Editing Kirby Air Ride

{{Good}}{{DISPLAYTITLE:''{{PAGENAME}}''}}{{Infobox-Game
|image=
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[[File:Kirby Air Ride boxart.png|250px]]
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<tab name="US box art (Player’s Choice)">
[[File:Kirby Air Ride PC box art.jpg|250px]]
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<tab name="Japanese box art">
[[File:KAR Japanese box art.jpg|250px]]
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|caption=Box art of '''''Kirby Air Ride''''' from various regions
|developer=[[HAL Laboratory]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|designer=[[Masahiro Sakurai]]
|released={{Released|Japan|July 11, 2003|NA|October 13, 2003|Europe|February 27, 2004|Australia|March 30, 2004|South Korea|2004<ref>[http://scanlines16.com/en/collection/kirby-air-ride-kor/ Kirby Air Ride (KR)]. ''Scanlines16.com''. Retrieved April 29, 2024.</ref>}}
|platforms=[[Nintendo GameCube]]
|language={{languages|jp=y|en_us=y|en_gb=y|fr_fr=y|it=y|de=y|es_es=y}}
|rating={{ratings|esrb=e|pegi=3|cero=a}}
|predecessor=''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]''
|successor=''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]''
}}
{{About|the racing game released on GameCube in 2003|information on the canceled [[Nintendo 64]] game|[[Kirby's Air Ride (Nintendo 64)]]|a related sub-game from [[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]|[[Kirby's Air Grind]]}}
'''''Kirby Air Ride''''' is a spin-off title released for the [[Nintendo GameCube]], being the only ''[[Kirby (series)|Kirby]]'' game released for that system. It is a [[multiplayer]] racing game that takes place in full 3D environments, involving one or more [[Kirby]]s riding various means of transportation - from [[Warp Star (Kirby Air Ride)|Warpstars]] to [[Wheelie Bike]]s - through colorful and abstract courses. Using only the Control Stick and the A button, the player can guide Kirby both on the ground and in the air with a surprisingly complex number of maneuvers to master, in addition to making use of Kirby's signature [[inhale]] and [[Copy Ability]] to gain an advantage over the other racers. Depending on the game mode and settings, a large number of items and objects can also be made use of to affect the outcome of races.

There are three main game modes in ''Kirby Air Ride'' which each offer their own unique experience. In addition, a LAN adapter can be utilized to allow up to 4 players to play on different screens using multiple copies of the game and multiple Gamecubes. Otherwise, the game can be played split-screen with up to 4 players, or with [[CPU]] opponents.

==Controls==
All three modes feature the same simplified control scheme, in that only the control stick and the A button are required for normal play. [[Kirby]]'s vehicle (referred to in-game as an "Air Ride Machine") will in most cases move forward automatically, so the control stick is used to steer, both on the ground, and in the air while [[Gliding]]. The control stick can also be used to perform a [[Quick Spin]], which is done by quickly tapping left and right together. The A button, when held, will cause Kirby's machine to brake, which builds up power in the form of charging. When this power is at its full extent, releasing the A button causes Kirby to [[Boost (move)|Boost]] which - depending on the machine - will cause the vehicle to instantly boost speed by a certain amount (or none at all). This is useful for handling tight corners, but not so much when racing in a straight line. There are a large variety of Air Ride Machines to choose from, and each one has its own unique method of control, along with certain advantages and drawbacks. More details on these machines can be found in the "Machines" section below.

In addition to his machine, Kirby himself has powers the player can make use of when racing. When near a suitable enemy on the course, tapping A quickly will cause Kirby to [[inhale]] it. If it was an ability-bearing foe, Kirby will gain a [[Copy Ability]] which he can use to attack his rivals or gain some other advantage. Otherwise, he will spit out the enemy as a [[Star Bullet]] which can home in on other enemies or players. Depending on the ability acquired, Kirby may gain a new way to attack his opponents, or may eschew his machine to race in an entirely new manner. However, all of these abilities are temporary, and after a predetermined amount of time, Kirby will return to his normal form. Tapping A quickly can also be used to activate [[Dash Panel]]s on the ground, or to interact with other floor objects, though tapping A is not required when riding a wheeled machine.

In [[City Trial]], it is possible for Kirby to jump off of his machine if the player holds down A, then taps down on the control stick. While on foot, Kirby can run around and jump, with his characteristic [[Hover]]ing ability allowing him 5 consecutive jumps in the air before he has to come down again, similar to his limit in the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' games]]. While off a vehicle, Kirby cannot collect items, interact with objects, or attack his foes. He will need to find a new vehicle, which he can jump onto simply by approaching it.

==Modes==
''Kirby Air Ride'' has three different modes. All vary in technique and gameplay but use the same basic controls. Unlike in most other ''Kirby'' titles, there is no [[Story Mode]] to follow in any of these modes, so filling each mode's [[Checklist]] serves as the main method of progression instead. Once a Checklist is sufficiently filled, the player gains access to an "Ending" movie, signifying that they have "completed" that mode.

