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Kirby Air Riders

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Kirby Air Riders
US box art for Kirby Air Riders
Details
Developer(s)Sora Ltd.[1]
Bandai Namco Studios[2]
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Designer(s)Masahiro Sakurai[1]
Release date(s)November 20th, 2025
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch 2
Supported languagesJapanese, American English, British English, Canadian French, European French, Italian, German, Latin American Spanish, European Spanish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese
Rating(s)ESRB: Everyone 10+
PEGI: 7+
CERO: All Ages
Game size25 GB
Game chronology
← Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed WorldLatest game
On affiliated sites
StrategyWikiWalkthrough
 This box: view • talk • edit 

Kirby Air Riders is a spin-off Kirby game for the Nintendo Switch 2 that was released on November 20th, 2025. It is a direct sequel to the 2003 Nintendo GameCube game Kirby Air Ride. For the first time since he left HAL Laboratory in 2003, Masahiro Sakurai returns as director, marking the first time he has directed a Kirby game since the original Kirby Air Ride, and the first Kirby game he has been involved with at all since Kirby & The Amazing Mirror.

Two Kirby Air Riders Directs starring Masahiro Sakurai were held before the game's release, showcasing various aspects of the game: one released on August 19th, 2025, and another released on October 23rd, 2025. Kirby Air Riders also has two dedicated Twitter accounts, one in English and one in Japanese; a list of posts from both accounts can be found here. In addition, various news posts on the Nintendo Today! app feature clips and screenshots, as well as interactive 3D models of the machines. Finally, a demo of the game, titled Kirby Air Riders: Global Test Ride, was available to play for free from November 7th to November 16th, 2025.

Controls[edit]

The controls for Kirby Air Riders remain very similar to the original game, with the same simplistic control scheme of the control stick and a single button being required for normal play. However, unlike the original, the default button used is the B button rather than the A button. Additionally, a second button, the Y button, is now used for certain actions that are new to the game. The basic fundamentals of the original remain intact, the Air Ride machines move forward automatically and the control stick is used to steer the machine. The B button causes the machine to brake and start a Boost Charge and letting go of the button will cause a Boost Dash. Flicking the control stick from left to right once again causes the machine to do a Quick Spin. Gliding also functions the same, with tilting up on the control stick causing the machine to dive downward and tilting down causing the machine to pull upward.

Compared to the original game, a much larger focus is put on the characters riding the machines, as there are now many more playable characters in the game, known as Riders. Each rider has their own Special move that is unleashed by using the Y button. These have varying effects depending on the rider which can either be used offensively or to speed up in order to catch up with other racers. Despite the larger variety of characters, all riders can still use the Inhale move when pressing the B button near an enemy, but for characters that cannot inhale, they will instead use a move called Capture which functions identically. It is also now possible to drop Copy Abilities early by repeatedly pressing the Y button.

Another new mechanic introduced is the Star Slide, which allows riders that are behind to catch up more easily. Air Ride machines now emit stars behind themselves when moving forward. To use this new technique, riders must trail behind these stars in order to get a speed boost. Additionally, hitting enemies and opponents now causes stars to appear that also give the rider a speed boost.

The Y button sees use in more new techniques in City Trial, in which it is used to swap machines more quickly without needing to dismount. More details can be found in the "City Trial" section below. It is still possible to dismount machines as before and run on foot without a machine; the number of midair jumps that can be done in the air depends on the rider that is being used.

Modes[edit]

Air Ride[edit]

Screenshot of Kirby racing in the Air Ride mode.
Main article: Air Ride

Air Ride returns from the original game, functioning much the same as before. The mode now supports up to 6 players racing at once. Some rule options from the original return, such as changing the number of laps, slowing the game tempo, and being able to turn on the ability to destroy Air Ride machines, which is usually only possible in City Trial. If a rider's machine is destroyed with this rule set, they retire and are eliminated from the race.

Courses[edit]

Air Ride features a total of 18 courses, with 9 new courses in addition to all 9 courses from the original game. While each returning course has an updated appearance, being outfitted with new textures and refreshed lighting, the model geometry of each course is largely unaltered.

New courses in Air Ride  
Course Description Default lap count Unlock requirement
A calm meadow course filled with gigantic flowers and a cave. 3 Available from the start.
A hectic beach course featuring a parting sea, whirlpools, shipwrecks, and airborne water roads. 2 Available from the start.
A course set in the ruins of an ancient fallen kingdom on a floating island. 2 Available from the start.
A course filled with crystallic structures with various caves, including an underground volcanic cave. 2 Available from the start.
A course set in a steampunk environment featuring a train, a gigantic smoky furnace, and an air fleet.

This course was first revealed in a Nintendo Music track listing.

2 Available from the start.
A course that begins in a lush jungle, only to descend into gemstone-ridden ruins, leading to a treasure room. 2 Available from the start.
A glitched cyberspace course featuring a variety of hazards like lasers or falling platforms. 2 Available from the start.
A sunset-lit mountain course that goes from the top of a snowy peak, through a forested cliffside with a waterfall, and ending on a beach. 1 Available from the start.
A course that starts in space approaching Galactic Nova, then enters the Galactic Nova Nucleus, ending with Nova being destroyed. 1 Air Ride
Win a total of 15 times
Returning courses in Air Ride  
Course Description Default lap count Unlock requirement
A course that begins in a grassy plain area and ends through a cave, featuring a basic path shaped as a hoop. 3 Air Ride
Win 2 times in a row
A moonlit canyon course filled with water and exotic plants, featuring alternative paths, rails and bottomless pits. 2 Air Ride: Cyberion Highway
Break 10 triangular obstacles in a single race
A sand-based course set in ruins, featuring concealed pathways, moving platforms and air lifts. 2 Air Ride: Cavernous Corners (Laps)
Finish without coming into contact with the huge Golem in the road
An icy arctic course that features tunnels, tubes, long rails and boosters. 2 Air Ride: Crystalline Fissure
Complete 2 laps in the lead position
A volcanic magma course that features multiple alternative paths. 2 Air Ride: Steamgust Forge (Laps)
Finish without touching the molten steel
An upright sky-based course that features many rails and plants. 2 Air Ride: Mount Amberfalls
Stay in the lead for 60 sec. in a single race
A futuristic mechanical course set in a complex, featuring hazards, boost panels and a huge cannon. 2 Air Ride: Airtopia Ruins
Pass through ancient rings 4 times and complete a lap without reversing
A medieval castle-themed course that features many turns, rails and alternative paths. 2 Air Ride: Fantasy Meadows (Laps)
Finish 3 laps within 1:00.00
An outer space course shaped as a figure-8 that only features ramps and Copy Chance Wheels. 2 Air Ride: Galactic Nova (Laps)
Defeat 5 types of enemies on the course and complete a lap

Top Ride[edit]

Screenshot of Top Ride gameplay.
Main article: Top Ride

Top Ride returns from the original game, though with some major differences. Notably, the Free Star and the Steer Star do not return from the original mode. Instead, it is now possible to use any machine in this mode. It is still possible to choose between turning freely or by steering, but it is now relegated to an option in the menu. In addition, rather than only items exclusive to this mode appearing, items from the City Trial mode and Copy Essences also appear.

Courses[edit]

Top Ride's courses are heavily inspired by the new Air Ride courses. They are all available from the start and don't need to be unlocked, with the exception of Nova, which is unlocked by winning 15 times in Top Ride. Unlike the Air Ride courses from the original game, the original Top Ride courses do not return.

Courses in Top Ride  
Course Description Default lap count Unlock requirement
A simple floral meadow course that features windmills and rotating floors.
Based on Floria Fields. 		4 Available from the start.
A beach-themed course that features rising tides.
Based on Waveflow Waters. 		4 Available from the start.
A sky-based course set in ruins, featuring bouncy clouds and airborne twisters.
Based on Airtopia Ruins. 		4 Available from the start.
A gemstone course featuring sparkling crystals.
Based on Crystalline Fissure. 		4 Available from the start.
A mechanical steampunk course that features moving walls and rapid lifts.
Based on Steamgust Forge. 		4 Available from the start.
A course set in a temple.
Based on Cavernous Corners. 		4 Available from the start.
A course set in cyberspace, featuring vortex portals that warp riders.
Based on Cyberion Highway. 		4 Available from the start.
An autumn-based course set in a sunset-lit mountain with a mix between beaches and snowy peaks, featuring falling items from cable transports.
Based on Mount Amberfalls. 		2 Available from the start.
A course set in outer space with various linear paths connected by portals.
Based on Galactic Nova. 		2 Top Ride
Win a total of 15 times

City Trial[edit]

Screenshot of City Trial gameplay.
Main article: City Trial

City Trial also returns from the original game, now taking place on a floating island known as Skyah. The mode supports up to eight players locally and up to 16 players online.

Various changes have been made to the mode, such as the ability to instantly swap Air Ride machines without having to dismount, and the ability to steal other riders' machines if theirs is about to break, both done by pressing the Y button when near the machine. Items can now be stored in reserve whenever a new item is picked up, but only one item may be kept in reserve; if the item has already been partially used up, it will stay that way when taking it out of reserve.

A new rival mechanic has been added. When the player is defeated by another player, a rival mark will appear on the other player. When the player defeats the marked rival, they will get revenge on them. This allows the player to steal more power-ups from the rival than usual. The marked rival cannot get revenge back, as a mark will not appear on the player who got revenge on them.[3]

New events have also been added, most notably the Short Race and Dustup Derby events, which cause a Reception area to appear. After a certain amount of time passes, all riders who reach the Reception will compete with each other. Depending on how well a rider performs, they will earn a higher number of power-ups once the event ends. Riders who choose to avoid participating see those who are currently participating in these events as ghosts and cannot interact with them.

