Nintendo is full steam ahead with their next major first-party game, Kirby Air Riders. With a 45 minute Direct hosted by Masahiro Sakurai himself, we now can set our eyes on a November 20, 2025 release date. However, with the launch a first party racer back on June 5th–Mario Kart World–is another racer in the same calendar year just too soon?
Nintendo is very intentional about their releases, even so much as to advising third-party publishers like Ubisoft. Ubisoft released Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle in August 2017, which was well-received. They released a sequel, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope in 2022 to disappointing sales. News later dropped that Nintendo had recommended that Ubisoft wait until their successor (now the Switch 2). While the circumstances are not exactly the same here, I was still surprised Nintendo is hedging its bets on two first-party racing games in the same year, let alone in one console generation.
The Switch 2 launched with Mario Kart World, a daring new Mario Kart that must live up to the shadow of its predecessor, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. World brings more tracks, additional modes such as Free Roam and Knock Out Tour, additional items, and larger multiplayer capacity. Despite its higher price tag at $80, this franchise titan was an excellent choice to launch alongside a new console. Since then, Nintendo has only released one other first-party game, Donkey Kong Bananza. DK is back and received rave reviews as a smashing 3D platformer. With a racer and platformer, what’s next in Nintendo’s pipeline? Another…racer?
We still have yet to confirm Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s release date, and it seems we’re left with Pokémon Z-A Legends (which is really developed by Game Freak) and Kirby Air Riders. This new Kirby racer is a sequel to 2003’s Kirby Air Ride on the Nintendo GameCube. In this iteration, led by Smash Bros Ultimate‘s Sakurai, we see several characters, a variety of tracks, and a sandbox mode.
Granted, there are differences that set Kirby Air Riders apart. Without the need to focus on acceleration, you use the buttons for other move sets: boosts and special attacks. The game appears to have players focus on finding the balance between attacks, boosts, and items, giving it a more “actiony” spin. In addition to an expanded roster, you’ll see the return of the City Trial Mode where you gather as many power-ups as possible before time is up and a mini game begins. This would be where Kirby Air Riders could stand apart and shine.
My question is, will this be enough to justify two first-party “racers” in a year (not to mention that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will release September 25th as well)? I’m betting heavily that it’ll still be a high-quality title–expecting no less from Sakurai–but Kirby Air Riders sales may rest primarily on fans of Kirby and nostalgic for the GameCube game.
While I’m not highly critical of Nintendo’s Switch 2 launch title selection, I am a little taken aback at the slow-moving pace of their first-party titles and stale variety. With that being said, I know there’s a Direct just around the corner, and the gaming titan will have us feasting soon.
Do you think another racing game in the form of Kirby Air Riders is releasing too closely to Mario Kart World? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.
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