===Air Ride===
{{main|Air Ride}}
[[File:KAR Nebula Belt 1.png|thumb|150px|right|Air Ride racing in [[Nebula Belt]].]]
Air Ride is the main mode of the game, and involves straightforward racing in full 3D environments. When first starting this game mode, players may only make use of the [[Warp Star (Kirby Air Ride)|Warpstar]] - a recognizable and well-balanced racing machine good for learning the basics - but will naturally unlock more machines to race with as the Checklist is filled. Also unlockable are [[Meta Knight (Kirby Air Ride)|Meta Knight]] and [[King Dedede (Kirby Air Ride)|King Dedede]], who cannot make use of copy abilities but have their own distinct powers instead. There are a total of nine courses to choose from, though the final one needs to be unlocked. [[Fantasy Meadows]] has 3 laps by default (while every other course has a default of 2) but the player can adjust the number of laps, as well as other options, using the game settings.

As might be expected, the main goal of Air Ride mode is to win the race by making the best use of Kirby and his machine's capabilities. The Checklist encourages the player to do this under varying conditions, mainly by setting time goals for each course and setting, in addition to providing some more eclectic challenges such as using a specific machine, finishing the race with a specific ability, or interacting with specific course [[device]]s. In addition to the main competitive racing mode, Air Ride also features a Time Attack and Free Run mode, which allows the player to try and optimize courses to [[Speedrunning|gain the best possible time]].
{{clear}}
====Courses====
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" border=1 cellpadding=2
!colspan=3|Courses in Air Ride &nbsp;
|-
!Course
!Description
!Notes
|-
|{{center|[[File:Fantasy Meadows Icon.png]]<br>'''[[Fantasy Meadows]]'''}}
|A good starting track and by far the shortest, this course takes place in a vibrant grassy plain and features a basic elongated hoop-shaped path that goes through a short cave before looping back to the start.
|This is the only Air Ride course that defaults to three laps instead of two.
|-
|{{center|[[File:Celestial Valley Icon.png]]<br>'''[[Celestial Valley]]'''}}
|A meandering long course that rides through a moonlit canyon filled with water and exotic plants. This course features some branching paths, rails, and [[bottomless pit]]s, as well as a [[Copy Chance Wheel]] hidden in a high alcove.
|
|-
|{{center|[[File:Sky Sands Icon.png]]<br>'''[[Sky Sands]]'''}}
|A compact course taking place in a floating sandy ruin amidst a fossilized coral reef. There are a few hidden passageways and moving platforms, along with some air lifts.
|
|-
|{{center|[[File:Frozen Hillside Icon.png]]<br>'''[[Frozen Hillside]]'''}}
|A lengthy course that takes place in a floating arctic region amidst the aurora. This course features many tunnels and tubes, along with a long rail section and many boosters.
|
|-
|{{center|[[File:Magma Flows Icon.png]]<br>'''[[Magma Flows]]'''}}
|A complex course set within an active volcanic region. It features many branching paths that re-converge shortly after taking them.
|
|-
|{{center|[[File:Machine Passage Icon.png]]<br>'''[[Machine Passage]]'''}}
|A sharply-angled course set in a large futuristic mechanical complex. It features many hazards, boost panels, and a large cannon as part of the course.
|
|-
|{{center|[[File:Beanstalk Park Icon.png]]<br>'''[[Beanstalk Park]]'''}}
|A winding course with great verticality and lots of rails set high in the sky among towering green plants.
|
|-
|{{center|[[File:Checker Knights Icon.png]]<br>'''[[Checker Knights]]'''}}
|The longest course in the game, set in an abstract castle setting and featuring many turns, rails, and shortcuts.
|
|-
|{{center|[[File:Nebula Belt Icon.png]]<br>'''[[Nebula Belt]]'''}}
|A long figure-8-style course set in an outer space setting. There are no enemies and very few obstacles in this course, instead being peppered with ramps and Copy Chance Wheels.
|This course is the only unlockable course. To unlock it, 100 laps must be completed in the other courses. This counts the number made by every human player, meaning that doing a single 25 lap race with four human players is enough to unlock the course in one go.
|}

{{clear}}

===Top Ride===
{{main|Top Ride}}
[[File:KAR Grass gameplay.png|thumb|right|Kirbys racing in [[Grass (course)|Grass]]]]
Top Ride is the simplest mode in the game, which - like Air Ride - revolves on racing, though this time with an overhead view and less vehicular variety. Tracks in this mode are considerably shorter and smaller than those in Air Ride, due to the overhead capability, and each consist of a simple elemental theme. [[Copy Ability|Copy Abilities]] cannot be used in this mode, but there are items that, at regular intervals, fall on the course that can help or hinder the racers. The game can also be tweaked using different settings and has its own Checklist to fill out.

