Kirby Air Riders Is Coming to Switch 2 and It’s ‘Basically Like Mario Kart '

The sequel is also the first Kirby title to be directed by fan favorite Sakurai since the original.

“Oh dear,” Sakurai said during the Direct. “Why is making a game so hard?”

Air Riders expands on the original, which came out in 2003, with more characters, modes, and new controls beyond the single button players used to boost. “This time we’ve added a second button,” Sakurai said. “Unfortunately.” While the original game featured different versions of Kirby to play, Air Riders adds King Dedede, Meta Knight, and even lesser known characters like Starman, all of which can use copy abilities like Kirby. Each character has a special move that can boost their speed, attack other racers, or activate abilities like turning into a giant snowball. The game allows up to eight human players locally or 16 online.

In addition to traditional races, Air Riders features City Trial mode, where ...