In the slew of new Nintendo titles scheduled to launch in 2022,Kirby and the Forgotten Landstands out as one of the more exciting announcements. This is the first mainline installment in the series sinceKirby Star Alliesin 2018, andForgotten Landpromises several new features previously unseen inKirbygames. Kirby will be able to upgrade his copy abilities, explore a town full of Waddle Dees, and suck up gigantic real-world objects inMouthful Mode. Given the excitement surrounding the new title and its changes to Kirby, now may be the perfect time to capitalize with a Switch sequel toKirby Air Ride.
A racing game for the Nintendo GameCube,Kirby Air Ridereleased in 2003 and hasn’t been revisited by Nintendo since. The game’s simple controls and clever design make it a fun and endearing GameCube title. Modernizing the designers' ideas inAir Ridewould work well on the hybrid console, and Nintendo recently saw a positive response to the announcement ofMario Strikers: Battle League- which is a contemporary sequel to an old GameCube title. This, alongside fan excitement surroundingForgotten Land, means it makes a lot of sense to revisitAir Ride.
RELATED:Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Would Be a Great Anniversary Switch Port
Air Ride’s Controls on Switch
Part of what madeKirby Air Rideso enjoyable was its simple, tight controls. Acceleration was automatic, and the control stick was used not only for turning but also for gliding. These inputs map perfectly to the Switch, andJoy-Con controllers' gyrocapabilities could be utilized for gliding this time around. In the same way, a gyro feature can help aim in theLegend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, so this would map well to controlling each vehicle’s elevation by mimicking the angle of the its nose.
Nintendo Switch Online and City Trial
Players familiar withAir Ride’sCity Trial mode will recognize the game’s potential for online play. In the original, up to four players could navigate a large, open-world city in search of power-ups for their respective vehicles. Then, players used their souped-up vehicles to duke it out in a random racing or combat-based mini-game. The fun of this mode came from the unpredictability of theparty mini-gamesand random events that occurred within the city. Recreating this experience for Nintendo Switch Online would likely make for a ton of fun, especially if the city’s size increased to allow for more concurrent players.
RELATED:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2’s Release Seems Less Certain After Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Reveal
Copy Abilities from Forgotten Land
Modern hardware upgrades would enhanceAir Ride’sfeatures, but incorporating parts ofForgotten Landwould make for a great update to the game, too.Forgotten Landhas teased that Kirby can level up pre-existing copy abilities to create new ones. These new copy abilities could freshen up the abilities of the originalAir Ride. Moreover, Kirby’s new Mouthful Mode could easily be incorporated into anAir Ridesequel. Plenty of real-life vehicles would suit the racing aspects ofAir Ride, and Kirby could ride them around different courses.
The GameCube’s library is brimming with hidden gems.Custom Robo,Baten Kaitos,F-Zero GX, and others have left a lasting legacy, even if they haven’t received modern updates.Kirby Air Rideis among these titles, and with the right modernization, its sequel could be a great success.Air Ridewas incidentally also the last game Masahiro Sakurai developed during his time at HAL Laboratories. Now thatSuper Smash Bros.‘development has concluded, perhaps anAir Ridesequel directed by the creator of Kirby isn’t totally out of the question.
Kirby and the Forgotten Landis scheduled to release on March 25, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Names May Signal a Return to Form
