Kirby Air Riders is an extremely unique racing game because the core of the game isn't the racing mode itself, but rather the City Trial mode, where you go to a huge island to collect power-ups and items before you have to complete a challenge in a mini-game. This game is chaotic because your vehicles (called “cars”) can speed up and spin out of control very quickly – but that's part of its charm.
For those who haven't played the original GameCube game, the wild controls and chaos may come as a shock, but don't worry, we're here to help. Below we list some tips for beginners Kirby Air Riders this should be useful for both new players and veterans who played the original game.
Collect all the cars in Road Trip.
If you come across a car in the new Journey story mode, grab it. You'll need the full 22-piece set to unlock a ton of different features, and if you turn in a vehicle, you can get it in New Game Plus. However, you may have to replay Road Trip a. several times unless you pick them up as you see them, as some cars only appear on certain branching paths.
Experience all the different vehicles
Everything is different from the original game. The good old Shadow Star is no longer the best car, so you should definitely try out each car before settling on your favorite car. As expected, some are better than others when it comes to racing, gliding, or beating up enemies, so you'll need to be an expert on which one to choose.
Also take some lessons
With that being said, this game handles and plays slightly different from the original Kirby Air Rideso it's worth going through a few lessons and getting a feel for the gameplay. The Road Trip mode is also great for learning some of the basics, as you'll be tasked with going through such a variation of stadiums and tracks.
Fiddle with the settings
There are so many settings in this game that you can play with to make your game more comfortable. If you have problems with motion sickness, you can add a grid or frame around the screen to help with this. You can reassign your buttons (all two!). You can enable motion control! You can customize what appears on your HUD. This is a very customizable option and worth tinkering with.
For the record, I usually get sick of games, although the original Kirby Air Ride didn't make me feel nauseous. This game started with small a little, but as soon as I turned on the grid in the center of the screen, all this nausea went away. Good!
Always do strange things
See the bomb in “The Journey”? Run into it. Do you have a field full of trees in City Trial? Crash into them all. There are usually checklist achievements behind all of these types of interactions, so you'll definitely want to give it your best shot.
Look for clues in City Trial, but beware of the pitfalls.
Sometimes during the City Trial, ominous text will appear on the screen, hinting at what the stadium might be like at the end, but sometimes… it's a scam! Watch out for typos and deceptive text, as these types of ads will lie.
Overtake your rivals behind you
If you sense that an enemy riding your star trail is about to overtake you, spin around on them to deal damage and push them away. Dealing damage will also give you a small boost.
Keep an eye out for special rare boxes
In City Trial, you'll need to especially keep an eye out for those regal rare crates, which the golden marker on your map will point you to. They often have a ton of upgrade items and even a legendary air transport item if you're lucky.
You will need to play everything to unlock all the characters and colors.
Various characters (and alternate colors) are locked into checklists for different game modes. Almost every character has at least two unlocking methods, so you may want to ignore some of the game modes if you're not a completionist. For example, if you want to unlock Star Man, you will need to check a certain box in Top Ride or City Trial. Completing the second of two achievements will unlock an alternate color scheme for Starman.
There are also special city test stadiums blocked off with flags for Road Trip, so be sure to complete this story multiple times.
Let Checklists Help You
If you are trying to check a specific box, such as winning a specific city stadium using a specific vehicle or racing on a specific map, click the Plus button when the corresponding box is checked. You will automatically switch to the game mode you want with the necessary settings installed (if any).
Notably, for flags that require the game to be played in a specific stadium, you Maybe just play in the stadium itself and skip the city portion of the city challenge. However, you will have to complete the stadium without power-ups, so some tasks may be too difficult to do with just a vehicle without power-ups.
Faster does not automatically mean better in City Trial
You might be tempted to build the ultimate race car by loading it with speed-based features, but being the fastest isn't always the best. Many stadium challenges become a little more difficult if your car is too fast, especially if you need to aim at specific targets, be it pressing buttons in a certain area or flying through hoops.
Use it or lose it – your special gauge will never be full!
Once your special ability meter is full, it will sit for a second and then begin to drain, regardless of whether you choose to use it or not. If you have a good spot to rush past enemies or land a powerful attack, you should definitely use it before it's too late. There are times when slowing down may not be the best solution, so think carefully before pressing Y.
