Kirby Air Ride
Encyclopedia
Kirby Air Ride,or カービィのエアライド (Kābī no Ea Raido, meaning Kirby's Air Ride) in Japan, is a racing game
video game developed by HAL Laboratory
and published by Nintendo
for the Nintendo GameCube
video game console
starring Kirby, one of HAL's characters.
Kirby Air Ride has the players and computer-controlled racers ride on Air Ride Machines. The game supports up to four players, and was the first GameCube title to support LAN play
using broadband adapters
and up to four GameCube systems.
Masahiro Sakurai
, the game designer behind most of the games in the Kirby
series, was promoted from his position at HAL Laboratory only days after giving a public interview where he openly criticized Nintendo for circumstances surrounding the development of Kirby Air Ride.
The simple controls are a defining feature of Kirby Air Ride. Unlike most racers, no input is necessary for the craft to move forward. Other than the use of the analog stick to steer, a single button performs all other actions in the game, including braking, charging up for a boost, sucking in nearby enemies and thereafter using the powers absorbed from them. Gliding is also a definitive feature of the game, as the player can control the crafts' altitude when they go airborne.
Each of the three modes of the game has a "checklist" associated with it. These are large grids which contain 120 squares each, all of which are initially blank. Each square has a hidden goal contained inside it, and certain goals also have unlockable content attached to them, such as alternate machines, new items and courses, new characters, and music tracks for the sound test. When a goal is completed, the squares fill to reveal completed goals. In practice, this system of discovering unknown goals is balanced out by several goals which are relatively easy to obtain, such as "finish a race three times" or "race on every course," and various other goals which only require the accrual of play time; these, in turn, make it easier to find out what other, more specific goals are, since each goal all open up the objective of the goals touching the goal completed. The checklist format is later used in the "Challenges" section of Super Smash Bros. Brawl
.
to get to the finish before anyone else. There are two ways to play a typical Air Ride race:
Laps: Laps is the default mode, where the player finishes the race by completing a set number of laps around the course. The number of laps can be custom set from 1 to 99, or kept at the track's default. The default number of laps may depend on the current course.
Time: In Time mode, players race for a set amount of time, and the player that goes the farthest down the track wins the match.
In both modes, the Kirbys may swallow and acquire the abilities of enemies strewn along the track and use those powers against their rivals. Doing so will slow Kirby's enemies down and potentially do damage to them (if the Health Bar is activated for the race.)
In addition to the racing mode, Air Ride also has the option of Time Attack mode, where a single player races around a track for three laps. Lastly, a single player can also race Free Run mode, an endless race with the sole purpose of reaching the fastest possible Lap Time.
Like Air Ride, Top Ride also has Time Attack and Free Run modes. There are seven courses total, based on seven different themes: Grass, Sand, Sky, Fire, Light, Water and Metal.
Kirby Air Ride (known as Kirby's Air Ride at the time) was originally in development during the early days of the Nintendo 64
video game console. It went through many changes during its elongated development period before eventually being canceled and then resurfacing on the GameCube
in the form of a short video preview in March 2003 at the annual DICE summit in Las Vegas
, at which point it received its final title. This preview received a mainly negative reception due to slow speeds and poor graphics, which led to the cancellation.
Kirby Air Ride was first seen in playable form at E3 in May later that year. The demo contained five playable tracks and three different game modes. The reception to the playable demo was more positive than they were from previous showings.
Kirby Air Ride also features songs originally from the Japanese version of the Kirby anime
. There are also tracks from other Kirby video games, such as Kirby Super Star
.
. Upon its release, it received mixed reviews from most websites and magazines, with many praising its clean presentation and the originality of the City Trial mode while criticizing its gameplay as being overly simple. It has an average score of 65% on GameRankings. Kirby Air Rides similarity to other titles released for the GameCube around the same time (most notably F-Zero GX
and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
, both of which were also made by Nintendo) resulted in it being categorized as a rather throwaway title. Matt Casamassina of IGN said "this racer only comes recommended as a potential buy to parents who are shopping for their under-nine son or daughter." He also gave the game a 5.2 out of 10.