Stadiums also function differently from before. At the end of a match, rather than a Stadium being randomly selected, all participants select one of four options. This functions differently depending on how many players there are. This voting system can be toggled off to play with the original rules instead.

If the number of participants is eight or less, everyone will participate in the same Stadium, but all players can vote for which one they want to play, and it will be picked randomly from all the Stadiums that were voted for.

If the number of participants is nine or more, each player can choose the Stadium they want to compete in, and then everyone who picked that Stadium will compete with each other. A maximum of eight players can compete in a given Stadium at a time. If more than eight players choose one Stadium, they will be split into two groups. If no one else chooses a certain Stadium, the player who picked it wins by default.

It is also possible in any case for the Stadium to be chosen randomly; when this happens, the Stadium will be announced before the match starts. New Stadium types have also been added, such as Skydive and Gourmet Race. In addition to the standard Stadium predictions that appear during a match, the Prediction Codex is a new item that provides predictions about which Stadium will be played. Both of these may provide inaccurate predictions, how the inaccuracies are displayed varies. In the event that the Gigantes is assembled and active at the end of a match, the chosen Stadium is guaranteed to be replaced with VS. Gigantes.

Stadiums[edit]

City Trial features 16 Stadiums in total, double that of Kirby Air Ride. All Stadiums from the original game return with the exception of VS. King Dedede, which is replaced by VS. Boss. Most Stadiums have at least 1 variant.

Stadiums in City Trial  
Stadium Variants Description
2 A battle-focused Stadium where riders have to defeat as many continuously-spawning enemies as possible within 1 minute.
5 A battle-focused Stadium where riders have to KO other riders as many times as possible in a minute and 30 seconds. Whenever a rider is KO'd, they will respawn a couple seconds later.
3 A battle-focused Stadium similar to Dustup Derby, where riders have to KO other riders as many times as possible while Size Up and Size Down items frequently spawn throughout the match.
17 A racing-focused Stadium consisting of a single lap around one of the Air Ride courses (except Galactic Nova). The goal is simply to win the race, though riders can be KO'd and forced to retire.
4 A racing-focused Stadium where riders have to reach the finish line on a straight course as fast as possible, utilizing dash zones to go faster.
1 A racing-focused Stadium consisting of a 3-lap race around an oval-shaped course featuring some ramps and Copy Ability panels.
1 A racing-focused Stadium where riders have to grind over rails while quickly swapping between them to use dash rings and avoid large Gordos.
2 A racing-focused Stadium similar to Drag Race, where riders race on a straight course while avoiding harmful lasers.
1 A gliding-focused Stadium where riders are tasked with jumping off a ramp and gliding as far as possible before hitting the ground.
1 A gliding-focused Stadium similar to Air Glider, where riders must fly as high as possible before losing altitude.
3 A gliding-focused Stadium where riders must fly into panels with numbers on them to gain points. It takes place over the course of two rounds.

VS. Boss (new)
 4 A stadium where riders must battle one of four different bosses, gaining more points depending on how much damage they deal.
1 A collection-focused Stadium based on the game from Kirby Super Star, where riders must eat the most food scattered around the area.

Skydive (new)
 2 A collection-focused Stadium where riders must dive through rings worth varying amounts of points before trying to land on a panel at the bottom. Bonus points are awarded for finishing the fall quickly.
2 A collection-focused Stadium where riders have to drive over buttons to gain points. Points are lost if an opponent manages to ride over opposing players' buttons.
1 A special Stadium that only appears if any rider gathers all three parts of Gigantes and manages to keep the machine until the Stadium. It tasks the rider riding Gigantes against all other riders; unlike normal Stadiums, it does not have the 8-player limit. The rider using Gigantes wins if they get a certain amount of KOs or 2 minutes pass, while the other riders win if they destroy Gigantes within the time limit by destroying its weak points.

Road Trip[edit]

Main article: Road Trip

Along with the three returning modes, Kirby Air Riders also features a brand new mode called Road Trip. It is the game's Story Mode, wherein the player goes on an adventure and partakes in challenges from each of the other three game modes.

Characters[edit]

Riders[edit]

Playable characters in this game are known as riders. Each have their own special abilities and stats that make them different from each other. They also all have a Special move that can be activated when the Special Gauge is filled. Unlike the original game, characters other than Kirby can ride any Air Ride machine, rather than having their own methods of travel. Because of this, they are no longer treated as machines themselves and are instead selected from a more traditional character selection screen. As such, the roster has been expanded from just Kirby and the Air Ride machine-equivalent King Dedede and Meta Knight in the original game to a total of 21 unique riders.

Only Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight and Waddle Dee are available by default. Every other rider can be unlocked via two different tasks in the Checklist (excluding Noir Dedede, who can only be unlocked by clearing Road Trip's New Game +). Some riders can also be unlocked by scanning their amiibo.

Riders in Kirby Air Riders  
Character Caption Special Unlock requirement(s) Notes
A light and floaty friend to all! This well-balanced hero has no clear weaknesses.
Varies depending on color:
Pink: Ultra Sword
Yellow, Green: Crash
Red, Purple: Burn
Blue, Gray: Snow Bowl
 Default (alternate colors can be unlocked via the methods listed below)

Air Ride: Laps
Finish without crashing into any walls

Top Ride: Flower
Win without getting any Copy Abilities in a single race

City Trial: Big Battle 2
Defeat a rider while shrunken

Scan a Kirby Air Riders, Kirby series, or Super Smash Bros. series amiibo of Kirby.

A heavyweight rider who rules the raceway! Hits hard with his powerful hammer.
Jet Hammer
 Default (alternate colors can be unlocked via the methods listed below)

Air Ride
Win with course, rider, and machine selections set to random

City Trial: Gourmet Race
Get 80 points in a single match

Road Trip
Clear a Treasure Hunt challenge

Scan a Kirby series or Super Smash Bros. series amiibo of King Dedede. (His unreleased Kirby Air Riders amiibo will presumably work as well.)

A shadowy defender who slashes rivals with his sword and slices through the air on dark wings.
Night Wing
 Default (alternate colors can be unlocked via the methods listed below)

Air Ride: Nebula Belt (Laps)
Finish a lap without crashing into walls more than 2 times

Top Ride: Nova
Complete a lap without attacking another rider

Scan a Kirby Air Riders, Kirby series or Super Smash Bros. series amiibo of Meta Knight.

A friendly lightweight with a tiny frame. Enjoys easy acceleration and smooth maneuvering.
 Default (alternate color can be unlocked via the methods listed below)

Road Trip: Skyah
Defeat 30 riders during City Trial challenges

Scan a Kirby series amiibo of Waddle Dee.

A sturdy rider who builds Boost Charge quickly. His trusty spear stings rivals like a hornet!
Spear Cyclone
 City Trial: Field
Destroy 2 boxes within 30 sec. of the start of the match

Road Trip: Top Ride
Clear Top Ride challenges a total of 3 times

Scan a Kirby Air Riders amiibo of Bandana Waddle Dee

Keeps an eye on nearby rivals, then hits 'em with a peeper-powered arc of optic blasts!
Waddle Doo Barrage
 Air Ride: Floria Fields (Laps)
Finish without crashing into any enemies

Top Ride
Hit a rider with a Course Quaker

A culinary genius who always has a ladle handy! Recovers an extra amount from food items.
Superspicy Cooking
 Air Ride: Mount Amberfalls
Eat the onigiri from the teahouse

Road Trip: Air Ride
Clear Air Ride challenges a total of 3 times

(Scanning his unreleased Kirby Air Riders amiibo will presumably unlock him too.)

A fierce fighter who jabs at riders that come too close. Charge up fully for a flurry of punches!
Knuckle Rush
 City Trial: Field
Steal a machine that another rider is actively riding

Road Trip
Power up all stats to 1 or higher

A heavy, hamster-y animal friend who handles corners nimbly and can sprint on foot like a pro.
Rip-Roaring Rick
 Top Ride: Mountain
Win with at least 5 sec. between you and 2nd place

Road Trip
Enter the shop 3 times

An odd creature of mysterious origin. Makes skillful use of his long, wiggly tongue.
Mock Dark Matter
 Top Ride: Air
Win after getting swept up in the tornado 3 times

City Trial: Skydive 1
Get 2,000 points in a single match

The mushroom cap doubles as a protective cushion. Race ahead of rivals before it falls apart!
Booster Cap
 Top Ride: Flower
Complete a lap within 0:30.00 with Warp Star

City Trial: Field
Clear without getting any power-down items

Marks its first playable appearance.
Small in size but super sturdy. This heavyweight won't slip or shake easily!
Meteor Rocky
 Top Ride
Use a total of 30 items

Road Trip
Open a treasure chest on the road

A perfectly polite rider... Up until it loses its cool. When it gets mad, it gets fast!
Scarfy's Losin' It
 Air Ride: Waveflow Waters
Defeat an enemy Scarfy without making it mad

City Trial: Field
Destroy a rider's machine within the first 60 sec.