====Courses====
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" border=1 cellpadding=2
!colspan=3|Courses in Top Ride &nbsp;
|-
!Course
!Description
!Notes
|-
|{{center|[[File:KAR Grass banner.png|150px]]<br>'''[[Grass (course)|Grass]]'''}}
|A simple course in a grassy setting that features a few dash panels and two bomb-yielding trees.
|The default number of laps is 7.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KAR Sand banner.png|150px]]<br>'''[[Sand (course)|Sand]]'''}}
|A dry desert loop course that features [[Ant Doom]] on one side and a crumbling bridge made of teeth on the other.
|The default number of laps is 7.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KAR Sky banner.png|150px]]<br>'''[[Sky (course)|Sky]]'''}}
|A stony course set high in the sky which features many moving platforms that can be toggled on and off.
|The default number of laps is 6.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KAR Fire banner.png|150px]]<br>'''[[Fire (course)|Fire]]'''}}
|A wobbly course set in an active volcano that features steaming fumaroles and occasional eruptions of lava.
|The default number of laps is 6.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KAR Light banner.png|150px]]<br>'''[[Light (course)|Light]]'''}}
|A hexagonal course set in outer space which features light-rail shortcuts that turn on and off intermittently.
|The default number of laps is 6.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KAR Water banner.png|150px]]<br>'''[[Water (course)|Water]]'''}}
|A long stony course set on an ocean shoreline featuring lots of moving water.
|The default number of laps is 5.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KAR Metal banner.png|150px]]<br>'''[[Metal (course)|Metal]]'''}}
|A complex course set amidst heavy machinery that features lots of toggles to activate fans, gears, and other moving hazards.
|The default number of laps is 5.
|}

{{clear}}

===City Trial===
{{main|City Trial}}
[[File:KAR City Trial screenshot.png|thumb|right|City Trial gameplay]]
The most extensive and unorthodox mode in the game, City Trial does not focus solely on racing, unlike Air Ride and Top Ride. Instead, racers roam around in a large and open sandbox-like environment, collecting [[patch]]es to power-up their machine, and then compete in the [[Stadium]] with other opponents when time runs out in the city. By default, which Stadium mode appears at the end is randomized, so racers will have to find and patch a machine that suits their particular playstyle and, with luck, will be useful in the final contest. To this end, racers can abandon their vehicles in order to find a new one better suited to their needs, though doing so exposes them to potentially have their patches stolen by rivals. As time passes in the city, events can happen at random, either hindering or helping racers' progress.

While roaming through the city, players can come across various items aside from patches which they can use to recover HP, gain a temporary bonus, or attack rivals with. Often, these items can be found inside [[Container|boxes]] that need to be broken using a quick spin or boost, or by simply driving into them with enough force. Six of these boxes in particular can contain Legendary Machine parts which, when assembled, allows Kirby to obtain either the super-soaring [[Dragoon]], or the nigh-indomitable [[Hydra]]. These two machines do not appear in any other game mode, and - depending on the Stadium being played - offer an enormous advantage to whoever can assemble them, so competition over the parts is often intense.

==Copy Abilities==
Like most ''Kirby'' games, Copy Abilities are available for Kirby's use. However, unlike most other ''Kirby'' games, all copy abilities are only temporary or single-use. They are obtained by swallowing certain enemies or, if in City Trial or in the Stadiums; Destruction Derby and Vs. King Dedede, collecting '''Copy Panels'''<ref>Name taken from ''Kirby Air Ride'' North American instruction booklet, page 28</ref>. There are a total of eleven copy abilities in the game, as follows:

