Nintendo announce a shockingly long Direct for one game only
Only 15 minutes for an Indie Direct, a mere 25 for the Partner showcase, yet Nintendo is going ham with a 45-minute Direct for one single game: Kirby Air Riders. The gaming giant announced the game back in April with only small amounts of footage, but it seems like we’re diving in for some specifics and most likely some actual gameplay.
Nintendo has so far only told us that Kirby Air Riders will be a racing game. The Direct will likely clear up a number of questions we have: will it honor the original game, Kirby Air Ride, be a spiritual successor to Mario Kart, or perhaps turn out to be something more like DK: Barrel Blast? What cast of characters will we be working with? Game director and creator of Kirby, Masahiro Sakurai, will be joining the Direct to hopefully show us around the game and talk to us about the process of making it. The Switch 2 game is set to be Sakurai’s first Kirby game since Air Ride in 2003, so something special this way comes.
The game will likely look to keep similar mechanics to the GameCube original we know and love – it would be a shame not to see the comeback of Kirby’s power-stealing mechanic. We’re hoping to see some of this gameplay and steal a glimpse of any other modes that might be entering or making a return – the original game’s City Trial mode was popular, and we’d like to see it make a comeback. That includes minigames with fights, mini-races, and more.
I’m also personally hoping for a speedy release date. We should get a date, seeing as the game is supposed to release in 2025, so this could easily be a Q3 angle, or maybe even a Christmas game, depending on how much Nintendo is banking on it for profits this year. A 45-minute Direct is no joke, so perhaps this is to be a big holiday release – or perhaps Nintendo knows how loved Sakurai is and wants to hype up his big return. Only time will tell.
For more Switch 2 content, take a look at our guide to the best upcoming Switch games or our list of the best Switch games. If you’re after more Kirby, see if you agree with our list of the best Kirby games of all time.
