Summary
Masahiro Sakurai has officially revealed another developer involved with the upcomingKirby Air Riders, confirming that Bandai Namco will be involved with the game’s creation. Nintendo’s major Switch 2 Direct brought plenty of reveals about both the Switch successor’s hardware and some of the wide lineup of games that will be coming to the console. Nintendo kicked off the presentation with a bang by showing offMario Kart World, an open-worldMario Kartgame, andfinished strong withDonkey Kong Bananzawith plenty of big names packed in-between. However, one featured title came as a major surprise to fans.
First debuting on the GameCube in 2003,Kirby Air Ridequickly became a fan-favorite for its unique take on the racing genre.Kirby Air Ridefeatures multiple different game modes, ranging from classic and top-down races to an adventure-style “City Trial” mode with players gathering power-ups in a free-roam city. The game was considered a cult classic on GameCube and saw plenty of excitement when Nintendo unveiledKirby Air Ridersas a follow-up coming on Switch 2. Now, Kirby’s creator is sharing more details about the upcoming sequel.
As reported by NintendoLife, a new update from Masahiro Sakurai has revealed another familiar development studio involved withKirby Air Riders. Sakurai revealed that, alongside Nintendo, HAL, and Sakurai’s own Sora studio, Bandai Namco will be offering a hand withthe development ofKirby Air Riders. Sakurai and Nintendo have previously worked extensively with Bandai Namco on theSuper Smash Bros. franchise, assisting with bothSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii UandSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. A release date has not been confirmed forKirby Air Riders.
Masahiro Sakurai Confirms Bandai Namco’s Involvement with Kirby Air Riders
The involvement of Bandai Namco withKirby Air Ridersshould serve to excite fans anxiously awaiting the release of theKirbyracing game.Super Smash Bros. Ultimatehas not only been hailedas one of the best entries in the crossover fighting franchise, but also continued to see support long after its release. Sakurai himself also gave his own words of encouragement to excite fans of the franchise, stating that the game’s staff is “giving their all” towardsAir Riders' development. The Bandai Namco-developedSmash Bros.game also stands as the Switch’s third best-selling game.
Kirby Air Riderslooks to join an already stacked lineup of games planned to come to the Switch 2 following its launch. Alongside the previously mentionedMario Kart WorldandDonkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo revealed thatMetroid Prime 4: Beyondwill releaseon Switch 2 alongside its Switch debut. The Switch 2 Direct also revealed several high-profile third-party ports coming toSwitch 2, including fan-favorite games likeElden Ring,Yakuza 0, andFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. Nintendo’s initial reveals hope to give fans plenty of reasons to make the jump to Switch 2.