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border=1 cellpadding=2
|-
!colspan=3|Copy Abilities in ''Kirby Air Ride'' &nbsp;
|-
!Copy Ability
!Name
!Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:BombPanel.png|100px]]
| align="center" | [[Bomb]]
|A bomb appears in Kirby's hands. The longer the player holds A, the farther Kirby throws it. The explosion does modest damage but covers a large radius that slowly increases in size until it disappears.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:FirePanel.png|100px]]
| align="center" | [[Fire]]
|This ability allows Kirby to toss fireballs that stay on the ground. It damages any opponent that drives over the flames. The Fire ability also makes Kirby's body damaging to touch.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:FreezePanel.png|100px]]
| align="center" | [[Freeze]]
|When Kirby obtains this ability, he is able to create a short-range perimeter of Ice that protects himself and freezes enemies that touch it.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:MikePanel.png|100px]]
| align="center" | [[Mike]]
|The Mike ability gets activated automatically when Kirby obtains it. Kirby sings and does moderate damage to anyone over a huge range.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:NeedlePanel.png|100px]]
| align="center" | [[Needle]]
|Not too different from the Freeze ability, the Needle ability allows Kirby to extend Needles that protect him and damage any opponent near the spikes. It can also damage when Kirby simply touches opponents without activating the ability.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:PlasmaPanel.png|100px]]
| align="center" | [[Plasma]]
|Very much like in ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'', Kirby can charge up his energy levels when the player wiggles the control stick back and forth. This ability's duration depends on how much Kirby uses it and how much power each shot uses up. The power levels of each discharge are as follows:
*Level 1: Kirby punches several small beams
*Level 2: Kirby punches even more small beams
*Level 3: Kirby shoots out three, straight-moving sparks
*Level 4: Kirby shoots out a single, homing spark
*Level 5: Kirby kicks a huge, homing ball of electricity
|-
| align="center" |[[File:SleepPanel.png|100px]]
| align="center" | [[Sleep]]
|The Sleep ability causes Kirby to sleep, which makes him lose control of his vehicle and makes other opponents fall asleep if they touch him. He can be woken up quicker if the player wiggles the control stick back and forth.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:SwordPanel.png|100px]]
| align="center" | [[Sword]]
|The Sword ability lets Kirby automatically swing his sword at any nearby opponents and boxes. He can hit multiple foes at once if they are near each-other.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:TornadoPanel.png|100px]]
| align="center" | [[Tornado]]
|The Tornado ability grants Kirby a powered up quick spin that can be performed midair. When Kirby first gets this ability, any nearby opponent gets affected by the start-up attack.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:WheelPanel.png|100px]]
| align="center" | [[Wheel]]
|This copy ability turns Kirby into a wheel. It is quite fast, touches the ground so it automatically activates any ground-based switches, and damages any opponents that touch it.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:WingPanel.png|100px]]
| align="center" | [[Wing]]
|When Kirby gets the Wing ability, he temporarily loses his vehicle and flies using the ability. His quick spin is slightly different than the regular quick spin; it sends opponents flying in the air. Opponents cannot draft him, but he cannot draft opponents either when he has this ability.
|}

==Machines==
There are a total of sixteen Air Ride Machines to choose from in ''Kirby Air Ride'', not including the machines used in Top Ride mode. In Air Ride mode, all but the Warpstar must be unlocked, in order to be used. As for City Trial, racers start out with the [[Compact Star]] and must find the vehicle they want in the city, before they can use it. The vehicles may or may not be available at times, and they can appear in different spots in the city. Racers can then hop off their current vehicle, and ride on another.

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border=1 cellpadding=2
|-
!colspan=4|Standard machines in ''Kirby Air Ride'' &nbsp;
|-
!Machine
!Caption
!Description
!Mode(s)
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Warpstar Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Warp Star (Kirby Air Ride)|Warpstar]]'''
| align="center" |''Great for cruising and gliding. No real flaws.''
|The Warpstar is the most balanced machine in ''Kirby Air Ride''. It is the default machine in Air Ride mode before the player unlocks anything. Just as with balanced machines, this machine has no major flaws or advantages.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Compact Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Compact Star]]'''
| align="center" |''Good acceleration, good cornering, but a tad slow.''
|The Compact Star is a star that is exclusive to City Trial, and all of its modes. The Compact Star mainly has all-around stats, but trades speed for control. It also has somewhat low HP and gliding ability compared to most other machines. This is also the default machine if players play the main game in City Trial.
|[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Turbo Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Turbo Star]]'''
| align="center" |''One speedy ride! But... steering can be tough.''
|The Turbo Star has great top speeds, but its handling takes time to get used to. It also does not have great battling capabilities, such as HP and offense. This unusual machine also charges up very slowly when not in motion, but charges up quickly when stopping. Conversely, this machine turns very quickly when not in motion, but not when it is.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Formula Star Artwork.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Formula Star]]'''
| align="center" |''The best top speed of all! Keep moving...''
|The Formula Star is a vehicle with very high top speeds, but poor handling and acceleration, which makes it difficult to win with outside of [[Drag Race]]s and [[Nebula Belt]], where it dominates. It also has poor gliding, poor charging, and poor battling capabilities.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Slick Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Slick Star]]'''
| align="center" |''Slippery handling makes for tough control.''
|The Slick Star is a polarizing machine with above-average charging and gliding, though it takes some skill to use effectively, as it is incapable of turning while grounded unless a boost is used, and will not slow down while charging. It boasts superb boost and speed but is extremely light and not good at battling.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Swerve Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Swerve Star]]'''
| align="center" |''Cruise! Stop! Cruise! Stop!''
|This lightning-quick machine boasts the ability to accelerate immediately to its top speed from a standstill. However, it cannot turn unless it is charging or gliding, with the former case bringing it to an immediate stop, meaning it cannot effectively use boost pads. Mastery of this machine makes it one of the most formidable in the game despite its drawbacks, especially in City Trial, as a few patches to Top Speed make it essentially uncatchable by clumsier machines.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Wagon Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Wagon Star]]'''
| align="center" |''Can't charge up but... it has good points.''
|The Wagon Star cannot charge; stopping the vehicle merely halts the vehicle in a spot, without the gauge meter filling. To make up for the lack of that ability, it has mostly above average stats and excellent HP.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Bulk Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Bulk Star]]'''
| align="center" |''Charging gives it fuel! It can take a beating.''
|This machine uses charge energy as fuel; when the charge gauge is empty, the vehicle is unable to move on its own. The Bulk Star is very heavy, with great battling capabilities, and can even go at very high top speeds if patched properly in City Trial.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Shadow Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Shadow Star]]'''
| align="center" |''One hit punishes all! Fly on evil wings!''
|The Shadow Star has excellent offensive, acceleration, and gliding stats. However, it has low defenses, especially HP, making it easy for other machines to take it down.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Winged Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Winged Star]]'''
| align="center" |''Slow on the ground, but a great glider.''
|The Winged Star is a fairly slow machine but has a superb gliding ability. However, it performs poorly when it comes to battling other machines and is very light. All other stats are around average.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Rocket Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Rocket Star]]'''
| align="center" |''Charge all the way then get a super boost!''
|The Rocket Star has a very poor top speed, but has a massive charge boost that sends it propelling at very high speeds. However, it charges relatively slowly, which is another drawback. This machine excels in [[Drag Race]]s and other scenarios with plentiful boost pads and relatively few obstacles. If mastered, this machine is a top contender for [[speedrunning]].
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Jet Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Jet Star]]'''
| align="center" |''Speed increases while in the air.''
|The Jet Star is a relatively average machine with notably poor gliding ability. However, whenever it hits the air, a huge burst of speed sends it propelling forward, and when it makes a good landing, another burst of speed follows.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Wheelie Bike Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Wheelie Bike]]'''
| align="center" |''Only has one wheel. Control is unorthodox.''
|The Wheelie Bike always hits the ground with a single wheel, unlike the other machines based on stars. It has average stats mostly everywhere, with its only real drawback being its inability to glide, making jumps off of ramps instead. Due to it being on the ground, it automatically hits boosts without needing to brake.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Wheelie Scooter Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Wheelie Scooter]]'''
| align="center" |''Jumps up very high. Charge up for quick rotation.''
|This machine has very low top speeds, but very high handling, charging, and acceleration stats. It also gains speed when it drives off of ramps, drives over boosts, or drives over rails. However, it has very low battling capabilities.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Rex Wheelie Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Rex Wheelie]]'''
| align="center" |''A sturdy ride if you can handle the speed.''
|The Rex Wheelie has handling that takes time to get used to, but due to its large size and weight, it has superb battling capabilities. It does not have great gliding or acceleration either, but it has fairly high top speeds.
|[[Air Ride]]<br>[[City Trial]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Flight Warpstar Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Flight Warpstar]]'''
| align="center" |''A prototype with upgraded gliding capabilities.''
|Exclusive to Free Run mode in City Trial, the Flight Warpstar is merely a Warp Star with enhanced gliding capabilities. According to the bio in the instruction booklet, it states that the machine is good practice with gliding.
|[[City Trial]], Free Run Only
|-
|}

