The list of upcoming Switch 2 games is packed with major Nintendo franchises. The system is launching with Mario Kart World, and a month later we will have Donkey Kong Bananza, but there’s one other beloved mascot we learned will be hitting the system this year. Kirby Air Riders is a sequel to the cult-classic GameCube game Kirby Air Ride, both of which are directed by the legendary Masahiro Sakurai of Smash Bros. fame. Since this is likely most people’s first exposure to this Kirby spin-off, some might write it off as the lesser of Nintendo’s racing franchises but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Here’s everything you need to know about Kirby Air Riders.
Release window
We don’t have a specific date for Kirby Air Riders yet, but know that it is coming sometime in 2025. Odds are that this will be a fall or winter game, but we will have to wait and see.
Platforms
Kirby Air Riders will not be a cross-gen game and is coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch 2. If you want to get in on the action, you will need to make the upgrade.
Trailers
The brief trailer for Kirby Air Riders we saw during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct didn’t feature any real gameplay but just a cinematic teasing the game’s existence. It opens with a falling star that Kirby struggles to grasp and power up to begin piloting. He then hits a lush green course and starts racing against other Kirby variants before the title drop.
Despite being a sequel, the original Kirby Air Ride didn’t have a story, and we don’t suspect this one will be any different. If it does, there’s nothing hinted or spoken about it out there at this time.
Gameplay
While we don’t see any real gameplay in the initial trailer, we can speculate based on the original game. Kirby Air Ride was unique because it was a one-button racer. You picked from one of several Kirby characters and vehicles with different stats and controls. Each vehicle automatically accelerates while a single button is used to brake, drift, and use different abilities.
The original also had three main game modes, including the standard races, a top-down mode, and the City Trial mode, where players explored an open city environment to collect upgrades for their vehicle before minigames started on a timer.
The only characters, and we use that term loosely, shown off so far is Kirby and three other color variations. We feel fairly safe in saying the final roster will include many more familiar faces for the Kirby universe, such as King DeDeDe and Waddle Dee.
Preorder
Until a firm release date is given, we won’t see any preorder details for Kirby Air Riders. Check back here for updates as they are released.