Kirby Air Riders review: "This racer is also equal parts fighting game, minigame collection, and roguelike – and I'm shocked at how well that works"

Kirby Air Riders key art showing Kirby blazing along on a warp star as spear waddle dee and metaknight are ahead.

I'm not particularly good at racing in Kirby Air Riders, I've come to determine. Years and years of Mario Kart – including this year's Mario Kart World – has poisoned my brain to play racers in a certain kind of way, and Kirby Air Riders just isn't that. For starters, Kirby Air Riders has no traditional acceleration; you just move forward constantly, so every race becomes a question of positioning, environmental loopholes, and exceptional brake usage.

But that's OK, because Kirby Air Riders is equal parts fighting game, minigame collection, and roguelike. That's not even accounting for the hang-out-and-play vibes of the online multiplayer lobbies or "machine" aka vehicle customization. Sometimes a video game is tricking out a bunch of sick rides with all the gear and decals you've unlocked and showing them off to the bros. Kirby Air Riders understands this and is designed accordingly.