===Legendary Machines===
Legendary machines only appear in City Trial Mode. In the main mode, they can only be found after assembling machine parts, found in certain red boxes scattered across the city. When all 3 parts are collected, the machine automatically forms, replacing the machine Kirby is riding on. In Free Run mode, once the player has unlocked all 3 parts for each machine, Kirby can use them whenever he wants.

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border=1 cellpadding=2
|-
!colspan=3|Legendary machines in ''Kirby Air Ride'' &nbsp;
|-
!Machine
!Caption
!Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Dragoon Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Dragoon]]'''
| align="center" |''A legendary machine that cuts the sky!''
|This legendary machine is extremely speedy with very high acceleration. Its main advantage is its excellent gliding, where it can reach 80 miles per hour or more in the air. Due to its weight however, it is not easily controlled, and it has only average battle capabilities.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Hydra Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Hydra]]'''
| align="center" |''A legendary machine with extra battle power.''
|This legendary machine has extreme battle stats, and it can withstand constant blows from other machines. It runs similarly to a Bulk Star, using charge energy as fuel. However, it takes much longer to charge up. When fully charged, the Hydra can travel at speeds as fast as 124 miles per hour, and it slowly takes up charge fuel, so the Hydra does not need to be constantly charged. Its only real weakness is the [[No Charge]] item.
|}

===Top Ride Machines===
In Top Ride Mode, there are only two machines available that are exclusive for this mode. Other than their appearance, the two machines' only difference is their control options. Unlike the other machines, these ones do not come with in-game captions.

