Enhancing and expanding upon Kirby Air Ride, originally released for the Nintendo GameCube system in 2003, Kirby Air Riders will now give players a roster of riders to choose from, each with their own distinct characteristics and abilities.

In addition, there are new Air Ride machines, returning game modes, and new Special moves! 

In today’s Kirby Air Riders Direct presentation, game director Masahiro Sakurai once again shared a deep dive into what players can expect from the wild and unpredictable game.

Headlining the presentation were the introduction of the story-driven Road Trip mode and the return of Top Ride, a mode originally introduced in the 2003 Nintendo GameCube game Kirby Air Ride. These game modes are just some of the features highlighted in this presentation, with Mr. Sakurai revealing how Kirby Air Riders expands its gameplay experience on Nintendo Switch 2 – including introducing a large roster of riders, the return of legendary machines, customizable features, online play and more. It’s time to get ready for a whole new level of fast-paced action.

And as for the new features and details covered in the presentation, here’s what Mr. Sakurai revealed about what you can expect when the game lands:

• Top Ride: A game mode originally introduced in Kirby Air Ride, Top Ride is all about racing from a top-down perspective and includes courses inspired by those available in Air Ride mode. Just as in other game modes, you can choose your riders and machines separately. You can also use Quick Spins and Boost Charges, plus Copy Abilities such as Flash, which causes the rider to surge forward with electricity – rivals that are hit will be in for a shocking surprise! There are also items exclusive to Top Ride to help you gain even more of an advantage over your opponents, including Kaboomb, Drift Flames, Drill Driver and more! Top Ride can be played online with up to eight players, or offline with other three players2 on a single system and four CPUs.
• Road Trip: In today’s presentation, Mr. Sakurai introduced a new mode called Road Trip. Hit the road and complete different challenges from Air Ride, City Trial and Top Ride including races, battles, and Field Events – all the while collecting machines and items you can use between challenges. But this is no random Road Trip. There is a story behind why Kirby, King Dedede, Bandana Waddle Dee, Starman and other riders are embarking on this journey, and it’s hinted at during the presentation …
• Paddock: In Kirby Air Riders, there is a new way for friends to gather for online play in the paddock3. Acting like a lobby, this area lets players move around as a rider and set up matches, interact with friends and pick and choose which mode they’d like to play. It’s even possible for several matches to be happening within a single paddock. Players can also change the music. You can also send emotes, and work on character poses using the control sticks in combination.
• Swap Relay: The presentation dove deeper into Air Ride mode, introducing a new type of race called Swap Relay. Here, you’ll select a machine for each individual lap and automatically swap machines as you complete laps. Find the right combos and experiment with different pairings of rider and machine. You can even relay with other players locally by handing off the controller like a baton!
• Transform Star: The Transform Star is both a star type flying machine and a bike type driving machine and is one of the new machines being introduced in Kirby Air Riders! By rapidly moving the Left Stick you can swap between both types to keep your opponents on their toes.
• Checklist: The Checklist from Kirby Air Ride is back as well. As you clear certain objectives, a Checklist box gets flipped over. The more you achieve, the more unlockable content you can access. There are five Checklist tabs, representing Air Ride, Top Ride, City Trial, Road Trip and Online. Clicking on an unopened box which is next to opened box will take you right to that objective, all set up and ready to play. Rest assured that there are no riders or machines locked behind the Online tab, so completing that tab is not required. You can jump in immediately and start filling up your Checklist.
• amiibo: The presentation revealed more of the Kirby Air Riders amiibo figures, which are significantly larger than typical amiibo. Mr. Sakurai showcased Meta Knight & Shadow Star, King Dedede & Tank Star and Chef Kawasaki & Hop Star. They, too, can swap riders and machines! Each rider, including those revealed in the three new two-part amiibo packs, is attached magnetically to their machine, and you can swap them out with other Kirby Air Riders amiibo, with the new combo appearing in the game as well! You will also be able to train up your amiibo Figure Player and increase their experience levels. The amiibo will launch on:
  • Meta Knight & Shadow Star: March 5, 2026
  • King Dedede & Tank Star: 2026
  • Chef Kawasaki & Hop Star: 2026
• And So Much More: The presentation confirmed the return of all nine Air Ride courses from the original game, from Fantasy Meadows to Nebula Belt, bringing the total number of courses to 18. The presentation later offered details on a new City Trial power-up item called the Mega Cannon. It also covered Stadiums, as well as boss battles which teased the debut of a boss battle exclusive opponent called Robo Dedede – a boss who can transform between Dedede mode and Car mode! There are also returning Copy Abilities and even ways to collect and rebuild the legendary machines Dragoon and Hydra!

