Game Information
Game Title: Kirby Air Riders
Platforms:
- Nintendo Switch (Nov 20, 2025)
Trailer:
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 80 average - 86% recommended - 35 reviews
Critic Reviews
Areajugones - Ramón Baylos - Spanish - 8 / 10
Kirby Air Riders is a surprisingly deep and uniquely structured game, born from the obsessions of Masahiro Sakurai already seen in his previous works. Almost as if it were an auteur game, this new entry in the saga is clear proof of the finesse with which the Japanese creator operates, resulting in a remarkable title that blends the boundaries of several genres at once.
CGMagazine - Jordan Biordi - 9 / 10
Kirby Air Riders combines tight controls, excellent gameplay and a plethora of content to make the best mascot racing game on the Nintendo Switch 2.
CNET - Scott Stein - Unscored
You want a game that's fast? That pinballs you around and gets to incomprehensible speeds? Go go go go go go. That's Kirby Air Riders. It's Mario Kart on 70 shots of espresso.
COGconnected - Alex Everatt - 88 / 100
While I do hope Nintendo has plans to add to the overall package with at least some new Air Ride and Top Ride tracks, there is still a wealth of content here for fans to enjoy. If you’re a racing fan or looking for something fresh to play with friends, Kirby Air Riders should be a strong consideration for your Switch 2 library.
Cerealkillerz - Steve Brieller - German - 8 / 10
Kirby Air Riders oozes Sakurais design philosophy and feels like a Smash Bros game turned into a racer. It excels at pick-up-and-play and chaotic multiplayer fun for parties but sadly runs out of steam rather quickly.
Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - 8 / 10
Kirby Air Riders shares a lot of the same DNA as its predecessor, and it's a sequel that belongs in this era. The simplistic controls might not be for everyone, but if you can look past that, you've got a competent racer that does its own thing instead of attempting to battle it out against Mario Kart World.
Daily Mirror - 4 / 5
This is the kind of family-friendly kart racer only Nintendo – and more specifically, Sakurai – could make.
Digitally Downloaded - Matt Sainsbury - 3.5 / 5
Still, while Kirby Air Riders won’t be remembered in the countdowns of Nintendo’s greatest games, and certainly won’t have the longevity that Sakurai brought to Smash Bros., it’s a fun distraction and the kind of thing that you’ll pick up every six months or so for a quick blast and laugh. And sometimes that’s all a game needs to be.
Digitec Magazine - Domagoj Belancic - German - 4 / 5
Kirby Air Riders is perhaps the most chaotic game I have ever played. The racing game stands out thanks to its minimalist controls, which force me to rethink my approach. The races on the crazy tracks are ultra-fast and addictive – even in the cute Top Ride mode with its bird's-eye view. The heart of the game, City Trial, is chaos in perfection. It's incredibly fun to collect power-ups and knock out opponents on the open battlefield. The feeling of having assembled an extremely powerful machine that I can barely control is priceless.
The approach of doing away with annoying live service rubbish is commendable. The downside of this decision is that in some modes, I would like to see more content that will never materialize.
Eurogamer.pt - Bruno Galvão - Portuguese - 4 / 5
Kirby Air Riders is a game that is simple to control but offers a good level of depth in its gameplay. With four game modes that interpret the design in very different ways, it is an explosive game that grabs your attention as quickly as the speed of the races.
Everyeye.it - Riccardo Cantù - Italian - 8.5 / 10
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GAMES.CH - Benjamin Braun - German - 65%
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GRYOnline.pl - Adam Celarek - Polish - 8.5 / 10
If you own a Switch 2, have additional controllers, and a group of gaming friends, get yourself Kirby Air Riders. This is an adrenaline-filled game that represents the essence of good party games. Just don’t expect too much when playing alone.
GamePro - Sebastian Zeitz - German - 88 / 100
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GameSpot - Jake Dekker - 8 / 10
Kirby Air Riders is an impressive package that makes the most of its deceivingly simple mechanics.
Gameblog - French - 8 / 10
Kirby Air Riders is like a strawberry sorbet: sweet, refreshing, but not exactly essential. Yet, in the quieter stretch of the year, it might just catch you off guard. It's a simple game, but one that offers a surprising amount of depth, both in its content and gameplay. And it does justice to the Nintendo Switch 2, delivering smooth performance and solid graphics that make it a worthy addition to the system.
GamesRadar+ - Rollin Bishop - 4 / 5
An experience where I'm constantly left thinking, 'just one more race' or 'just one final battle'.
Gfinity - 7 / 10
A chaotic, vibrant combat racer with excellent visuals and multiplayer potential, shining strongest in Air Ride and City Trial, but stumbling slightly with uneven pacing and weaker modes. Fun, frantic, but occasionally overwhelming.
Glitched Africa - Marco Cocomello - 9 / 10
Kirby Air Riders might not be for everyone, but everyone should absolutely try it. It is frantic and often a little overwhelming, but once the rhythm sets in, this is a fun and accessible racer that encompasses Masahiro Sakurai’s vast imagination.
