Kirby Air Riders has some seriously strong reviews, and the game is just as fun as it is accessible. Rather than focusing on grueling difficulty, the game prioritizes easy-to-understand racing mechanics and pure enjoyment. This design philosophy can be seen in most of the boss encounters, as most villains pose minimal threat, having easily avoidable attacks.
However, as the story nears its conclusion, it introduces surprisingly challenging boss battles that pose some semblance of threat, at least for a Kirby game. Spoiler warning for the discussion below, as these are the hardest bosses to beat in Kirby Air Riders.
Gigantes
Gigantes, the main final boss of the Road Trip progression, is a colossal, armored brute that resembles a heavily armed mech with monstrous arms and cannons. The fight against Gigantes is of short duration, a typical high-stakes damage race lasting anywhere between 60 and 90 seconds. This changes up the usual complex pattern recognition with a strict time limit
So, how do you actually go about beating this thing? Your strategy should be to equip the most damaging Copy Ability, like Fire, Spark, or Plasma, and maintain a continuous assault. This mechanical behemoth has a huge health pool, so you might have to dive straight into the attack zones, dealing minimal damage and maximum attack.
Gigantes uses ground slams, cannon shots, and a laser sweep, all of which are easily dodgeable attacks with good timing. The real difficulty here comes from the limited combat space and the countdown timer. This isn’t a boss that’s particularly difficult if you’re a veteran gamer, but it is the most difficult boss in the game. Well, unless we’re talking about one that’s sort of a secret.
Galactic Nova
The true final boss, Galactic Nova, can only be unlocked after completing 100% of the Road Trip mode and collecting 22 secret machines. Like Gigantes, Galactic Nova doesn’t have a traditional physical form. Instead, it appears as a supercomputer, a mechanical entity in the deep void. Shifting completely from the traditional racing combat, this fight is all about dodging, turning into an aerial endurance trial that lasts over two minutes.
The battle is divided into various phases, each being unique on its own and extremely lengthy. It launches non-stop aerial attacks, like lasers, energy rings, and tracking missiles, making your success depend upon Kirby’s flight and dodge mechanics instead of machine stats.
The safest way to damage Nova is by inhaling and spitting back the stars it fires or making use of long-range copy abilities. Surprisingly, the last few phases of the fight will test your limits. You’ll be barraged with more powerful attacks and screen-filling lasers. Mistakes can add up quickly, and with it being a longer battle, your patience will be tested. Again, this is nowhere near as difficult a boss as Sigrun from God of War, but it is a surprising challenge for a Kirby game.
