Kirby fans are eating good as Nintendo serves up pre-orders for the new Chef Kawasaki amiibo

I always chuckle a bit to myself as I look back at my fears that Nintendo would forget amiibo for this generation. The reality is that I can't remember a time when I've had to keep up with so many restocks of older releases and brand new ones like the Chef Kawasaki and Hop Star amiibo.

We've known that Nintendo has been cooking up Chef Kawaki for a while, but the official Nintendo Japan website has now confirmed that the amiibo is expected to launch on September 3, 2026. There was no word on whether that release date pertained to just Japan. But I can confirm that the new Kirby Air Riders collectible has already appeared for $44.99 at Amazon, with that same September 3 release date.

Chef Kawasaki & Hop Star - Kirby Air Riders series amiibo: $44.99 at Amazon

The official Amazon product page states that tapping the Chef Kawasaki amiibo on your right Switch 2 Joy-Con will allow you to train it up as an FP (Figure Player), like the rest of the Kirby Air Rider series. Chef Kawasaki can also be sat in the Hop Star, or inside the rest of the amiibo series vehicles too if you want to change things up a bit.

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How to use amiibo in Kirby Air Riders on Nintendo Switch 2

• Load up Kirby Air Riders on your Nintendo Switch 2
• Select 'Extras' from the main menu
• Navigate to 'Amiibo' and select
• Select 'OK'
• Tap Kirby Air Riders amiibo over the right Switch 2 Joy-Con stick

If you aren't a big Chef Kawasaki fan, there are a lot more Kirby Air Riders amiibo where he came from. As of writing, the King Dedede & Tank Star figure is available for $54.99 at Best Buy, and you won't have to wait around for months for him to arrive at your door either.

You can also get your hands on the Kirby & Warp Star amiibo for $49.99 (Best Buy), the Meta Knight & Shadow Star amiibo for $44.99 (Best Buy), and the Bandana Waddle Dee & Winged Star amiibo for $49.99 (Best Buy), all of which are compatible with one another.

If you like the look of Waddle Dee's Winged Star vehicle, and happen to own the Kirby figure too, you can have the pink puffball sit inside it instead. Just beware that these are some of the priciest individual releases in the entire Nintendo NFC lineup, so collecting them all in order to mix and match their vehicles is not going to come cheap. It's why, despite having a 150+ amiibo collection, I haven't yet picked any of these up so far. Although it's getting harder and harder to resist the cuter they get.

Check out our guides to the best Nintendo gifts and the best Lego sets for more Ninty-themed merch and collectibles.