Outside of Kirby: Squeak Squad (where Ghost Kirby can possess it), this marks its first playable appearance in the Kirby series.
Excels at airborne maneuvers. Jump for a burst of speed and soar right over your rivals!
Super Starman
 Top Ride: Crystal
Complete 4 laps in the lead position

City Trial: Field
Fall for 6 sec. after only Boosting once

Outside of Kirby: Squeak Squad (where Ghost Kirby can possess it), this marks its first playable appearance in the Kirby series.
A duo of troublemakers riding together as one! Swap positions with a simple Quick Spin.
Emerald Framer
 Air Ride: Crystalline Fissure (Laps)
Finish within 3:30.00

Road Trip
Defeat 10 riders that are riding on star-type machines

Outside of Kirby's Avalanche (where they could be controlled by the second player in 1P vs. 2P), this marks their first playable appearance in the Kirby series.
A friendly face hiding dark and twisted schemes. Has impressive stats but can't take a hit.
True-Form Marx
 Air Ride: Free Run
Complete an entire lap without dropping below 30 km/h

Road Trip
Spend 300,000 Road Miles

A sneaky, squeaky thief. Scratch to snatch up rival Copy Abilities, then vanish in a flash.
Sneaky Dash
 Air Ride
Find and defeat the special enemy, Gemaine

Top Ride
Win after lapping 1 other rider

A sly spell caster who accelerates a lot after Star Slides. Attack rivals ahead of you with perfect landings!
Magolor Cannon
 Top Ride
Send the same rider flying 2 times with Drill Driver

City Trial: Field
Enter all secret rooms

A clever arachnid with tight controls. Web and sling around corners for extra bursts of speed!
Spider Shots
 Air Ride: Beanstalk Park (Time)
Ride for a total of 5,000 m

City Trial: Field
Win a Short Race

A smug, shiny entrepreneur. Deploys a propeller to take off and float gently through the air.
Roboboosters
 Air Ride
Perform a perfect landing 5 times in a single race

Road Trip
Hit 3 enemies with a single attack

Zorah's granted wish finally set free. A lone warrior focused on a lonely mission.
Shadow Ride
 Road Trip
Defeat the true boss in Road Trip and watch the ending

(Scanning its unreleased Kirby Air Riders amiibo will presumably unlock it too.)

Alternate colors[edit]

Each Rider has at least one alternate color palette the player can choose. Only Kirby's alternate colors affect gameplay, as they change what Special he can use.

An alternate color of an already available rider is unlocked if the player completes a Checklist task that would otherwise unlock said rider (with the exception of Kirby's yellow, red, and blue colors which are available by default, and Noir Dedede's alternate color which is unlocked by completing the Road Trip Checklist). Some riders' alternate colors can also be unlocked by scanning their amiibo. The alternate colors of riders that have multiple (Kirby, King Dedede, and Meta Knight) are unlocked in the order listed in the following table, no matter the order in which Checklist tasks are completed.

Colors in Kirby Air Riders  
Character Color Image Notes Unlock? (#)
Pink
 Kirby's default look.
Uses the Ultra Sword Special. 		No
Yellow
 A common Kirby color originally based on Keeby.
Uses the Crash Special. 		No
Green
 A common Kirby color originally from the Super Smash Bros. series (referred to as "Kusa mochi Kirby"), with the orange feet originating from Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land.
Uses the Crash Special. 		Yes (1)
Red
 A common Kirby color originally based on Fire Kirby from Kirby Super Star.
Uses the Burn Special. 		No
Purple
 Resembles the Lavender Spray Paint from Kirby: Squeak Squad.
Uses the Burn Special. 		Yes (2)
Blue
 A common Kirby color originally based on Ice Kirby from Kirby Super Star.
Uses the Snow Bowl Special. 		No
Gray
 Based on Kirby's monochrome sprite from Kirby's Dream Land, identical to his gray color in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Uses the Snow Bowl Special. 		Yes (3)
Red
 King Dedede's default look. No
Blue
 One of King Dedede's alternate colors from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Yes (1)
Pink
 One of King Dedede's alternate colors from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Yes (2)
Cyan
 One of King Dedede's alternate colors from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Yes (3)
Navy
 Meta Knight's default look. No
Gray
 Based on Dark Meta Knight. Taken from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Yes (1)
Pink
 Based on Galacta Knight. Taken from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Yes (2)
Orange
 Waddle Dee's default look. No
Yellow
 Resembles Parasol Waddle Dee's Helper to Hero palette in Kirby Super Star Ultra, and Parasol Waddle Dee's P2 palette in Kirby Star Allies. Yes (1)
Orange & blue
 Bandana Waddle Dee's default look. Yes (1)
Red & purple
 Resembles the palette of Bandana Waddle Dee's Revenge of the King dialogue sprites from Kirby Super Star Ultra, as well as his appearance in Strato Patrol EOS (of Kirby Mass Attack). Yes (2)
Orange
 Waddle Doo's default look. Yes (1)
Black & red
 Yes (2)
White & orange
 Chef Kawasaki's default look. Yes (1)
Black & dark orange
 Resembles Chef Kawasaki's alternate mid-boss palette in Kirby Star Allies, but with orange skin instead of white. Yes (2)
Blue & red
 Knuckle Joe's default look. Yes (1)
Red & blue
 Resembles Knuckle Joe's primary enemy palette in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra, but with brown hair instead of purple. Yes (2)
Orange
 Rick's default look. Yes (1)
Brown
 Resembles the coloration of a winter white dwarf hamster. Also similar to Rick's Super Game Boy palette when being ridden by Stone Kirby in Kirby's Dream Land 2. Yes (2)
Blue
 Gooey's default look. Yes (1)
Dark blue
 Resembles Gooey's darker color palette in Kirby's Dream Land 3. Yes (2)
Red & white
 Cappy's default look. Yes (1)
Purple & yellow
 Resembles the cap of the Sleep Copy Ability. Yes (2)
Brown
 Rocky's default look. Yes (1)
Pink
 Possibly based on the pink stone transformation of the Stone ability in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra. Also resembles Droppy when imitating a Rocky in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, but with a blue headband instead of green. Also may reference real-life Himalayan rock salt, known for its distinctive pink coloration. Yes (2)
Orange
 Scarfy's default look. Yes (1)
Pink
 Possibly based on Scarfy's artwork from Kirby's Dream Land, its sprite from Kirby's Dream Land 3, or the appearance of Hunter Scarfy. Yes (2)
Blue
 Starman's default look. Yes (1)
Red
 Resembles Starman's sprite in Kirby's Dream Course. Yes (2)
Blue & pink
 Lololo & Lalala's default look. Yes (1)
Purple & orange
 Based on Lololo & Lalala's Revenge, particularly their appearance in Kirby's Blowout Blast. Yes (2)
Blue & red
 Marx's default look. Yes (1)
Black & white
 The black and white coloration resembles a mime, or Pierrot, a clown stock character used in 17th century commedia dell'arte. Yes (2)
Red
 Daroach's default look. Yes (1)
Purple
 Based on Dark Daroach from Kirby: Squeak Squad. Yes (2)
Blue
 Magolor's default look. Yes (1)
Gray
 Based on Interdimensional Magolor from Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. Yes (2)
White, orange, green, & red
 Taranza's default look. Yes (1)
Yellow, purple, & black
 Based on Dark Taranza from Team Kirby Clash Deluxe. Yes (2)
Pink & silver
 Susie's default look. Yes (1)
Red & black
 Based on Parallel Susie from Team Kirby Clash Deluxe. Yes (2)
Silver & blue
 Noir Dedede's default look. Yes (1)
Copper & purple
 Possibly based on the color scheme of Galactic Nova. Unlocked after completing the Checklist for Road Trip. Yes (2)

Enemies[edit]

All enemies from Kirby Air Ride except Ant Doom, Caller, Flappy, Heat Phanphan, and Sword Knight return. In addition, twelve more have been added.

Enemies in Kirby Air Riders  
Name Image Ability New? Description Notes
Balloon Bomber
Bomb 3No A floating, skull-masked bomb creature that drifts forward.
Bang-Bang
Missile 2No* A flying sentient missile that tends to spawn when the player is in a losing position.
Blade Knight
Sword 3No* A knight coated in green, metallic armor who rides a basic machine, and tends to strike incoming riders with his sword.
Bronto Burt
None 3No A pink adversary who travels across courses on insect-like wings.
Broom Hatter
None 3No A faceless hat-wearing creature who can be seen flying across courses on a broomstick.
Burnbon
Fire 1Yes A levitating, four-limbed ovoid creature which performs a fiery tackle through the air.
Cappy
None 3No A mushroom-like entity that hops in place on various courses. If a rider tries to inhale/capture it, they will get its cap first, which is separate from the Cappy itself. Cappy also appears as a rider.
Cart Waddle Dee
None 3No A Waddle Dee that rides forward on a mine cart. The Waddle Dee can be removed from the cart if it is attacked.
Chilly
Freeze 3No A living snowman who skates across various courses. It emits a freezing aura if threatened.
Drillan
Drill 1Yes A drill-wielding opponent who quickly burrows through the ground if threatened.
Gemaine
None 1Yes A special, crystalline enemy which only appears if a rider falls far behind in a race. Defeating it instantly fills a rider's Special Gauge.
Golem
N/A 3No* A giant, ovoid stone creature who appears as an obstacle in Air Ride and attacks riders from the background in Top Ride.
Gordo
N/A 3No A floating, wide-eyed spike ball who is invulnerable to all attacks.
Jabjab
Fighter 1Yes A hopping, cloaked martial artist who performs a rapid punching attack.
J.J.
Jet 1Yes A helmeted enemy with jet thrusters for arms.
Noddy
Sleep 3No A small, round creature with a nightcap that can be found sleeping on various courses.
Pichikuri
Needle 1No A bulbous round bird-like creature covered in spines that floats through the air.
Plasma Wisp
Plasma 3No A green, limbless creature composed of electricity that can be found floating across various courses.
Rollozer
Steel Ball 1Yes A heavily plated armadillo-like creature which curls into a ball to threaten opposing riders. This game marks the debut of the Steel Ball ability.
Scarfy
N/A 3No A deceptively cute hovering enemy that turns into a cycloptic monster if a rider tries to inhale/capture it. Scarfy also appears as a rider.
Sir Kibble
Cutter 3No* A yellow suit of armor who throws metal boomerangs at incoming riders.
Solite
None 3No A large round glowing creature who is often found in dark places and leaves behind damaging orbs when defeated.
Tac
N/A 3No A feline bandit who appears during a field event in City Trial, carrying a large amount of Patches in its bag that it will drop when defeated.
UFO
UFO 2No* A sentient floating UFO that only appears if a rider falls behind in a race.
Waddle Dee
None 3No A hapless little creature who can typically be seen traveling on foot. They attempt to dodge incoming riders as they perch in groups across courses. Waddle Dee also appears as a rider.
Walky
Mike 3No An anthropomorphic microphone who can be seen singing on courses.
Wheelie
Wheel 3No A living wheel enemy who rides along plains.
Zapuzu
Flash 1Yes An electrical panel-like creature which creates an electric field when threatened. This game marks the debut of the Flash ability.
*This enemy is not new, but was not present in Kirby Air Ride.