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
video game developed by HAL Laboratory
HAL Laboratory
is a Japanese video game developer that was founded on February 21, 1980. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its name comes from the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The company is most famous for its character Kirby, the protagonist of the eponymous game series, as well as...
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
starring Kirby, one of HAL's characters.
Kirby Air Ride has the players and computer-controlled racers ride on Air Ride Machines. The game supports up to four players, and was the first GameCube title to support LAN play
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
using broadband adapters
Nintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter
The Nintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter and Modem Adapter are a network adapter and 56k dial-up modem, respectively, for the Nintendo GameCube. They were produced by Conexant and made in the Philippines...
and up to four GameCube systems.
Masahiro Sakurai
Masahiro Sakurai
is a Japanese video game designer, the creative force behind both the Kirby and the Super Smash Bros. series on Nintendo platforms. He is currently Director of Software Development for the video game developer's Sora Ltd. and Project Sora. He is also the author of a weekly column for Famitsu...
, the game designer behind most of the games in the Kirby
Kirby (series)
The series is a fantasy video game series developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo, and produced by Nintendo. The gameplay of a majority of the games in the series consists mainly of action, platform and puzzle-solving elements...
series, was promoted from his position at HAL Laboratory only days after giving a public interview where he openly criticized Nintendo for circumstances surrounding the development of Kirby Air Ride.
Gameplay
Kirby Air Ride is played primarily through use of a vehicle, many of which are taken from previous Kirby games, such as the Warpstar. Players take control of Kirby or any of his multicolored counterparts to compete in races or other minigames.The simple controls are a defining feature of Kirby Air Ride. Unlike most racers, no input is necessary for the craft to move forward. Other than the use of the analog stick to steer, a single button performs all other actions in the game, including braking, charging up for a boost, sucking in nearby enemies and thereafter using the powers absorbed from them. Gliding is also a definitive feature of the game, as the player can control the crafts' altitude when they go airborne.
Each of the three modes of the game has a "checklist" associated with it. These are large grids which contain 120 squares each, all of which are initially blank. Each square has a hidden goal contained inside it, and certain goals also have unlockable content attached to them, such as alternate machines, new items and courses, new characters, and music tracks for the sound test. When a goal is completed, the squares fill to reveal completed goals. In practice, this system of discovering unknown goals is balanced out by several goals which are relatively easy to obtain, such as "finish a race three times" or "race on every course," and various other goals which only require the accrual of play time; these, in turn, make it easier to find out what other, more specific goals are, since each goal all open up the objective of the goals touching the goal completed. The checklist format is later used in the "Challenges" section of Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
.
Air Ride
Air Ride is a basic, back-view racing mode. The player chooses a racing machine and races against up to three other human or computer players via split-screen or LANLän
Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....
to get to the finish before anyone else. There are two ways to play a typical Air Ride race:
Laps: Laps is the default mode, where the player finishes the race by completing a set number of laps around the course. The number of laps can be custom set from 1 to 99, or kept at the track's default. The default number of laps may depend on the current course.
Time: In Time mode, players race for a set amount of time, and the player that goes the farthest down the track wins the match.
In both modes, the Kirbys may swallow and acquire the abilities of enemies strewn along the track and use those powers against their rivals. Doing so will slow Kirby's enemies down and potentially do damage to them (if the Health Bar is activated for the race.)
In addition to the racing mode, Air Ride also has the option of Time Attack mode, where a single player races around a track for three laps. Lastly, a single player can also race Free Run mode, an endless race with the sole purpose of reaching the fastest possible Lap Time.
Top Ride
Top Ride is a racing mode on smaller, simpler tracks, and is viewed from above the track. Due to the decreased track size, the default number of laps is increased per track. Top Ride has only two vehicles to choose from; the red Free Star moves in the direction the Control Stick is tilted, while the blue Steer Star rotates clockwise or counterclockwise based on tilting the Control Stick right or left.Like Air Ride, Top Ride also has Time Attack and Free Run modes. There are seven courses total, based on seven different themes: Grass, Sand, Sky, Fire, Light, Water and Metal.
