Kirby Air Riders review roundup: 'Essentially Super Smash Bros on wheels'
The pink puffball is here to give Mario Kart World some competition
👍 Kirby Air Riders has garnered a Metacritic score of 78 from 62 reviews
🙌 Reviewers have praised its sharp visuals, extensive modes and fun, rewarding gameplay
😔 Some have been less enthusiastic about its chaotic nature and think there aren’t enough tracks
💫 Kirby Air Riders is available on November 20, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2
Reviews for the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive Kirby Air Riders title are now live, and it seems like the pink puffball’s long-awaited return to racing was worthwhile.
Kirby Air Riders has received a Metacritic score of 78 after 62 reviews from the media, working out to a verdict of ‘Generally Favourable’.
Here’s what the critics have made of the cute, pink, Mario Kart World rival.
Gaming Bible was very positive in its review and gave the game 9/10. The outlet praised Kirby Air Riders’ deceivingly difficult gameplay, plus the fact it takes full advantage of the Switch 2’s increased power:
“Kirby Air Riders may fall short in terms of track selection compared to Mario Kart World, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t the best racing game released this year, and one of the best first-party Nintendo games to launch on the Nintendo Switch 2.
“It’s easy to learn but difficult to master gameplay loop will leave you desperate to improve, and City Trial provides the perfect playground to practice in, keeping you entertained for hours on end.”
In an 8/10 writeup, Nintendo Insider praised the game’s unique proposition as a more chaotic racing title for Switch 2, although noted that could be its downfall for some players:
“Kirby Air Riders is a game that is so clear in its desire to be joyful and over-the-top, one that is unapologetically chaotic, that I can see why that might put some players off. While I love a good blend of chaos, my sessions on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate filled with matches where items are cranked up and stage hazards are kept on, there are some who opt for something a little more grounded. For those people, Kirby Air Riders may prove a little too much. Every mode is a blast to play but fills the screen with a flurry of… well… things happening all at once.
“The controls are simple but perhaps at times overly so, that it can be tough keeping up with what power-up you may have unleashed unknowingly or why you span when you didn’t want to. It’s a game that’s not as accessible as Mario Kart and certainly not as easy to explain, but I really enjoy it for all the above reasons. It’s just so different.”
Nintendo Life gave Kirby Air Riders a 9/10 rating for its rich variety of modes, minigames and track selection. It also praised its visuals and the general look, although, again, had reservations on the chaos of some of the game’s races if you’re new to the game.
“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!”
IGN thought Kirby Air Riders was a large leap forward over the old Kirby Air Ride game from some 20 years ago, and praised its large variety of modes, plus its fun gameplay in both solo and multiplayer modes. The reviewer did note that its more chaotic nature and harder control scheme make it less approachable than Mario Kart World.
“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.”
In a rare negative 2/5 review, Metro’s GameCentral column called it a “baffling” release that they thought deliberately set out to annoy Switch 2 players.
“The most baffling Nintendo release of recent years, with a quasi-remake of one of the GameCube’s worst games, that seems specifically designed to irritate and confuse would-be players.”
If you’ve been waiting for a very fun and rewarding racing title for Switch 2, then Kirby Air Riders may be exactly what you want – as long as you don’t mind a potentially chaotic and sometimes overwhelming experience.
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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.