City Trial event bosses[edit]

Field event bosses in Kirby Air Riders  
Boss Description Notes
An armored bird which stands immobile on the perimeter, with her head and feet being damageable.
A giant Wheelie who swiftly patrols the roads. It is vulnerable to attacks on its backside.
A large, cycloptic cloud, who slowly traverses the air while generating lightning to shoot at incoming riders. Kracko's weak point is his large, unguarded eye.

Stadium and Road Trip bosses[edit]

Stadium and Road Trip bosses in Kirby Air Riders  
Boss Location(s) Description Notes
Boiler Boulevard
Journey's End
VS. Boss 		A robotic version of King Dedede that can transform between Dedede Form to perform hammer attacks and Car Form to drive around.
Digital Superhighway
Journey's End
VS. Boss 		An angelic being that riders must reach while avoiding lasers and harmful spheres before attacking it. It has a weak spot in its eye.
Crystal-Clear Crossing
Journey's End
VS. Boss 		A nightmarish wizard who can shoot stars, transform into an orb, and darken the arena. He has a weak spot in his tornado-like body.
Neon Promenade
Journey's End
VS. Boss 		A twisted jester who can perform various unpredictable attacks and often teleports around. Marx also appears as a rider.
The Farthest Reach
VS. Gigantes 		A giant destructive machine that serves as the final boss of Road Trip. It can only be defeated by attacking its red weak spots. Gigantes also appears as a legendary Air Ride Machine in City Trial.
The Farthest Reach (New Game +) A stronger version of Gigantes that appears in New Game + if every Air Ride machine was collected. The player fights it with either the Dragoon or Hydra, and is joined by Noir Dedede who uses the machine the player didn't pick.
Journey's End The heart of Galactic Nova, which serves as the true final boss of Road Trip. Using Leo, the player destroys the rotating pillars before attacking the heart head-on.

Road Trip crossroads characters[edit]

Several characters, enemies, and objects from previous Kirby titles appear in Road Trip as items that determine where the player will head next.

Whispy Woods, Lovely, Kracko, some Blippers, Batafire, Mr. Bright, Shadowbite and a Dimension Meteor also appear as obstacles that must be overcome with Route Characters.

Background characters[edit]

Background characters in Kirby Air Riders  
Character Image Location(s) Description Notes
Bronto Burt Floria Fields A pink winged creature who flies in circles. Bronto Burt also appears as an enemy.
Broom Hatter Steamgust Forge
Mount Amberfalls 		A witch who sweeps the ground. Broom Hatter also appears as an enemy.
Cappy Cavernous Corners
Skyah 		A capless mushroom that jumps in place. Cappy also appears as a rider and enemy.
Coo Airtopia Ruins
Skyah 		A purple owl-like creature who sits on a ledge.
Galactic Nova Skyah A giant clockwork star that has a chance of faintly appearing in the sky. Galactic Nova makes numerous other appearances in this game.
Golem Crystalline Fissure
Skyah 		A brown statue-like creature that sits around. Golem also appears as a hazard in Cavernous Corners and Cave.
Grizzo Mount Amberfalls
Skyah 		A yellow bear-like creature that stands around.
Kabu Crystalline Fissure
Skyah 		Brown statue-like creatures that spin around.
Kine Waveflow Waters
Skyah 		A blue fish-like creature who hangs around in water.
Nruff Cavernous Corners
Skyah 		A brown boar-like creature that runs around in circles.
Parasol Waddle Dee Airtopia Ruins A Waddle Dee that carries a parasol to slowly drift down.
Squishy Waveflow Waters
Skyah 		A white squid-like creature that spectates the race. Squishy's design is a mix of its original design, being entirely white in color, and its modern design, as it has cheek blushes.
Two Face Skyah A double-sided mask that appears on walls and occasionally swaps between its two faces.
Waddle Dees Floria Fields
Skyah 		Innocent orange creatures who watch riders race and battle. Waddle Dees also appear as enemies and riders.
Whispy Woods Skyah An apple tree who begins to cry after being attacked enough times.
ZzzUnknown Floria Fields A spotted fish-like creature with large eyes, a tongue sticking out, and a large crystal on its head resembling Acro. It is said to possibly be the guardian of the lake.[4]

Other[edit]

Air Ride machines[edit]

Kirby Air Riders features 24 playable Air Ride machines, with every machine from Kirby Air Ride except the Free Star and Steer Star returning, plus 8 new Air Ride machines. Unlike in Kirby Air Ride, most machines can be used in every mode, including Top Ride. Moreover, any rider can ride any machine they wish.

All machines except for the Warp Star, Winged Star, and Wagon Star must be unlocked for use in Air Ride, Top Ride, and City Trial's Free Run, either by completing tasks in the Checklist or by buying them from the Miles Shop. The Compact Star in City Trial and the Flight Warp Star in City Trial's Free Run are also available by default. Machines in Road Trip have different unlock requirements which are not listed here.

Air Ride machines in Kirby Air Riders  
Machine Caption Unlock requirement(s) Notes
Both drives and glides perfectly well. An easy ride with no clear weaknesses.
 Default

Air Ride: Nebula Belt (Laps)
Finish in 1st place

Top Ride
Finish after getting 10 different kinds of items

Buy duplicates from the Miles Shop

Modest top speed, but a reliable ride thanks to good acceleration and cornering.
 Default (duplicates cannot be bought from the Miles Shop) Only available in City Trial.
Slow when ground-bound, but soars gracefully whenever it takes flight.
 Default

City Trial: Field
Touch the underside of the garden in the sky

Road Trip
Swap machines a total of 30 times

Buy duplicates from the Miles Shop

Attacks cause major damage, even on a single hit! Soars on sleek and shadowy wings while airborne.
 Top Ride: Flower
Copy enemy abilities 2 times in a single race

City Trial: Field
Ride grind rails around the entire island once in a single match

Buy it from the Miles Shop

Can't Boost Charge, but makes up for it with higher performance in other categories.
 Default

Air Ride: Cavernous Corners (Time)
Complete a lap within 1:50.00

Road Trip
Enter the shop 15 times

Buy duplicates from the Miles Shop

Slippery and tricky to control, but offers a wholly unique approach to riding.
 Air Ride
Defeat 3 enemies by spitting out stars in a single race

City Trial: Drag Race 1
Finish within 0:35.00

Buy it from the Miles Shop

If it can maintain momentum and avoid slowing down, its top speed is second to none!
 Air Ride: Galactic Nova (Laps)
Finish without touching the energy columns around Nova's core

Top Ride
Finish without crashing into any walls

Buy it from the Miles Shop

Plows forward on Boost Charges! Has an extra-tough frame that's hard to damage.
 Air Ride: Steamgust Forge
Break 3 pieces of cargo on the conveyor belts in a single race

City Trial: Field
Use 8 attack items in a single race[sic]

Buy it from the Miles Shop

Dashes forward with superior acceleration on a maxed-out Boost Charge.
 City Trial: Field
Swap to vacant machines 30 times

Road Trip: Top Ride
Ride for 180 sec. during a Top Ride challenge

Buy it from the Miles Shop

Ride it forward, then stop it suddenly! Ride, then stop! Ride! Stop! Ride! Stop!
 Top Ride: Cyber
Win with at least 3 sec. between you and 2nd place

Road Trip
Clear a Race challenge 10 times

Buy it from the Miles Shop

Boasts impressive speed, but proves stubborn and slow when it comes to steering.
 City Trial: Field
Soar 100 m up into the air and fly above the garden in the sky

Road Trip: Stadium
Clear Stadium challenges 3 times

Buy it from the Miles Shop

Accelerates greatly when lifting off the ground. Launch skyward and take off like a bullet!
 City Trial: Field
Stray too far from Skyah's edges and get struck by lightning

Road Trip: Stadium
Ride a total of 5,000 m during Stadium challenges

Buy it from the Miles Shop

Races ahead on a single wheel. An interesting design compared to star-type machines.
 City Trial: Field
Swap to 3 different kinds of machines in a single match

Road Trip: Skyah
Clear City Trial challenges 3 times

Buy it from the Miles Shop

An intimidating, sturdy cycle. If it can maintain its top speed, it'll roll its way to victory.
 Air Ride: Waveflow Waters
Defeat 20 enemies in a single race

Road Trip
Defeat 3 enemies with star-shaped projectiles in a single challenge

Buy it from the Miles Shop

A stylish minibike that offers high maneuverability. Boost Charges make sharp turns a breeze.
 Air Ride: Floria Fields (Laps)
Finish in 1st place

Top Ride: Flow
Finish a lap without crashing into walls more than 3 times

Buy it from the Miles Shop


Hop Star (new)
Jumps each time it Quick Spins. Useful for hopping right over enemies and terrain.
 Air Ride: Checker Knights
Fly over the wall to the road that leads to the castle

