Kirby Air Ride earned critical disdain at release. it just wasn't good at what it was expected to do. it ended up as a cult classic for its buried brilliance. in that, there's a lesson to learn;
if a game mode goes hard, dont bury it under/with other garbage unless you have soda drinker pro/glittermitten grove energy.
Kirby Air Ride fails itself by improperly acknowledging the most admirable part of the game. it's a misguided game that presents itself as something it never was, and overshadows its true genius in the process.
if i was new to Kirby Air Ride, i would have lot of high expectations. this game has kirby, and i love kirby. i got this game when i was younger because it was the only kirby game available on gamecube. it's also directed by masahiro sakurai. to this day, he has never missed...well, except for smash tour...and a lot in this game.
i would also think i'd be getting into a racing game. if i really wanted a racing game, i'd be in for a massive disappointment.
the titular mode, air ride, is pretty bad. if you want a non-traditional racing game on your gc, go play sonic riders or f-zero gx over this. the game's central mechanic (and only mechanic) is turning your brakes for almost all the vehicles in this game into a charged boost. in a standard race, it just feels like im yanking around my car to get tiny moments of speed. jerky janky. according to his game concepts video on this, he wanted to make a unique form of drifting. his chimera of simplicity in boosting and breaking makes the drift lose my favorite piece: the preservation of momentum. drifting in other games lets you give up control and just flow at a high speed through a turn. in the air ride mode, drift doesnt just sacrifice the flow for control; it is your only trick that you can use. you're pulling back on every curve that feels less like pulling a slingshot and more like you're some poor schmuck in a wwe match bouncing off ropes. if you mess up and run into a wall, the game drags you along by the collar into that lame feel anyways. you just get bounced back in the general direction you need to go with no loss in momentum. the driving is just too oversimple and unsatisfying.
the tracks dont help at all. awkward annoyances galore. claustrophobic corridors, invisible walls, and opaque gimmicks plague this game. celestial valley and frozen hillside were the only levels that felt cohesive and competent. the rest are only enjoyable if you're chipping away at them in time trials.
the third strike against this mode are the awful abilities. air ride's abilities are the worst items ive personally experienced in any racing game. half are stubby and only useful when you were about to pass someone anyways. some require you to hit the breakboost button and ruin your flow. plasma is just overpowered in every race and not even satisfying to build up. the last two make your machine choice irrelevant. also fuck the mic im just trying to race goddammit
strike out for this mode. nothing is fun about plain ol racing in this game, unless...
top ride is still racing, but something is clearly better here. it's the most ignored part of this game but the mode is put together far better than air ride. the camera angle works better with the mechanics and it allows for some havoc to develop. there's some seriously underwhelming side game energy here from the limited choices, making it all too soft, but at least theres faint fun to be had. this mode mightve been pretty solid with some more content, and maybe it wouldve been cooler if it was introduced as a side mode in another kirby game. as is, top ride is a pop fly and the 2nd out.
nothing is fun about plain ol racing in this game, unless...it's a quick lap you didnt even know was going to be happening. city trial is unrefined chaotic bliss delegated to the bottom of the game's menu. pretty much everyone else i knew who grew up with this game had the exact same experience as me, which is city trial and nothing else. this game mode singlehandedly sustains the admiration that props this game up as a gamecube gem. twisted metal, cel damage, and wreckfest can all eat their puny hearts out because this is the best vehicular party game you're getting.
your goal in city trial: scavenge a vehicle, gather all sorts of stat stuffs, and avoid all of the batshit that the world throws at you. after all that, pray that you got yourself dressed for the right event, because thats how you win.
the mode even makes the baffling control decisions make sense. the simple driving mechanics actually work here because they almost feel made for an open area. you can turn in all directions pretty quickly and get a boost when you figure out your direction. it's also pretty easy to figure out exactly what a vehicle is good at when you find one because there arent many functions to test.
the abilities mesh well with the open world environment, as you're a lot more likely to be running into others, wanting a temporary new movement option, dodging spark, or mic lol.
i refuse to believe the mechanics werent designed or at least predominantly balanced around this mode.
every part of the way is fun. slowly building your character, getting destroyed by some gimmick, or even just vibing around the city are all fun. this is one of the few games where it's pure joy in the mayhem even when my luck isnt so great. everything that happens is so absurd and sudden that even when im getting screwed over, the fun overtakes it all. city trial pulls off a home run for the game, bringing it all together into something good.
there seems to be a problem with letting sakurai's concept shine. he gave this idea another go, but it got stuck on the 3ds with no online play and no ability to interact with other players on the map. it didnt work as well in smash bros, where the game is already a frenzy and this expanded game mode takes away from that a little bit, but it's still a blast even as a fighting game.
there have been indie homages to all sorts of niche game concepts, but i haven't seen one for air ride yet. it's only a matter of time until that day and i cant wait. the concept deserves a full game's focus. until then, i'm totally down to play some city trial via dolphin's netplay. shoot me a message in my usual places and let's get crackin.
if a game mode goes hard, dont bury it under/with other garbage unless you have soda drinker pro/glittermitten grove energy.