Mr. Sakurai also discussed some new online and multiplayer elements that will be available in Kirby Air Riders, giving players more chances to share the experience with friends and family:

• Global Win Power: Kirby Air Riders will feature a Class system and a new metric called Global Win Power. First, your Class ranking is measured not with a letter grade, but with colors. The seven colors of the rainbow indicate your Class and help match you up with similarly leveled players online. Raising your Class level can inspire changes in City Trial, so keep an eye out. Each multiplayer game mode also has its own Global Win Power ranking, which is based on your total number of wins. Although not directly related to your Class ranking, it will increase the more you play. Your Global Win Power is also displayed on your License.
• Licenses: Your online multiplayer experience starts with creating a License3. This is how others will be able to identify you when playing online and is viewable when competing against other players. You can customize it with glitter effects and stickers, as well as your own Street Name by pairing two pre-set terms together.
• Team Battles: Up to 16 players2 can play City Trial together and with Team Battles3, you can now split up the players into two teams of eight. Legendary machine parts can be shared between teammates – and whoever picks up the final piece gets to ride it! When ten or more players are competing, all players will be split into two of the same stadium and teams will compete for the high score.
• Hone Your Skills: As a single player, play Time Attack in either Air Ride or Top Ride modes and challenge yourself to get your best time over a set number of laps. Or play Free Run in either of those modes, too, and practice your moves or set your own Personal Best in a pressure-free environment without any opponents in your way. In City Trial, you can use Free Run to explore Skyah without any time limits or obstacles.
• Expanded Roster: The presentation also revealed a few more of the characters you’ll be seeing in Kirby Air Riders as playable riders. There’s the clever arachnid Taranza, the troublemaking duo of Lololo & Lalala and more!

The presentation further expanded on the ways you can customize your Kirby Air Riders experience, personalizing Air Ride machines, garages and even music.

• Miles: How do you acquire customizable accessories? With Miles! You keep earning Miles while you’re playing – the more you play, the more you earn. You can then take this in-game currency to the Miles Shop where you can acquire machines, machine decorations, License decorations, and music tracks. You can even acquire customizable Headwear for your riders.
• My Machine: As you collect machines by playing, purchasing parts at the Miles Shop and completing Checklist challenges, you can add decals, accessories, patterns and effects to turn any machine into My Machine. Then take your personalized My Machine to the Machine Market where you can list it for sale for in-game currency and acquire machines designed by other players. The more your machine sells, the more expensive it gets (but don’t worry, you don’t actually lose the machine if it sells). In addition to decorating your machine, you can create your own custom garage to show off your unique rides. Invite friends from the paddock to come and hang, too!
• Gummies: New to Kirby Air Riders are machine-shaped Gummies collectibles. They are shaped like the machines of opponents you’ve defeated – for every rival you place higher than in a competition, you’ll earn a Gummy of their machine. Inhale them, fire them into the sky and generally hold onto them as trophies of all the opponents you’ve defeated. Who knows, maybe you’ll become a Gummillionaire!
• My Music: Mr. Sakurai gave special mention to game composers Shogo Sakai and Noriyuki Iwadare, who worked on Kirby Air Ride and the Super Smash Bros. series respectively. Like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Kirby Air Riders will have a My Music option that allows you to select what music you’d like to be playing during City Trial while you explore Skyah, including tracks from across the Kirby game series, bonus tracks and hidden tracks! There is also new music available on the Nintendo Music smart device app today!

And that’s not all. Kirby Air Riders will also feature announcer voices in different languages and styles to choose from that provide commentary during races and narration during the Road Trip story. Players can also enjoy customizable button-mapping, visual effect options and a new Main Menu that gives you easy access to game modes, collectibles and other extras.

Want to experience Kirby Air Riders ahead of its launch? Nintendo Switch Online members can get hands-on with the game in the Kirby Air Riders: Global Test Ride event. The online demo event will take place on Nov. 8-9 and Nov. 15-16, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2.

• Nov. 8, 12:00 am - 6:00 am PT
• Nov. 8, 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm PT
• Nov. 9, 7:00 am - 1:00 pm PT
• Nov. 15, 12:00 am - 6:00 am PT
• Nov. 15, 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm PT
• Nov. 16, 7:00 am - 1:00 pm PT

During the Global Test Ride event, players can check out Lessons, Air Ride, and City Trial. For Air Ride, the following courses will be playable: Floria Fields, Waveflow Waters and Mount Amberfalls. Players can also jump into a paddock, in which they can create a room, invite friends to a City Trial or play with others worldwide. The paddock can accommodate up to 16 people during the Global Test Ride, while the retail version will allow up to 32 players.

The Global Test Ride software can be downloaded from Nintendo eShop starting the afternoon of Friday, Nov. 7. Even before or outside the Global Test Ride timings, players can play Lessons.

Any Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) or free Nintendo Switch Online trial and Nintendo Account required for select modes. Lessons and Air Ride modes can be played without a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Those who’ve pre-ordered the digital version of Kirby Air Riders from Nintendo eShop will receive an in-game hat that can be worn by riders during the Global Test Ride event. The hat cannot be transferred to the full game.