Road Trip
Jump 10 times during Top Ride challenges

Buy it from the Miles Shop

Preys upon enemies and rivals to power itself up. It'll snatch their Copy Abilities and items too!
 Road Trip
Defeat 15 kinds of enemies

Buy it from the Miles Shop


Paper Star (new)
Light as paper with impressive flight capabilities. Fragile, but offers excellent acceleration.
 Air Ride: Crystalline Fissure
Glide continuously for 3 sec. without landing

City Trial: Air Glider
Fly a distance of 500 m (547 yd)

Buy it from the Miles Shop


Chariot (new)
A safe, stable ride thanks to its two-wheeled design. Turns sharp corners with reliable agility.
 Air Ride: Airtopia Ruins (Laps)
Finish within 3:00.00

Top Ride: Flow
Finish within 1:00.00

Buy it from the Miles Shop

A heavyweight hunk of a machine that tears up the road and can send enemies flying.
 Top Ride
Hit 2 riders at once with a Sensor Bomb

Buy it from the Miles Shop


Tank Star (new)
Rushes forward on Boost Dashes. Boost Charges help it tackle turns at a rapid pace.
 Top Ride: Steam
Go through the hidden passage and finish within 0:55.00

Road Trip: Air Ride
Perform perfect landings 2 times in an Air Ride challenge

Buy it from the Miles Shop


Bull Tank (new)
A bulky tank with thick plates of armor. Charge forward without worrying about damage!
 City Trial: Dustup Derby
Win without being defeated at all

Buy it from the Miles Shop

Quick Spins make it shift between its two modes, star form and bike form. Use them wisely!
 Air Ride: Cyberion Highway
Use a switch to make a platform appear 2 times in a single race

Top Ride: Crystal
Complete a lap after going through all crystal dash zones

Buy it from the Miles Shop

Superior flight made for test use only. Dances through the sky for as long as it wants!
 Default

Buy duplicates from the Miles Shop

Only available in City Trial's Free Run mode.

Legendary Air Ride machines[edit]

Legendary Air Ride machines return from the original game. In City Trial, they can only be found after assembling machine parts, which can occasionally be found in certain red boxes and rare boxes scattered across the city. When all three parts are collected, the machine automatically forms, replacing the machine the rider is riding on (unless the rider's current machine is also a legendary, in which case the machine drops behind the rider). In Road Trip's New Game +, the player can choose either the Dragoon or Hydra to fight Hyper Gigantes with, while Leo is used for the entirety of Journey's End. With the exception of Gigantes, all Legendary Air Ride machines can be unlocked to be used in the Free Run and Time Attack modes of Air Ride and Top Ride as well as City Trial's Free Run.

Legendary Air Ride machines in Kirby Air Riders  
Machine Caption Unlock requirement(s) Notes
A legendary machine! Pierces through the sky whenever it takes flight!
 City Trial
Unlock Dragoon parts A, B, and C on the Checklist

Dragoon Part A:
City Trial: Field
Collect a total of 20 legendary-machine parts

Dragoon Part B:
City Trial: Field
Swap to vacant machines 100 times

Dragoon Part C:
City Trial: Stadium
Play 16 different kinds of Stadium contests

Only available in City Trial and its Free Run mode, the Time Attack and Free Run modes of Air Ride and Top Ride, and Road Trip (against Hyper Gigantes in New Game +).
A legendary machine! Rampages across the land as the vicious avatar of destruction!
 City Trial
Unlock Hydra parts X, Y, and Z on the Checklist

Hydra Part X:
City Trial: Field
Power up all your machine's stats to at least 12 in a single match

Hydra Part Y:
City Trial: Field
Touch down on all of the floating isles that appear around Skyah

Hydra Part Z:
City Trial: Field
Experience all field events

Only available in City Trial and its Free Run mode, the Time Attack and Free Run modes of Air Ride and Top Ride, and Road Trip (against Hyper Gigantes in New Game +).

Leo (new)
A lion of justice who defies cosmic disaster! Bounds through the air with a trail of ferocious flames!
 Legendary-Machine Parts:
Road Trip
Defeat the true final boss and fill in at least 140 Checklist blocks

Machine:
City Trial: Field (Offline)
Ride on Leo's back

Only available in City Trial and its Free Run mode, the Time Attack and Free Run modes of Air Ride and Top Ride, and Road Trip (in Journey's End in New Game +).

Gigantes (new)
An unbelievable machine and a symbol of ruin! If it's completed, the entire world may perish!
 Legendary-Machine Parts:
Road Trip
Watch the normal ending in Road Trip 		Only available in City Trial and its VS. Gigantes Stadium.

My Machine[edit]

Main article: My Machine

My Machine is a feature in Kirby Air Riders that allows players to create custom Air Ride machines using various patterns, decals, accessories, and effects. Players can unlock My Machine Parts via the Checklist or purchase them in the Miles Shop. In order to create more than one custom design for a single machine, the player must purchase duplicates of machines from the Miles Shop. Players can also buy other people's machines or list their designs via the online Machine Market.

Items[edit]

All items from the City Trial mode of Kirby Air Ride return, however many Top Ride-specific items do not return. This is partly because unlike the original game, City Trial and Top Ride items are not mutually exclusive. Some City Trial items and Copy Abilities can now appear in Top Ride, some of which functionally act the same as items from the original game. Additionally, some items are replaced with new items that act functionally similar to items from the original game, but are given different names and look visually distinct. Some examples include Missile being replaced by Seeker Missile, and Drill being replaced by Drill Driver. Items are most commonly found in the City Trial, Top Ride, and Road Trip modes, though can also appear in Air Ride mode through certain challenges in the Road Trip mode, as well as some set items appearing on certain courses.

Items in Kirby Air Riders  
Image Name Description Mode(s)
Attack Up Temporarily increases the rider's offense. City Trial
Box Contains a number of items, depending on the type of box. One variant does not contain items and instead explodes when attacked. City Trial
Chickie Flies towards other riders to make them dizzy, reversing their controls. It also appears on the road in Road Trip, lowering the difficulty of following challenges. Top Ride
Road Trip
Copy Essence Gives the rider a Copy Ability. Top Ride
City Trial
Road Trip
Course Quaker Lands onto the ground, causing it to shake and knock nearby riders into the air. Top Ride
Defense Up Temporarily increases the rider's defense. City Trial
Dizzy Beam Shoots a beam forward that hits riders to make them dizzy, inverting their controls. City Trial
Drift Flames Leavse a trail of damaging flames behind the rider while Boosting. Top Ride
Drill Driver Attached a drill to the front of the rider's machine, which gives a speed boost and damages other riders. Top Ride
Energy Drink A food item that increases the rider's HP by a lot. City Trial
Fireworks Continuously shoots out damaging fireworks. Top Ride
City Trial
Flame Wings Gives the rider a pair of fiery wings, allowing them to fly more easily and damaging riders that come in contact with them. When collected on the road in Road Trip, it damages the rider to the side(s), granting their rewards for free. Top Ride
City Trial
Road Trip
Flare Bursts Allows the rider to shoot up to 5 pillars of fire in front of them. When used in midair, these pillars fall down. City Trial
Food Increases the rider's HP. In Mount Amberfalls and Mountain, onigiri appear in set locations that provide a speed boost when eaten. Air Ride
Top Ride
City Trial
Gordo Ball A single giant Gordo that the rider can throw in front of them. Top Ride
City Trial
Homing Bomb A bomb that will chase after riders to attack them with an explosion. City Trial
Invincible Candy Temporarily makes the rider invincible to attacks. They can still fall off the map during this. Top Ride
City Trial
Item Catcher Creates a large ring around the rider that automatically grabs all nearby items. City Trial
Kaboomb Explodes immediately after being picked up, damaging both the rider who grabbed it and anyone nearby. Top Ride
Laser Swiper Creates a laser that automatically swipes back and forth. Quick Spinning makes the laser spin around, and Boost Charging makes it swipe faster. Top Ride
City Trial
Max Boost Fills the rider's Boost Gauge, allowing them to perform instant Boost Dashes. City Trial
Maxim Tomato A food item that fully heals the rider's HP. City Trial
Mega Cannon Fires a single giant laser around the entire map. The rider is unable to move during this attack. City Trial
Meteor Makes a line of meteors fall in front of the rider in first place. This can even harm the rider who grabbed it if they are in first place. Top Ride
Meteor Strike Continuously makes meteors fall down in front of the rider. City Trial
Multi-Missile Allows the rider to fire multiple missiles which home in on riders, enemies, and boxes. City Trial
No Charge Disables the rider's Boost Gauge, making them unable to Boost Dash. This is detrimental for the Bulk Star and Hydra, while the Wagon Star is completely unaffected. City Trial
Panic Spin Makes the rider unable to stop Quick Spinning. City Trial
Patch Increases one (or all) of the stats of the rider's machine, depending on the type of patch. City Trial
Road Trip
Prediction Codex Shows the rider a prediction for one of the upcoming Stadiums. City Trial
Sandbag A character from the Super Smash Bros. series, which appears as a standalone item and drops patches when attacked and defeated. City Trial
Seeker Missile Flies around the course when launched, homing in on a rider to hit them with an explosion. Top Ride
Sensor Bomb A bomb that the rider can place down, which automatically blows up when any rider gets close. Top Ride
City Trial
Size Down Shrinks the rider in size, increasing their handling and acceleration but decreasing their offense and speed. City Trial
Size Up Grows the rider in size, increasing their offense and speed but decreasing their handling and acceleration. Top Ride
City Trial
Smoke Screen Creates a smokescreen around the rider, hiding them from others. City Trial
Special Up Increases the rider's Special gauge by a lot. City Trial
Speed Down Decreases the rider's speed. Top Ride
City Trial
Speed Up Increases the rider's speed. Top Ride
City Trial
Super Charge Drastically increases the rider's speed while leaving them unable to Boost. Top Ride
City Trial


Dragoon Parts Legendary-machine parts which assemble into the Dragoon once all three are collected. City Trial


Hydra Parts Legendary-machine parts which assemble into the Hydra once all three are collected. City Trial


Leo Parts Legendary-machine parts which assemble into Leo once all three are collected. These parts only appear if the true ending has been cleared in Road Trip mode and the player has filled in at least 140 Checklist blocks on the Road Trip checklist. City Trial


Gigantes Parts Legendary-machine parts which assemble into Gigantes once all three are collected. These parts only appear after the regular ending has been cleared in Road Trip mode. City Trial

Copy Abilities[edit]

Unlike in the original Kirby Air Ride, all playable characters can use Copy Abilities, in addition to Copy Essences showing up periodically in Top Ride courses. With the exception of Tornado and Wing, all Copy Abilities present in the original return, alongside eight additional abilities, including two brand new ones: Flash and Steel Ball.

