‘Kirby Air Riders’ review: ‘Mario Kart World’s rebellious little brother

Mario Kart World was a supercharged evolution of the blockbuster racing franchise and, since it launched alongside the Switch 2 console in June, has sold more than 9million copies. Skidding in close behind is Kirby Air Riders, the second karting game led by a Nintendo icon to be released this year.

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Both titles put you in control of a colourful character as they careen around high-octane courses while balancing on top of outrageous vehicles, collecting devastating power-ups and causing chaos at every hairpin bend. If you’re wondering what the differences are between the two games, then you’re not the only one.  Earlier this year, director Masahiro Sakurai said Kirby Air Riders is “basically Mario Kart” with a hint of sci-fi racer F-Zero. Still, if you thought World’s new ‘Knockout’ mode was intense, wait until you play its new rival.

The premise is straightforward enough but the execution is wildly dissimilar to any other simulator out there. For a start, Kirby Air Riders only uses two buttons (Y and B) throughout the entire game and if you haven’t got any weapons to hand, you can turn your vehicle into a devastating buzzsaw with a flick of the joystick. Sure, ‘Air Ride’ is a straightforward race to cross the finish line and ‘Time Attack’ and ‘Free Run’ make for standard modes, but ‘Top Ride’ provides top-down arcade anarchy that challenges your every competitive instinct.

The game, a sequel to 2003’s forgotten Kirby Air Ride, also sees the return of ‘City Trial’ which gives you seven minutes to roam around a metropolis and gather upgrades for your ‘Air Ride’ machine. Then it’s an all-or-nothing ‘Stadium’ bout that’ll have you skydiving through moving targets, gobbling down as much food as possible or dodging laser beams like you’re auditioning for a Mission: Impossible reboot, all while fighting for that elusive first place.

If you fancy something a little more considered, ‘Road Trip’ presents a similar range of challenges and the occasional smash-’em-up boss battle as you level up your Air Ride. Each one has its own special ability – the ‘Vampire Star’ draws power from nearby rivals, the ‘Swerve Star’ is incredibly fast but can only turn when it’s at a standstill and the ‘Winged Star’ is better airborne. Swapping riders and rides can change the results dramatically. Early in the game, those pairings won’t make as much difference but after a couple of hours you’ll find some matches are lost before you’ve even begun. Clear a stage and you’ll unlock a ‘Memory’, which are gorgeous cinematics that dive into the fantastical backstory of Air Ride lore.

However you’re playing, Kirby Air Riders serves up fun at breakneck speed. Tailing a rival gives you an extra boost, as does landing a glide perfectly. Kirby’s big gob can be used to swallow up wandering NPCs, allowing you to copy their violent abilities before unleashing them on opponents. It’s thrilling in single-player but online multiplayer is ridiculously entertaining too. Your first few matches will probably feel a bit mad and uncontrollable but keep going and this bizarre world will gradually make a strange sort of sense.

‘Kirby Air Riders’ is out now for the Nintendo Switch 2