The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct has given us not one, but two new racing games to look forward to for the console. As well as Mario Kart World, we're also getting Kirby Air Riders, and it's directed by none other than Smash Bros. head Masahiro Sakurai.
Aside from the fact that this is a sequel to cult GameCube classic Kirby Air Ride, which Sakurai also directed, the initial reveal trailer doesn't reveal much. We do see Kirby riding around on a rocket-powered warp star, and a few differently colored variants of the intergalactic cutie also appear in the race, including one riding on a single-wheeled motorcycle and another on a boxy plane.
Kirby Air Riders is due to launch sometime in 2025 on Switch 2. Sakurai recently tweeted about all his posts being hyper-analyzed, but it seems we were right to suspect he had a little something extra for this presentation. We'll still have to wait a bit longer for additional information on what this sequel will entail, however.
Kirby Air Ride originally hit GameCube back in 2003, and met mixed reviews from critics due to the general simplicity of its racing gameplay. You automatically move forward, and your only controls are the analog stick for steering and the A button for braking. Despite - or perhaps because of - that simplicity, the game still found its share of fans, and offered them a ton of unlockable secrets and extra modes. Here's hoping the sequel can keep up that charm.
Keep an eye out for all the upcoming Switch 2 games.