Copy Abilities in Kirby Air Riders  
Copy Ability Name Description Notes
A bomb appears in the rider's hands. The longer the player holds down the button, the farther the rider throws it. The explosion does modest damage but covers a large radius that slowly increases in size until it disappears. The bomb can also be dropped behind the rider by pulling back on the control stick. Bomb's ability hat uses its original design.
This ability allows the rider to throw a blade at opponents that returns to them afterwards. The direction the blades go can be changed by tilting the control stick left, right, or back. Cutter's ability hat is notably missing its eyes.
When obtaining this ability, the rider gains a drill hat and can drill underground when Boost Charging, avoiding any attacks from above. Letting go will cause the rider to jump out to attack. Drill's ability hat uses a new design where the entire hat is a drill that has yellow highlights at the bottom.
This ability allows the rider to automatically kick nearby opponents. The Quick Spin move also becomes stronger. The rider will also punch rapidly while Boost Charging and can fire a powerful projectile when Boost Dashing. Fighter's ability hat uses its original design.
This ability allows the rider to toss fireballs that stay on the ground. It damages any opponent that drives over the flames. The rider can also dash forward in a burst of flames when using Quick Spin and create pillars of fire behind them when holding down on the control stick while Boost Charging.
This ability allows the rider to rush forward in a sparkling flash when Boost Dashing, stunning any opponents hit along the way. The dash has to be charged up for a bit.
When the rider obtains this ability, they are able to create a short-range perimeter of ice that protects themselves and freezes enemies that touch it. Riders that are frozen have to wiggle the control stick to unfreeze themselves.
This ability gives the rider a jet-powered helmet that makes them move faster and increases the power of their boosts. Jet's ability hat uses a new design with larger goggles and rockets on both sides of the hat instead of only one in the back.
The Mike ability gets activated automatically when the rider obtains it. The rider sings and does moderate damage to anyone over a huge range. Mike's ability hat retains its design from the original game rather than using the current design.
This ability turns the rider into a missile, which speeds forward along the track automatically and explodes when the ability runs out, which can be triggered early by tapping the Special button repeatedly. While traveling, the trajectory can be changed slightly by moving the control stick left or right. This copy ability can only be obtained if the rider is falling behind in Air Ride and Top Ride. Missile does not appear to have an ability hat. The design of the missile itself is changed, now being a metallic grey and having a black pattern on it.
This ability allows the rider to extend spikes that protect them and damage any opponent nearby automatically. Boost Charging makes these spikes much larger, similar to how it originally functioned, and has them remain out like that for a short time after a Boost Dash. Needle's ability hat uses its original design.
Unlike in the original Kirby Air Ride, energy levels are charged up passively without needing to wiggle the control stick. This ability's duration depends on how much the rider uses it and how much power each shot uses up. The power levels of each discharge are as follows:
  • Level 1: The rider punches several small beams
  • Level 2: The rider punches even more small beams in a small cone area
  • Level 3: The rider shoots out three, straight-moving sparks
  • Level 4: The rider shoots out a single, homing spark
  • Level 5: The rider kicks a huge, homing ball of electricity
The Sleep ability causes the rider to sleep, which makes them lose control of their vehicle and makes other opponents fall asleep if they touch them. They can be woken up quicker if the player wiggles the control stick back and forth.
This ability turns the rider into an indestructible steel ball that functions similarly to the Wheel ability, though it lacks the ability to use Boost Charges. Steel Ball does not appear to have an ability hat.
The Sword ability lets the rider automatically swing their sword at any nearby opponents and boxes. They can hit multiple foes at once if they are near each-other. The sword retains its design from the original game rather than using the current design.
This copy ability turns the rider into a UFO. It moves at high speeds and can fire three different types of shots to attack depending on its charge level, which builds up over time like Plasma:
  • Level 1: The UFO fires a small three-shot burst that can be fired rapidly if the button is tapped repeatedly
  • Level 2: The UFO fires a larger, single shot
  • Level 3: The UFO fires a piercing Star Bullet
 This copy ability can only be obtained if the rider is falling behind in Air Ride and Top Ride, though it can also be found through other means in City Trial and Road Trip. The UFO's design is changed to look like its original design, albeit with a monochrome color scheme and no visible face on the top half of the UFO.
This copy ability turns the rider into a single fast-moving wheel that can damage other riders it hits. Like the Wheelie Bike, the wheel always touches the ground, so it automatically activates any ground-based switches. Unlike the original game, Wheel does not appear to have an ability hat.

Events[edit]

Main article: Event

Events are special modes that players can play for a limited time, planned to run for at least a year after launch.[5] Additionally, the Events menu option features a mode called "Daily Air Ride", where a random Air Ride course is selected every day for players to compete in online.

amiibo[edit]

Kirby Air Riders is compatible with new amiibo figures created specifically for the game. These figures are unique in that they feature both a rider and a machine. The rider can be removed from the amiibo and attached to a different amiibo with a different machine; the amiibo does not function without an attached rider. When the amiibo is scanned in-game, a CPU-controlled figure player is created with the rider and machine combination of the scanned figure. Figure players can be customized by changing their color palette and equipping a piece of headwear. Figure players can be used offline in Air Ride, Top Ride, and City Trial, as well as taken into an online paddock by scanning them at the amiibo terminal there (after updating to Version 1.2.0).

Figure players can be trained by the player, similarly to how amiibo function in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As the player trains the figure player, it will level up and become more proficient at using its machine, alongside developing its own play style, such as becoming a "Cornering Pro" or an "Indiscriminate Attacker". The figure player's level is dependent on the rider and not the machine, so if the rider is swapped to a different machine, it will keep its level.[6] Figure players can be leveled up to a maximum of level 50, while its proficiency with each machine is measured out of 100. Figure players also gain experience when used online in a paddock.

Scanning in a Kirby series amiibo or a Kirby character amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. series for the first time will grant the player with 2,500 Miles, a special theme, and an alternate color for that rider that hasn't been unlocked yet. Later scans of the same Kirby amiibo will reward 500 Miles, or 300 Miles and a random decal or sticker. Scanning any other amiibo will only reward the player with some Miles, a decal, or a sticker. Only five amiibo can be scanned for rewards each day.

Additionally, the Kirby Air Riders amiibo can give new designs for the figurine that is used as the icon for the game's main menu. The figurine granted will correspond to the rider and machine combo scanned, and each one will grant another figurine. The figurine can be switched between at any time on the screen that prompts the player to scan an amiibo.

Seven sets of amiibo are set to be released, with four being out as of now.

Checklist[edit]

Main article: Checklist (Kirby Air Riders)

The Checklist returns from the original game, functioning much the same as before. Each game mode now has 150 objectives to complete, which unlocks a unique illustration.

Development[edit]

In the finale video for his YouTube channel, Masahiro Sakurai mentioned that he had been working on a new project he couldn't talk about yet. In July of 2021, he was approached by Nintendo to make a game proposal. After it was accepted, the development team was assembled, and full production began in April 2022.[7] It was later revealed that the game he was directing was Kirby Air Riders. Near the end of the channel's life, Sakurai was working on the channel and this game simultaneously, which he described as difficult.[8]

The game is developed by Bandai Namco Studios, with whom Sakurai had previously worked on Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[2] Masahiro Sakurai clarified in the Kirby Air Riders Direct that HAL Laboratory did not develop the game; the staff credits lists a small group of HAL Laboratory personnel as supervisors.

Update history[edit]

Main article: Kirby Air Riders/Update history

This is the sixth Kirby series game to get post-release updates, with the first two adding online support and a few other game modes, and later updates mostly containing rider and/or machine balancing, and fixing game bugs. The release of any new software updates are usually noted in the News menu. See the main article for the changes that were introduced with each update.

