Kirby Air Riders is shaping up to be one of the biggest racing games of the year. With the long-awaited sequel launching next month on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo has lined up yet another hour-long Direct to reveal more details about what’s shaping up to be the best racing game of 2025 (and maybe 2026 too!).
Top Ride is back!
This top view mode is back in Kirby Air Riders, and the course is now elevated, allowing you to race from a bird’s-eye view. Up to 4 players can play locally, and up to 8 players can play online. This classic mode returns from the original game and features courses such as Flower, Flow, Mountain, Steam, Air, and Crystal.
road trip
Dubbed the game’s “Story Mode,” you can ride your kart on public roads, take part in challenges and trials, and progress through the story mode, which includes cinematics. Along the way, you can stop at shops to level up your abilities and buy new characters and parts to customize your cart.
Copy ability
When you play as Kirby in Kirby Air Riders, you can pick up items that allow you to copy the movements of other racers. More abilities have been added this time around, with Needle, Freeze, Drill, Flash, Fighter, Sleep, and Missile all added to the roster.
The online mode has a matching feature where you will only play against other online players of the same rank. As you win each race, you will be awarded Global Win Power Points based on your performance, and your rank will be reflected in color.
new truck
It wouldn’t be a one-hour presentation without some new songs. In addition to the plethora of tracks already announced, it has been revealed that the following additional tracks will be included:
Airtopia Ruins Steam Gust Canyon Crystal Crack
This makes a total of 18 tracks. For those wondering, there is no DLC planned at this time, so everything released on launch day will be included in this release.
In addition to that announcement, there are also some additional characters coming to the game.
Taranza Rororo & Lalala Daroach Rocky (Meteor Variant) Rick (Lip Roaring Variant) Scarfi Marx (True Form Variant) Waddle Dee (Golden Variant)
All of these can be unlocked through checklists and playthroughs.
If that’s not enough, there are more machines to ride in new vehicles.
Formula Star Bull Tank Willy Scooter Jet Star Hop Star Transform Star
You can watch the hour-long Nintendo Direct presentation below.
Kirby Air Riders will be released on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 20, 2025. Be sure to check out our review as we get closer to release.