Features and gameplay

• Riding Techniques: Each Air Ride machine, or “machine” for short, has different forms and traits. They usually hover above the ground and move forward automatically – no need to press any buttons or tilt the left Joy-Con 2 control stick forward to accelerate. Use the left stick to change direction by tilting it left or right. So, what do the buttons do?
• Boost Charge: By pressing the B Button, your machine will hit the ground, and you’ll start a Boost Charge and brake. Releasing the button activates a Boost Dash. As Mr. Sakurai explained, this is more than just a speed boost – by tilting the left stick and holding the Boost Charge button through sharp corners, you can perform drift maneuvers, which help you gain even more of a speed advantage.
• Specials: It takes more than speed and deft maneuvering to get ahead of the competition, however. The Y Button is your “Special button,” and it activates your character’s unique Special move. Attack your rival riders and enemies to fill up your Special Gauge and, once full, unleash your Special! While most characters have one distinct Special, Kirby has four different Special moves – one for each color Kirby you can play as. Combine certain Specials with attack techniques like Quick Spin, which is activated by wiggling the control stick, and you’ll be on your way to victory!
• Riders: Kirby Air Riders adds a strategic element to its mayhem by adding more importance to your choice of rider. Each rider in the game has their own unique traits which can impact their machine’s performance, including weight, durability, Specials, close range attacks and more. These factors can either give them an advantage or cause more unpredictability during the action depending on the environment you’re in. In fact, this is why Air Ride mode has you select your course first, then the rider and machine you want to use. In addition to the well-balanced pink puff, your roster of riders includes familiar faces from the world of Kirby, like Meta Knight, King Dedede, Bandana Waddle Dee, as well as enemies in the Kirby series like Cappy, Chef Kawasaki, Starman and … well, you’ll just have to play and see who else shows up, won’t you? And to keep you moving forward and keep your opponents on their toes, Kirby Air Riders also lets you mix and match riders and machines.
• Machines: Air Ride machines are built for more than just speed! Each machine, like the riders, can even sustain different amounts of damage. Most machines will also glide through the air if you jump from a ramp or other structure, and you can control your machine by tilting the left stick up or down to ascend or descend. Make a perfect landing and you’ll be rewarded with more speed. You can also perform rail grinds, drifts and other maneuvers.
• Copy Abilities: To level the playing field, Kirby Air Riders gives all the riders the ability to inhale or capture to copy an enemy’s abilities. Use these newly acquired abilities to temporarily gain additional ways to attack or increase your speed.

Returning game modes and experiences that await players in Kirby Air Riders, including City Trial mode. The mode from the original Kirby Air Ride returns, this time expanded and enhanced with more room to explore:

• Skyah: City Trial is now located on a huge floating island called Skyah! Here, you’ll drive around freely collecting power-ups, attacking opponents to damage (and steal) their machines or cause them to drop power-ups you can then scoop up for yourself, all with the objective of upgrading your machine as much as possible. You start out with a small, weak machine, but through finding power-ups, attacking opponents and swapping to other machines, you can upgrade your ride. There are also random Field Events that occur throughout this phase. Some of these events pop up unexpectedly somewhere on the Skyah map, and you’ll need to hustle to that location to participate. Events include challenges like Short Race, where you’ll race through a sectioned-off area of the map, with power-ups awarded based on how you finish. There is also Dustup Derby, where the goal is to battle your opponents to knock them out and earn more power-ups. Be warned, these events may also involve the appearance of familiar bosses from the world of Kirby, including Kracko and Dyna Blade! This is only the first phase of the City Trial experience, and you’ll have five minutes of intense vehicle action to secure your machine and as many power-ups as you can. After that, it’s on to phase two …
• Stadiums: Take your powered-up machine to a Stadium and compete to be crowned the winner. Each Stadium includes a different challenge that players will strategically select based on the power-ups you or your opponents have gathered. Some Stadiums will even be recommended for you based on your machine’s stats, in case you have any trouble deciding which one to take on. In Kirby Air Riders, you can also battle friends via local wireless1 with up to 8 players, or online2 with up to 16 players. Use GameChat3 to connect with your friends via video or voice chat to enhance the fun!

In addition to City Trial, Kirby Air Riders features other returning modes with updated features, including …

• Air Ride Mode: In this mode, up to six riders can compete to cross the finish line first. Attack opposing riders and by hitting them you’ll gain small stars that increase your speed. What makes this experience unique is that you’ll compete by getting speed boosts via attacking! So go ahead and cut loose on your rivals! You can also follow the Star Slide – you speed up by following behind other riders and collecting the trail of stars in their wake. These extra speed boosts will help you leave your opponents in the (star) dust.
• Lessons: With all the different riders, machines, techniques and game modes – you may want a little time to practice. The Lessons mode allows you to learn the basics of the game and try out some of the more advanced gameplay mechanics.

Plus, if you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership then you’re in luck! Seven tracks from the Kirby Air Riders soundtrack – including the main theme with English language vocals – will be released on the Nintendo Music app later today!

Kirby Air Riders is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2  on November 20, 2025.