Folks, if you’re like me and your eyes glazed over just a little during Masahiro Sakurai’s epic, near-two-hour deep dives into Kirby Air Ride, I have fantastic news. Nintendo just dropped a slick, seven-minute overview trailer that cuts to the chase, and it’s everything I needed to see.

While it’s currently only in Japanese, an English version is surely just around the corner. But honestly, the gameplay does most of the talking.

For the uninitiated, here’s the lowdown on what Kirby Air Ride is all about:

This isn’t your standard kart racer. It’s a “fast-paced vehicle action” game where you’ll be charging, boosting, and spinning to knock your rivals into next week. The core mechanic looks incredibly satisfying: use the Boost Charge button to brake and control your drifts, filling a gauge as you slide, then release it for a devastating burst of speed.

The customization is where it really sings. You get to mix and match your favorite Dream Land characters with a wild array of vehicles.

• Riders: Choose from Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, and even the glorious return of Magolor from Kirby’s Adventure Wii.
• Machines: Hop on the classic Warp Star, the ground-hugging Wheelie Bike, Meta Knight’s airborne Chariot, and more. Each handles uniquely, and each rider brings their own stats and Special moves to the table. And yes, you can still snag Copy Abilities from your foes to gain an edge in the fray.

Whether you’re battling it out in frantic arenas or racing across tracks on land and in the air, the chaos looks absolutely delightful.

Check out the action-packed overview trailer for yourself:

Kirby Air Ride is scheduled to hit the Nintendo Switch 2 on November 20, 2025. Consider my hype gauge officially full and my boost charge ready to go.

What do you think? Is this your most-anticipated Switch 2 game? Sound off in the comments!