I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting from Kirby Air Riders when Nintendo announced the sequel out of the blue during a Direct, especially as someone who has never touched a GameCube. Some fusion of Masahiro Sakurai’s iconic pink puffball with Mario Kart, perhaps? Regardless of my preconceptions, there was no way I was going to be ready for what this game had in store for me. Kirby Air Riders takes you on a tour of races, challenges, and battles, all at breakneck speed, leaving very little time to stop and smell the roses. Every inch of this game is beautifully crafted, from the race courses and machines to the various menus. Gameplay looks stunningly vibrant on my TV, catching every second of the action with clean animations that bring the characters to life. Much like other racing games in Nintendo’s history, your choice of rider and machine before each event is crucial, as both have their own stats that you need to consider. While every rider can use Kirby’s inhale and copy ability, they each have their own special move to break through the pack, from Chef Kawasaki’s barrage of spicy curries to Meta Knight’s drill rush. Different machines have pros and cons, too. Some are slow on the ground but speed up in the air, some are tanky but difficult to steer, and the Wagon Star machine completely ignores the boost charge mechanic.
Read the full story on Pocket Tactics: Kirby Air Riders review – a colorful, confusing, chaotic creation