Staff[edit]

The following is a list of staff who worked on Kirby Air Riders:

Staff of Kirby Air Riders  
Position Developer(s)
Director Masahiro Sakurai
Planning Shogo Sueki

Kotaro Yoshida
Kiyosada Anraku
Shoichi Nobukiyo

Hideyuki Shibamoto
Nobutaka Sakai
Kenya Koyanagi
Yukitaka Yamaguchi
Kyohei Shibasaki
Ryo Saito
Yu Takahashi
Naoto Matsuzaka
Yamato Mogi
Makoto Kiyokawa
Kiyohisa Makino
Elias Saoud
Kojiro Endo
Kazuma Tomizawa
Kazuyuki Miura
Toshiyuki Sugiura
Hiroki Tabei
Tomonori Ogawa
Yuma Saito
Masanobu Tomoe
Jumpei Fukui
Yuki Tsukahara
Takeru Ishikawa
Shinya Tate
Tetsushi Arakawa
Ayumi Sato
Shogo Kimura
Yoshiaki Sassa

Tatsushi Ishida

Tatsuya Watanuki
Kengo Nakaoka
Jumpei Yamaguchi

Ryoya Kaneda
Mitsuki Hosoya
Taiyo Asari
Hajime Nagao
Takumi Sekijima
Atsushi Tanio
Taiki Taniguchi
Hiroki Kayaba
Chiemi Oda
Naoki Fujimori
Shohei Chiwata
Yuya Araki
Masayuki Nagasaki
Norihisa Kin
Makoto Asao
Ryuto Hayashi
Takanori Sato
Manami Iwata
Tsutomu Makioka
Yuma Hashimoto
Sayaka Tomie
Sara Kobayashi
Masahiro Shibano
Tomoya Sugita

Mio Goto
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Saifful Johan Foo
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Gyo Ueda
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Tomomichi Higashi
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Kazuto Abe
Akari Hirano
Akari Miyazawa
Akina Hori
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Chiharu Tanaka
Yuenwan Chow
Eri Kamate
Davina Midori Hendroff
Jika Ou
Junko Sato
Kaito Furutani
Kanta Sugiura
Kazuma Yamagishi
Kento Kurogi
Kento Shimada
Koharu Nakagawa
Makito Noguchi
Miina Ogasawara
Mitsuya Yokoi
Reina Tsukamoto
Ryo Shibata
Tungyu Yang
Yuji Katayama
Yuka Kawahara
Akihiro Kaneko
Tetsuya Tanabe
Ryo Inomata
Tsutomu Taniguchi
Yuichi Sanuki
Adrick Leong
Ooi Kah Chun
Woo Mun Kein
Muhammad Fachril Dhiya
Koo Jing Ler
Seyvon Chung
Nelson Ng Wei Hong
Ling Swee Hee
Effects Design Natsuko Taki

Kayo Yamamoto
Masato Ishii
Yuki Arikawa
Takuya Nakayama
Naho Sato
Ai Hatano
Yusuke Kobayashi
Erena Maruya
Kohei Otake
Risa Maehara
Rena Imaizumi
Iori Iizumi
Yuki Ishihara
Tomoko Suzuki
Cinematics Masaru Tsujiyama
Shinichiro Yoda

Koki Kuroki
Hiroaki Taniguchi
Jun Toyoshima
Shota Matsuura
Shoei Sato
UI Design Tomoko Moriya

Shogo Kubo
Ryo Kimura
Chiharu Suzuki
Kazuya Tajima
Katsuya Kinebuchi
Hideomi Hashima
Koichi Taruishi
Maki Ono
Mitsuko Okabe
Chiaki Satake
Shio Minami
Ayumi Kato
Marina Eguchi
Yui Kuwano
Ryoko Hayashihara
Katsuhiko Hayashi
Jun Mimura
Junki Hosoya
Michiko Sakurai
Shigeo Iura
Akinori Kamiya
Takumi Iwami
Hitomi Sakuraba
Design Management Masashi Kubo
Takeshi Azuma
Takanori Ikezawa

Yosuke Naito
Shuhei Banya
Kenzo Nagata
Takashi Owaki
Takeshi Ichimura
Character Animation Tomofumi Mizuno

Takayuki Saito
Hiroyuki Shirai
Chiharu Hayashi
Tetsuya Kono
Fuki Sakai
Saki Sakurai
Sojiro Oka
Kodama Kawakami
Akira Sone
Satoshi Kawamura
Ryosuke Nagasawa
Naoki Takeguchi
Akimi Kane
Kazushige Iizuka
Ryo Ota
Nobuhiko Minamiyama
Koji Hata
Sho Akitaya
Takashi Magarisawa
Ryuji Ikeda
Yong Kang Loh
Yuka Gushi
Masahiro Miura
Ayano Endo
Yurina Yoshinaga
Hitomi Watanabe
Hirohisa Suzuki
Miho Sumino
Hiromichi Iijima
Taro Okamoto
Kaito Chiba
Yuta Enomoto
Naoki Saka
Yuki Takei
Yusuke Koda
Eugene Hong Tuan Keat
Julian Chai Ee Chern
Wong Yew Chung
George Lam Ngai Charm
Rainer Tan Yi Ren
Fong Zhen Soon
Character Animation Management Takahito Mabuchi
Katsuya Honda
Fumie Goto
Graphic Supervisors Kosei Kitamura
Tomoyoshi Yamane
Takayasu Morisawa
Music Noriyuki Iwadare

Shogo Sakai

Akira Miyagawa


Hiroki Hashimoto

Nobuyoshi Kobayashi
Torine
Sho Okada
Rio Hamamoto
Kanaya Oki
Yoshinori Hirai
Vocal YuReeNa
Sayo
MJ Cube
Frankie Kevich
Performance Kirby Air Riders Orchestra
Recording Nobuyuki Aoyagi
ONKIO HAUS Inc.
LAB recorders
Musician Coordination Face Music
Sound Effects Shiori Miyazawa

kyo
Yoshihito Yano
Yuki Kusuhara
Shoma Kagi
Noa Yokoi
Risa Aizawa
Chi O
E Xuan Pang
Shoichi Hiyama
Junichi Funada
Junnosuke Yamazaki
Masayuki Endo
Japanese Voices Banjo Ginga
Makiko Omoto
Voice Recording & Implementation Maiko Uchizawa
Voice Coordination Aoni Production Co., Ltd.
Sound Technical Support Yusuke Kudo

Minamo Takahashi
Tetsukazu Nakanishi
Hiroto Fushimi
Ryo Watanabe
Shuji Kohata
Sound Direction Saki Kasuga
Sound Management Junichi Nakatsuru
Movie Digital Frontier Inc.
Engine Programming Kentaro Kawamoto
Toshiaki Tsuji
Hiroaki Kubota
Masato Aikawa
Ben Carter
Takeharu Komazaki
Shingo Kikuta
Shinobu Kiriyama
Felix Palomares
Kiri Nakata
Aleksei Kuznetsov
Takayoshi Oi
Hiroshi Michikami
Shunsuke Kuribara
Ayumi Kuboi
Yutaro Togo
Takumi Matsumoto
Kazuma Hatta
Takumi Tsuda
Akito Iizuka
Ayato Miki
Katsuhiro Nomura
Masanori Shinkawa
Tomohito Ito
Hisashi Sato
Vitor Castro
Susumu Morii
Yoshitaka Maeda
Yasuhiro Otowa
Masayuki Shimizu
Yuna Omae
Atsushi Ota
Keigo Tanaka
Takeyuki Sakai
Kotaro Sasaki
Aoi Kanagaki
Yuto Uemura
Tomoyuki Kato
Kenichi Asami
Masaru Aita
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryota Tokumoto
Ryunosuke Kurosaka
Yoshio Honjo
Kenta Mineda
Haruaki Onishi
Shigeya Muto
Hiroki Wakayama
Sakutaro Watanabe
Yoshitaka Watanabe
Taisuke Miyazaki
Takafumi Kimura
Kentaro Fujie
Kazutoshi Uehara
Tsuyoshi Nakazawa
Yoshiyuki Honda
Kotaka Sato
Kazunori Okuzawa
Atsushi Nakano
Toru Tomiura
Tomohiko Yamano
Takashi Hori
Yasuhiro Shimono
Shintaro Misaki
Hayato Izumi
Yu Masaki
Atsuya Nagata
Yoko Akao
Yumi Yamada
Kenji Ishimaru
Masahiro Wakatsuki
Takumi Yokoyama
Hironori Matsuura
Tsutomu Takahashi
Shutaro Wachi
Takaaki Sato
Kazuya Iwasaki
Kenju Ozeki
Masahiro Chuma
Engine Programming Management Shinya Sorimachi
Tetsuya Otaguro
Katsumasa Horiuchi
Technical Support Shuhei Furukawa
Kyohei Minato
Hiroaki Gohara
Yasuhiro Iwamoto
Shogo Takaki
Shotaro Iwanaga
Hiroshi Yamada
Shohei Yamaguchi
Yuki Aoyama
Takeshi Miyakawa
Network System Development Shinnosuke Miki
Yuki Mitsui
Kazuto Shimizu
Kazuki Cho
Yuya Ishikawa
Yusuke Kobayashi
Tomoya Asano
Takaaki Kai
Ryo Ono
Process Management Tomoko Iura
Ayumi Kohama
Ling Huan Chow
Daisuke Murata
Katsutoshi Nakashita
Chikara Takeuchi
Yoshie Tsubokura
Chikako Matsui
Honoka Takeda
Takehiko Nishi
Tomomi Masubuchi
Ryunosuke Tanaka
Saori Sakaki
Yetsu Yamada
Kyosuke Yamazaki

Yoshinori Wagatsuma

Takeshi Yokoyama
Yuko Matsubara

Shinya Nakano
Hirotake Nakano
Mitsuo Kashiwagi

Nik Shazwan N. Nasim
Rae Chin Mei Len
Teo Hui Xin
Nur Fatimah Zahra
Ng Kai Wern
Kenichi Masuhiro
Lydia Farina Nor Azlan
Hadi Al-Hayyi
Desmond Pang Thau Lie
Teoh Jit Kean
Development Coordinator Tomohiro Kamiya
Development Cooperation Bandai Namco Studios Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Bandai Namco Studios Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
Sora Ltd.
UDArt LLC.
Therion Inc.
FRUIT SEAL
Cross Plus Studio, Inc.
TRI-CRESCENDO Inc.
EXMAGIC Inc.
Clearest Inc.
24Frame
ARAKI Inc.
TRONS Co., Ltd.
OneMorePlay Inc.
Bandai Namco Forge Digitals Inc.
IMAGICA GEEQ Inc.
SMILE TECHNOLOGY UNITED Corporation
OPUS STUDIO INC.
Bandai Namco Amusement Lab Inc.
Junction Inc.
CREEK & RIVER Co., Ltd.
RIZ Inc.
Jackalope Digital Factory LLC.
JMS-United Co., Ltd.
Arp Studio LLC.
Mox Co., Ltd
SPARKCREATIVE Inc.
Brushup Co., Ltd.
Griot Groove Inc.
Cosmo Machia Inc.
Klein Computer Entertainment Co.
VALKYRIE Inc.
Bandai Namco Online Inc.
AIQVE ONE Inc.
TYU TYU LLC.
ACT-AGE INC.
Kotacode
Forcewick Sound Design Co., Ltd.

