Kirby Air Riders: Bandai Namco Joins the Development Team!

by

Summary

  • Masahiro Sakurai has revealed that Bandai Namco will be assisting with development of the upcoming Kirby Air Riders.
  • Sakurai has previously worked extensively with Bandai Namco on the Super Smash Bros. franchise, assisting with the two most recent games.
  • Kirby Air Riders joins a packed lineup of initial reveals for the Switch 2, including Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and multiple high-profile ports.

Masahiro Sakurai has unveiled another developer contributing to the upcoming “Kirby Air Riders”; specifically, Bandai Namco will be part of the game’s development. The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct presentation was brimming with announcements about the hardware improvements and an array of games slated for the console. The event started with a thrilling reveal of “Mario Kart World”, an expansive take on the classic “Mario Kart” series, and concluded spectacularly with “Donkey Kong Bananza”, featuring a lineup of big names in between. Amongst these, one game title caught fans off guard as Bandai Namco was added to the roster for “Kirby Air Riders”.

Originally launched for the GameCube in 2003, Kirby Air Ride swiftly gained a devoted fanbase due to its innovative approach to racing games. The game offers various modes, including traditional and overhead races as well as an adventure-inspired “City Trial” mode where players collect power-ups while exploring a city at their leisure. Regarded as a cult classic on the GameCube, the announcement of Kirby Air Riders for the Switch sparked much anticipation. Now, we’re learning more about the upcoming sequel straight from Kirby’s creator.

According to NintendoLife, Masahiro Sakurai has announced another studio that’s working on the upcoming game, Kirby Air Riders. This studio is Bandai Namco, who have collaborated with both Nintendo and Sakurai’s Sora studio in the past on the Super Smash Bros series. They helped develop both Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, as well as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The release date for Kirby Air Riders has not been disclosed yet.

Masahiro Sakurai Confirms Bandai Namco’s Involvement with Kirby Air Riders

Bandai Namco’s role in the creation of Kirby Air Riders is certain to stir up excitement among fans eagerly anticipating the new Kirby racing title. Following the success and ongoing support for the highly acclaimed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, its developer, Sakurai, further fueled the enthusiasm of franchise fans by expressing that the team is working diligently on the development of Air Riders. Moreover, it’s worth noting that Smash Bros. developed by Bandai Namco ranks as the third best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch.

Kirby Air Riders is expected to join a robust collection of games slated for release on the upcoming Switch 2. Joining the previously unveiled titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo has announced that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will debut simultaneously on both the Switch 2 and its original version. The Switch 2 Direct also showcased several notable third-party games set to arrive on the platform, such as Elden Ring, Yakuza 0, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Nintendo’s preliminary announcements aim to entice fans into upgrading to the Switch 2.

Read More

2025-04-05 19:27