Although it’s not the Switch 2’s most universally popular game, a reader explains why he loves Kirby Air Riders so much and why it’s perfect to play over the Christmas break.
With GameCentral staff and its readers all tucking into some Christmas treats, and playing some new games, I felt an alternative opinion piece on Kirby Air Riders might be worth a go. Reviews are just opinions after all, and alternative takes on games can make for an interesting read.
Masahiro Sakurai games are in the main joyful, often experimental celebrations of gaming. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate takes this notion to its extreme, offering a museum’s worth of content and deep diving into a wide range of genres with quick pick up and play modes. The secret sauce to Sakurai’s quick fire rhythm gameplay is that it hides a depth that, if you tap into it, can elevate his games to become something more than the sum of its (many) parts.
So as we celebrate Christmas, this Reader’s Feature will use Kirby Air Riders as a way to celebrate a unique game developer who I would argue holds on to what made gaming so much fun back in the ‘90s and refuses to let modern gaming, with its microtransactions, skins, unfinished releases, and performance issues (looking at you Monster Hunter!) and has given us a fantastic Christmas gift on the Switch 2. Kirby Air Riders is, to me, the perfect Christmas game.
So, GC gave Kirby a 4/10 and their review gave justification for the low, low score. I am now 50 hours into Kirby Air Riders and in my own humble opinion I would score the game an 8.5/9 out of 10. So, here’s a few reasons why I disagree;
Kirby Air Riders isn’t a Mario Kart clone
Saying Kirby Air Riders is just like Mario Kart is like saying that Smash Bros. is just like Street Fighter. Smash has Ryu and Ken in it and it’s a ‘fighter’, so they must be the same, right? Obviously to anyone that’s played both fighters they are very different. Kirby Air Riders is much the same in that it’s technically got racing in its gameplay but it’s nothing like Mario Kart.
It fundamentally plays with a different rhythm and focus; asking the player to ditch the tournaments of Mario Kart and explore its hidden unlockables through challenges, short two to five minute races, game modes that focus on exploration or battles, and inventive minigames that offer shorter focused fun.
Sakurai brings over the sound effects and flourishes from Smash, as well as four differing game modes, one of which has a sizeable number of fun minigames (think the minigames in Super Monkey Ball) all of which also hide hidden depth. If this had different characters from Sakurai games, such as Kid Icarus and some pokémon in it and was titled Smash Kart I think it would have been an easier sell and wouldn’t have needed two super long Nintendo Directs to try and explain.
With Mario, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, and Kirby all releasing in the same launch window for the Switch it is understandable that this may seem like one more kart racer in a now crowded market but once you realise Kirby Air Riders is basically the smash formula applied to a racing engine you can see how it compliments Mario Kart rather than is in competition with it.
Kirby Air Riders feels like a dedicated Switch 2 game
The graphics and music, aside from having continuity to Smash Bros. showcase the new console. The game runs buttery smooth and very fast, loading times are brief, and it’s not only designed for online play but couch co-op for up to four players.
This really is the perfect game to play alongside Smash Bros. when you have friends over and it’s accessible enough for younger players to feel included and have fun. The use of HD rumble is also the best I have experienced on the Switch 2, with the Joy-Cons/Pro Controller vibrating in time to musical scores as you play. Its family friendly and easy to get to grips with, making it a really easy option for gatherings.
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Kirby Air Riders respects your time
Just playing the game you will start to chip away at the 750! Yes 750, unlockables throughout the four main modes. No microtransactions here! The first five hours are a dopamine rush of new content as new riders, courses, minigames, decals, and music tracks are unlocked, mostly from playing the game. This is very much how Smash was set up, so will not be unfamiliar to Smash players.
As the unlockables slow down the hidden depth and mastery reveals itself, as you explore ways to 100% each checklist. If all you want to do is play solo there is a game mode for you in the solo adventure, but three other modes allow you to tweak its rules and set up online lobbies (paddocks) to find ways to gain the most from each play session.
Each mode provides its own way to unlock new machines and riders, so you don’t have to feel funnelled down one route to see most of the content. You could even just enjoy customising your rides and browsing the amazing creations from other players – some are very impressive.
Conclusion
So while I bounced off Mario Kart after 20 hours, finding its open world dull and its single-player modes pretty flat and boring I couldn’t feel more differently about Kirby Air Riders. It’s a joyful, bonkers, kinda weird masterpiece that deserves a place on my Switch 2‘s storage for the duration of the console’s lifecycle.
A game made by a gamer for gamers – especially if you miss the style of games created in the late ‘90s early ‘00s. This isn’t a Ubisoft cut and paste affair. Bin off Call Of Duty and try something that will put a smile on those that play it.
Off course, this is only my opinion – you may find it all too saccharine and sweet and too different from the triple-A mould to appreciate it – but I for one am very happy it has been released.
Basically, if you liked Smash you will hopefully like this.
Merry Christmas GC – maybe see some of you around City Trial sometime!
By reader Bristolpete
The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
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