Nintendo has officially confirmed the release date for Kirby Air Riders and the gaming community is not able to handle it. The little fatso is going to spray the race track on November 20th and of course will always be above the rest. After a long time of silence, this is now the right moment to mark the date on your calendars.
Nintendo‘s official Twitter account was the one that first broke the news with the message: “Cutting through the competition. đ #KirbyAirRiders drops Nov 20!” Check out the accompanying winking emoji – Nintendo is fully aware of the magic they have in their hands. And if we go by the instantaneous and overwhelming positive reactions from the gaming community, then they are indeed right.
So, what is Kirby Air Riders all about anyway? If you missed it, the game is basically a race with the air kind of Kirby. Just visualize him gliding around the track and either sucking the others up or causing some highly chaotic stuff instead. It is a very strange but expected kind of madness that occurs in a Kirby spin-off game and we honestly, speaking, quite like it.
The playersâ reactions could not be anything else but a chorus of excitement and positive comments from the fans. One user known as Prachi in a very short but effective way said “I’m so excited,” which is practically the same as the general vibe. Another player under the username Nazolight made the best strong point ever; he remarked “Literally the day before my birthday, can’t wait until it dropsâșïž” – now that is the best birthday present ever!
However, there is no Twitter without the signature controversy happening in the replies. There was this whole argument among the users about whether the game would be a quick forget or not. One person even went to the extent of predicting it would be completely worthless after a week, while the others were defending the title that the public has been waiting for so long. Player Ultimate Chicken for example responded “if you only heard about it a few years ago and know little about it, you are making bold statements like you have some understanding of the game” – which is, honestly, a fair point.
What is even more interesting is that so many people have already begun to ask for a second Direct for the game. User LJPhil_M wrote “Looking forward for the second Kirby Air Riders Direct,” which shows the playersâ hunger for more information even after the release date was just announced. And there is also David H Brown who has basically threatened “No one is getting the second Direct until you give this game a chance!” that is… aggressive but passionate I guess?
The excitement is not total though. Some users pointed out other problems like Mike who was whining about “the FUCKING SWITCH 2 PRICE TAG” being the major reason he could not play. And then there was some random argument over Sonic games and Kid Icarus that really made no sense whatsoever but was fun to observe. Twitter gonna Twitter, am I right?
Despite everything, the fact that so many people are spotting Masahiro Sakurai’s influence on the game is what really sets the discussion apart. Dashi-Musashi said “Sakurai games always have that level of craziness to them,” and that is absolutely correct. The mastermind behind Super Smash Bros. is an expert in crafting chaotic, playful experiences and it seems that Kirby Air Riders is taking that playful tradition forward.
One of the pictures depicting Kirby blasting through what looks like a futuristic race track has made everyone so excited that the user tyray222 named it “Peak racing will be real soon,” while Anperia69 lamented “omg why it looks fun WHY I CANT” – totally understandable feeling. The game seems to be a blend of Kirby’s old-fashioned charm and high-speed racing mechanics that are new and familiar at the same time.
Additionally, some of the less-informed commenters have mixed up the gameâs title and concept. One user asked “Kirby and the Forgotten game??” which indicates that not everybody has been keeping a close eye on the development. Nevertheless, the general consensus appears to be that it looks fun no matter how much one knows about it beforehand.
As the release date of November 20th approaches, the excitement is going to be even more intense. Nintendo has proven to be trustworthy when it comes to offering quality spin-offs for their iconic characters and Kirby Air Riders seems to be following that line. The racing mechanics mixed with Kirbyâs special skills could lead to a gameplay loop that might even rival the existing kart racers on the market.
The timing of the release is also quite advantageous as it will come just before the holidays when it is highly likely that it will be one of the most loved gifts for PlayStation and Xbox fans. However, some users like humaniremember0 have suggested that they should “Swap release dates with PokĂ©mon,” which… probably not happening but definitely an interesting thought.
What is very clear is that after 22 years since the original Kirby Air Ride on GameCube the players are still around waiting for a new game in this particular sub-series. The nostalgia factor combined with modern gaming expectations creates a perfect storm for anticipation. Whether it lives up to the hype or not, the initial reaction suggests that Nintendo might be having another hit in the making.
So do not forget to write it down, turn on those notifications and get ready to enter the virtual race tracks starting on November 20th. Kirby is coming in hot and judging from the players’ reactions, the gaming community is more than ready to take the ride of this crazy adventure with him. It is bound to be a fun time.
