The Nintendo GameCube’s Kirby Air Ride seems to have become more popular in people’s memories than it was on its 2003 launch. The racing game from HAL Laboratory and Super Smash Bros. legend Masashiro Sakurai was received with a collective “meh,” reviewers frustrated by its simplicity in a world where Mario Kart ruled. This seems to have done little to dampen excitement around the game’s very belated return, this time in the hands of Bandai Namco and Sora, complete with Masashiro Sakurai at the helm. And it seems to have worked out a lot better 22 years later, with Kirby Air Riders winning over a majority of critics.
The game’s current Metascore of 78 isn’t what Sora or Nintendo would have been hoping for, but it’s a fair reflection of the 57 reviews in so far (Nintendo did not supply Kotaku with review code), with its vast majority of 7s, 8s and 9s. Funnily enough, 78 is exactly where Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment landed earlier this month, a number that has only snuck up to 79 since its release. Also aligning is each game’s harshest review, with both getting a huge outlier score of 4 out of 10 and verbal kicking from the anonymous critic at the UK’s Metro Game Central. (Metro is owned by Associated Newspapers, the same company that owns the Daily Mail.) Meanwhile, I suspect that had Julia Lee’s review on Polygon had a score it could have weighted things up significantly, given she describes the game as “everything I could have wanted and more.” Siliconera‘s Jenni Lada was equally jubilant, with a 10/10 score and the declaration that she likes it more than Mario Kart World!
Most took a more moderate view, however, a huge number of the reviews beginning by their confusion that that is of all GameCube games should be the one picked for a modern revival, but pleasantly surprised by the results. “This is a chaotic and frenzied racer, there’s no doubt,” said Nintendo Life‘s PJ O’Reilly, “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.” O’Reilly admits that he had a soft spot for the original, while acknowledging its flaws, and observing that the sequel is “actually very good.” VGC‘s Chris Scullion says that while the game begins “insultingly simple,” it quickly reveals hidden depths and has a “brilliant single-player Road Trip mode.”
The Sixth Axis‘s Dominic L was a little more hesitant with praise, criticizing Kirby Air Riders‘ City Trial mode but celebrating its top-down Top Ride perspective, eventually concluding that while falling short of Mario Kart and Sonic Racing: Crossworlds, it’s “undeniably charming.” Meanwhile, Digitally Downloaded‘s Matt S. said the racer is “fun” but “not any more than that.” Labeling the game “filler,” but conceding it’s “a fun distraction and the kind of thing you’ll pick up every six months or so for a quick blast and laugh.”
Here’s a selection of what other sites that Nintendo likes better than us are saying about Kirby Air Riders.
“Kirby Air Riders is an impressive package that makes the most of its deceivingly simple mechanics. Air Ride delivers a solid kart racing experience; Top Ride is a fun–albeit a bit straightforward–distraction; City Trial is chaotic in the best way possible; and Road Trip ties it all together with its creative encounters and satisfying progression. In the second Kirby Air Riders Direct, Masahiro Sakurai said he had no plans to continue the franchise or add any DLC. When I first heard this, I was a little disappointed, but now that I’ve spent countless hours exploring each mode, there’s not really anything else I could want. This feels like that initial concept from 2003 taken as far as it could possibly go, and I couldn’t be happier with the result.” — Jake Dekker
“I’m not sure what’s crazier: the fact that Kirby Air Riders exists, or the fact that it’s this great. It’s a blast in local or online multiplayer during its traditional races and unique battle mode, and its frankly absurd amount of fun achievements to chase, meaningful unlockables, and deep customization makes it great for solo players, too.” — Logan Plant
“As someone who had a reasonable enough time with the original Kirby Air Rider [sic] on the GameCube, I’d be lying if I said it was top of my list of classic Nintendo games that I wanted to see making a comeback (Punch-Out, Excite Truck and Kid Icarus, please if you’re reading this, Furukawa-san). But Kirby Air Riders is a pleasant surprise that may have some rather eccentric design choices at times – especially in its anticlimactic City Trial mode – but is a great little racing game with engaging and replay-friendly solo modes.” — Chris Scullion
“I knew I’d like Kirby Air Riders, since I enjoyed the GameCube original, but I didn’t expect this game to feel stronger than Mario Kart World. It’s so enjoyable and robust. There’s room for both racers on the Switch 2, of course. But if I had to pick a favorite and never touch the other game again, I’d pick Kirby Air Riders every time. There’s so much to do, and every mode feels well-realized and valuable.” — Jenni Lada
“Game director Masahiro Sakurai’s charm and endless attention to detail is felt throughout Air Riders, but City Trial has it flooding out of every pore. At first, it feels like pure chaos and arguably a bit pointless, but as you figure out stats, Machines, and embrace every random event instead of playing it safe, City Trial becomes the standout mode of Air Riders. Even with just one map and some events feeling too luck-based, it simply never gets boring.” — George Foster
“Kirby Air Ride was a fundamentally flawed concept 22 years ago and it has not aged well. Especially as the three main modes are all more or less exactly as they were over two decades ago, to the point where this is really more of a remake than a sequel… If, however, you want to play an irritating, formless, racer that’s simultaneously overcomplicated and far too simple then Kirby Air Riders is the game for you.”
