In Kirby Air Riders, Nintendo’s vehicle combat hit from legendary Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai, you’re spoilt for choice when deciding both who to play as, and what machine to ride. Each character and Air Ride machine has their own unique stats that affect speed, boost, glide, handling, and more, which means picking the right combination can feel pretty daunting.
While the potential ultimate character, which we won’t spoil for you here, is locked behind completing the story mode of Road Trip, there are some fantastic combinations that can be found elsewhere – so let's take a look at those key combos to get you going. Now, the aim of the game when picking your rider and machine is to tailor their strengths to the game mode that you're going to play...
Air Ride, for example, is a racing mode that favors speed, boost, and manoeuvrability, while also being able to smash your way through the competition to reach pole position. For this, as many road trip cutscenes suggest, a great combination is Meta Knight and Shadow Star, as this pairing results in a zippy missile, with both charging and boost speed getting a lift, along with the added benefit of a substantial glide buff.
A downside of this set up is it's a bit of a glass cannon, so be wary of receiving damage as you batter the opposition out of the way to achieve the number one spot. You can even engage Meta Knight's soaring special, and make the most of any gliding sections to gain the upper hand.
For Top Ride, on the other hand, manoeuvrability is favored even more, with tight corners being all the more present on the winding courses. Therefore, traction and turning are well worth leaning into, and a great combination to achieve this is with Rick the Hamster and the Chariot.
This adorable little rodent is surprisingly bulky, which helps the Chariot stick to the ground and get round those tight corners. Plus, it's considerably nippy in straightaways, and Rick’s extra weight means that you won't get bashed around as much when brawling for the lead. Bear in mind that this combo keeps you glued to the road so you won’t get any air here, but you do get a considerable boost when you hit the ground after a ramp.
City Trial and error
When it comes to City Trial, things work a little differently as you don’t get to choose your machine at the beginning of a match. Instead you start with a basic star, and must hunt out another while collecting powerups to boost your stats. This game mode culminates in a stadium challenge, and you can pick the challenge that best suits your strengths – so decide on a character and rush for the ride that’ll help you prevail in the challenge type you want to play.
If all else fails, one solid and reliable combination is Kirby and the Warp Star.
For combat challenges such as Dustup Derby, Kirby Melee, and Big Battle, Knuckle Joe and the Battle Chariot reign supreme thanks to their outrageous offence and surprising manoeuvrability. With airborne challenges like Air Glider, High Jump, and Target Flight, pairing Meta Knight with either the Wing Star or Paper Star will see you soaring to success.
When taking on Oval Races and Drag Races, where speed is key but manoeuvrability might not be a priority, try King Dedede on the Wheelie Bike. While this combo takes a huge hit to grip and cornering, that impressive top speed will see you flying ahead. As for Single Race, Gourmet Race, and Button Rush, if you focus on balancing speed and manoeuvrability just like our Air Ride suggestion of Meta Knight and Shadow Star, then you can't go wrong.
It’s worth bearing in mind that you can try the challenges on their own by choosing the Stadium in the City Trial menu, so you can experiment with even more combinations for each type of challenge you may face, and then find the best ways to beat them.
But if all else fails, one solid and reliable combination is Kirby and the Warp Star. This beginner-friendly setup is perfectly balanced across the board, and while it has no outlying strengths there are no exploitable weaknesses either. It's perfect for getting to grips with the game and its mechanics, before delving into combinations further. So if in doubt, start here before working through our other top rider and machine combos in Kirby Air Riders.
Kirby Air Riders is available now, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2.
