Kirby Air Riders - Joy, Chaos, and the Launch Jitters I Felt

I recently grabbed Kirby Air Riders on my Switch 2 the day it dropped, full of that giddy “Sakurai’s back” energy and came away with a weird mixture of delight and online-era irritation. On one hand the bright tracks, chewy physics, and a City Trial that still makes me grin like an idiot. On the other, matchmaking quirks, friend-invite blind spots, and a few design choices that make a seven-minute run feel heartbreakingly short.

What actually is Kirby Air Riders?

Kirby Air Riders is a full-blown Switch 2 racing spinoff, a direct sequel to the GameCube classic the developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd, with Masahiro Sakurai returning as director. It launched as a Switch 2 exclusive on November 20, 2025.

The package aims to be both nostalgic and modern, with more tracks (18 at launch, this is nine remixed classics and nine new courses), a revamped City Trial mode, local and online multiplayer, and a steady calendar of in-game events planned to run for a year after launch. Those design choices are exactly what hooked me and I wanted long-term seasons, not a one-week meme.

Why Kirby Air Raiders felt so good to play

The core movement is quick and forgiving in the best way, acceleration, boost, and attack mix well and let you feel clever when you pull off a narrow win.
City Trial is back and honestly, it’s better: faster pickups, more interactable events, and a satisfying risk/reward loop when you decide whether to build speed or hoard parts.
The art direction and soundtrack are pure Kirby candy; even when I got bodied by RNG in the final stadium event, the visuals softened the blow. TechRadar

These parts kept me playing between matches even when the online stuff hiccupped.

The frustrations I hit, live and loud

I want to be honest here, I spent as much time online as I did in-game the first week, because so many of the issues I experienced were echoed there.

Matchmaking & friend invites: I repeatedly failed to open a paddock and invite friends to the same match, the game’s lobby system felt restrictive compared to modern standards (no simple invite-code flow like other recent Nintendo titles). That meant we ended up doing awkward local-only sessions or fumbling with public lobbies.

Short City Trial runs: This is design, not a bug, but it stung. You spend five minutes building a machine and stats only to have one final event that negates your build.

Post-launch content anxiety: I worried the game might launch strong and then fade like some recent Nintendo titles that fizzled due to lack of events. One year of events sounds promising, but consistent post-launch support matters more than promises.

Patches, fixes and quick solutions that could help

Good news is that the studio moved fast. A recent update, targeted online stability, matchmaking hangs, and progression stalls, exactly the stuff that made me rage-quit during a night of trying to host friends. I tried another session post-patch and the experience was noticeably smoother. If you’re frustrated, check for updates and enable automatic downloads.

Some workarounds I used

Create a public paddock and set a clear time in your Discord/party to join I know it’s clunky, but it works reliably.
If City Trial feels too short, play a few casual matches first to unlock more machines and parts , this small progression smooths the RNG sting. (This is the grind-friendly solution that I worth thinking about.)

If fast-paced chaos and bold design shifts are your thing, you might like our view on Mario Kart World: The Future of Racing a deeper look at how Nintendo is redefining speed, strategy, and modern kart mechanics. It pairs perfectly with the topics explored here and expands on how racing games are evolving for a new generation of players.

Want official details, patches and the store page? Visit Nintendo’s Kirby Air Riders page for release info, languages, and download size

Kirby Air Riders Roster & Characters

So who’s actually playable in Kirby Air Riders. While the Switch version isn’t packed with a massive roster, it focuses on polished, distinct characters. Kirby is obviously the star, but Meta Knight and King Dedede round out the main trio, each offering different handling styles on their Warp Stars.

Kirby is the all-rounder, Meta Knight is the high-speed precision pick, and Dedede is the heavier, more powerful option.

Spoiler Alert

So, how melty is it?

First Ride Thrill — 8/10
That initial boost, where everything clicks is pure joy.

Online Queue Frustration — 8.5/10
Matchmaking teething pains and invite limits made friend sessions awkward.

City Trial RNG Rage — 9/10
Beautiful, addictive mode, but sometimes feels unfair in how it resolves runs.

Patch-Relief Hope — 9.5/10
Patches have already improved things and steady updates could put this game in evergreen territory.

Total Melt Score: 8.6/10
Kirby Air Riders is brilliant and worth sticking with if you can tolerate a few launch bumps.

Melt Meter

Ice Cold Fully Melted

Despite the headaches, I keep coming back. The dodgy online day one didn’t kill my enjoyment at all, it just made me appreciate clean local chaos all the more. If you love frantic party racers and want a Kirby game that actually scratches that Smash/Mario Kart collision itch, this is a joyful trip, especially once you’ve applied the latest patches and learned a few paddock workarounds.

If you’re cautious then I would wait a couple of weeks for more updates and community, recommended host settings. If you’re hungry for immediate mayhem then gather a local group and play City Trial until the online layer settles.