At PAX West 2025, Nintendo had demo stations for Kirby Air Riders, the follow-up to the GameCube classic, Kirby Air Ride. Following the latest Nintendo Direct for the game, Kirby Air Riders is Masahiro Sakurai’s latest project and first game exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2. With the anticipation for the game being high, I can honestly say that this game does not disappoint, and the smooth gameplay and easy-to-learn mechanics will have you laughing with others.
In this demo, I started with the training mode to learn some of the basics. With the basic boost mechanic, I learned how to drift as well as how to spin at regular speed and in boost mode. I also learned how to fly and dive when I jumped off a ramp and went into the air. It’s a satisfying and easily executed gameplay mechanic that will help win races. I also learned that by moving the left analog left and right quickly, I can spin and attack my opponents to have a better advantage in winning the race. There’s a lot to learn in the training mode, but with these basics, I could play the demo easily.
After the training mode, I got to play in the City Trial mode. In City Trial, I learned how to lock on opponents and take over their vehicles. While doing it, the game zoomed in on the takeover, and seeing your opponent’s face as they were booted off was a hilarious delight to watch. I laughed quite loudly (accidentally) because of how comedic the reactions were. While driving around, big enemies would land, which allowed you to attack and receive special bonuses for your stats.
As the five minutes wrapped up after collecting the random symbols that improved my stats, I was recommended to do an arena battle. With this choice, I battled other CPU-controlled riders. I was going around attacking opponents and building up my special attack meter. Once it was full, I pushed the Y Button, and with me being Kirby himself, I turned into a sword-swinging hero and was swinging his iconic big swords against my opponents. I can see the Smash Bros. influence with knocking them out of the arena, and it felt so good to hear the crowd cheering you on as your opponent quickly flies off the screen. All this chaos happened without any slowdown or frame drops.
Sadly, I got my just desserts as the CPU used its special attack on me, and I flew off-screen. You could hear my “NO” resonate from my belly and my soul as I was shocked by what I just saw. I was laughing, hyped, and I knew I gave it my best on my first play in the city trial mode. I wanted to play more and try to win, but alas, my time was up, and I was given a prize for trying out the demo. I was so happy with my time with the game that I just wish I had another chance to play.
I came away very impressed with the Kirby Air Riders. The smooth frame rate, clean and colorful graphics, and intuitive gameplay mechanics make this game fun and enjoyable for all players. With the November 20 release a bit further in the year, the anticipation and wait for this game will be worth it.
Tell us what you think! Will you be getting Kirby Air Riders when it releases? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord, Facebook, and Twitter.
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