Kirby Air Riders launches tomorrow, November 20, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. If you haven’t preordered a copy yet, you can still get release-day delivery from Amazon with a Prime membership. Depending on your location, you might be able to get a copy delivered from Walmart or Best Buy on launch day. Or you can order online from Best Buy and pick up your copy at your local store. Kirby Air Riders retails for $70, but as they often do, Amazon and Walmart are selling the physical edition for a whole dollar below MSRP.
And if you haven’t preordered the two Amiibo figure sets launching alongside Kirby Air Riders, the adorable Kirby & Warp Star and Bandana Waddle Dee & Winged Star sets are in stock at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for $50 each. Each set comes with a character figure and their signature machine from the game. Fans can also preorder Meta Knight & Shadow Star, though it doesn’t launch until March 5, 2026. Meta Knight will be followed by King Dedede & Tank Star and Chef Kawasaki & Hop Star sometime next year. Those two likely won’t be listed at major retailers until Nintendo announces release dates.
$69 | Releases November 20
The physical edition of Kirby Air Riders is available to buy at Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and GameStop.
The boxed edition of Kirby Air Riders is a true physical game with all of the data on the card. This has been the case for every Switch 2 game published by Nintendo–though it will no longer be true when Pokemon Pokopia launches as a Game-Key Card next March.
If you opt for the digital edition, just be aware that Air Riders is 21.7GB, according to the Nintendo eShop listing, which means it will use close to 10% of the console’s onboard storage.
If you’re worried about storage space for the digital version of Air Riders, you can double your Switch 2 storage for $59 with the officially licensed Samsung 256GB microSD Express from Amazon. Samsung also recently launched a different model with a 512GB edition for $100. Over at Walmart, you can get an exclusive 512GB SanDisk microSD Express Card for $98.
Kirby Air Riders is a sequel to the 2003 GameCube game Kirby Air Ride. There’s a lot of hype in the Kirby community around the new racing game, and a portion of it can attributed to the return of series creator Masahiro Sakurai. Kirby Air Riders is the first game in the series directed by Sakurai since Kirby Air Ride.
These days, Sakurai is best known as the creator and director of the Super Smash Bros. series. Since Kirby is in every Smash Bros. game, Sakurai has never truly left the character behind, but he hasn’t worked on a dedicated Kirby game since supervising the 2004 Game Boy Advance metroidvania Kirby & the Amazing Mirror. Just like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Kirby Air Riders was co-developed by Sakurai’s independent studio Sora Ltd and Bandai Namco.
Kirby Air Riders had not one, but two dedicated Nintendo Direct streams hosted by Sakurai. Both presentations gave Kirby fans an in-depth look at the new and returning modes, racers, and more.
The Mario Kart-esque racing game expands main modes from the original, including City Trial, Air Ride, and Top Ride. In City Trial, you’ll be tasked with finding machine upgrades scattered across a large floating island. You only have five minutes to secure your upgrades before heading to the Stadium to compete against computer players or friends in races and battles. There’s also a new single-player story mode called Road Trip and a social space called the Paddock.
The controversial single-button control scheme from the original has been replaced by a two-button layout where B is for boosting and Y activates special moves, perform tricks, and switch machines. New abilities and characters have been added to the roster. Along with Kirby, you can play as King Dedede, Bandana Waddle Dee, Meta Knight, Cappy, Starman, Chef Kawasaki, Magolor, Gooey, Susie, Knuckle Joe, Taranza, and the duo Lololo and Lalala. All nine courses from the original are included in Air Riders, but the sequel also has nine brand-new tracks.
Kirby Air Riders supports local multiplayer for up to four players on one console and eight players wirelessly. Switch Online members can compete in online events for up to 16 players.
Kirby Air Riders Amiibo
To use the Kirby & Warp Star or Bandana Waddle Dee & Winged Star in the game, the rider needs to be connected to the machine. Figures can be scanned to train and level up your Figure Player (FP). If you buy both launch sets, Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee can trade machines to create new Figure Players. And when Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Chef Kawasaki join the lineup, you’ll be able to create up to 25 different rider and machine combinations.
Check out all five Kirby Air Riders Amiibo combo packs below.