Kirby Air Ride fails itself by improperly acknowledging the most admirable part of the game. it's a misguided game that presents itself as something it never was, and overshadows its true genius in the process.
if i was new to Kirby Air Ride, i would have lot of high expectations. this game has kirby, and i love kirby. i got this game when i was younger because it was the only kirby game available on gamecube. it's also directed by masahiro sakurai. to this day, he has never missed...well, except for smash tour...and a lot in this game.
i would also think i'd be getting into a racing game. if i really wanted a racing game, i'd be in for a massive disappointment.
the titular mode, air ride, is pretty bad. if you want a non-traditional racing game on your gc, go play sonic riders or f-zero gx over this. the game's central mechanic (and only mechanic) is turning your brakes for almost all the vehicles in this game into a charged boost. in a standard race, it just feels like im yanking around my car to get tiny moments of speed. jerky janky. according to his game concepts video on this, he wanted to make a unique form of drifting. his chimera of simplicity in boosting and breaking makes the drift lose my favorite piece: the preservation of momentum. drifting in other games lets you give up control and just flow at a high speed through a turn. in the air ride mode, drift doesnt just sacrifice the flow for control; it is your only trick that you can use. you're pulling back on every curve that feels less like pulling a slingshot and more like you're some poor schmuck in a wwe match bouncing off ropes. if you mess up and run into a wall, the game drags you along by the collar into that lame feel anyways. you just get bounced back in the general direction you need to go with no loss in momentum. the driving is just too oversimple and unsatisfying.
the tracks dont help at all. awkward annoyances galore. claustrophobic corridors, invisible walls, and opaque gimmicks plague this game. celestial valley and frozen hillside were the only levels that felt cohesive and competent. the rest are only enjoyable if you're chipping away at them in time trials.
the third strike against this mode are the awful abilities. air ride's abilities are the worst items ive personally experienced in any racing game. half are stubby and only useful when you were about to pass someone anyways. some require you to hit the breakboost button and ruin your flow. plasma is just overpowered in every race and not even satisfying to build up. the last two make your machine choice irrelevant. also fuck the mic im just trying to race goddammit
strike out for this mode. nothing is fun about plain ol racing in this game, unless...
top ride is still racing, but something is clearly better here. it's the most ignored part of this game but the mode is put together far better than air ride. the camera angle works better with the mechanics and it allows for some havoc to develop. there's some seriously underwhelming side game energy here from the limited choices, making it all too soft, but at least theres faint fun to be had. this mode mightve been pretty solid with some more content, and maybe it wouldve been cooler if it was introduced as a side mode in another kirby game. as is, top ride is a pop fly and the 2nd out.
nothing is fun about plain ol racing in this game, unless...it's a quick lap you didnt even know was going to be happening. city trial is unrefined chaotic bliss delegated to the bottom of the game's menu. pretty much everyone else i knew who grew up with this game had the exact same experience as me, which is city trial and nothing else. this game mode singlehandedly sustains the admiration that props this game up as a gamecube gem. twisted metal, cel damage, and wreckfest can all eat their puny hearts out because this is the best vehicular party game you're getting.
your goal in city trial: scavenge a vehicle, gather all sorts of stat stuffs, and avoid all of the batshit that the world throws at you. after all that, pray that you got yourself dressed for the right event, because thats how you win.
the mode even makes the baffling control decisions make sense. the simple driving mechanics actually work here because they almost feel made for an open area. you can turn in all directions pretty quickly and get a boost when you figure out your direction. it's also pretty easy to figure out exactly what a vehicle is good at when you find one because there arent many functions to test.
the abilities mesh well with the open world environment, as you're a lot more likely to be running into others, wanting a temporary new movement option, dodging spark, or mic lol.
i refuse to believe the mechanics werent designed or at least predominantly balanced around this mode.
every part of the way is fun. slowly building your character, getting destroyed by some gimmick, or even just vibing around the city are all fun. this is one of the few games where it's pure joy in the mayhem even when my luck isnt so great. everything that happens is so absurd and sudden that even when im getting screwed over, the fun overtakes it all. city trial pulls off a home run for the game, bringing it all together into something good.
there seems to be a problem with letting sakurai's concept shine. he gave this idea another go, but it got stuck on the 3ds with no online play and no ability to interact with other players on the map. it didnt work as well in smash bros, where the game is already a frenzy and this expanded game mode takes away from that a little bit, but it's still a blast even as a fighting game.
there have been indie homages to all sorts of niche game concepts, but i haven't seen one for air ride yet. it's only a matter of time until that day and i cant wait. the concept deserves a full game's focus. until then, i'm totally down to play some city trial via dolphin's netplay. shoot me a message in my usual places and let's get crackin.