Nintendo released this Kirby game 22 years ago, and I can’t wait for the sequel

There are many excellent Kirby games out there, with the franchise boasting a 33-year history, during which time Nintendo released 39 adventures for the Pink Puffball. Honestly, I love this little guy, and I’ll follow him pretty much anywhere, though it shames me to admit I still need to play Forgotten Land. Do you know what my favorite ever Kirby game is? Go on, guess. It’s pretty iconic; one might even call it generation-defining for the GameCube. Yes, I’m talking about Kirby Air Ride, which just so happens to turn 22 today.

Kirby Air Ride’s anniversary is a cause for celebration, I think, being not just one of the best Kirby games out there but a very solid racing game, too, forming core memories for many gamers. While critics claimed it to be too simple, I actually find Air Ride’s simplicity to be rather charming, making it more of a selling point, though perhaps it’s my lazy side speaking, as not needing to hold down a button to move my kart is a rare luxury in these sorts of games.

Furthermore, the “City Trial” game mode is a bit of an iconic staple and clearly has some sort of influence on Mario Kart World’s open world. I have to admit, I also thought the Mario game series could borrow a thing or two from the Pink Puffball’s racer, and if you check out our Mario Kart World review, Nintendo’s choice to borrow from Kirby paid off. Even today, with my rather rare GameCube copy, I still enjoy speeding around the city, exploring various locations in my kart.

Usually, when I celebrate the anniversary of a game, I lament the fact that it deserves a new lease of life, be it through a remaster or a sequel, but following the Nintendo Direct back in April, that isn’t the case for me today. Kirby Air Riders, a sequel to Air Ride, is due to release before the end of the year, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Even though we only have a brief glimpse at it so far, I just know it’s going to be something special; it has to be. Nintendo can’t release a sequel 22 years later to an iconic game and drop the ball.

That’s doubly true, given the company is getting rid of Nintendo Switch Online game vouchers, which have long saved many NSO subscribers some money on new Switch games. The feature remains operational for the next 18 months, however, although sales for the vouchers end in January. So, while time will tell, there’s a chance that the next Kirby game will become part of the redeemable games list for those precious tickets.

If you need something to play right now, you can check out our list of the best Switch games, though we recommend you get in some laps with Mario Kart World to prepare yourself for Kirby Air Riders. Should you take our advice, we have Mario Kart World unlockables and Mario Kart World tracks guides to help you out.