MIRACLE ARTS
SmileOrder Co., Ltd.
VALENCII Inc.
SRD Co., Ltd.
Artwork Junichi Usui
Ruri Yoshikawa
NOA Localization Management Reiko Ninomiya
Rich Amtower
Michael Benedetto
Raymond Elliget
Berenice Hofsetz
Noriko Kaji
Zaher Khan
Ann Lin
Tim O'Leary
Scot Ritchey
Thaddée Wiseur
Karen Yuen
Álex Zarza
NOA Localization Lizzi Browitt
Billy Carroll
Marjolaine Drouin
Brandon Kraemer
Egon Lessa
Timothy MacKenzie
Matthew Niemi
César Pérez
Elina Sánchez
Miya Seeley
Joe Talbot
Emma Tamura
Yanett Cepeda Valor
Taryn Ziegler
Felipe Zylbersztajn
Americas Voice Recording Studios Cup of Tea Productions
Sound Map
Rockets Audio
Americas Voice Recording Audio Engineers Jonathan Abarca
Omar Oliva
Tiago Brustoloni
English Voice Recording Director Greg Chun
Americas Voice Recording Directors Caitlyn Elizabeth
Miguel Ángel Ruiz
Marco Nepomuceno
Americas Voices Todd Haberkorn (Narrator; English A)
Debra Wilson (Narrator; English B)
Patrick Seitz (Announcer; English A)
Elizabeth Maxwell (Announcer; English B)
Adriana Casas (Announcer; Spanish (Latin America) B)
Leslie Gil (Narrator; Spanish (Latin America) B)
Edson Matus (Announcer; Spanish (Latin America) A)
Gerardo Reyero (Narrator; Spanish (Latin America) A)
Alessandra Araújo (Narrator; Portuguese B)
Bruna Matta (Announcer; Portuguese B)
Carlos Seidl (Narrator; Portuguese A)
Fernando Mendonça (Announcer; Portuguese A)
NOE Localisation Producers Palma Sánchez de Moya Rodríguez
Julia Bambach
Wilson dos Santos Neto
Liam Higgins
NOE Translation Daniele Braglia

Jo Legge
Laurent Godinot
Matthieu Lamouroux
Alessandro Tardito
Mirko Capocelli
Sebastian Brück
Sven Pötzl
Jónatan Marcos Millán
Miguel Rodríguez Ramos
Christian Buter
Jurjen Tiersma
Coen van Rossum
European Voice Recording Audio Engineers Tom Jackson
Adrien Milliard
Marco Molinari
Alexander Kolle
Dustin Asmuteit
Niels Elemans
European Voice Recording Artistic Directors Stefan Szwarc
Alice Bongiorni
Katharina Lukschy
Isabel Martínez
Ewout Eggink
European Voices Jean-François Gérard (French A)
Margaux Billard (French B)
Darlo Maria Dossena (Italian A)
Lorella De Luca (Italian B)
Malte Meibauer (German A)
Nadine Zaddam (German B)
Emilio Valverde (Spanish (Spain) A)
Maite Jáuregui (Spanish (Spain) B)
Fred Meijer (Dutch A)
Jannemien Cnossen (Dutch B)
Asian Localization iQue (China) Ltd.
Mario Club Co., Ltd.
Nintendo of Korea Co., Ltd.
Nintendo of Taiwan Co., Ltd.
Asian Localization Management Dongyeon Kim
Hyokjin Jung
Kyoungim Na
Misa Matsumoto
Takaaki Ueno
Xu Ming
Asian Localization Coordination Soonil Kim
Chen Yufeng
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Monica Lai
Qiu Xiaochun
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Min Ah (Korean B)
Jingqi Wei (Chinese A)
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Asian Logo Design Inseon Song
Mike Kan
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Naotake Kanda
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Sana Sugiura
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Takeyuki Tsurumaki
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Fuma Sato
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Fumika Igarashi
Tomohiro Arai
Yuta Yamazaki
Keishi Hashimoto
Kaoru Ishiyama
Shoya Kakumura
Koki Yamane

Mario Club Co., Ltd.
DIGITAL HEARTS Co., Ltd.
SHIFT Inc.
Gameplay Capture Ryotaro Hayashi
Yoki Omura
Naoki Inoue
Gameplay Monitors Masaharu Shima
Daisuke Nishikawa
Yuichiro Ushijima
Shinya Morimoto
Hayato Horiuchi
Junya Shimotani
Kazuki Kusuda
Hiromitsu Azuma
NOA Product Testing Andy Kodlen
Chris Kuehnberger
Daijiro Imoto
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Gene Pencil
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Jeff Miller
Jeffrey Storbo
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Sean Roberts
Q Dequina
Ryan Bristol
Tomo Ishiyama
Tomoko Mikami
NOA Language QA Amanda Barrera
Daniela Escobar Fuentes
Manuela Moreira
Isaac Nelson-King
Pedro Neves do Souto
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NOE Language QA Stefania Montagnese
Sonia Trepiccioni
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Manuel Tants
Lutz Ohl
Jessica Sánchez Herrera
Ángeles Garrido
Joachim Lust
Kristof Deboel
Asian Language QA Chen Weiming
Eodo Lee
Hu Huiming
Cheng Wenyen
Jeewan Chun
Xia Tinghui

Side
Supervisors HAL Laboratory, Inc.
Shinya Kumazaki
Kenichiro Kita
Riki Fuhrmann
Yuuta Ogasawara
Masayo Nakagami
Tetsuya Abe
Tadashi Kamitake
Special Thanks Masahiro Shiotani
Kei Ninomiya

Masaya Kobayashi
Daisuke Masui
Tsuyoshi Kobayashi
Yoshito Higuchi
Shoji Nakamura
Progress Management Satoshi Mitsuhara
Kenji Furukawa
Miki Yakabe
Development Manager Kaso Kyo
General Development Managers Kenji Anabuki
Fumihiro Suzuki
Executive Development Managers Daisuke Uchiyama
Makoto Ishii
Coordination Kodai Matsumoto
Satoshi Kira
Project Management Toyokazu Nonaka
Producers Shinya Saito
Makoto Okazaki
General Producer Shinya Takahashi
Executive Producer Shuntaro Furukawa
Sora Ltd.

Bandai Namco Studios Inc.

Nintendo

Trivia[edit]

  • The Japanese reveal trailer uses the Checklist unlock sound effect from the original game when the ド of the logo is destroyed to give place for the ダー of the new title.[9]

Gallery[edit]

Main article: Kirby Air Riders/gallery

Videos[edit]
Load video
YouTube
Reveal Trailer
Load video
YouTube
Kirby Air Riders Direct
Load video
YouTube
Kirby Air Riders (Nintendo Direct 9.12.2025)
Load video
YouTube
Kirby Air Riders Direct 2

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese カービィのエアライダー
kābyi no earaidā 		Kirby's Airrider
English Kirby Air Riders -
Arabic [10]كيربي أير رايدرز
kirbi 'ayr raydarz 		Kirby Air Riders
Traditional Chinese 卡比的馭天飛行者
kǎ bǐ de yù tiān fēi xíng zhě 		Kirby's Air Rider
Simplified Chinese 卡比的驭天飞行者
kǎ bǐ de yù tiān fēi xíng zhě
Dutch Kirby Air Riders -
French Kirby Air Riders -
German Kirby Air Riders -
Italian Kirby Air Riders -
Korean 커비의 에어 라이더
keobiui eeo laideo 		Kirby's Air Rider
Polish Kirby Air Riders -
Portuguese Kirby Air Riders -
Spanish Kirby Air Riders -


External links[edit]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kirby Air Riders – Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch 2
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 X post from Masahiro Sakurai
  3. ↑ Twitter link
  4. ↑ Twitter link
  5. ↑ Twitter link
  6. ↑ Kirby Air Riders – Nintendo Direct 9.12.2025
  7. ↑ Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games: Finale Special
  8. ↑ "チャンネル最終話で話していた秘密の企画…
    白日の下にさらされましたね｡
    チャンネルが終わるまではチャンネル制作とエアライダー制作を併用していたわけですが､かなり苦しかった…
    終わったいま､なぜかラクにはなっていないのだけど頑張っています｡
    ゲーム開発って､後の方が大変ですもんね…
    発表された多くの作品を拝見し､すごく多くの人がゲーム制作に携わっていることを感じて身が引き締まります｡

    The secret project I talked about in the channel's final episode...
    It was brought into the light of day.
    Up until the channel ended, I was working on it and     Air Riders simultaneously, which was quite tough...
    For some reason, things didn't get any easier once it ended, but I'm doing my best.
    Game development gets more difficult near the end...
    Looking at all the projects that were announced, it humbles me to see how many people are involved in game production.    " –Masahiro Sakurai (X thread)
  9. ↑ Kirby Air Riders – Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch 2 (Japanese)
  10. ↑ https://store.nintendo.sa/ar/ngPvBdz
v • d • e
Games in the Kirby series
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v • d • e
Kirby Air Riders
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