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border=1 cellpadding=2
|-
!colspan=3|Top Ride machines in ''Kirby Air Ride'' &nbsp;
|-
!Machine
!Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Free Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Free Star]]'''
|The Free Star is a machine that turns in the direction the control stick is faced, no matter what direction it is facing. This is the default machine in this mode.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Steer Star Small.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Steer Star]]'''
|The Steer Star is a machine that turns only when the left and right directions get pushed on the control stick, like a normal star.
|}

==Characters==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border=1 cellpadding=2
|-
!colspan=3|Playable characters in ''Kirby Air Ride'' &nbsp;
|-
!Character
!Caption
!Description
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Kirby AirRide Walk.jpg|100px]]<br>'''[[Kirby]]'''
| align="center" |N/A
| The default character, able to ride various machines and use his copy ability. He is the only character who can dismount and change machines.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR King Dedede artwork.jpg|100px]]<br>'''[[King Dedede (Kirby Air Ride)|King Dedede]]'''
| align="center" |''King Dedede on a bike. Is he really a king?''
| An unlockable character who can be selected on the machines menu. He rides a custom Wheelie Bike and can smack his foes with his hammer.
|-
| align="center" |[[File:KAR Meta Knight Artwork.png|100px]]<br>'''[[Meta Knight (Kirby Air Ride)|Meta Knight]]'''
| align="center" |''Meta Knight with wings spread. Fear the sword!''
| An unlockable character who can be selected on the machines menu. He flies through courses on his wings and can attack opponents with his sword, making him effectively a permanent combination of the Wing and Sword abilities.
|}

==List of available Kirby colors==
By default, players can [[Color|choose between]] pink, yellow, blue, and red Kirby, though no two players can be the same color. Each game mode allows up to four additional colors to be unlocked; those being green, purple, brown, and white Kirby. These colors are unlocked separately in each game mode, and can also be applied to King Dedede and Meta Knight.
===Default===
{{center|<gallery>
KAR Character Select Pink Kirby Icon.png|Pink
KAR Character Select Yellow Kirby Icon.png|Yellow
KAR Character Select Blue Kirby Icon.png|Blue
KAR Character Select Red Kirby Icon.png|Red
</gallery>}}

===Unlockable===
{{center|<gallery>
KAR Character Select Green Kirby Icon.png|Green
KAR Character Select Purple Kirby Icon.png|Purple
KAR Character Select Brown Kirby Icon.png|Brown
KAR Character Select White Kirby Icon.png|White
</gallery>}}

==Enemies==
''Kirby Air Ride'' features a moderately-sized cast of enemies, who mostly serve as fodder on race tracks or as simple obstacles. While enemies are not as central to gameplay as they are in other ''Kirby'' games, there are some unique faces here that cannot be seen in any other game. They are as follows:
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border=1 cellpadding=2
!colspan=4|Enemies in ''Kirby Air Ride'' &nbsp;
|-
!Enemy
!Ability
!Description
!Notes
|-
|[[Ant Doom]]
|N/A
|A big-jawed worm-like monster that occupies the pit on the left side of the [[Sand (course)|Sand]] course in Top Ride mode. It cannot be defeated, and will capture and slow down any racers who draw too close, though it does not actually harm them.
|
|-
|[[Balloon Bomber]]
|[[Bomb]]
|A floating black bomb zeppelin that slowly drifts forward on Air Ride courses.
|
|-
|[[Bronto Burt]]
|None
|A flying pink menace who often travels with other Bronto Burts.
|
|-
|[[Broom Hatter]]
|None
|A faceless hat-wearing creature who can be seen flying on a broomstick in courses.
|
|-
|[[Caller]]
|[[Tornado]]
|A segmented creature that creates a small tornado to keep its body aloft.
|
|-
|[[Cappy]]
|None
|A mushroom-like entity that hops in place on various courses. If Kirby tries to inhale it, he will get its cap first, which is spat separately from the Cappy itself.
|
|-
|[[Chilly]]
|[[Freeze]]
|A living snowman who wears a fez and can be seen patrolling various areas in courses.
|
|-
|[[Dale]]
|None
|A large round glowing creature who is often found in dark places. It can release glowing spores when defeated which are dangerous to touch.
|
|-
|[[Dyna Blade]]
|N/A
|A gigantic metal-winged bird that can appear during a specific event in City Trial and trample racers. Hitting her head will yield items for Kirby, but touching her anywhere else will deal big damage.
|The game incorrectly refers to Dyna Blade as a "he".
|-
|[[Flappy]]
|[[Wing]]
|A fuzzy pterosaur-like creature that can be seen flying slowly forward in courses.
|
|-
|[[Gordo]]
|N/A
|A floating spike ball who cannot be defeated, and so should be avoided.
|Also appears as an offensive item in City Trial (referred to in-game as a "Gold Spike").
|-
|[[Heat Phanphan]]
|[[Fire]]
|A flying elephant-like creature with a flamethrower snout.
|
|-
|[[Noddy]]
|[[Sleep]]
|A small round creature with a nightcap that can be found sleeping on the course.
|
|-
|[[Pichikuri]]
|[[Needle]]
|A bulbous round creature covered in spines that floats through the air.
|
|-
|[[Plasma Wisp]]
|[[Plasma]]
|A green creature made of electricity with two disembodied hands which can be found floating in parts of courses.
|
|-
|[[Scarfy]]
|N/A
|A deceptively cute hovering enemy that turns into a cycloptic monster if Kirby tries to inhale it.
|
|-
|[[Sword Knight]]
|[[Sword]]
|A knight clad in green armor who rides a hoverboard and will try to attack Kirby with his sword.
|
|-
|[[Tac]]
|N/A
|An item thief who appears during a specific event in City Trial. Kirby needs to hunt him down and ram him to get the items he has.
|
|-
|[[Waddle Dee]]
|None
|A hapless little creature who can be seen either on foot or riding a mine cart. The ones on foot will panic and try to run out of the way of oncoming racers.
|
|-
|[[Walky]]
|[[Mike]]
|An anthropomorphic microphone who can be seen singing on courses.
|
|-
|[[Wheelie]]
|[[Wheel]]
|A living wheel enemy who rides along courses, often in formation with other Wheelies.
|
|}