IGN - Logan Plant - 8 / 10
Kirby Air Riders' unconventional controls can get in its own way sometimes, but they don't stop it from being a fun, frantic action racing game with an almost unreal amount of stuff to do.
IGN Italy - Luca Rago - Italian - 8 / 10
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IGN Spain - Mario Sánchez - Spanish - 9 / 10
Kirby Air Riders is a fun and addictive racing game with simple yet deep controls, featuring a variety of game modes, unlockable characters and vehicles, and a charming visual style that, combined with its smooth performance, delivers excitement and adrenaline in every race.
Nintendo Life - PJ O'Reilly - 8 / 10
Kirby Air Riders is a cracking sequel that gives solo players much more to dig into with its story campaign, whilst also bringing all-new levels of shiny graphics, bells and whistles to its returning City Trial, Air Ride, and Top Down Racing modes. This is a chaotic and frenzied racer, there's no doubt, but it's got depth for those who wish to learn and plenty of competition to be had both online and at harder difficulties for diehards.With lots of excellent tracks, riders and machines to unlock, sat alongside some surprisingly deep machine customisation, Kirby's latest air riding adventure is off to a strong start. Oh, and that soundtrack!
PPE.pl - Wojciech Gruszczyk - Polish - 8 / 10
Kirby Air Riders is a colourful, chaotic and surprisingly tactical racing game that won't be for everyone, but if you like this unusual driving model, you can get stuck into it for hours on end. It works best with family or friends, offering lots of fun and great replayability.
Press Start - James Berich - 8.5 / 10
Kirby Air Riders delivers a distinct and fast-paced spin on the racing genre that is about so much more than just reaching the finish line. The unexpectedly offbeat story mode, clever course design, and surprisingly tense yet frenetic competitive play all come together to offer a well-rounded package full of joy and charm. While City Trial could use a few more maps, and the stop-start mechanics aren't immediately engaging, Kirby Air Riders is incredible fun, no matter how you play it or who you play it with.
Shacknews - Donovan Erskine - 8 / 10
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Spaziogames - Italian - 8 / 10
Kirby Air Riders is exactly what it needed to be: a refined, expanded take on the 2003 classic that channels a style of game design focused purely on player fun rather than strict genre labels. That freedom can feel like a double-edged sword, broadly appealing, yet not perfectly satisfying for any one crowd. Still, for anyone with a Nintendo Switch 2, it remains a must-try experience, one that's dangerously easy to get hooked on.
Stevivor - Matt Gosper - 6.5 / 10
While Air Riders might not be my personal cup of tea, it feels like a faithful and loving reward for all the folks who loved the original Kirby Air Ride. Without the benefit of nostalgia, though, you may find it harder to get up to speed.
The Games Machine - Daniele Cucchiarelli - Italian - 8 / 10
A kart game that challenges Mario Kart or Smash Bros. on floating vehicles? Kirby Air Riders has speed in its DNA and rewards the most skilled and patient players with tons of unlockable items. At the same time, however, the many facets of its playful soul risk being too much and confusing the "core" experience. Between dozens of mini-games, lightning-fast races, and boss battles with weapons, the game loses some of its focus but still remains a fun experience... especially in multiplayer.
TheSixthAxis - Dominic Leighton - 7 / 10
Kirby Air Riders is a charming addition to the racing genre. Its unique outlook might not appeal to everyone, but it's still liable to find it a raft of fans, just like its GameCube predecessor.
VGC - Chris Scullion - 4 / 5
Kirby Air Riders really didn't need a combined 107 minutes of Nintendo Direct presentations to sell players on its merits, because it only takes a few races to see how fun it can be. Road Trip mode's imbalanced win conditions will divide players, but the brilliantly diverse Road Trip (which is built with multiple playthroughs in mind) and the hefty 750-mission Checklist ensure solo players have plenty to do.
Video Chums - A.J. Maciejewski - 9 / 10
Kirby Air Riders is so full of variety, hearty challenges, and pure joy that I highly recommend it to anyone who relishes unconventional gaming experiences. Plus, its online component is so well implemented that it may just be my new go-to game for multiplayer fun. ⭐
Wccftech - Nathan Birch - 7.5 / 10
Kirby Air Riders serves up a varied platter of quirky modes and features, but Sakurai’s buffet may not satisfy long-term unless you’re up for chasing down every last crumb. That said, while a bit lightweight, Kirby Air Riders' unconventional and surprisingly intense approach to racing certainly sticks out, even in a year with a lot of karting competition, which may be enough to blow folks looking for something different off their feet.
WellPlayed - Ash Wayling - 9 / 10
As oddball as the puzzling puffball on the cover, Kirby Air Riders is a spectacular example of twisting preconceived expectations into something weird, wonderful and altogether incredible – inviting you to go fast and kick arse in equal parts.