City Trial
City Trial is a larger mode where players must navigate a city, along with several more sections such as a forest, cave, and volcano, while grabbing Air Ride machine upgrade items, such as boosts, top speeds, charges, offense and defense, and more. Various Air Ride vehicles are randomly scattered throughout the city, allowing the player to switch vehicles at any time in the game. Players can even collect rare machine pieces to fuse together into "Legendary Machines". This mode also features random events such as falling meteors, UFOs, Dyna Blade, rail station fires, bouncing items, and more. When time expires, players face off in a small competition that tests how well your machine ended up, which can vary between a short race, a brawl, a contest to destroy the most enemies, a gliding game, and even a lap on one of the Air Ride courses.Playable characters
- Kirby is the only playable character available from the start of the game. He's the only one who can ride different machines and is also the only character with his signature ability to suck up enemies and copy their abilities. Multiple players are represented by different colors of Kirby.
- Meta Knight, Kirby's rival, is an unlockable character. He doesn't ride machines, but instead uses his wings to float above the ground. He controls like a combination of Wing Kirby and Sword Kirby, as he uses sword attacks automatically when he approaches enemies or other players. Because he has high speed and acceleration in the game, he cannot charge.
- King Dedede is also unlockable. He rides a bike similar to the Wheelie Bike machine. Controlling him is almost exactly like using the Wheelie Bike, except he can attack automatically with his hammer, similar to Meta Knight's attack.
Development
Kirby Air Ride (known as Kirby's Air Ride at the time) was originally in development during the early days of the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
video game console. It went through many changes during its elongated development period before eventually being canceled and then resurfacing on the GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
in the form of a short video preview in March 2003 at the annual DICE summit in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, at which point it received its final title. This preview received a mainly negative reception due to slow speeds and poor graphics, which led to the cancellation.
Kirby Air Ride was first seen in playable form at E3 in May later that year. The demo contained five playable tracks and three different game modes. The reception to the playable demo was more positive than they were from previous showings.
Sound
The sound was composed by four different sound composers - Jun Ishikawa, Hirokazu Ando, Shogo Sakai, and Tadashi Ikegami.Kirby Air Ride also features songs originally from the Japanese version of the Kirby anime
Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
Kirby: of the stars, known in Japan Kirby right back at ya!', is an anime series based on Nintendo's Kirby franchise. The series was produced by Warpstar Inc., a company formed between a joint investment between Nintendo and HAL Laboratory, Inc.The series, which takes place in a village called...
. There are also tracks from other Kirby video games, such as Kirby Super Star
Kirby Super Star
Kirby Super Star, known as Kirby's Fun Pak in Europe and as in Japan, is a 1996 platforming video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console. It was first released in Japan on March 21, 1996, in North America on...
.
Reception
Kirby Air Ride sold 422,311 copies in Japan and 750,000 in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Upon its release, it received mixed reviews from most websites and magazines, with many praising its clean presentation and the originality of the City Trial mode while criticizing its gameplay as being overly simple. It has an average score of 65% on GameRankings. Kirby Air Rides similarity to other titles released for the GameCube around the same time (most notably F-Zero GX
F-Zero GX
is a futuristic racing video game for the Nintendo GameCube console. Developed by Sega's Amusement Vision department and supervised and published by Nintendo, it was released in Japan, Europe and North America . F-Zero AX, the arcade counterpart of GX, uses hardware conceived from a business...
and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is a racing game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube in 2003. The game is the fourth installment in the Mario Kart series, following Mario Kart: Super Circuit from 2001...
, both of which were also made by Nintendo) resulted in it being categorized as a rather throwaway title. Matt Casamassina of IGN said "this racer only comes recommended as a potential buy to parents who are shopping for their under-nine son or daughter." He also gave the game a 5.2 out of 10.