.

The game retails between R 1 700 – R 1 800. It feels a bit pricey but is par for the course for Nintendo. Value is subjective and while it’s not as expensive as Mario Kart World, it still stings, doubly so knowing that Nintendo rarely discounts its games.

For those who want something different to Mario Kart, Sonic Crossworlds just released on Nintendo Switch 2 and is about R 500 cheaper.

Final Verdict

Kirby Air Riders is a racer that rewards patience as much as reflexes. It offers colour, charm and creativity, supported by performance that takes advantage of the Switch 2 hardware. While the controls may alienate players who want immediate mastery, those willing to learn its unique rhythm will find an experience that feels different from the rest of the genre. If you value experimental design and multiplayer fun, this is worth considering. If precision handling sits at the top of your priority list, it may not become a favourite.