Support us and buy your stuff free of shipping at Lik-Sang.com
 
  REVIEWS - Kirby Air Ride::

Blazin'!
Game Info.
Genre
Racing
Publisher/Developer
Nintendo/HAL Laboratory
Peripherals
  • LAN link-up
    • Release
    10/13/03

    Kirby Air Ride
    One of the most unique games for the Cube so far
    Reviewed by Sam - August 2004

    Kirby's first original game since 2000's Kirby 64 may not be the fully-3D adventure game we all can't wait for, and it also hasn't been recognized as one of the best racers ever, but that doesn't stop it, in my opinion, from being a fantastic multiplayer experience. Because of an ultra-simplified control scheme, the game stands out as extremely easy to pick up, but next to impossible to master. Read on to see why I recommend yet another game that has been crapped on for almost a year.

    Gameplay
    The game presents itself modestly. However, as you attempt to unlock levels and new rides, the challenges present themselves seriously - this game isn't just for babies. If you want to unlock any of the 20-some rides and extra Kirby colors, you're gonna' have to dedicate yourself to it. Thankfully, the game keeps a big checklist of all the weird challenges you have or haven't met. This is seriously one of the best "collection" systems in a game that I've played, and comes as no surprise from the people who brought you Smash Bros. Melee.
    There are three separate "games" within the one game, Kirby Air Ride. First is Air Ride, which is a basic racing experience - up to sixteen players (woo hoo, LAN!) go head-to-head through an assortment of colorful levels. The one spin to this, besides the unorthodox control scheme (which I'll get to in another section), is Kirby's copy ability - players can, just like in Kirby's adventure games, suck up enemies on the raceway and steal their powers for a short time, all in an effort to slow down your human opponents, of course. Interestingly, this mode loses its charm after you've owned the game for a few weeks. There just aren't enough levels to make it feel like a complete racing game, which is probably why the two other modes were added in the first place...
    The second "game" is Top Ride, in which players race through several laps on smaller, simpler raceways, all in a top-down view. Players can control two separate rides - one that changes direction as if you were piloting in first person, and one that moves directly from the perspective (up is up, down is down, etc.). This mode is definitely the simplest of all, but can easily get rather frantic, and is still very enjoyable at parties.
    Finally, the third "game", City Trial. You and your friends start out in a vast area, complete with a city, a forest, a complex of caverns, a castle, a volcano, and more, in which for 5 minutes, you try your hardest to find and collect stat upgrades for your ship. When your time limit runs out, the game pits you head-to-head in a randomly-selected stadium match, ranging from "how far can you glide" to "how many enemies can you swallow". City Trial also features a "Free Run" mode, in which your only goal is to screw around in the city. All in all, City Trial is definitely the most exciting game in Kirby Air Ride. Without it, I doubt I'd have purchased the title.
    8/10

    Control
    The game's main catch is that the controls only use one button (L, R, or A) and the control stick. The one button stops and grounds the ship (in the case that it's up in the air) when pressed, and in most ships, when released, it gives you a speed boost. The size and nature of the boost all depends on which ship you're cruising in. In fact, Kirby Air Ride, more than any other game I've ever played (seriously), really mixes up control between all the different vehicles. Some demand you to boost all the time to get them going - some don't boost at all, but feature sharper cornering or better attack power. Some vehicles are made to take to the air, and some are only useful on a straight path (but in that case dominate the race course). To me, this once again proves how incredibly cool the developers at Hal can be if they just sit and freaking finish a game!
    9/10

    Graphics
    The levels in Air Ride are beautiful - much nicer looking than anything in Mario Kart: Double Dash. City Trial has its own cel-shaded-esque flavor that's a big departure from Air Ride, however still works perfectly in the context of the game. Character and enemy models aren't bad, but the animation is a little uninteresting.
    8/10

    Sound
    The music is nice, but doesn't really stand out much, surprisingly unlike Hal's last project, Smash Bros. Melee. The engine sounds would be cooler if they were louder, but are still pretty neat on their own.
    7/10

    Replay Value
    There's a fairly strong ammount of unlockable material in all three games, and like I said before, the variety of multiplayer modes is incredible. Even just messing around in City Trial's Free Run can be fun for hours at a time.
    9/10

    Overall
    As the GameCube enters its twilight years, I feel it's important to go back and review some of the games that worked best on the system. In my opinion, Kirby Air Ride is one of those games. It may not have been a humongous blockbuster, but it's definitely unique in several ways, and deserves a play from any Nintendo fan, Kirby fan, or little kid who's mature enough to realize that self-important games with "dark" themes aren't necessarily mature - the little "M" on the box doesn't mean anything.

    FINAL SCORE: 8/10
    =Great=

    Send feedback to: sam@ngeb.net