==Checklist==
{{Main|Checklist}}
Each game mode has a [[Checklist]], which consists of 120 objectives. Completing at least 100 is necessary to 'complete' the game mode and unlock a special movie for it, which often includes the credits.

== Development ==
Much of the information on the development of ''Kirby Air Ride'' comes from [[Masahiro Sakurai]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRDAYgRns4E 2023 video] on the subject. He begins by explaining that it was decided to make a racing game as part of an overall strategy to to create "a more robust game lineup to coincide with [[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!|the anime]]", and that making a racing game would take less time and resources than making a more traditional title for the system. Although Sakurai was acting as Chief Director for the ''Kirby'' series at this time, he chose to focus his attention on ''Kirby Air Ride'', and let the other two games ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'' be largely handled by their respective teams.

When designing ''Kirby Air Ride'', Sakurai explains that he started with the fundamental concept of drifting in racing games, and built the gameplay to pivot around this mechanic, giving it more "push and pull" by allowing Kirby to charge up a boost while drifting and release it afterwards. Once this was in place, Sakurai's other main prerogative was to ensure that the game wasn't pressuring players to aim for perfection by incrementally improving their fastest time using the same strategy over and over. This latter point became the main inspiration for the City Trial mode and the varied Air Ride Machines.

Sakurai also elaborates on how much time and effort was made by the development team on the art assets and course designs for the game. However, even with all this work done, they couldn't quite get the game to feel right to play, as "...not even a single Warp Star worked right." Seeing this, Sakurai concluded that the entire game needed to be "rebuilt from scratch" and, by reusing assets completed earlier and building a new streamlined game base that relied primarily on simple adjustable parameters for the machines, the dev team was able to completely rebuild the game and finish it in only 3.5 months. The release of ''Kirby Air Ride'' coincided closely with the conclusion of ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'', which Sakurai had also been in charge of. After both of these projects were complete, Sakurai retired from his role as Chief Director and went independent.

== Crossover with ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' ==
[[File:E96 Scene 19.png|thumb|200px|Various Air Ride Machines can be seen ridden by the eponymous "Air Riders" in the final episodes of ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!''.]]
Due to concurrent development periods, the last five episodes of the anime series ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]'' feature elements from ''Kirby Air Ride'', in the form of the [[Air Riders]] who pilot some of the Air Ride Machines seen in the game. These include the [[Winged Star]], [[Rocket Star]], [[Formula Star]], and [[Shadow Star]], though their performance in the anime does not quite align with the game versions. Aside from these enemies, Kirby himself also rides these machines, particularly making use of a Winged Star to traverse [[eNeMeE's Fortress]] when his own Warp Star is damaged and recovering.

Likewise, ''Kirby Air Ride'' features elements from the anime series, most notably several of its musical arrangements, which come directly from the Japanese version of the show. [[Kabu (anime character)|Great Sage Kabu]] from the anime also cameos as part of the background decoration in the [[Water (course)|Water]] course in Top Ride mode.

