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Kirby Air Riders Launches on Switch 2 With Chaotic, Party-First Spin on Racing

Early reviews largely cast it as a party-first alternative to traditional kart racers.

Overview

  • Nintendo released Kirby Air Riders worldwide today on Switch 2, accompanied by a new launch trailer.
  • Directed by Masahiro Sakurai, the game revives 2003’s Kirby Air Ride as a modern sequel focused on combat-driven racing.
  • The design retains automatic acceleration with most actions on a single button, layering in copy abilities and character specials.
  • City Trial returns as the headline multiplayer mode, while the new Road Trip offers a roguelike-style single-player progression.
  • Initial critiques are mixed-positive, praising presentation and multiplayer chaos but questioning racing depth and readability, with Nintendo Life noting a 78 Metacritic score at launch.