There are a lot of people who are likely on the fence about Kirby Air Riders. What better way to clear up the game’s core mechanics, updates, and gameplay than a direct from Mashahiro Sakurai himself! The racer is going to take players on a wild action experience across land, sea, and air, and seeing more of it will definitely give you a better idea of what’s in store. Plus, we know the release date now as well! Grab an Air Ride machine and hold on tight. Here’s a complete rundown for Kirby Air Riders Direct from August 19, 2025.

New Features and Mechanics in Kirby Air Riders for Nintendo Switch 2

If you know the history of Kirby Air Ride, you’ll know the criticisms lobbed at the original game on the GameCube. This sequel looks to offer more and is surely in good hands, as we learned Sakurai’s Sora Ltd. and Bandai Namco Studios, Inc. are behind the game. Sakurai previewed the new features of the game, which still utilize the auto-accelerating machines from the first game. With the B button as a boost charge and the Y button as a special button for your character’s unique move, you’ll have a lot to strategize with, even if it’s just two buttons and the left stick to steer.

Your character, or rider, will come with unique weight, durability, Specials, close-range attacks, and more. Environments in courses will be either an aid or a detriment, determined by your rider’s attributes. Kirby is playable, as is Meta Knight, King Dedede, Bandana Waddle Dee, as well as enemies in the Kirby series like Cappy, Chef Kawasaki, and Starman. More characters were teased as well. You’ll also choose machines, which can sustain different amounts of damage, feature different speeds and boosts, and other mechanics. Key to the Kirby series, you can copy abilities from your enemies mid-race to gain the edge they may have when you need it most.

Game Modes in Kirby Air Riders

Sakurai described City Trial mode as the main event of the game, which takes place on Skyah. Starting with a weak machine, you’ll find power-ups, attack opponents, and upgrade your ride. Compete in random Field Events by racing to new areas, and earn special power-ups for your completion of the events. Features like short races, knockout modes, and more will help you attain your powerful machine. With your upgraded machine, you can take on friends in multiplayer in Stadium. Utilizing local wireless for 8 players, or online with up to 16, you can take each other on with the rigs you upgrade and create.

Kirby Air Riders will also feature air ride mode, which is a more traditional race mode. You can also work on your skills with Lessons, which help you practice the game’s unique mechanics. Sakurai even joked that he understands this seems like a Mario Kart World dupe, but it’s a much more niche, unique experience from what we see in the Kirby Air Riders direct. We’ll get more information before the game is released later this year, according to Sakurai. You can get a taste of the music in the game via the Nintendo Music App today. All in all, I think this is a great offering for a non-headliner Nintendo title, but the price tag did give me pause. Kirby Air Riders will release on November 20, 2025 for $69.99 USD, and is available for pre-order on the Nintendo eShop. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the Kirby Air Riders direct!

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