==Staff==
The following is a list of staff who have worked on ''Kirby Air Ride'':
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
!colspan=2|Staff of ''Kirby Air Ride'' &nbsp;
|-
!Position
!Developer(s)
|-
!Director
|[[Masahiro Sakurai]]
|-
!Assistant Director
|Yusuke Kataoka<br>Norimasa Tanikawa
|-
!Programming Chief
|Kouichi Watanabe
|-
!Programming
|Kazuhiro Mizusawa<br>Tomokazu Tsuruoka<br>Seiji Otoguro<br>Yoshimi Takahashi<br>Eitaro Nakamura<br>Kouji Mori<br>Toru Yamashita<br>Isao Takahashi<br>Akio Hanyu
|-
!Program Management
|Katsuhiro Sakoda
|-
!Design Chief
|[[Kenichiro Kita|Kenichirou Kita]]
|-
!Design
|Kunio Watanabe<br>Tsuyoshi Wakayama<br>[[Shinya Kumazaki]]<br>Shingo Yamada<br>Tomko Kitada<br>Hitoshi Kikkawa<br>Hiroo Takesita<br>Mutsuo Ohmiya<br>Tohru Sakurai
|-
!Course Design Chief
|Sanae Kubota
|-
!Course Design
|Tadashi Hashikura<br>Tomomi Minami
|-
!Menu Design Chief
|Michiko Takahashi
|-
!Menu Design
|Emi Masai
|-
!Design Support
|Tetsuya Mochizuki<br>Tatsuhiko Ohi<br>Masaru Kobayashi
|-
!Design Concept
|Ahura Benimaru
|-
!Design Management
|[[Shigeru Hashiguchi]]
|-
!Sound Composition Chief
|[[Hirokazu Ando]]
|-
!Sound Composition
|[[Shogo Sakai]]<br>[[Tadashi Ikegami]]<br>[[Jun Ishikawa]]
|-
!Artwork Chief
|Kazuya Konishi
|-
!Artwork
|Atsuko Nakamura<br>Akiko Hayashi<br>Tomoko Nagaya
|-
!Movie Edition
|Kouji Akaike
|-
!Technical Support
|Yoshiki Suzuki<br>Shigenobu Kasai<br>Sung Kwon Kim<br>Fumihiro Narita<br>Yasuyuki Nagashima<br>Takaaki Kawahara<br><u>'''Sysdolphin'''</u><br>Hironobu Kakui<br>Masahiro Takeguchi
|-
!LAN Game Play Manager
|Kazuhiko Fukuda
|-
!LAN Game Play Programming
|Masanobu Sakata<br>Masami Hirano
|-
!North American Localization
|William Barnos<br>Nate Bihldorff<br>Bill Trinen
|-
!European Localization
|Kayo Sadahisa
|-
!German Translation
|Andrea Jähn
|-
!French Translation 
|Sabrina Bretant
|-
!Localization Management
|Jeff Miller<br>Leslie Swan
|-
!Special Thanks
|[[Satoshi Ishida]]<br>Chieko Obikane<br>Hisatoshi Takeuchi<br>Senji Hirose<br>Motomi Katayama<br>Yoichi Yamamoto<br>Masanobu Yamamoto<br>Sorihide Sasaki<br>Tatsumi Kimishima<br>Mike Fukuda<br>[[Akira Miyagawa]]<br>Hayata Akashi<br>Soji Yoshikawa<br>TV Animation Staff<br>HAL Debug Team<br>Super Mario Club<br>NOA Product Testing
|-
!Coordination
|Kenshiro Ueda
|-
!Project Management
|Ryuki Kuraoka
|-
!Assistant Project Management
|Dai Suzuki
|-
!Management Support
|Atsushi Kakuta
|-
!Producer
|[[Hiroaki Suga]]<br>[[Masayoshi Tanimura]]<br>Shigeru Miyamoto
|-
!Executive Producer
|[[Satoru Iwata]]
|-
!colspan=2|All Rights, including the copyrights<br>of Game, Scenario, Music<br>and Program, reserved by<br>[[HAL Laboratory|HAL Laboratory, Inc.]] and [[Nintendo]].<br><br>Nintendo<br>HAL Laboratory, Inc.
|}

==Trivia==
*A trailer for ''Kirby Air Ride'' was included on the bonus disc that came with preorders for ''[[mariowiki:Mario Kart: Double Dash!!#Bonus disc|Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' The trailer starts off with a trailer for ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]'' before transitioning to footage of ''Kirby Air Ride''.
*The Japanese version does not have the number of completed challenges and total challenges on the Checklist screen. It also is missing the "City Trial: Ending" music in the [[Jukebox|Sound Test]].

==Gallery==
{{Main|Kirby Air Ride/gallery}}

===Videos===
{{Youtube|X_wuKrwRNLs|300|Official [[Kirby Portal]] video showcasing Air Ride Machines}}
{{clear}}

==Names in other languages==
{{Names
|es=Kirby Air Ride
|esM=-
|fr=Kirby Air Ride
|frM=-
|de=Kirby Air Ride
|deM=-
|it=Kirby Air Ride
|itM=-
|ja=カービィのエアライド
|jaR=Kābyi no Ea Raido
|jaM=Kirby's Airride
|ko=Kirby Air Ride<br>카비 에어라이드<ref>http://redump.org/disc/62629/</ref><ref>https://www.etnews.com/200402130117</ref><ref>http://www.dt.co.kr/contents.html?article_no=2004021302019968661003</ref><ref>https://game.donga.com/18725/</ref>
|koR=kabi eeolaideu
|koM=-<br>Kirby Air Ride
|nl=Kirby Air Ride
|nlM=-
|pt=Kirby Air Ride
|ptM=-
|zh=Kirby Air Ride
|zhM=-
}}

==External links==
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ngc/gkyj/ Official Japanese website]
*[https://www.kirbyinformer.com/kirby-air-ride ''Kirby Air Ride'' on Kirby Informer]
*[https://archive.org/details/kirby-air-ride-usa/mode/2up ''Kirby Air Ride'' instruction booklet (NA print) on Archive.org]

{{clear}}
{{ref}}

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{{Navbox-KAR}}

[[Category:Kirby Air Ride|*]]
[[Category:Spin-off games]]
[[Category:Games on Nintendo GameCube]]